Kitchen Gadgets--New and Old

I have a kitchen full of gadgets and utensils. I love everyone of them When something new comes out, I check it out at the cook store or on line and debate if I'll use it and then make my decision. But I'm not talking "chocolate fountain" or "salad shooter" stuff. It's got to stand up for years and can't be the fad gadget of the year. Hardly anything I've gotten goes unused in my kitchen. I have a reputation among my friends of "the complete kitchen" Sometimes when I have cooking parties, someone will remark, "I never even knew they made something like this."

Well just last week I got a new Wusthof 5 ½ inch paring knife, one of those with those little grooves in the side. I'm already falling in love with it and it may replace another of my paring knives as the favorite. Along with that, I got 2 of those tongs that lock. They fit in the drawer just right and don't get jammed up so that I can't open the drawer.

Last fall I got a wooden lemon reamers to replace the glass one I'd used for years, but got dropped. I keep it handy right by the sink and use it frequently on the lemons. And a couple of years ago while in Denmark, I got one of those corkscrews that you just keep turning in one direction and the cork comes out effortlessly. I'd get some for my cooking (maybe drinking ) friends, but I haven't seen any at the hardware store here in the States. In time for the grilling season last summer I got one of those thermometers that have the wire to goes in the meat and the reading part, you have outside the grill or oven. There's a useful thing I should have had years ago!

Some of my most wonderful gadgets or utensils, though, are real oldies. I have my gramma's nutmeg grater that I always use. It works so I don't need another one. Besides, when I use it, I get the extra bonus of memories with it. Another one I love using is this cooking fork, loaded with those memories, plus it feels so good in my hand. This wooden spoon belonged to the lady who lived next door and always made apple quince jelly with it. It was delicious and I can still taste it when I make jelly in the fall. That biscuit cutter there was used by my great-aunt at her boarding house in Detroit in the 20's. She made the best biscuits ever, and this utensil just keeps on cutting them out just as good as ever!

But the one gadget I have, that everyone in the family covets, is my 1950's yellow handled Foley Food Chopper. Mom used it for chopping up the strawberries or peaches for shortcake. At lunch, she would chop up the eggs for egg salad sandwiches. When making biscuits or pie crusts, there was nothing better for cutting in the shortening. I got it when I cleaned out the house after Mom's death. I have to admit feeling a little guilty to being the one to get it, but I did the work of cleaning out the kitchen stuff, so I probably deserved it.

I have scoured flea markets and garage sales, antique and second hand stores for years for more of this gadget, but have only found one so far, and have orders for 6 or 7 more. But in doing some research on this gadget just today, I have found them available on the web for anywhere from $10 to $40, used. I just can't figure out why Foley would quit making one of the most useful kitchen gadgets ever.