I have way too many kitchen utensils with a disorganized drawer filled with soup ladles, spatulas, a pizza cutter, a can opener, plastic and wooden mixing spoons, knives, vegetables peelers, a nutcracker with nut picks, a meat thermometer, and much more. And, that’s just the beginning. I also have a plastic container on a shelf in a bottom cupboard filled with less used kitchen utensils, while my least used utensils are stashed in a box in the basement. A hundred-year-old cookbook stressed the importance of having a few good utensils (and not having a plethora of seldom used ones):
Adequate equipment does not mean having a large number of utensils for every process; it does mean, however, having enough so that the business of cooking does not become too irksome. Beating egg whites with a fork is a long process. It takes so long that as a rule the woman usually becomes tired long before the eggs are beaten enough and the result is an inferior product. An egg beater should be among her kitchen utensils. Hundreds of examples could be given to illustrate just that one point. The other extreme of course is just as bad, and burdening yourself with useless utensils is something to be guarded against. Good housekeeping does not consist of a well-stocked utensil closet. It is better to have a few good utensils and then make each one do as many tasks as possible. It isn’t the number of utensils that counts, but the number of uses to which each can be put that determines the wise choice.
The Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book (1925)
Nice post Sheryl high five ✋
It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed this post.
Well, I’m definitely guilty of too many, but just when you get rid of something, that’s when you end up needing it the next week. Just think of it as insurance.
That’s a good point. I think that I discarded my melon baller awhile back. Recently, I’ve seen several hundred-year-old recipes which call for using one, and I wish that I still had it (but, at least so far, I haven’t been willing to buy another one).
😇
I downsized my utensil drawer, but the gadget bar in a store will always draw me like a magnet.
I try to stay away from those displays at the store. 🙂
Wise words!
Some bits of wisdom stand the test of time. I actually was surprised that cooks had too many cooking-related tools and gadgets a hundred years ago. Somehow I pictured that being a more modern phenomenon.
Me to! I suppose we never change, really.
You should look at all the specialty serving tools for silver ware back then–they thought you needed a specific tool for serving every item, like tomato server, berry spoon, ice cream spoon, fish knife, butter knife, asparagus server, etc.!
Some of those are outside my experience. But we still have (and don’t use) my grandmother’s fish knives and forks.
How cool!
They’re gathering dust really. It’s a shame.
I still use an old butter knife that I have when serving butter to guests.
It is always good to have the correct utensil to use. I actually had to replace a few. I bought an old fashioned egg beater once because my grandmother’s recipe called for one.
A few years ago I had to replace my old handled rolling pin. I was shocked that it didn’t last a lifetime. I guess that it means I’m getting older. 🙂
Great advice!
It’s nice to hear that you enjoyed this post.