Those tools you don't use?

Mandoline. It's a sad and oft-told tale. The first time I used it, it worked great! I cut a huge chunk out of my pinky and ended up in the ER. Blood all over the kitchen. I put it in a cupboard for the next two months or so until I was completely healed and realized I will probably never get over my fear. I'm sorry to admit I threw it away - my finger will never be quite the same and I just couldn't look it in the eye anymore.

Here's another: I have traveled and moved many times since buying 2 coeur a la creme molds (ceramic, heart shaped, holes for drainage). I look at them, put them back in the cupboard (with the cookie cutters). This conversation reminded me of them, but I think I finally know what to do with them. I recently made ricotta for the first time, and now paneer is posted (thank you, P) -- I'll put either of them in, let them drain, and have something pretty to look at when I use them. Rescued!

Another thing I used once was a kind of soft rubber tube that is supposed to peel garlic. You put the garlic cloves in there and get a kind of rolling rubber action. It was harder to clean the tube afterwards.
I am throwing it out today, not even sending to Good Will because no one should be cursed with such a thing.
I am of the smash and then peel the garlic school now.

This tong like contraption that I ordered from Amazon that shapes up tortillas into curved tacos when frying . That thing does nothing but wedge itself into the drawer its been sitting in ever since it arrived. Its a great thing to have f you like getting the drawers nicely wedged & stuck.

I also have myriad cookie cutters from when my kids were small (holiday shapes, inexplicable shapes...) - I have a sentimental notion of giving them to my daughter someday; I'm sure she'll humor me and take them.

Also many other silly tools, but most were gifts or have some kind of history. For example: small silver asparagus-shaped tongs bought by my mother in Paris in the '70's, momentarily deluded that she'd get fancy with asparagus; 4 mother of pearl caviar spoons - a wedding gift from someone who apparently thought my life would involve serving mounds of caviar for 4; an egg separator - useless, but printed with the logo of my grandfather's long defunct company; a scary guillotine for shucking clams - no idea.

An egg yolk separator.

I have barquette molds I used once for lemon-curd tartlets: the guests fell all over the Milano cookies I served at the same time, rather eating than the tartlets. A heart-shaped cookie cutter, and heart-shaped pancake molds I used when the kids were small. Also some small Japanese appetizer-cutters; I used to cut cheese for the kids into cherry-blossom shapes. A spritz-cookie maker, and a cupcake tree. I may have a creme-brulee torch hiding out somewhere. Am tempted to buy Japanese Hello Kitty hard-cooked egg molds, but after reading this thread I'll try to resist... Fun thread.

Good point on the cookie cutters. Maybe I'll send them on their way. The rarely-used mini pie pans however, like the smallest brioche you've ever seen, are hanging around a while longer. They are for a family sweet. Mom gave them to me years ago. Since then I've bothered with all the steps and clean up once. But maybe I will again sometime.

An asparagus cooker and a fish poacher are two pots that take up a lot space considering I use them less than once a year. I have an absurd amount of cookie cutters for someone who rarely makes roll-out cookies. Two "spritz" cookie presses have never been used. The meat grinder gets used maybe once a year when my husband makes hash. Various types of tea strainers have rarely been used in the last decade. Two wooden mini rolling pins, why?
Thanks Pierino, for reminding me I need to do some Spring cleaning!

I have most of those tools--the vegetable carvers, at least one scaling knife, the chopstick rests. I also have a herring fork from Sweden. Now I gotta get myself a mushroom knife!!

Hah! I have one of those mushroom knives, but I use it when I go mushrooming. They work quite well for chanterelles, BTW.

A box of chop-stick holders. They are designed to sit beside your plate and rest your chop-sticks on between courses or while you are drinking saki. They were a gift. Problem is, I don't have any chop-sticks.

A fish scaling knife. I didn't buy it because I have any need -- just because it was hand made and handsome. ...so I look at it occasionally.

A special set of tools for carving vegetables into flowers I got in Hoi An, Vietnam. Turns out, I am not the kind of person who spends time sculpting carrots. It has never come out of the box...