Think Twice Before Tossing These 12 Priceless Kitchen Tools

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There’s a strange irony in life: You never know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone. It’s true in the kitchen, as well, and in the case of kitchen tools, this truth tends to sneak up on us when we’re halfway through a recipe with flour-covered hands and a slight bit of panic. The trusty, conveniently discarded gadget of last spring? Turns out, it’s become the unsung hero of your culinary adventures.

If you’ve been on the decluttering bandwagon with the gusto of a reality TV host determined that less is more, you know what I’m talking about. I’ll guide you on a walk through your kitchen and cast a little light on those once little known tools that become true heroes when they’re no longer around.

Can Opener

Seriously, if you have ever had to open a can with a knife, you will know why this tool is on the list. It’s about the convenience and about the safety. If you throw it out, you gamble frustration and probably unsafe accidents. It’s just one of those tools that you don’t need until you don’t have it, then you miss it terribly.

Potato Masher

What are mashed potatoes made with? a fork? It’s a culinary crime. The potato masher is not about ease of use; it’s about texture. If you ditch this simple tool, you also ditch the creamy, fluffy consistency of mashed potatoes for a lumpy, uneven mess. Unless you like gluey, overworked spuds, don’t even think about using a blender.

Pizza Cutter

Yeah, a knife is okay, but a pizza cutter is made to do the job. It cuts through crust, but leaves the toppings behind. And it’s not just for pizza, but for quesadillas, pastry dough, or herbs. That smooth and sharp glide is one you’ll be tossing out if you toss this multitasker.

Colander

A colander is a big deal, but it doesn’t sound like much until you’ve tried to drain pasta with a pot lid or fish lettuce leaves out of a bowl of water. These tools drain and rinse quickly, easily and mess-free. They also work as a decent makeshift steamer. Life is just too unnecessarily complicated without a colander.

Garlic Press

Using a garlic press instead of chopping garlic by hand is much easier and efficient. The even, fine pieces that a garlic press will give you will distribute flavor perfectly in your dishes.

Citrus Juicer

A small citrus juicer is such an innocent little thing, taking up so little space, but without it you’ll be squeezing lemons for your lemonade or limes for your guacamole with your arms. Sure, you can squeeze with your hands, but you are going to end up with pulp in places it doesn’t belong and juice wasted on your counter. A handheld juicer can extract more juice than manual squeezing, according to studies.

Jar Opener

Have you ever thrown out a jar opener because you assumed you could do without it? Next cue, the jar of pasta sauce that simply won’t budge. Next thing you know, you’re banging lids on counters and wondering how you got here. Even if jar openers don’t seem like much, they’re all the gold you’ll need when you can’t get a stubborn lid to budge.

Grater

The box grater you said goodbye to last year? It wasn’t just for cheese. It’s an endless array of uses, from zesting citrus to grating fresh nutmeg. Of course you could use a knife, but it’ll never provide the fine, even results that a grater will.

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Eyeballing measurements seems reasonable—until your cookies spread into puddles that don’t look like cookies or your pancake batter tastes a bit too salty. Baking and cooking are both built on precise measurements. If you toss these tools, you’ll have culinary chaos before you can say, “Was that one teaspoon or one tablespoon?”

Rolling Pin

Sure, you can use a wine bottle in a pinch, but it’s not the same. Even pressure is supplied by rolling pins, which are made for jobs such as rolling out dough or crushing crackers. Wrestling with awkward substitutes that leave your dough uneven and your frustration high is what ditching this kitchen classic usually means.

Vegetable Peeler

Peeling carrots or potatoes with a knife isn’t impossible, but it’s tedious and often wasteful. A vegetable peeler is faster and has less food waste. The simplest tools are often the most important and a peeler is indispensable for anyone serious about cooking.

Whisk

For such a humble item, the whisk is easy to part with. After all, there’s always a fork or spoon nearby. Wrong. It’s not just a utensil, it’s a necessity, and the moment you try to whip cream or make a silky roux without it you’ll know this. You can’t beat the air and lumps-smoothing ability of a whisk. A good whisk is like an extension of your hand — it brings a recipe to life.