It’s almost impossible to ward off echoes of Veg-O-Matic commercials – “it slices, it dices” (sorry, just couldn’t hold back) – when you encounter shelves of corn kernel strippers, tuna presses and the like.
According to the database company Statista, Americans will have spent $17.6 billion on kitchen gadgets by the time 2021 comes to an end. This is following a lockdown that saw people anxious to fill the hours, which in turn rocketed houseware sales upward by 25 percent the year before.
Yet professional chefs are hardly keen on the usefulness of such items. Ronco’s famous Veg-O-Matic earned a spot in the National Museum of American History’s exhibit on the transformation of the dinner table. It did indeed slice and dice, but still chefs remain skeptical.
“You just need a good kitchen knife and a mixer,” says Chef Rudolfo Ponce, owner of Rudolfo’s Cafe in Pacific Grove. “Get a honing rod and you’re good to go.”
What – no Hutzler 571B banana slicer? No meat-shredding claws for Freddy Krueger wannabes? No trongs? Americans crave drawer-stuffers.
“Just really good, sharp knives,” reiterates Anthony Carnazzo of Stationæry in Carmel.
That’s generally the mantra of kitchen pros. Fundamental tools that have proven their worth over the years win out over the absurd. Yet because they work in a frenzied environment, chefs understand the appeal of shortcuts.
Billy Quon, owner of the popular Sur in Carmel, recommends a silicone spherical ice ball machine. A single large mass of ice is preferable to the traditional ice cube because it melts more slowly. This allows for a more consistent temperature, which is a plus. The biggest benefit – for the consumer – is that it is less likely to dilute the alcohol.
Quon is a fan, as well. “We go through about 15-20 spheres a day for our specialty bourbon drinks,” he says. “It really makes a great impression on guests. I’m happy it does, because I hate making them.”
For the freezer, spherical molds run anywhere from $5 to $30. But machines are capable of transforming water into a perfect ball of ice in a matter of minutes – the wow factor Quon mentions. But it comes at a price. Expect to shell out at least three digits. Some machines run into credit check territory.
Not for you? No problem. The Sur owner has a more manageable suggestion: “this little gizmo,” he says, pointing out a set of herb scissors. “We use it and we love it.”
Herb scissors are simply multi-blade scissors that could probably be used to shred paper (probably not so useful on hair). They readily slice herbs, celery, scallions, kale, chilies and other items into uniform bits without the need for a cutting board. Yes, all of this can be done with a chef’s knife, but this is about efficiency. And prices hover in the giftable $10-$15 range.
Chefs are cautious of some items, even if they prove handy. “I would stay away from the mandoline,” Ponce says. “We use it here all the time, but it’s very dangerous.”
The mandoline is a device that allows one to shave meats and vegetables into gossamer ribbons, something almost impossible to do with that vaunted knife. Yet it is also quite willing to peel several layers of skin.
Instead, Ponce prefers to suggest a sous vide machine. “It’s like $100 and it’s useful,” he says. Modern editions of the device might even boast an app – “You can set it up on your phone,” Ponce adds, conjuring an image of chefs casually sipping on mimosas at outdoor cafes while their 16-hour pork belly drifts in a pot.
Other gadgets that are chef-approved include immersion blenders, tortilla presses, pasta rollers and – for the most pretentious hipsters – a mortar and pestle.
But with Americans hooked on gadgets to the tune of some 300 million-plus items a year, there is clearly a demand for omelet makers (why stoop to a regular skillet?), automatic pan stirrers (spoons can be heavy), banana slicers (more than 5,000 customer reviews) and those tidy trongs (you can look them up).
“They have the weirdest things,” Ponce says.
