Kitchen Gadgetry: Alton's Judgment Calls

 

One of my favorite food nerds (even by his own admission) is the well-known Food Nertwork TV host, Alton Brown. One part chef, one part "Bill Nye the Science Guy" of the kitchen, he's also well-known for his disdain toward spending money on "unitaskers" and other kitchen gadgets, when you can just as easily (and far more cheaply) get by with what's around the house.

In any case, over at the Gizmodo Gadget Blog this week, from stick blenders to melon ballers, Alton gives a detailed rundown on the kitchen aids he feels are useful, and those that are a waste of time, as well as your money. And topping his list of time wasters, are two of my own personal pet peeves -- as well.

Ice Cream Maker

• I don't have a lot of reasons for a regular ice cream maker. Good continuous-churn models are expensive, $800 to $1000. Frozen core models are messy—you have to store them in the freezer, and you're always losing parts. I don't have any great need for that.
If I didn't have access to liquid nitrogen, maybe I would. Maybe I could use one for something other than ice cream that I haven't thought up yet.

Garlic Press

• There is absolutely no reason for a garlic press to exist. It is utterly completely magnificently useless.

Amen, Alton.

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