Annie, You have my permission to rid yourself of the asparagus peeler! Space is a more important commodity. Hey, send it to Rachelellen.

But Cathy, it makes me grin every time I see it in the drawer. :-) I remember getting that package and there wasn't any note enclosed and thinking "what in the h*ll is this?". Then you confessed that it was from you when I posted that I got that "anonymous" package.

Hey, I thought it was funny......

Annie

So many gadgets in my kitchen but I love them all really. I dont' necessarily use them all the time but when I want to use them, I feel lucky to have them. I used two things Easter Sunday that I haven't used in so long; the egg slicer and a little strainer thing with a handle to sprinkle powdered sugar on the lemon bars that my daughter brought over.

I'm seriously running out of room though.... I have two drawers in the kitchen for the utensils and gadgets and they're a holy mess.

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Great, 'cause I thought sending it would be a hoot! Most of my gadgets aren't for their functionality, maybe originally but not in reality.

My husband never stops buying me knives although I have pleaded with him to please STOP.

This is worse. We had a church dinner on Saturday and they needed three large platters, three VERY large kettles and 2 electric turkey roasters. They all came from my kitchen.

I always wanted an ice cream maker but maybe you are talking me out of it.

I just looked at those pictures, WHY do I need all those spoons?

I need to clean out those drawers.

I even have pans for the grill in case we have a hurricane and lose power. BUT we have a generator! I can still use my stove. I'm hopeless. And I have a ga-zillion coffee cups. I'm the ONLY person in his house that drinks coffee. I need an intervention.

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Hey Shaun! See that silvery colored thing in the bottom drawer, partially covered up by the egg slicer? That does double duty at my house...I use it as a hammer to put nails in the wall, when I am too lazy to go out into the garage to get a hammer. Well, not really double duty...since I have NEVER used it for it's original purpose. You also have 2 more egg slicers than I do. However, I have you beat on meat thermometers! LOL

I got rid of a lot of stuff when I was packing to move, and left more with DH to "donate or toss" when the house sells (please, God) and he moves out here. (Which is the only way I got rid of those awful dishes I've hated for 15 years -- left them with him!) So you'd think I have very little unused kitchen stuff, right?

Wrong.

MIL left everything she didn't have room for or couldn't bring herself to throw away "because I might need it". I should point out that the can't bring herself to throw out every plastic container, rubber band or jar that ever passed through her hands. And I have never EVER had need for dozens of cutesy cookie cutters, turkey "lacers", FOUR sushi mats, a sausage stuffer or any of the other myriad things I've unearthed here. The donation pile for the Hospice thrift store is growing. The dozens and dozens of cookie cutters quietly made their way to the sibs who have kids.

And in spite of all this "stuff", not one decent mesh colander or Silpat to be had! LOL!

I never use my broiler pan for broiling but the bottom is great for roasting veggies. It sits right side by side with my roasting pan in the oven, also filled with roasting veggies. They hold much more than the small sheet pans, and the veggies don't fall out when I turn them.

Hey Vicki! That was fun looking in your drawers!! Did you know you have money in there? I see a dollar!

Why are you saving those corks? Inquiring minds..... well, you know.

I love and use my Asparagus peeler all the time!! In fact, I store it in its little box to protect it- silly, I know! It is time consuming & nobody appreciates the peeled asparagus but ME - in fact they make fun of me while I peel. I refuse to have a designated "junk drawer" in this kitchen, so now I have my junk spread thru out all the drawers - I love gadgets - even the ones I don't use!
vicky - do those little blue hooks for spoons really work? (That's what they are - right?)

Shaun...you NEVER know when you will need a used wine cork. Seriously? I have no idea why they are in there. LOL And the money? That is actually a pair of pants. My DS wanted clothes for his bday, so I folded money like shirts and pants. That particular pair of pants was only a one dollar bill.

Magothyrivergirl...They do work, but they aren't that convenient. You can't put a lid on a pan when you use them and the pan has to be straight up and down on the sides. I have used one of them once. Got them for Christmas from MIL.

vicki - Last wkend I was visiting MIL & they eat every meal out - she does not cook(!) but she does shop & she tried to get me to buy those hooks from the gift shop that was part of the restaurant where we ate. I said I didn't think they would work very well for some reason- I gurantee you I will get them for Christmas!!! lol

vicki, I also noticed the dollar bill and the wine corks, but Shaun beat me to the question, LOL.

