The single-use kitchen tools our readers can’t live without

Here are just some of the task-specific items our readers love.

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Washington Post

Emily Heil, The Washington Post

Published Sep 28, 2026  •  Last updated 11 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Citrus juicers in a variety of forms were a frequently mentioned reader-favorite tool. Photo by Rey Lopez for The Washington Post /Rey Lopez for The Washington Post|Food styling by Carolyn Robb for The Washington Post

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When we asked readers what their favourite single-use kitchen tools and other items were, we got enough responses to stock a store.

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And as I read through the comments, in which people paid tribute to all kinds of gadgets and serving pieces – some new to them, some heirlooms – that accomplished all manner of tasks, I was struck anew by something I’ve always loved about cooking: It is so very personal. One man’s essential, can’t-live-without-it utensil is another’s useless junk.

Our affinity for the items we keep in our cabinets and drawers can depend on a thousand factors. If you have cherry trees and regularly make jam and pies from their fruit, it probably makes sense for you to own a pitter. If you never eat apples, you need a corer like a fish needs a bicycle.

And besides frequency of use or even how much space you have available, there are the intangibles. Nostalgia. Habit. And sometimes, a utensil just feels right in your hands, which is why my husband and I both cherish a plastic-handled Cutco serving spoon left over from a college summer he spent as an improbable cutlery salesman.

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Here are just some of the task-specific items our readers love.

Rice cooker. This was one of the most-lauded gadgets, which famously takes the guesswork out of perfectly plump grains. Many of you like the hands-off nature, and some claimed they couldn’t make rice without one. Breezy1234 summed up just about every tool I or fellow readers recommended with this description: “Indispensable, if unnecessary.”

Garlic press. Photo by Julia Ewan /Julia Ewan/The Washington Post

Garlic press. When I was considering what single-use items I keep in my kitchen, I overlooked this humble tool, probably because I use it so often that it has become just part of the landscape. Readers clearly find it as helpful, with Astronomica relaying that a boyfriend introduced them to one years ago: “Cannot fathom going back to mincing with a knife. Ditched the ex, kept the press.”

Citrus tools. Many of you love your juicers, though their forms varied. To each their own, whether that’s a simple wooden reamer, a glass model, various stand presses or handheld tools that come in different sizes for handling different fruits. “Lemon and lime juicers: color coded!” said Mike Klymkowsky.

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Corn holders and helpers. I was amazed at how many votes there were for corn-on-the-cob holders or skewers, which I remember from my childhood as corn-shaped plastic ends that never quite managed to keep the butter off our hands. And a couple of people even described tools used to butter corn. There were several configurations, but this one from Bob S sounded particularly intriguing: “My old Tupperware corn butterers are still a source of delight! One side is a salt shaker, and squeezing the handles pushes a pat of butter through the slats on other side.”

Egg gadgets. It seems there are as many tools for eggs as there are ways to serve them. While many commenters love their microwave egg cookers, A Proper Lady, who delicately described herself as “over 70,” still uses her mother’s stovetop egg version, which she says is almost as old as she is: “It does one thing, boils eggs in the shell. You can adjust the hardness of the yolk by adding more or less water; the lid even has segments giving the kind of yolk you can expect.”

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Grandpappy48 has “a wonderful gadget for skinning hard-boiled eggs. No more mangled eggs!” Meanwhile, durformary sings the praises of “soft boiled egg top slicer scissors, they make the ritual of eating soft boiled eggs so satisfying!” Among the many fans of hard-boiled egg slicers is begonia26, who advises to “cut three ways to make egg salad!”

Potato ricer. Photo by Scott Suchman for The Washington Post /Scott Suchman for The Washington Post|food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Potato ricers. Many of you rely on these for lump-free spuds. For Mamarose3, it earns its keep: “Ever since I purchased a potato ricer, I cannot fathom making mashed potatoes without it. I use it infrequently, but it is such a time saver that I happily cram it in an already-full cupboard.”

But LMS000 found another tool to substitute: “My pastry cutter has not been used for pastry in many years, instead it is my go-to for mashing potatoes! It cuts through the potatoes easier than a masher and the curved blades means it gets to the bottom of the bowl.”

Avocado tools. Avocado injuries are real – and many people swear by their tools for safe handling. “One end slices it open, the other end scoops out the avocado in slices and the middle grabs and removes the pit,” marvels Outlander. “It’s a wonder.”

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Quirky servers. Some of my favourite comments were odes to highly specific serving pieces. Like me, many of you also enjoy a deviled egg plate, including Jelaine, who uses their mother’s, which was a wedding gift in 1952 – and is identical to my Anchor Hocking milk glass version.

Among Scrimshaw’s treasures is a vintage asparagus dish. GirlLovesOkra submitted a British toast rack and wooden toast tongs. And Pam from San Antonio loves a serving bowl shaped and painted to look like half a watermelon, received as a wedding present 37 years ago: “I use it for watermelon salads at summer dinner parties and it makes me happy every time.”

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