Range of small appliances is very impressive

Yes to the toaster, but pass on the cotton candy machine

I’m not a big fan of stuff that clutters up my kitchen counter or takes up space in the cabinets.

If I’m not going to regularly use an item, I don’t see much point in owning it.

I love my Crock-Pot to the point that it has a name, yet even that appliance is relegated to a shelf in the garage when he’s not in use.

The only appliances that consistently live on the counter are the coffee pot and the toaster oven, both of which are used daily. But even the coffee grinder gets relegated to the garage.

Every year though, it seems like appliance makers come up with progressively weirder, extremely specific products.

For example, one can purchase an electric quesadilla maker. I’m hard-pressed to think that would be more tasty than the quesadillas I make in a skillet, but who knows?

I’ve also seen little toasters dedicated to making hot dogs, chocolate fountains, fondue sets, and cotton candy machines — all designed to be used at home.

I can see the appeal of this stuff. They are fun novelties to bust out at family gatherings or with the kids. But they also take up a lot of storage space, and it’s hard for me to justify that.

There are some exceptions, of course. My family loves fresh popcorn, so we have a small hotair popper that we use fairly often. It too lives in the garage when not needed.

And we’ve used an ice cream machine a few times. This was especially popular when we used to have a peach tree, which was turned into peach pies. Homemade vanilla ice cream was a delicious companion.

But I draw the line at small appliances like the gummy candy maker I saw online recently. Now, this thing had overwhelmingly positive reviews. People love it. But I think in order to buy it in the first place, one must have a love of gummy foods that far surpasses my thoughts on the matter.

I think when it comes to the kitchen, it comes down to 1) how often I will use it, and 2) where I will store it. Somehow, a gummy bear machine just doesn’t make the cut!