Beanthere, I have a tub FULL of cookie cutters, but I have grandkids, LOL. I just bought Elery a sausage stuffer for his birthday and he bought me a "sushi magic" kit for rolling sushi about a month ago. Sheesh, I should have talked to you first!

Oh, but I think he's bringing his smoker up here and we can finally make that Portuguese sausage.....

Annie

OMG, I would kill for kitchen drawers that neat! Absolutely will not be taking photos of mine before I go through them and throw away the junk!

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They MAKE asparagus peelers? (People eat and enjoy asparagus?) DARFC

Well, as long as we're all airing our dirty drawers here's mine

Oh dear Bobbylish, what is DARFC? You're going to have to fill me in on that one, privately if necessary! Asparagus is awesome! ;-)

We'll also chat about the red rolling pin... :-)

Silly goose... Ducks and runs for cover! I know lots of people here like that "stuff"... I just don't happen to be one of them!

WHAT about that rolling pin? I bought that the day before Thanksgiving two years ago to roll out pumpkin pie dough. I ended up using frozen crusts anyway, and have only used the rolling pin once since I've had it! Guess I should add that to the list this thread is about, but every kitchen's gotta have a rolling pin.... right?

Wow - I can't even SEE the bottom of my kitchen junk drawer. There is so much stuff crammed in there you can't even see the liner paper, so no photos from me either! I envy you people that can close those drawers without having to "hip check" them. Truth be known, I have 2 drawers filled with stuff like that - one for sharp stuff and one for not sharp stuff.

HA HA HA HA!

LOL! I was just counting where I have utensils in my head, I have I have 4 drawers and 3 utelsil holders for the small non-electric stuff, and a pantry full of lesser used small appliaces. The small appliances I use all have counter space so my kitchen looks a bit cluttered. I am proud to say that all my stuff is organized, even the stuff that is not used very often!

Vicki, I could not help notice the silicon clip on spoon holders in your drawer. How do you like those? I was just thinking of buying some . They have them at King Arthur with free shipping, and I need to by parchment and large bread bags anyway... Hey! That's probably how I got all this stuff!! But I really would like to know if they work well!

Joanne

Joanne...they do work for their intended purpose. However, they only work on straight sided pans and you can't use them with a lid. I have used mine once...and I have 3 of them...but I must confess that they make GREAT chip bag closures. LOL

Great! Thanks Vicki! I was wondering if it would actually stay. I think it would be useful when I am browning stuff in my big pot, which is straight sided. I always switch spoons after I finish cooking ground beef (like for chili) or browning meats for stew or pot roast or soup... this will save me washing a second spoon rest after that step. I only have 5 and I hate when I can't find a clean one when I need it (I use them a lot!). By the way, I have chip clips sitting somewhere that I never use. Chips always go into tupperware. If I do need to clip a bag shut, I just grab a large binder clip off the desk, they hold better than those old plastic clips!

Joanne

OK, I could not resist showing my drawers! LOL! So here thay are.

This drawer holds all my cutting boards, utility knives, scissors (except my kitchen shears), openers, scoops, and lifters.

This drawer holds my measuring stuff, cuttiers, scrapers, wine corkers (yes 2, they didn't make the corks anymore for the old one), different scoops, funnels, and some baking items. The metal scraper layes over the pizza cutters.

This one holds misc. stuff.

This one holds silverware, serving utensils, bread knives, and knife safes that I don't use anymore because...

All my good knives are in the cutting block, they stuff hanging doesn't fit well in drawers or holders.

And last but not least, these are my holders by my stove. I use a lot of this stuff on a daily basis. And if you could see everything to count, you would see 12 different whisks. I never use one of them because I hate it, guess I should get rid of it. I should also get rid of that dough whisk, a wooden spoon works much better. And I should stop shopping at William Sanoma and Sur la Table.

Joanne

I think we have a winner! Joanne, that i amazing.

I often wonder what our DH/DW/SO thinks about these collections.

