Comments on: G&S Design Compactables

By: Bex!

Bex! — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:02:36 +0000

Hmmm. It seems to me that the time saved by not digging through a cluttered drawer for your tongs is canceled out by the extra time spent folding, unfolding, and cleaning the hinges. However, I do like the Inspector Gadget meets Q quality of this folding devices.

By: kirsty

kirsty — Thu, 22 May 2008 21:17:04 +0000

I thought this was a unitasker post to start with…

Pizza cutter: use a knife? Also useful for peeling vegetables and chopping anything.

Ice cream scoop: use a spoon?

I quite like “measuring cup cooking” (we usually weigh stuff in Britain) but manage fine with a measuring jug which comes in handy for a load of other things.

I don’t think my non-compact but very good tin opener is much bigger than that one either.

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:45:35 +0000

One Bag Nation – I would never use a collapsible measuring cup. The point of a measuring cup is that it has the same volume every time. If the cup changes sizes, you can’t be sure that every use will measure the same amount.

That said…
The rest of these utensils are terrible!
Crappy kitchen utensils that will need to be replaced don’t save in any way.

By: ClickerTrainer

ClickerTrainer — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:38:06 +0000

Weird. Those tongs look exactly like my stapler — the one I bought because it fits nicely in my desk drawer but is literally a pain to use. Not at all ergonomic for a woman’s hand and I hate it.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:26:26 +0000

I fail to see how that monstrosity of a spatula will take up less space than the old standard: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi.....tterer-20/

By: NancyV908

NancyV908 — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:07:13 +0000

One way to keep tongs from taking over your drawer is to store them in an empty paper-towel roll.

I keep mine on the counter, in a utensil holder, since I use them for virtually every cooking job. I have a set that locks & stays closed (but opens easily). I got another pair as a gift; they’re weighted at the bottom to stay closed when they’re stored. I hate these–the weight doesn’t always do the job, & they’re harder to use, because they feel unbalanced from the extra weight at the bottom.

By: L

Thu, 22 May 2008 13:58:50 +0000

This is silly. These don’t save room, they just occupy /different/ room.

By: Liza Lee Miller

Liza Lee Miller — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:39:10 +0000

Tongs that don’t collapse work great in a container next to your stove top. Yes, it’s a little visual clutter but it is also a great convenience factor. They are right at hand when you need them for cooking. I agree with One Bag Nation — I’d rather declutter by limiting myself to ONE set of tongs (most of the good ones have a catch to keep them from opening anyway) than to spend a lot on tongs that might not function well.

By: One Bag Nation

One Bag Nation — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:21:28 +0000

There are so many new and more space-efficient kitchen gadgets out there – particularly the collapsible measuring cups and colanders/sieves – that are very appealing.

But this is where decluttering and simplifying clash with budgeting!

And even if money were no object, I have a hard time throwing away the things I already own that are still perfectly good, even if they take up a bit more space.

By: Gumnos

Gumnos — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:59:30 +0000

America’s Test Kitchen rated tongs on a recent episode, and compactable tongs came out abysmally — mostly for collapsing at the wrong time. It looks like the ice-cream scoop would have similar problems dealing with anything but the softest of ice-cream.

If you’re a subscriber to Cooks Illustrated, you can check out their reviews at
http://www.americastestkitchen.....;iSeason=7