Walk through any home store or scroll a kitchen gadget section online and it's easy to feel tempted. You might see a spiralizer that promises to replace pasta, a countertop machine that claims to chop, dice and sauté, or a ton of other "miracle" products. These might sound like they'll make cooking easier.
The reality is that many of them are used once or twice before being shoved to the back of a cabinet.
A handful of dependable tools will carry you much farther than a drawer full of gimmicks. Professional chefs stick to basics like sharp knives, sturdy cutting boards and reliable pans because they actually work, and they last. Those are the kinds of tools that help you build confidence in the kitchen instead of adding clutter.
To separate what's worth buying from what's a waste of money, we asked culinary experts to share the tools they swear by and the gadgets they'd skip. Their advice will help you avoid falling for flashy products and instead invest in items that you'll reach for every single day. When it comes to decluttering your kitchen, you'll have to make some tough decisions, but we're here to help.
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These career cooks are the ultimate authority on which kitchen gadgets should get the boot -- especially when cupboard, counter and drawer space is limited. Each one listed their least favorite kitchen tools and offered their preferred method or tool for completing the cooking task that they're meant to do.
Masaharu Morimoto
Celebrity chef, restaurateur
Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool. Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
1. Mandolin
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