Pro Chefs Call Out 20 Kitchen Tools They Find Absolutely Useless

Our kitchens are fantastic sources of technical innovations, from ultrapowerful air fryers to indoor smokers, wonderful new inventions that bring joy and convenience to home chefs every year -- as well as other kitchen gadgets that should get thrown out with the compost. Instead of giving in to gimmicks, it's smarter to build your kitchen around dependable, multifunctional gear.

We asked chefs and kitchen pros which gadgets they consider totally unnecessary -- and which tools actually pull their weight around the kitchen. If you're ready to declutter and streamline your space, knowing what not to buy is just as important as knowing what to keep. These career cooks are the ultimate authority on which kitchen gadgets should get the boot -- especially when cupboard, counter, and drawer space is limited.

1. Onion Goggles

Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool: onion goggles. "While it brings good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision, and safety in the long run," he explained. Relying too much on a mandolin or tools like a two-in-one apple cutter can hold you back from developing real technique.

What to try instead: Learn to properly slice an onion the old-fashioned way. Save your money -- and some dignity -- and skip the onion goggles.

2. Glass, Stone, and Metal Cutting Boards

Lead chef-instructor Eric Rowse knows a gimmicky kitchen tool when he sees one. "Glass, stone, and metal boards are OK for serving but when slicing and dicing, wood is the way to go," he said. Cutting on hard surfaces is bad for your knives; instead, go for wood or poly.

What to try instead: Our list of the best cutting boards features plenty of knife-safe options.

3. Scissors on Pizza Night

Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night. "A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster," he said. These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean, and take up more space than they're worth.

What to try instead: KitchenAid's stainless-steel pizza wheel.

4. Instant Read Meat Probes

Peter Som didn't hold back when asked about his least favorite kitchen tools. "These are a great tool but can be very expensive," he said. "I can see myself losing, breaking, dropping, accidentally throwing away or dropping it in the coals."

What to try instead: ThermoPro's Lightning Instant Read Thermometer.

5. Two-in-One Apple Cutter

A manual can opener is cheaper, works great, and is less likely to break, according to Peter Som. "Most of us grew up with an electric can opener permanently stationed on the kitchen counter, like it was a vital appliance," he said. But truthfully, they're more nostalgia than necessity.

What to try instead: Oxo's soft-handled can opener.

6. Silicone Tube for Garlic

Separating an egg by hand isn't so difficult that it requires hardware, according to Richard Ingraham. "A tool just for separating yolks is unnecessary for most home cooks," he said.

What to try instead: Cracking an egg and using the shell halves or your fingers works just as well.

7. Scissors

Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night. "A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster," he said. These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean, and take up more space than they're worth.

What to try instead: KitchenAid's stainless-steel pizza wheel.

8. Plastic Spaghetti Measuring Disc

Richard Ingraham shared his least favorite kitchen tool: a plastic disc with holes to tell you how much spaghetti to cook. "It's not worth the drawer space," he said.

What to try instead: A kitchen scale for precise measurements.

9. Vegetable Peeler

A sharp vegetable peeler is all you need to skin a batch of potatoes, according to Peter Som. "Takes up a surprising amount of space and peels slower than a regular peeler," he said.

What to try instead: Oxo's Swivel peeler.

10. Oven Mitts

There's a reason pro chefs don't use oven mitts, according to Richard Ingraham. "Oven mitts are the most useless item in a home kitchen!" he exclaimed. A sturdy kitchen towel does the same job and is more likely to be washed regularly.

What to try instead: Stock a plethora of kitchen towels.

11. Onion Goggles

Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool: onion goggles. "While it brings good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision, and safety in the long run," he explained. Relying too much on a mandolin or tools like a two-in-one apple cutter can hold you back from developing real technique.

What to try instead: Learn to properly slice an onion the old-fashioned way. Save your money -- and some dignity -- and skip the onion goggles.

12. Glass, Stone, and Metal Cutting Boards

Lead chef-instructor Eric Rowse knows a gimmicky kitchen tool when he sees one. "Glass, stone, and metal boards are OK for serving but when slicing and dicing, wood is the way to go," he said. Cutting on hard surfaces is bad for your knives; instead, go for wood or poly.

What to try instead: Our list of the best cutting boards features plenty of knife-safe options.

13. Scissors on Pizza Night

Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night. "A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster," he said. These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean, and take up more space than they're worth.

What to try instead: KitchenAid's stainless-steel pizza wheel.

14. Instant Read Meat Probes

Peter Som didn't hold back when asked about his least favorite kitchen tools. "These are a great tool but can be very expensive," he said. "I can see myself losing, breaking, dropping, accidentally throwing away or dropping it in the coals."

What to try instead: ThermoPro's Lightning Instant Read Thermometer.

15. Two-in-One Apple Cutter

A manual can opener is cheaper, works great, and is less likely to break, according to Peter Som. "Most of us grew up with an electric can opener permanently stationed on the kitchen counter, like it was a vital appliance," he said. But truthfully, they're more nostalgia than necessity.

What to try instead: Oxo's soft-handled can opener.

16. Silicone Tube for Garlic

Separating an egg by hand isn't so difficult that it requires hardware, according to Richard Ingraham. "A tool just for separating yolks is unnecessary for most home cooks," he said.

What to try instead: Cracking an egg and using the shell halves or your fingers works just as well.

17. Scissors

Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night. "A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster," he said. These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean, and take up more space than they're worth.

What to try instead: KitchenAid's stainless-steel pizza wheel.

18. Plastic Spaghetti Measuring Disc

Richard Ingraham shared his least favorite kitchen tool: a plastic disc with holes to tell you how much spaghetti to cook. "It's not worth the drawer space," he said.

What to try instead: A kitchen scale for precise measurements.

19. Vegetable Peeler

A sharp vegetable peeler is all you need to skin a batch of potatoes, according to Peter Som. "Takes up a surprising amount of space and peels slower than a regular peeler," he said.

What to try instead: Oxo's Swivel peeler.

20. Oven Mitts

There's a reason pro chefs don't use oven mitts, according to Richard Ingraham. "Oven mitts are the most useless item in a home kitchen!" he exclaimed. A sturdy kitchen towel does the same job and is more likely to be washed regularly.

What to try instead: Stock a plethora of kitchen towels.