Wow, Joanne, I think you ARE the winner. I have two drawers too, one with sharp stuff and one with everything else, plus a crock on the counter by the stove. I don't think I've seen the bottom of any of them in a long time.

Annie

i have been staying away from this thread because i was scared to post what a freak i really am, but i can see i am in the best of company.

no pictures, but....

in the basement way is a large canvas bag that holds 4 or 5 sets of measuring cups (plastic and metal) as well as the half dozen or so canning funnels.

i have a large, wood antique changing table that's been "converted" for kitchen duty and the middle shelf holds four same sized baskets full of things. one has 4 different potato ricers, one holds (and is full) of garnishing tools and the other two various other things. it has two slim drawers and thy hold bottle lids, soda can toppers, and other things i just can't see right now. there are three large baskets on the bottom, but only one of them has gadets and what nots in them. the other two don't count because they are the snack bins.

my kitchen table has a drawer and that houses all my piping bags.

on my counters - a crock that is full with just plastic spatulas, another that houses just wooden spoons - a 6 compartment basket that holds beaters, strainers, graters, basters and other things and then another 6 compartment crate/basket that holds whisks, metal spatulas, tongs (now all of these things i have at least half a dozen if not more of each), can operner, etc.

there's a knife block and then a magnetic knife strip.

there's another drawer that houses a complete knife set and its holder, egg slicer, cake testers, meat pounders, thermometers, basting brushes and scissors.

then there's a drawer devoted just to silverware (not to mention the three other silverware chests that i have and are full). the one next to it houses bar tools, ever conceivable cheese tool you would need and then all those excess steak knives, corn on the cob holders, demitasse spoons, innteresting serving pieces and various other things.

then there is the where do i put this crap drawer - it's a mix of this, that and the other stuff - egg separator, plastic lettuce slicer (rememeber that green thing from tupperware???) the pick to start a piece of citrus, fondue forks and other stuff.

now there's a cabinet that holds a set of those vintage metal canisters and they house all my canning lids, rubber seals, and whatever else has no place in any other drawer.

there is a junk drawer which aside from non kitchen items, houses three rolling pins.

if this was a twelve step program, i'd have to admit to having 14 glass measuring cups of various sizes and when i was at the corning glass museum and found an 8 cup, you'd think i died and went to heaven.

in the bottom cabinet next to the stove, is a metal container that holds all the metal spoons - slotted and not, ladels and meat forks.

when my son got his first apartment, he was able to move with everything he needed to set up house - didn't even make a dent. i'm not just talking kitchen.

cookie cutters? every occasion, every shape, every size, not to mention all those little tart molds. a cabinet that is chock full of every conceivable size and shaped cake pan you would ever need in this life or the next one.

how pathetic am i that i continue to buy stuff, that when i cleaned out my uncle's house, there was stuff there that had never, ever been used and is much better made than things you get today. i even found a brand new, complete set, still in the box and in their respective holders, of cutco knives.

let's not get started on table covers and cloth napkins. name your occasion, name your color.

i often say my house is too small. i've been told i have too much sh**. i will admit though, 98% of my stuff gets used.

now that wasn't so bad to admit to my obsessive/compulsive self.

maryanne

Wow! lol

I purged my kitchen of excess of 'stuff' in during the course of '07. Nothing on my countertops except for the Cuisinart & the 'Assistant'. By the stove, I've got one small drawer with long-handled utensils. I only kept one each: spoon, slotted spoon, potato masher, tongs, ladle, offset spatula, thin spatula for pancakes/cookies, etc., heavy-duty spatula for moving hot large loaves of bread, and 3 wooden spoons of different shapes/styles (including the one made from lilac wood that DH carved for me).

In another drawer, I've got 2 silicon spatulas, 3 whisks of different sizes/shapes, 1 peeler, 1 apple corer, 2 micro-planes, hand operated can opener, 1 pastry brush, meat thermometer, candy thermometer, 1 set of measuring spoons, 1 set of measuring cups, the discs to my Cuisinart, 1 'boat motor', silicon butterpat mold, & that's about it.

