Originally Posted by
genejockey
Way back when, when I was single, I went through a phase of acquiring kitchen equipment. I actually used to used a lot of it, too. But nowadays, a lot of it languishes in the pantry. Just last night, though, I dragged out and used the Krups meat slicer, which sees action every 6-12 months. I got two pieces of Eye of Round at Costco, so I made Italian Beef for sammiches.
When we were first married, Mrs. GeneJockey and I went through all our household stuff - since we were both 30, we each had a lot. All her kitchen stuff was crap. I think I kept one pan lid, because it just happens to fit on a Griswold #9 skillet.
In my early adulthood, I used to be a kitchen gadget/small appliance kind of guy. Not so much any more - stuff really has to be multifunctional or it has to do the job significantly better/more easily than the alternative. The rice cooker will be the only small appliance of mine in the kitchen, other than the espresso machine and grinder. My wife, on the other hand, has a handful of things (food processor, blender, stand mixer, etc) that rarely get used, though they take up a bunch of space.
The in-law's kitchen? Good gravy - what a bunch of crap they've got. I'd keep a couple of their cutting boards and toss the rest, along with the range. Such a frustrating place to try to put together a meal.