Kitchen Gadgets

 Sharing about the Instant Pot I got for Christmas got me to thinking about all the other kitchen gadgets I have. There are a lot of them!

We started remodeling our kitchen a couple years ago. I'd estimate we're about 1/8 of the way finished. That may sound awful to most people but we knew going into it that we'd not be finishing it for a looong time. With DH on the road most of the time and our limited budget, we had a choice of taking it slow or not doing it at all. I'm still not sure if we made the right decision.

 While the kitchen is torn apart, most of the things that go into the non-existent cabinets or on the counter top are stowed away in boxes in the spare bedroom upstairs. Everything in the kitchen right now is a bare necessity. So every time I need a tool: stand mixer, extra sauce pan, blender, ladle, etc... I have to find the box it's in and bring it downstairs. Sometimes those items get piled up on the kitchen table instead of returned to the box right away- that's another headache in itself.

 What I'm learning through this disaster adventure is I have a lot of gadgets I don't need. And I have a few I can't live without. I also have a few that I desperately want to use but the hassle of carrying them up and down stairs is stopping me (stand mixers aren't lightweight!) There's also some gadgets that aren't easy to use while the kitchen isn't put together or that only get used during certain seasons.

 At the beginning of the remodel I bought a French Press to make coffee when the kitchen was in shambles. So far I've used it twice. It's going to Goodwill soon. The drip coffee pot is back to it's spot in the kitchen and when it can't be there, we set it up on the bathroom counter- just like a lot of motels do. The slow cooker has a spot on the bathroom counter, also. The little mini chopper, stick blender, and small blender/grinder get used at least weekly.

 On the other hand, the counter top grill, waffle iron, blender, and various other shiny things that have been boxed up for so long I've forgotten what they were have not been used once since we started. Why do I have these things?!?

 Meanwhile, in the summertime, boxes of fresh produce tools (zoodle maker, salad spinner, etc...) and the dehydrator are taking up ALL. THE. SPACE. And the toaster oven gets regular use to prevent heating up the kitchen. When winter time arrives, we pull out the canners and all the tools that go with them to take advantage of the extra heat.

 Sometimes it feels like my kitchen needs another kitchen. I think that's a good sign of a healthy homesteading life. In my quest for a good balance, this remodel project has helped me to see what I need to eliminate to make my kitchen more user friendly. Less clutter in the cabinets will be a great way to celebrate when it's finished! Er, um, someday.

How about you? What kitchen gadget do you use the most? Which one did you donate or regift?