The common kitchen drawer is a museum of impulse buys. Corn peelers, banana slicers, avocado cutters—all guarantees of comfort that, most of the time, sit unused and collect mud. These single-use devices could seem useful at first, however over time, they find yourself clogging your drawers, losing cash, and accumulating grime.
As 2025 approaches, there’s no higher time to take a tough have a look at what’s in your kitchen. The house you save and the performance you achieve by eliminating one-trick instruments is effectively well worth the effort. Even higher, immediately’s market presents intelligent, compact alternate options that do the work of a number of gadgets in a single.
Listed here are 10 single-use kitchen objects that must go and the multi-task marvels you ought to be utilizing as a substitute.
1. Garlic Presses
Garlic presses look like a no brainer. Simply drop in a clove and squeeze, proper? In actuality, they’re a ache to wash, typically go away behind helpful garlic oils, and are restricted to only one perform. Most individuals don’t even understand how a lot taste they’re lacking out on by urgent as a substitute of mincing or grating.
In 2025, ditch the garlic press and go for a microplane or superb grater. Not solely can it flip garlic right into a paste, however it will possibly additionally zest citrus, shred nutmeg, and finely grate cheese. It rinses clear in seconds and earns its place in your drawer.
2. Avocado Slicers
Avocado slicers, with their oddly formed plastic blades and seed-removal instruments, are the definition of kitchen overkill. They take up house and remedy an issue {that a} knife and spoon have dealt with completely effectively for many years.
You’ll be able to simply slice, cube, and scoop avocados with a easy chef’s knife and a tablespoon. Need extra effectivity? Use a utility knife and a paring knife combo. These primary instruments deal with dozens of different components, too, so there’s no must dedicate house to one thing with such a slim focus.
3. Egg Separators
Egg separators are marketed as the answer to a slippery, sticky process, however they’re truly extra cumbersome than useful. Most individuals nonetheless find yourself with some yolk of their whites after which have to wash a plastic software on high of it.
The reality is, your fingers or the eggshell itself work simply as effectively. And if you need a neater various, a slotted spoon can do double responsibility for separating eggs, draining blanched veggies, and serving pasta. Why waste drawer house on a gadget that solely does one factor?
4. Popcorn Makers
Devoted popcorn machines appear enjoyable till you understand how a lot house they occupy for one thing used, possibly a few times a month. Countertop or electrical fashions are cumbersome, exhausting to wash, and require space for storing you most likely don’t have.
As a substitute, change to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid. Not solely does it pop corn simply as effectively, but it surely can be used for sauces, soups, boiling pasta, and extra. Add a metallic mesh splatter display screen if you need extra air flow and fewer stray kernels.
5. Herb Scissors
Herb scissors with 5 blades could look spectacular, however they hardly ever ship clear cuts and have a tendency to mash tender herbs. Cleansing between the blades can be a chore, and so they solely work for a slim vary of components.
A pointy chef’s knife and a chopping board are sooner, neater, and way more versatile. With correct approach, you’ll be able to chiffonade basil, mince parsley, and even chop hardier herbs like rosemary with out dragging out a specialty software. You’ll additionally save time on cleanup and remove one other gadget out of your drawer.
6. Strawberry Hullers
Strawberry hullers are supposed to avoid wasting you time, however they typically go away behind half the berry or wrestle to take away the inexperienced tops cleanly. They don’t retailer simply and provide zero utility for the rest.
A easy paring knife removes strawberry tops, cores tomatoes, and trims mushrooms with ease. It suits in your drawer, lasts for years, and doesn’t require a number of makes an attempt to get the job performed. Single-use hullers, however, simply add pointless muddle.
7. Electrical Can Openers
Until you’ve got a medical situation that limits hand energy, an electrical can opener is never vital. They’re noisy, require frequent cleansing, and occupy helpful counter house. Worst of all, a lot of them break inside a few years.
A well-designed handbook can opener does the job simply as quick, and it suits in a drawer, wants no energy, and sometimes lasts for many years. Search for fashions with smooth-edge chopping wheels and ergonomic handles. You’ll save house, scale back waste, and nonetheless open cans with ease.
8. Single-Use Espresso Pod Machines
Espresso pod machines might sound handy, however they’re among the many most wasteful kitchen gadgets on the market. The associated fee per cup is astronomical in comparison with floor beans, and the environmental influence of the pods is troubling. Plus, you’re locked into utilizing a particular sort of pod system.
A French press or pour-over system not solely offers you more energizing, better-tasting espresso however can be used to brew tea or infuse water. They’re inexpensive, compact, and create far much less waste. When you want pace, electrical kettles now warmth water in underneath two minutes—sooner than most pod machines.
9. Rice Cookers
Rice cookers could have been a staple of the early 2000s, however in 2025, there are higher multi-use home equipment that deserve your counter house. Commonplace rice cookers do exactly that—cook dinner rice. And generally, not even very effectively.
An Instantaneous Pot or related electrical stress cooker can deal with rice, however it will possibly additionally make yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, pulled pork, soups, stews, pasta, and steamed greens. That type of versatility makes it a kitchen powerhouse. There’s no cause to maintain a one-note rice cooker when so many higher choices exist.
10. Yogurt Makers
Devoted yogurt makers look like a sensible purchase for health-conscious households, however they are usually restricted in perform, finicky in course of, and take up shelf house you might use extra successfully.
Multi-cookers or Instantaneous Pots with yogurt settings remove the necessity for a stand-alone system. They permit you to make yogurt, ferment dough, and put together slow-cook meals, in addition to a whole week’s value of lunches. The result’s higher worth and fewer muddle in your kitchen.
Find out how to Make the Swap
Begin with a easy audit. Empty one kitchen drawer or cupboard and ask your self how typically you utilize every merchandise. If it hasn’t been touched in six months and solely serves one perform, it’s most likely time to let it go.
Substitute hardly ever used devices with instruments that serve a number of roles. Search for high-quality knives, forged iron pans, silicone spatulas, and small home equipment with a number of cooking modes. You’ll not solely achieve again house but additionally enhance the stream and performance of your cooking routine. The very best kitchen instruments aren’t those that promise to do one factor higher. They’re those that allow you to do extra, sooner, with fewer obstacles in the best way.
Declutter for Higher Cooking
2025 is the proper yr to reclaim your kitchen. With better-designed, multi-purpose instruments accessible at each value level, there’s no cause to maintain drawers stuffed with novelty devices and damaged guarantees. Let go of the one-hit wonders and spend money on kitchen necessities that actually earn their hold.
A cleaner, extra environment friendly kitchen means extra fulfilling cooking, fewer irritating messes, and fewer cash wasted on impulse buys. Don’t let your instruments management your house. Select ones that serve you effectively and sometimes.
Which single-use gadget do you remorse shopping for, and which multi-use software has earned a everlasting place in your kitchen?
Learn Extra:
What Kitchen Renovations Bring the Most ROI in 2025?
Here Are the Most Useful Kitchen Gadgets Under $10 on Amazon
Riley is an Arizona native with over 9 years of writing expertise. From private finance to journey to digital advertising and marketing to popular culture, she’s written about all the pieces underneath the solar. When she’s not writing, she’s spending her time outdoors, studying, or cuddling along with her two corgis.