this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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I love how which devices get countertop space is a real reflection on culture around the world.
Here in the UK you can always find an electric kettle, without question. In Italy a Moka pot. In Japan a rice cooker.
It says a lot about what's important to people.
It's only really in the US that you see such a proliferation of hyper-specific gadgets. Smoothie maker, waffle maker, electric egg poacher, vegetable spiralizer...
I don't know if that says anything about American culture, or just that you guys have really big kitchens.
I've never seen any of those with permanent counter space in any American kitchen. I've never even heard of an electric egg poacher.
In the era before cheap microwave ovens the electric egg steamer was my go-to dorm appliance!. I found a coffee can would fit in place of the cover. Then it could not only cook eggs, it could reheat Chef Boyardee and Dinty Moore stew cans.
I have had a series of blenders that live on the countertop and are primarily used to make smoothies. My partner had an electric egg poacher, but we lost it in the move. It never got to live on the counter permanently, but I would use it about once a week.
I chose intentionally obscure and wacky gadgets to overstate the point. I don't genuinely think everyone has these :)
The volume and depth of modern Japanese kitchen gadgetry puts America to shame.
Japan records centuries of history with specialized tools for making ceremonial beverages and foods.
So to your point: I think kitchen gadgets speak to highly consumerist cultures.
Here (UK) a friend has wasted over a grand on some AI food prep nonsense thing.
In our culture this is understood to be a sign of deep seated emotional distress. And in accordance with our culture we ignore their distress and bring up the weather, as is tradition.
Isn't a "smoothie maker" just a blender? I dunno if I would consider it one-use. More uses than a rice cooker or electric kettle
They make ones specifically marketed as smoothie makers, which are usually smaller than a regular blender and intended to make about 16-24oz.
IRL clutter is mental clutter which is why I have banned all counter appliances from our home. All such appliances are stored until they are needed and then put away, a practice which trades occasional 30s periods of effort for a lifetime of mental clarity.
We often do have really big kitchens, but it’s more about us being sold the idea of having whatever we want, whenever we want it, and there’s a gadget for that.
Although, I will say, in most American kitchens I’ve seen have, at least, a toaster oven. Possibly an air fryer. Those both are pretty common here.
Our KitchenAid air fryer gets a permanent spot because it also functions as a toaster/toaster oven, proofer, dehydrator, and food/plate warmer.
As an American, I completely agree. It's gotten so bad that this attitude has leached from the suburbs where larger homes and kitchens exist into the city where there just isn't enough space. My friends think I'm being silly for not wanting an air fryer when I already have a convection oven or an instant pot when I already have a slow cooker and pressure canner. I'm very anti single use equipment or duplicate equip for the very reason that I don't have space and it's often a waste of money. But it seems like everyone around me just buys whatever and doesn't think too much about where it's going to go or how much they will use it and I just don't understand it :/
Tbf, an instant pot can replace a slow cooker and pressure cooker, and so is less of a single use item.
And the air fryer is kinda just a riff on the toaster oven, and imo, this is a good thing for the american pallette. The problem with a full sized oven is that it takes time to heat up, so people are hesitant to use it when they just want to heat up something quick for themselves. The toaster oven/air fryer makes oven cooking more convenient. It isn't the alternative to the oven, it's the alternative to the microwave, so your leftovers will actually have texture instead of being a soggy mess.
I share a lot of your sentiment here about buying hoards of single use items. But I really put the instant pot and air fryer in a different category than, say, the vegetable juicer, electric can opener, or rolly pizza cutter.
The air fryer is my #1 used appliance. I used to throw out leftover french fries, but 4 minutes in the air fryer gets them hot and crispy again. Same thing with leftover fried chicken or a steak.
I liked it so much I bought a larger version that can cook a frozen pizza. Now the oven only gets used for the holiday cooking - ham, turkey, and big casserole dishes. And having two air fryers means I can easily do fish and chips for the family.
The IP also works as an air fryer, separate lid you put on top that works fairly well and like you said is great for leftovers. I also have a toaster oven/air fryer on the counter but that’s more due to the fact that the shitty oven in my apt doesn’t heat evenly.
I have literally never needed a pressure cooker or slow cooker. If I need stock in less than 8 hours I will just buy some from the grocery store and spruce it up with fresh aromatics. On the other hand, if I need to make stew or pork shoulder or chili, I'll use a dutch oven.
Fuck an air fryer. I will never join the cult. I have a convection oven and Dutch oven. Things which need baking get baked. Things which need frying get fried. It really is not that fucking hard. If I don't have time to preheat an oven or oil, it's not worth cooking.
isnt an air fryer just a convection oven anyway.
Totally agree too many folks are rampant consumers. I like to have a good think about purchases before I buy and I did so with our fryer. I would say the air fryer has supplanted the standard oven (or skillet) for a large portion of my food prep. Uses less power, heats faster which means I am more efficient. For my use case, it has been a decidedly positive experience.
Combination units are what I like. My microwave is also an air fryer. Which is just a toaster oven with a powerful enough fan on it to qualify, really.
And then people in the US "need" to buy a $750K house with a walk-in butler pantry because the $350K houses don't have enough counter and cabinet space to store their single-use bullshit applicances. I wish I was kidding.
Also the same lady who "needs" the strawberry shaver for "cooking", actually only uses it twice per year, goes out to eat 3 times per week, and gets DoorDash meals 3 additional times per week.
Huh, I'm surprised that other countries aren't big on kitchen gadgets. I'm American and I try to avoid any of those specialty gadgets. I've received several as gifts over the years, though I always end up selling or donating them