Kitchen Utensils; To Buy, or Not To Buy?
I used to fall victim to strategically placed, teal-handled spatulas in the pudding aisle. This all too often leads to the heartbreak of a half-melted, teal-handled spatula head and the inevitable internal battle on whether to trash it. It is possible to prevent such tragedies when such encounters are paired with my kitchen utensils buying process.
My utensil-loving heart can only take so much, so now when I meet another adorable kitchen tool, I consider several things before I bring it home. What is its purpose? Will it be useful? Do I have a place for it?
Can It Take the Heat?
If it stirs, flips, scoops, ladles, or scrapes the flavor bits from the bottom of a pan, can it take the heat? If it is made of bamboo or wood (especially on the parts which may touch heat) then I can move on. If it is made of plastic or any flexible material, then I must research further. I instantly go for the tag to see if it says heat resistant up to x temperature. If it does not say this anywhere then I must assume it is not resistant enough for the manufacturer to boast; therefore, it is not resistant enough to matter. Silicon typically has high heat resistance up to 600 degrees F, but if it does not boast this then I must assume it is made of other materials. (Better safe than sorry.)
Heat resistance matters depending on my hopes and dreams for my maybe-new kitchen resident. A pan over low heat tends to be about 200 degrees F, medium heat around 300 degrees F and high heat starts about 400 degrees F and goes up from there. Grills are an entirely different beast with temperatures ranging from 450 to over 700 degrees depending on fuel and use. Do not underestimate the importance of understanding your own kitchen utensils’ limitations when it comes to heat and functionality.
I can give it bonus points in this category if the handle is also heat resistant. If I am babysitting a thickening soup over the stove, it might be helpful or at least tempting to lay the stirrer down for a few seconds in the pan leaving its thin handle perched precariously above the hot flames of my gas stove. I will be much happier to return to stirring if the handle were not scalding hot metal. Enough said on that topic.
If it can’t take the heat, then does this mean I won’t get it? Not necessarily. It just means I need to be aware of its abilities. I highly suggest having a separate place for serving or chilled salad stirrers. If I like a piece enough, then I may still get it if I know I can use it. This brings me to my next point.
Space to Usefulness Ratio?
Does it peel, grate, slice, juice, cut, spiralize, whisk, scrape, flip, stir, fold or do backflips? How specialized is it? This can be a two-edged sword. If it is only good for one specific task, then I need to be honest with myself. How often am I going to use it? Do I have something that can do the job just as easily or possibly even better? Can it realistically be used for other things outside of those pictured on the label or signage? One excellent example is an egg slicer. These can also be great for strawberries, kiwis, and other small, soft foods (if the blades or wires are strong enough to puncture the skin without warping). So, if I encounter one of these in the store that is super cute -but I rarely make boiled eggs—I need to consider the other possible uses when deciding the space to usefulness ratio.
Does it have any unique features? Is it a heat-resistant spatula or stirring spoon with a little notch or hook built-in to the handle to keep it from falling into a pan or bowl? This feature is not to be taken for granted. It can save not only the irritation of having to fish a spoon out of a hot pan of dinner, but it can also mean one less thing to clean off (whether that be a spoon holder or the counter).
There is no exact formula for the space to usefulness ratio. It is all about a purchase I can feel good about. I am, after all, the one who will be buying, bringing home, and ultimately finding a place for this new buddy. I do not want to have buyer’s remorse every time I see it. I want to see that egg slicer and feel good about finding it. I want to appreciate how much time it saves me when slicing strawberries for shortcake. Considering all of this, is it worth the space it is going to take up? If I want to give it a home in my kitchen, then that brings me to my final consideration.
Do I Have a Place for It?
This question is both literal and figurative. Can I use it? An apple corer/slicer is wonderful to have if you eat apples often, but no one needs 5 orange peelers when no one in the house likes oranges. Not only do I have a place for it in my heart, but is there room in my home?
To consider the figurative question, I need to think about my decision on the space to usefulness ratio. What am I thinking of using it for? What did I use the last time I wanted to do exactly that? Let’s revisit the egg/fruit slicer and pretend I do not already have one. I have found a retro-lined, kitchen theme-matching egg slicer. I can already see myself slicing strawberries with it. I used a paring knife to slice them last time, so the idea of finishing an entire strawberry in one motion makes me eager to try it out. Come to think of it, I recall I lost a bunch of strawberries to mush a while back because the task of slicing them all up with said knife was too daunting for a weeknight. In this case, I definitely have a place for this gadget in my heart.
If this kitchen contender is something I can see myself using, now I need to consider how high-profile it needs to be. If I will use it often, then it needs to be easy to reach. If it is something I may forget to use, then it needs to be easy to see. If it is especially stylish and fitting for my kitchen theme, then I should consider making it a functional display piece as well. (Be careful not to become a cluttered, garage sale theme.)
In a Nutshell (Almost)
More times than not, I do not end up adopting a new kitchen discovery. After all, no one needs hundreds of spatulas or even fifteen wooden spoons. Not all pancake flippers are heat resistant up to 400 degrees (although I think this should be a prerequisite)! And, finally, sometimes a knife or spoon can do the job just as easily. I am careful to consider purpose, usefulness, and storage space before welcoming a new utensil into my home.
That’s Another Blog (Post)
If some part of the process has you stumped on your utensil conundrum (because it is such a great find, but you have no use for it)—consider gifting it to someone who would also love it and would have a place for it. You might even create a themed gift basket for pancake breakfast themed around a pancake spatula—but I think that might be a topic for jiffytalking another day!