Paring down

The dreaded kitchen gadget drawer.

Like a junkie, I frequently find the need to hit up my local kitchen store (in my case it would be Broadway Panhandler or Sur La Table) and buy something I usually don't need. I usually pop in with a purpose but allow myself the time to wander, to browse, to find another time saving kitchen device I really don't need.





These items are usually small and rarely expensive. But after so many years the drawer becomes jam-packed with stuff. Stuff, stuff and more stuff.


Lately, however, for some reason the gadget drawer at the humble cottage has held an enormous appeal to some little friends.




(the things they decided to munch on were odd choices: the basting brush (ok oil), the trussing string and any OXO good grip handle. Go here for more mouse food)

We took note of their calling cards each Friday after we arrived, dutifully cleaned out the drawer and plunged everything into the dishwasher. Saturday morning's became kitchen tool curation day. What did I really need? What did I really use? I think now I finally have the contents of the drawer pared down to what is truly used and needed. Best part is that the drawer always closes with out any rearranging.

(Thanks to NK for asking the all important questions: "Do you use this? How about this? This?" He did a beautiful job on the drawer.)

By the way Food&Wine's February' issue give a list of kitchen essentials for the mimimalist cook. Gadgets include Locking tongs (check), mixing bowls (check), spatuala/rubber scraper (check), chopping mats (nope), and scissors (check-4 pairs).

(and another btw, I don't own those two egg-y things at the top of the post)

(yet another btw, Williams-Sonoma, of course, is a great place to get needful and needless gadgets. but the idea is to pare down, not stock up!)

Feature: Make my day: gadgets