If you’re like me, you pore over the kitchen catalogs that come in the mail and see all sorts of things you think you want, but ultimately may never use. Or you walk into a kitchen store and almost immediately reach for your credit card. No doubt about it, kitchen tools these days look attractive. A corkscrew isn’t just a corkscrew any more; it’s beautiful piece of design. The juicer I have in my kitchen looks like a retro rocket ship. It’s as much a kitchen ornament as it is a juicer. And with those beautifully colored cookware and bakeware sets, from the enamel to the silicone, there is much to please the eye. But before we unleash our inner favorite TV chef, we need to ask ourselves the following questions, some of which depend on what we’re considering buying:
- Do I actually need this and will I really use it?
- Is this gadget a triumph of form over function?
- Will this help me be more efficient in the kitchen?
- Can I use it in the microwave?
- Is it dishwasher safe?
- Will it last, and what kind of guarantee comes with it?
- Is there space in my kitchen?
I’m not saying you shouldn’t choose something that’s attractive to look at, merely that attractiveness shouldn’t distract you from everything else. Some kitchen tools are very expensive, others are cheap. Don’t let that fool you into thinking that expensive is necessarily better. Equally, something that seems too cheap may break after a short period of use or perform badly.
So resist buying on impulse, do some research, and buy only what you will use. In this respect, a low fat kitchen is no different from a regular kitchen.
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