Inspector Gadget

Next to cookbooks at thrift shops, my biggest weakness is kitchen gadgets. I must inspect every display at any cooking store that I visit to make sure that I’m not overlooking a device that will become an indispensable addition to my cooking regime. Various gadgets have come – and mostly, have later gone – from my kitchen, with only a precious few standing the test of time.

I might have avoided some of the missteps had Rhik Samadder been writing about gadgets for a longer period of time. If you haven’t read any of his reviews in The Guardian, you should start right now. His ‘Inspect A Gadget!’ column investigates, and usually pokes fun at, a variety of novelty items. Sometimes the title says it all: “5-in-1 avocado tool – it works, but so does a spoon” and “Garlic Twister – striking, innovative, doesn’t work” suffice as both introduction to and judgment on those particular gadgets. 

Regardless of whether you were interested in the gadget at hand, Samadder’s quirky reviews are chuckle-inducing bits that can brighten your day. While the tone of the columns is light-hearted, you can find good advice as well, as in his review of the Anova sous-vide device. The entertaining reviews just might help you resist temptation, should you want to, when you encounter the gadgets in a store.