My cookie making supplies are in a Rubbermaid tub in the garage & I confess to having a multitude of stuff in the tub. But, I cleaned out all of the cutters & only kept less than a dozen of the 5" copper ones...all of the small ones that belonged to my Mom I got rid of (they were rusted). I've got several cookie molds & a shortbread mold plus decorating stuff.

I kept 1 service for twelve of everyday flatware including about a dozen serving pieces. That fits in one drawer. The sterling flatware is in a case stashed in a 'secure location'.

I am truly liberated from 'stuff' now & it feels great. I've not missed a single one of the dozens of pieces I either trashed or gave away. My DIL has a lot of them so I can 'visit' them if I get to feeling nostalgic!

I've only got 2 measuring cups...a 1-Cup & a 4-Cup. That's it. Works for me.

After the "Big Cleanout" I have found though that I need to replace some of the junky baking pieces I ditched. So, I'm looking at purchasing the Bennington Pottery 9-Piece Baking Set. I'm holding off though because I'm not sure exactly where each piece will live. If there's not a convenient spot...I won't buy them.

These days, I'm of the mindset that 'less is more'. :) My FIL passed away Jan. '07 & when we cleaned out the house where DMIL & DFIL had lived since '59...OMG! I vowed not to ever do that to my kids; so I got home & immediately started cleaning things out. This year's project is to do the same to every closet in the house! I'm having organizers built-in & if we're not using something...it's out of here.

/tricia

Is this a bad time to admit that those pictures are of my "pared down" collection? I actually got rid of a lot of stuff (gave it to neighbors, friends, and family) about three years ago when I remodeled my kitchen. I had to take everything out any way so I figured I should get rid of what I was not using. You should see my collection of cookware and bakeware! My husband can't believe I actually use all this stuff!

Joanne

joanne, you inspired me to post LMAO!!!!!!

Joanne, I have that EXACT dough whisk! I love it for quick breads, pancake batters, etc. I got it from King Arthur Flour.

Many people who come over to my house don't know what it is!

LOL! Mine came from King Arthur too! But I do like my wooden spoons better. Maybe I should try it again, I haven't used it in years.

I was about to ask what LMAO meant, but I just figured it out!

Joanne

This feels sort of voyeuristic. LOL!

Bobby - I was working out DARFC in my head, and I am embarrassed to say that I had to standing for all kinds of things that can't be printed here.

Annie - Let me know how the sausage comes out!

OMG - are we all hoarders of kitchen gadgets!!!???? Do normal people(I mean those that do not love cooking) think we are weird?
I have a crock full of utensils, another of wooden utensils and then 4 or five drawers of various things. But having neat kitchen gadgets to use makes me happy! The late DH and I always made it a point to visit kitchen/cook stores in our travels...we even bought stuff on our honeymoon in Bermuda - a Wusthoff offset sandwich knife and a soup strainer. So I have things I can't get rid of because I do USE them (have to rationalize here)and also have some awesome sentimental value attached. And Bobby, the silicone rolling pin is the bomb!!! -maria

Look what someone on the Trash-to-Treasure forum did with kitchen utensils.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen gadget sculpture

I just love this thread! It is so interesting how alike we all are. I loved the pictures! I just can't figure out how to keep the drawers all nice, neat and tidy. Not going to happen here. My MIL can't remember where to put anything. Sometimes I find my measuring cups in a pan, under the stove. That is NOT where they go. I do know where everything is...no matter how messy they look. LOL

Thanks for this post Caliloo!!!

Yes Bob E. Lish, like Maria said, your red silicone rolling pin is the bomb! I'll elaborate later, but it is definitely a GOOD thing! :)

Tricia, why do you have your assistant sit on the countertop? Why don't you get him or her a chair if there is a lot of seated work to be done? My mom didn't typically like it too much if I sat on the counter, I do remember that. (ducking and running)

This seems like the right place to ask a question. My DW bought me a spatula that has a spring loaded wire on it. Made by Faberware, when the spring is released the wire pops up. After a month of studying it I've decided its for turning over chops, etc. By slipping the spatula under and using the wire to hold them down while turning.
Am I on the right track?

A spring loaded spatula? What the ???

