I get more catalogues than anyone I know, and big surprise, most of them are cooking related. So I flip through them and can't believe the enormous amount of useless/extraneous tools..... who buys these? The most ridiculous is the little rubber tube that peels garlic..... really??  How about using the flat side of a wide knife and smashing the garlic to remove the peel.... is that too easy??
  Admittedly, I've gotten sucked in on more than one occasion. Like the time I just couldn't live without the chestnut cutter. It never worked properly... so it sits in the drawer and I use a paring knife to do the job, like I've been doing for years.
  So it got me thinking.... what are the kitchen tools I find indispensable? These are a few of the essentials I cannot live without.... not necessarily in order. Garlic press, immersion blender, microplaner, tongs, instant read thermometer, ricer, mini food processor, knife steel, whisk, wooden juice reamer, assorted measuring cups, "Y" shaped vegetable peeler, wooden spoons, spatulas, pepper mill, assorted strainers, stainless steel bowls, salad spinner, mandoline slicer, assorted cutting boards, box grater, kitchen scissors and the most essential tool, a sharp chef's knife, emphasis on SHARP!!
  The importance of a sharp knife is worthy of discussion. A sharp knife is rarely the reason one cuts themselves, but in fact, it's a dull knife that is the culprit. A dull knife blade tends to "slip" off whatever you're cutting, slicing your fingertip instead of slicing through the item you're cutting. So keep your knives sharpened and save yourself a trip to the E.R..... oh and don't buy tools you really don't need!!