Let's be honest: your kitchen drawers are a graveyard for "life-changing" gadgets you bought to make cooking easier, but now they just sit there collecting dust. All those special slicers and holders aren't making you a better cook; they're just taking up space.
So, how do you know what's actually worth keeping? I asked professional chefs, and they all had the same advice: stick to the basics. You don't need a drawer full of single-task gimmicks. A great knife, a sturdy cutting board, and one reliable pan can do it all. It's time to master the real tools and ditch the junk.
To separate the essential from the superfluous or downright useless, we asked culinary pros 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 decluttering your kitchen, you'll have to make some tough decisions but we're here to help.
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Masaharu Morimoto
Celebrity chef, restaurateur
Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool. Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
1. Mandolin
Chef Morimoto encourages beefing up your knife skills to make thin and uniform vegetable slices. Milk Street
Why: "While it brings good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision and safety in the long run. Mandolins can be bulky, hard to clean and risky if you're not extremely careful. Relying too much on a mandolin or tools like a two-in-one apple cutter or a tomato corer can hold you back from developing real technique. Taking the time to learn how to handle a sharp chef's knife or Japanese blade will help you in almost every recipe."
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