# Gadgets that actually work **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226 "2012-12-16T22:31:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/1 "2012-12-16T22:31:41Z")
I imagine there have been threads like this before, but I haven’t seen one in a while. At a Yankee Candle outlet store we bought a decorative metal lid (it has a hole in the center for the flame) for the jar candles because they were half-price. The concept is that the metal retains the heat and reflects it back down into the jar, making the candle burn evenly, rather than ending up with wax up the sides of the jar and a wick-pit in the center. Totally works. You get to use every bit of candle in the jar. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/2 "2012-12-16T23:01:35Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I imagine there have been threads like this before, but I haven’t seen one in a while. > > At a Yankee Candle outlet store we bought a decorative metal lid (it has a hole in the center for the flame) for the jar candles because they were half-price. The concept is that the metal retains the heat and reflects it back down into the jar, making the candle burn evenly, rather than ending up with wax up the sides of the jar and a wick-pit in the center. > > Totally works. You get to use every bit of candle in the jar. If it works, I might buy it. I’ve found that with Yankee Candles (which I love) or other big candles, the trick is not to even bother lighting them unless you can leave them burning for at least two hours. If you let the entire surface melt or you’re the person that just lights a candle for 10 minutes here or an hour there, that’s how you end up with a hole down the center. Don’t want to do that with a $25 candle. FTR, I always let my Yankee Candles burn for at least 4-5 hours at a crack, but I still might pick one of those up. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/3 "2012-12-16T23:16:34Z")
They definitely work, and it doesn’t matter how long you burn them. They also fit on other jar candles (most of them, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/4 "2012-12-16T23:37:05Z")
I have an Eye-fi sd card in my camera that automatically sends my pics directly to my computer via wifi. It’s amazing! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/5 "2012-12-17T00:37:00Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Don’t want to do that with a $25 candle. Why would you want to do anything with a $25 candle, including buy it? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/6 "2012-12-17T00:42:48Z")
Wait, there are candles that cost $25? Are they made from condor fat or something? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/7 "2012-12-17T07:48:11Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I imagine there have been threads like this before, but I haven’t seen one in a while. > > At a Yankee Candle outlet store we bought a decorative metal lid (it has a hole in the center for the flame) for the jar candles because they were half-price. The concept is that the metal retains the heat and reflects it back down into the jar, making the candle burn evenly, rather than ending up with wax up the sides of the jar and a wick-pit in the center. > > Totally works. You get to use every bit of candle in the jar. Huh. I wonder if I could make something like that out of foil, and decorate it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/8 "2012-12-17T07:53:43Z")
[Egg timer](http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Egg-Rite-Timer/dp/B00004UE75). You put it in with the eggs, gets you prefectly boiled eggs every time. Without setting a timer and wondering if it should be counting from when the water started boiling, and if it counts that the eggs came from the fridge. Warning, the first two times you use it, it gives off a nasty smell. That is totally gone after the second time. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/9 "2012-12-17T11:24:38Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > [Egg timer](http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Egg-Rite-Timer/dp/B00004UE75). > > You put it in with the eggs, gets you prefectly boiled eggs every time. Without setting a timer and wondering if it should be counting from when the water started boiling, and if it counts that the eggs came from the fridge. > > Warning, the first two times you use it, it gives off a nasty smell. That is totally gone after the second time. Great idea! ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/10 "2012-12-17T11:25:52Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Huh. I wonder if I could make something like that out of foil, and decorate it myself. I’m not sure if the type of metal, or the thickness matters. Here’s a link to the product to give you an idea. [http://www.yankeecandle.com/accessories/illuma-lid](http://www.yankeecandle.com/accessories/illuma-lid) ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/11 "2012-12-17T12:20:40Z")
Those silicone tubes for peeling garlic cloves work amazingly well, and you avoid getting bits of garlic under your nails as you try to get stubborn bits of skin. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/12 "2012-12-17T12:26:50Z")
