Readers let me know, what are your useless kitchen gadgets? Are "produce bags" one of them?
I'm as much of a sucker as the next gal. I watch the Slap n Chop infomercials and think, "I could make salsa, lots of it! I use onions all the time, this will make it so much easier!" Ditto the Vidalia chop thingy above. I watch the Food Network occasionally and saw Sandra Lee during Money Saving Meals use it all the time. I forget that the thing is always on the counter, and someone else is there to clean it up. By the time I have gotten up on a chair to get *Gadget down, put it together, wash it, put it back away, it is definitely NOT a time-saver. Maybe if I had a massive kitchen with unlimited storage...
A few batches of salsa later, and a few onions down and the thing is just collecting dust now. My Target Santoku knife does the job pretty well.
Gadgets/extras I have that I don't use:
Slap n' Chop
Vidalia Onion Chopper
lemon juicer (handle thingy)
food processor
bread machine
compost bin (I've taken to just using a big bowl that is easier to wash...)
Gadgets I love:
rice cooker
rotating cheese grater thing (like at Olive Garden)
chip clips
salad spinner
waffle iron
griddle (not a gadget, but a special pan...)
fondu pot (annual cheese blowout, broth and veggies, chocolate dessert)
cheese slicer (handle with a wire)
water bubbler
mortar and pestle (herbs and Chai tea time...)
immersion blender (with little container to "process" food)
Gimmicky thing I really want to buy, but want to hear from you all. Do any of you use those Produce Bags (As Seen on TV!) that are supposed to make your lettuce etc last 5 times longer? Do they work? Are they a gimmick?