# Tools that work far better than you would have hoped **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894 "2015-06-07T15:06:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/21 "2015-06-08T18:45:41Z")
I like my 3-foot picker upper tool I got at Harbor Freight. Really saves my back. I bought a can and bottle chiller for a few bucks at Big Lots about fifteen years ago. It’s a plastic trough with a motor that runs on two AA cells. The motor hooks onto the can or bottle with a suction cup and spins it in the ice-filled trough. Works great. I have a 12 V impact wrench I bought at a truck stop over ten years ago. It still works great. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/22 "2015-06-08T18:52:04Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > My [Rib-O-Lator](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsCBCfPgYp8) Dude, none of that stuff is cooked! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/23 "2015-06-08T20:16:43Z")
I replaced my traditional sharp-metal-wheel-with-a-handle pizza cutter with one of those pieces of wood shaped like a [rocking chair foot](http://www.amazon.com/Pizzacraft-PC0209-Hardwood-Rocking-Cutter/dp/B008BZ9B6A). Makes cutting pizza, dough, bread and other things fast and fun. Also, one of my few single purpose tools is my [pineapple slicer](http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Stainless-Ratcheting-Pineapple-Slicer/dp/B007WTGR90/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1433794473&sr=1-4&keywords=pineapple+cutter) but it is so fun to use that I actually buy and eat more pineapples because of it. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/24 "2015-06-08T20:30:43Z")
Not a tool, but zip ties! What did I ever do without them! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/25 "2015-06-08T20:33:00Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > I replaced my traditional sharp-metal-wheel-with-a-handle pizza cutter with one of those pieces of wood shaped like a [rocking chair foot](http://www.amazon.com/Pizzacraft-PC0209-Hardwood-Rocking-Cutter/dp/B008BZ9B6A). Makes cutting pizza, dough, bread and other things fast and fun. Hey, I’ve got some leftover maple out in the shop; maybe I’ll make one. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/26 "2015-06-08T22:31:37Z")
I’m hoping someone will comment if this is any good: [Watermelon Slicer](http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Watermelon-Honeydew-Pineapple-Cantaloupe/dp/B00IIZYUFA). I saw it for sale at my local grocery but the price makes me think it’s for people who are worried about chopping off their fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/27 "2015-06-08T22:41:26Z")
Paint pad edging tool: [http://www.homedepot.com/p/Shur-Line-Paint-Edger-00100c/100070177](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Shur-Line-Paint-Edger-00100c/100070177) My wife picked one up for a bathroom remodel we just finished. $3 and I got very nice results in an amazingly short time. I couldn’t stop talking about the thing (I hate cutting in). I honestly thought it would be a piece of crap “As Seen On TV!” but it works like a charm. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/28 "2015-06-09T01:35:03Z")
I wanted something to mix my power-based breakfast shakes and ordered a battery operated vortex deal. It didn’t work for crap. So with some trepidation I next bought a [BlenderBottle](http://www.blenderbottle.com/blenderbottle-sportmixer?gclid=CNTL54m8gcYCFVMXHwodqBEAmQ#product-anchor). And it’s magical. Less than 30 seconds of shaking and it’s perfectly blended every time. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/29 "2015-06-09T03:22:37Z")
So, curious question. Sorry if this is a hijack. I basically want to have an easy way to chop a lot of veggies finely. I am going to be having a lot of dental work done and will not be able to chew for a while. Cheap is good but pricey but worth it may be acceptable. Do i want a mandoline slicer or a food processor? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/30 "2015-06-09T11:35:57Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > So, curious question. Sorry if this is a hijack. I basically want to have an easy way to chop a lot of veggies finely. I am going to be having a lot of dental work done and will not be able to chew for a while. Cheap is good but pricey but worth it may be acceptable. > > Do i want a mandoline slicer or a food processor? Food processor. Blender will work in a pinch. Mandolines are for making consistent slices, and they do a great job of it, but it’s not what you want. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/31 "2015-06-09T11:47:31Z")
