Have you ever heard of the Miracle Slicer?  I thought it was great until it took a chunk  out of a little finger (anyone for red cucumbers?).

Cooking the right way is hard and it seems like there are so many gadgets marketed to make it easier.  But if you’re like me, all they do is clutter the kitchen.  So what do you really need?

According to master chef and Food Network host Alton Brown, most of these gadgets are (surprise!) a waste of money — “The kitchen is the room most full of useless crap.”  Brown’s views are colored  by an unpleasant experience with money when he was a boy.  The first big thing he ever saved up for was “Star Trek Astro-Buzz-Ray Gun.”  It only cost four dollars, but with a quarter-a-week allowance, that meant 16 weeks of saving!

When he’d finally amassed his 16 quarters and bought the toy, he was expecting great things.  After all, the box showed Mr. Spock holding a device shooting a multi-colored beam of light.  But the real toy emitted three pale lights that he had to sequester himself into a closet to even see.  So much for gadgets.

So what does Brown recommend for your kitchen?  “We buy massive amounts of stuff when what we really ought to save up for are a couple of decent pots and pans and two decent knives.”  Yes, just a couple of decent pots and knives.

Sorry if you’re disappointed.  (I wasn’t.)

To see for yourself, read “Most Kitchen Gadgets Are ‘Useless Crap,’ Says Alton Brown. Here’s What You Really Need” by Kara Cutruzzula ( http://time.com/money/5347383/most-kitchen-gadgets-are-useless-crap-says-alton-brown-heres-what-you-really-need/? ).