This lemon squeezer really works: [http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1200&bih=588&tbm=isch&tbnid=z6Z8ZImAlz2sfM:&imgrefurl=http://joseagar.com/store/tools-utensils/lemon-juicer&docid=3eSdTD41vXDC7M&imgurl=http://joseagar.com/media/uploaded/08/Lemon\_Squeezer.jpg&w=300&h=225&ei=7A7PUO2DFLCn0AGWsYHYBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=278&vpy=169&dur=7675&hovh=180&hovw=240&tx=127&ty=202&sig=109210154919291768000&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=184&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:108](http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1200&bih=588&tbm=isch&tbnid=z6Z8ZImAlz2sfM:&imgrefurl=http://joseagar.com/store/tools-utensils/lemon-juicer&docid=3eSdTD41vXDC7M&imgurl=http://joseagar.com/media/uploaded/08/Lemon_Squeezer.jpg&w=300&h=225&ei=7A7PUO2DFLCn0AGWsYHYBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=278&vpy=169&dur=7675&hovh=180&hovw=240&tx=127&ty=202&sig=109210154919291768000&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=184&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:108) It gets all the juice out and strains the seeds at the same time. Works well for limes too. Probably not big enough for oranges. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/13 "2012-12-17T15:28:28Z")
> [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](#): > > Those silicone tubes for peeling garlic cloves work amazingly well, and you avoid getting bits of garlic under your nails as you try to get stubborn bits of skin. I’m always fuddled at how many needless gadgets and things there are for garlic. Again, a chef’s knife is the universal tool here. [ul] [li]Separate the cloves.[/li][li]Trim the stem ends off.[/li][li]Give each a slight smash with the flat of the blade (you’ll quickly learn just how much to smoosh).[/li][li]If the clove doesn’t basically fall out of the skin as you pick it up, practice more. You shouldn’t have to do more than pinch the closed end, wiggle it a bit and maybe flake off a broken section of skin.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/14 "2012-12-17T16:21:14Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > Why would you want to do anything with a $25 candle, including buy it? > [@Scumpup](#): > > Wait, there are candles that cost $25? Are they made from condor fat or something? I like candles and was having problems with cheap candles leaving soot all over my house. Like, there would be a thin layer of black residue on everything. Besides, they smell good and a candle, if I light it 3 or 4 hours a night, once or twice a week for a couple of months a year will last 1 to 2 years. Paying $25 for something I like that will last 1 to 2 years isn’t really that bad of an investment, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/15 "2012-12-17T16:47:33Z")
> [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](#): > > Those silicone tubes for peeling garlic cloves work amazingly well, and you avoid getting bits of garlic under your nails as you try to get stubborn bits of skin. I agree that a knife can probably smash garlic cloves to loosen the skin just as well. My knife certainly works for me. But my gadget is almost the simplest one possible: it’s just a slightly-rounded square of flat plastic a couple inches on a side. It’s the best tool for scraping cooked but not burnt food (i.e. scrambled egg remains) off of pots and pans, either because you don’t want to gunk up the scrubby side of the sponge, or because you don’t want to scrub away the seasoning on your cast iron pan/wok/dutch oven. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/16 "2012-12-17T17:41:16Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > But my gadget is almost the simplest one possible: it’s just a slightly-rounded square of flat plastic a couple inches on a side. It’s the best tool for scraping cooked but not burnt food (i.e. scrambled egg remains) off of pots and pans, either because you don’t want to gunk up the scrubby side of the sponge, or because you don’t want to scrub away the seasoning on your cast iron pan/wok/dutch oven. I keep expired credit cards/debit cards/AAA cards around for this purpose. Came in super handy when my idiot roommate got gum in the dryer. Twice. Plus if they get too gross you can throw them away. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/17 "2012-12-17T18:19:42Z")
[Kuhn Rikon Boil-over preventers](http://www.factorydirect2you.com/kuhn-rikon-spill-stop-protector-ten-inch-clearance-green.html?productid=kuhn-rikon-spill-stop-protector-ten-inch-clearance-green&channelid=FROOG&utm_source=CSEs&utm_medium=GoogleShopping&utm_campaign=Factorydirect2you)are awesome. Not once since I got one has my pasta boiled over. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/18 "2012-12-17T19:30:48Z")
I inherited one of these [apple peelers](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CGUQtwIwAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7GtpsAkzdFU&ei=T3LPUNTWE-XM0wHBjAE&usg=AFQjCNFYSNE_km2opamqH-w9mRJoJeu1gQ&bvm=bv.1355325884,d.dmQ) from my mom. Peels an apple in about 2 seconds and resets ready for the next one. It is a mechanical marvel as well. I have seen modern things with lead screws to traverse the knife, but this one is way faster. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gadgets-that-actually-work/644226/19 "2012-12-17T19:33:23Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > I inherited one of these [apple peelers](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CGUQtwIwAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7GtpsAkzdFU&ei=T3LPUNTWE-XM0wHBjAE&usg=AFQjCNFYSNE_km2opamqH-w9mRJoJeu1gQ&bvm=bv.1355325884,d.dmQ) from my mom. Peels an apple in about 2 seconds and resets ready for the next one. It is a mechanical marvel as well. I have seen modern things with lead screws to traverse the knife, but this one is way faster. I have one of those. It’s really worthwhile only when you are going to peel a lot of apples, though. My mom used to use it when we’d be processing a couple bushels of apples for canning or freezing.