I'm scrambling to concoct a story about how that is a special tool for cooking frog legs.... ;)

Tricia, good for you. My hidden goal (for now) is to downsize my stuff like you have done. I don't want to die and have someone have to dispose of all my junk. I need to move all the stuff out of my kitchen and slowly move it back in as I need it. We have so much stuff that is never used. I'm glad I'm not alone. Unfortunately, the kitchen is not the only area that needs downsizing.

When my Mother died in 1999, I was the one stuck cleaning out everything at her house in Florida. I was also moving in a few months. That caused me to get rid of alot of my "stuff' for the same reason as Tricia. I did not want to leave a huge mess of too much stuff for my only son to deal with. We were also downsizing. Well, 9 years later, I have accumulated new gadgets, cooking things, spoons, etc. I'm the one with the Asparagus Peeler that I actually use and store in its own little box! So, the lesson is - maybe I have to purge every 10 years????
Joanne - your drawers are way too neat!!! Where did you get the stainless stand on your counter? I love it!

Looks like I need to relinquish the title of "Gadget Queen".

Lakeron, Is it like in the link below? These are my favorite thongs.

Here is a link that might be useful: thongs

I was a little worried what that picture of your "thongs" was going to be Mustangs! My MIL has a pair of those tongs.

Thanks Magothyrivergirl! I got the stainless stand at Tuesday Morning about three years ago. It was on clearance for $10! It only had 8 hooks on it when I bought it, for $2 at Ace Hardware, and about 10 minutes of my time I added a dozen more hooks (medium S hooks). I just love that stand, it is great for things that take up too much room in a utensil holder or drawer.

Joanne

I though that would encourage posters to check it out the tongs.

I had a Freecycle poster say that they and kitchen items to freecycle including "thongs". I asked if they had been worn.

How about a swap thread (a thread that we make an effort to keep on page 1)? People write to the thread saying what they need to borrow. Someone who has the desired item sends it out, and then the borrower sends it back when finished. I guess the particulars could get worked out over email, but if you don't know who has what, you write to the swap thread to find out? For example, I don't need it now ('cause DS's 4-year b-day has just passed, not to mention we are moving and I don't want one more thing in my house right now), but that Ninja Turtle cake pan that somebody has could have come in handy...and may come in handy next year! But I'd never go out and buy one. That's just one example.

Why not reuse and recycle, instead of going out to purchase a gadget you'd use once or twice? Just a thought.
-mando

LOL, Cathy, I thought you'd been watching that "Simply Deliciouso" show on Food Network. Hispanic girl with the cleavage. Oh wait, they ALL have cleavage, it's the new direction. Anyway, I watched her ONCE and by the time she said "thongs" instead of "tongs" about six times, I turned her off and have never watched her again. I can't manage to escape her commercials, though.

Mando, that's a good idea, I usually yard sale stuff, but maybe we could have a swap, a "lending library" or a white elephant kind of thing with some of this stuff.

Because of this thread I went home last night and cleaned out.....my bathroom cabinet. (grin) I couldn't face the utensil drawers!

Annie

I love this thread and showing my DH. When he retired I gave him the dish washing job. The first thing he did was move most of my flatware, glasses and cups up and out of reach. He didn't want me to use more than I needed and he had to wash. Ha

Thanks for the reply mustangs, but no, its nothing like the thongs. If you picture a spatula with a couple of thong wires on top held in place by a spring. When the spring is released the wires pop up and a lever comes out of the bottom of the handle. Squeezing the lever depresses the wires to the spatula to hold whatever is on the spatula.
At least I think thats how its supposed to work.
Maybe I should start a thread on 'Things I don't know HOW to use. :-)

Like many of you, I am trying to pare down, clean out, and organize particularly in the kitchen. Several months ago I organized one base cabinet that was getting out of hand. I found a great organizer (the mesh pullout on the right) that is great for oddly shaped items. I'm liking it a lot because it allows you to place the dividers wherever you need them. Amazing how pictures show the flaws--I see that I need to replace the top shelf that I added with a more sturdy board.

Annie, You mean you don't have cleavage like that in your office?

Cathy, if ANY of my staff showed up looking like that, I'd send them home to change. We have enough sex offenders being charged, no use encouraging them!

Annie

Annie, I knew that would be the case in your office as in mine!