Two things that I use all the time in the kitchen. One, [this thing](http://www.tefal.co.uk/Cooking-appliances/Rice-%26-Multi-cookers/8-in-1-Multi-Cooker/p/7211000750). We love sticky rice and this cooks it to perfection and you can stick a foil parcel of fish or veg in the top to cook at the same time. Slow-cooking, steaming, porridge…it’s all good. Two, [this thing](http://www.pamperedchef.co.uk/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=1728&catId=9&parentCatId=&outletSubCat=). Pricey, but again it gets used all the time. It creates its own little micro-climate and it makes roasting predictable and forgiving, no hot-spots and scorching (my wife makes a cherry-butter focaccia in it that will stop traffic) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/32 "2015-06-09T11:51:22Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > …(my wife makes a cherry-butter focaccia in it that will stop traffic) I want some of this now, please. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/33 "2015-06-09T12:19:52Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Food processor. Blender will work in a pinch. Mandolines are for making consistent slices, and they do a great job of it, but it’s not what you want. Yeah, we have a mini-processor that is great for mincing a quarter onion at a time. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/34 "2015-06-09T12:24:36Z")
The [Leatherman Micra](http://www.leatherman.com/micra-20.html) is an excellent pocket tool. Lots of useful tools well made with a solid feel. The only downside is that I usually forget to leave it at home when I travel and I have to find a hiding place for it at the airport so I don’t have to give it up at security. Father’s Day is coming up–it’d make a great gift. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/35 "2015-06-09T12:35:45Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Yeah, we have a mini-processor that is great for mincing a quarter onion at a time. The Magic Bullet is great for stuff like that and way easier to clean than a food processor. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/36 "2015-06-09T13:14:30Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > The [Leatherman Micra](http://www.leatherman.com/micra-20.html) is an excellent pocket tool. Lots of useful tools well made with a solid feel. The only downside is that I usually forget to leave it at home when I travel and I have to find a hiding place for it at the airport so I don’t have to give it up at security. Father’s Day is coming up–it’d make a great gift. Thank you. This is the kind of thing I was looking for in this thread, not loads of food preparation gadgets. 😛 ---
**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:** [June 9, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/37 "2015-06-09T14:25:52Z")
I have an earlier iteration of this [Skil rechargeable screwdriver](http://www.amazon.com/2354-01-Lithium-Ion-Palm-Sized-Cordless-Screwdriver/dp/B0042ZZKL8/ref=pd_sim_469_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0NTEDBTZPPW7PWWYQFPG). I like that it can just sit in its cradle until I need it. The size is perfect for getting into tight places. I took out the air filter from my motorcycle, which is under the propped-up tank and has many invisible screws, in minutes. It would have been a long frustrating task with a regular screwdriver. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/38 "2015-06-09T14:33:07Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > So, curious question. Sorry if this is a hijack. I basically want to have an easy way to chop a lot of veggies finely. I am going to be having a lot of dental work done and will not be able to chew for a while. Cheap is good but pricey but worth it may be acceptable. > > Do i want a mandoline slicer or a food processor? Actually, I would go with a box grater. Very cheap, and it gives you the choice of four different ‘finenesses’ in the results. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/39 "2015-06-09T15:12:10Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > The [Leatherman Micra](http://www.leatherman.com/micra-20.html) is an excellent pocket tool. Lots of useful tools well made with a solid feel. The only downside is that I usually forget to leave it at home when I travel and I have to find a hiding place for it at the airport so I don’t have to give it up at security. Father’s Day is coming up–it’d make a great gift. I always carry a Leatherman Juice in my backpack when hiking. It’s surprisingly sturdy for its size. Even the pliers are functional. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894/40 "2015-06-09T15:38:56Z")
One of the more useful tools for woodworking is one I made myself, using an old plane blade. Basically I just filed the beveled edge over into a fairly aggressive “hook” and use it for tough scraping jobs like dried glue on the workbench after a glue-up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tools-that-work-far-better-than-you-would-have-hoped/721894.md?page=3)