Pointless Kitchen Paraphernalia, Episode 1

In my browsing around the internet, I occasionally run into some cooking- and kitchen-related objects whose utility I question. In the first of what may be an ongoing series, here is some Pointless Kitchen Paraphernalia.

When I first came across this example of PKP, I thought, you've got to be kidding me. Perhaps it's because I don't try to roast a lot of jalapenos, but I don't get spending $20 (+ $6.50 shipping) for a stuffed jalapeno roaster. What else could you conceivably use this for to justify that kind of money, when I figure you could likely make something perfectly workable using aluminum foil, that you then could just throw away, thus avoiding the arduous process of trying to scrub burnt cheese off of 18 individual 1/2-inch-wide holes?

Maybe I'm wrong, the reviews on Williams Sonoma have it at 4.5

out of 5. I suspect these reviews are all from dedicated jalapeno-roasters.

Entry number 2 in today's PKP sweepstakes is an asparagus

peeler, also from Williams Sonoma. (I don't mean to beat up on Williams Sonoma, although it does seem to be a rich source of PKP.)

My first thought was, why on earth would one need an asparagus peeler? After some research, it appears that many chefs--especially French ones, apparently--recommend peeling the bottoms of asparagus to improve the texture and let it cook more evenly. All right, fair enough.

But let's look at this particular example. It offers two services--the snipping off of the woody, fibrous ends of asparagus with its "integral nylon blade" and the removal of the asparagus peel with its metal peeling blade. If you had a choice, would you prefer to cut off the ends of asparagus a foot above the counter, using an awkwardly shaped pair of nylon scissors with a sharp metal blade in one handle? Or would you rather rest the spear on the counter, and cut it with something you already own, like, oh, a knife? And, (bonus!) with a knife, you can cut several asparagus spears at the same time! Now, let's address the second service this gadget provides. If I'm not mistaken, the metal peeling blade appears to be identical to that of the vegetable peeler currently residing in every kitchen drawer in America. The only difference here is that, since this metal peeler is attached to the second lever for the scissor blade, it makes it more difficult to use to peel, say, a potato or a radish.

So, why not use the peeler and knife you already own instead of this $9.95 (+$5.50 shipping) green nylon beauty? Hmm. Good question.