I have bought, been gifted, and been told by everyone one I know and every advertisement out there that I neeeeeeeeeeeed overrated- and oftentimes ridiculously expensive- kitchen gadgets.
Culinary escapades are just as susceptible to fads as anything else.
Do you need an Air Fryer?
Has everyone on the planet bought an Instant Pot?
Does anyone actually use Vitamixes??
I oftentimes hold out on buying these kinds of things. I wait until the hype wears off in order to contemplate whether or not I actually to spend hundreds of dollars on
Do You Need to Spend Money to Cook?
As a caveat to this article: No, absolutely not need to spend money on expensive kitchen gadgets.
I am a big advocate for cooking on a budget. I've spent a lot of my life in the culinary industry and, if you make it big and are hosting TV shows, have started up Michelin Star restaurants, and are just, generally speaking, Gordon Ramsey? Sure, you're probably making more money than you know what to do with and can buy every single ridiculously expensive and likely incredibly useless kitchen gadget that you can imagine.
For the rest of us working in an industry that is largely considered "entry-level" work that shouldn't be paid a livable wage? Cooking is an incredibly underpaid skill! Without health insurance or really any benefits at all to speak of. And is inundated with customers who think that your primary function is to serve them. Completely disregarding that you are working in a skill that they do not have. And should have to pay for the privilege of having other people cook an entire meal specifically for you.
But I digress.
The point is, that cooks oftentimes don't make anywhere near a livable wage. And, even if you don't work in the field and are a home cook working on a budget? Thinking of spending an exorbitant amount of money on overrated and under-utilized cooking gadgets is not going to happen. I have an entire article on Top 5 Unexpected Places to Buy Pantry Essentials on a Budget. I also have an article on Top 5 Overrated Kitchen Gadgets that I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on.
When I do make enough money to splurge? There are certain things that are well worth the investment. Because it is an investment into things that will help you cook, without having to keep re-buying subpar utensils.
This Article is NOT Sponsored
I also need to note that this article is not sponsored. I make this blog for my own personal gratification. It's a fun hobby that I enjoy doing. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning on my days off during the pandemic when I should not leave the house!
I make 0 income from it. Neither this article nor anything on this site sponsored.
These are simply expensive kitchen gadgets that I have acquired throughout the years and actually appreciate having. Regardless of the fact that they are all over $100.
1. Spatulas
I bought a Le Creuset Revolution Commercial Silicone Medium Spatula in 2015. I'd just broken a spatula and was looking for something potentially sturdier than the cheap version that I'd been using. I found this one on Amazon and quickly realized that it was absolutely the best spatula that I had ever owned.
And now I have spent 6 years trying to find another one!
Unfortunately, Le Creuset discontinued the line. They still make a new version of them, but they pale in comparison to this particular version. So, I have gone out of my way scouring the web for resellers of this particular one.
When you find a spatula so great? Heat resistant with an ergonomically designed handle and a specially designed silicone head meant to mimic the curve of pots and pans? I have truly never been able to find another spatula that rivals it. Especially in cherry red.
So, when an entire set came up for sale on Ebay? I watched it for a couple of days.
Contemplated how many years I have been looking for this very same spatula...
How I would likely never be able to find it again...
How much use I do actually get out of this spatula...
And how indestructible it seems to be...
Not to mention that the price dropped slightly over the couple of days that I was contemplating spending more on a set of spatulas than I have maybe ever paid for a pair of shoes...
But I am now the proud owner of an incredibly expensive set of spatulas! And quite pleased. After all, there is something to be said for buying quality pieces, that you use every day, and that give you so much joy.
2. Air Fryer
I don't tend to like gimmicky kitchen gadgets. They tend to be overpriced, overrated, and really just the last thing that I need is yet another giant kitchen appliance taking up counter space. That having been said, I will defend air fryers with the best of them. They're overall a very affordable and space-efficient appliance. I use mine instead of a microwave, deep fryer, and toaster oven. If you have a small space or limited oven, air fryers are absolutely ideal. They're great for apartments and anyone wanting to streamline their abundant appliances. In terms of expensive kitchen gadgets? I probably use my food processor more than anything else. Maybe even anything else combined.
3. Silverware
I have a pet peeve with bent spoons and forks.. I absolutely cannot stand going to take a bit off of a fork and having those little prongs pointing in every which direction and stabbing the roof of your mouth. Or when you go to put spoons in the drawer and they don't actually next together because they're all bent out of place! I've certainly spent an inordinate amount of time trying to re-shape silverware back into the correct form.
Every time that I buy silverware, I'm scouring the shelves, bending the prongs back on every set of forks, desperately trying to find one in my budget that doesn't give way.
Eventually I realized, though, that I keep buying silverware sets. And, if I'm perpetually buying set after set after set that I am disappointed with, isn't it better to just buy one quality set that will last me a lifetime?
So, I have bought the very last set of silverware that I hope to ever buy. It's a 77-piece hotel set of European 18/10 stainless steel cutlery with 12 sets of dinner forks, salad forks, dinner spoons, teaspoons, dinner knives, and an entire set of matching serving utensils.
Now, they are a European set. These are notably larger than their American counterparts. They have rather large spoons and forks compared to what we're typically used to. And I would hesitate to call any of these "salad fork"-sized.
But the pattern does vary quite a bit throughout the handles of the flatware. Which will make it incredibly easy to add pieces to the set of a similar quality without it being noticeable that they are separate pieces. And I will truly never go back to cheap silverware again!
4. Food Processor
I use my food processor maybe more than any other appliance. Perhaps the air fryer and rice cooker are close contenders. Although nothing is quite as versatile and practical as a food processor. I use it for everything from hummus and guacamole to puréeing squash and nuts and making soups and salsas. I even get lazy when chopping produce and just toss them into the food processor on pulse. In terms of expensive kitchen gadgets? I use my food processor a fairly heavy amount. Although, if you're not into making dips, sauces, or things that routinely need to be puréed, you can probably skip this one. Or opt for something on the less expensive side of the kitchen gadget world.
5. Barbecue
I found myself at 4 on this list. Standing in the middle of my kitchen. Spinning in circles trying to figure out whether absolutely anything else worth buying is over $100. Now, this is an arbitrary distinction that I have imposed on myself for this article. I could just as easily call it "overpriced kitchen gadgets". I don't have to put any price limit on it if I don't want to.
But there are a plethora of expensive appliances and utensils out there. I've either bought, been gifted, or otherwise acquired many of them. And there are definitely things in my kitchen that meet or grossly exceed this price point. I just don't recommend buying them!
And then I realized that I am thinking too small. I am thinking "fits in my kitchen." I recently found a free barbecue on the side of the road with a "still works" sign on it. This is also precisely what I mean by, somehow ended up owning without actually paying for it! Because I certainly didn't steal this barbecue. Although barbecues of this size are definitely over the $100 price point. Propane tanks alone are worth far more than that over the lifespan of a grill!
Hence it's undeniable place of inclusion on this list. And, while I didn't actually pay for this barbecue, I have certainly spent enough money maintaining it in proper working condition to qualify. And it is perpetually worth it. I don't even eat much meat and I'm still a huge fan of grilling. Probably because I used to live in an Airstream in the woods. And then bought a yacht where my insurance wouldn't cover the indoor stove because the number one death of boats is ironically through fire (no joke, one of my neighbor's boats exploded. But that's a story for another time!) So, I am well versed for years of my life cooking predominately on an outdoor grill.
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