I love kitchen gadgets. Anything that makes my work in the kitchen go faster is something I must try.  I've always been intrigued by the novelty of kitchen tools, but since having children, I've come to believe they are a necessity if there's any hope of my cooking more than a can of soup for dinner. My only problem is that I'm running out of space to store them all and will be forced to remodel my kitchen someday if I don't stop! To spare you that expense, I'll lead you through the thought process I now follow before I purchase a new gadget.

Does this gadget really make the job easier?
For example, you won't need to buy the many chopping/slicing gadgets available on the market if you have a good command of the chef's knife. Proper use of a chef's knife eliminates the need for a myriad of gadgets saving you both space and expense.

Will it require extensive setup or cleanup each time you use it?
I guarantee you that if it takes too long to set up or clean up you will not use it often. I have a very nice juice maker, which does a lovely job of juicing fruits and vegetables, but I hate cleaning it. Thus, it sits in my closet much longer than it should.

Do you have another kitchen tool that can get the job done nearly as well?
An herb mincer is a cute tool, but a good pair of kitchen scissors can do the job just fine.


Will you use it often?
A heart-shaped waffle maker is adorable to use on Valentine's Day, but will you be using it any other time of the year?

Do you have a place to store it or will there be a gadget you can toss out to make room?
Maybe you've decided to make heart-shaped waffles year round. In that case, are you planning to toss your regular waffle maker so that you have room to store the new one?