According to a survey by tapwarehouse.com, the average UK household has £311 worth of unused kitchen equipment, with 41% of tagine owners never having used theirs. Chef Jacob Kenedy admits to being a 'kleptomaniac of other cuisines', owning gadgets like a sushi mat and coconut grater that rarely see use.
Cookery writer Rebecca Seal advises questioning whether a gadget is plastic, durable, and truly necessary before purchase. She abandoned her espresso machine and electric grinder after struggling to get the grind right, now buying bagged supermarket coffee instead.
For ice cream, author Shivi Ramoutar recommends a no-churn method: whisk a 397g tin of condensed milk into 300ml double cream until thick, add vanilla extract and flavourings, then freeze. This avoids the need for an ice cream machine, which often requires 24-hour pre-freezing and has fiddly parts.
Popcorn machines are deemed unnecessary by Waitrose executive chef Martyn Lee, who suggests making popcorn in a casserole pot with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Honey dippers are also dismissed; chef Sam Grainger simply advises using a spoon.
Bread machines can be useful for time-pressed bakers, but chef Si Toft offers a low-effort focaccia recipe using 500g strong flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil, proving that simple methods can yield excellent results without specialist gadgets.
