Latest news with #MelButtle
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- General
- The Advertiser
Are you drowning in trend-driven kitchen gadgets you don't actually use?
If your kitchen cupboards are more scrambled than last night's eggs, turns out you're probably not alone. New research reveals that Australians have accumulated a truckload of expensive and useless kitchen gadgets, cluttering our drawers, gathering dust and turning dinner prep into a game of utensil hide and seek. Not only are we wasting money, but we're also adding stress and losing precious time. The culprit? An over-the-top foodie culture and trend-driven tools that promise time-saving magic, but often deliver clutter and regret. Commissioned by meal delivery service EveryPlate, nearly 75 per cent of people participating in the survey own between 10 and 20 gadgets. Almost a third said some of these have been left untouched for more than a year, and 90 per cent admitted to using the same three or four items over and over again - sound familiar? Coined the spice rack effect, 36 per cent of those surveyed buy a kitchen gadget, use it once, then never again, with 43 per cent admitting to wasting between $100 and $200 on cooking contraptions they don't use. Sixty per cent reported to having a kitchen junk drawer, where unused tools are mercilessly dumped. What are the top kitchen one-hit-wonders? An egg yolk separator came in at number one (51 per cent), followed closely by the avocado pitter (50 per cent), then the spiraliser (47 per cent, electric salt and pepper grinders (40 per cent), garlic crushers (23 per cent) and even the time-honoured food processor (22 per cent). To help Aussie households cut through the chaos and bring dinnertime back down to earth, home cook and clutter realist, Mel Buttle shares her top five tips for simplifying your kitchen. 1. Ditch one-hit wonders They overpromise, underdeliver, and take up way too much space for something that gets used once a year (if that). If it requires a tutorial and a deep clean after every use, it's not a time-saver - it's a shelf hog. Let it go. 2. Back to basics You don't need an army of appliances to make dinner. Just a solid knife, a chopping board, tongs, and a pot. Maybe a peeler if you're feeling fancy. These are the tools that pull their weight - no flashing lights, no USB charger, no risk of accidentally grating your knuckle. 3. Six-month rule If it hasn't been used in six months, it's not a gadget - it's a squatter. That pasta maker you bought during your 'Viva Italia' phase? It's not on a break, it's done. Gift it to a retiree with time for that stuff, give it to the op shop, or the local kindy, but it does need to rack off. 4. Viral? Think twice Wondering if your drawer is full of irrational viral flings? Try this: pick your top three go-to recipes and write down the tools you actually use. You'll likely find the same handful popping up every time, and that's your lineup. Did the electric egg cracker make the cut? No? Shocking. If you won it from a magazine, if you got it from a supermarket for collecting stamps, or got it from a $10 work secret Santa, it may not be worthy of the cupboard space, alongside legends like the chopping board, frypan and butcher's knife. 5. The re-buy rule Here's a task for you to help decide if it's earned its place on the used once and never again metaphoric spice rack; the 'Would I buy again?' test. Line up all those kitchen gadgets gathering dust and perform a merciless cull. Be honest with yourself, is that corn peeler really going to need replacing? If the answer is no, it's time to say, toodle-oo. If your kitchen cupboards are more scrambled than last night's eggs, turns out you're probably not alone. New research reveals that Australians have accumulated a truckload of expensive and useless kitchen gadgets, cluttering our drawers, gathering dust and turning dinner prep into a game of utensil hide and seek. Not only are we wasting money, but we're also adding stress and losing precious time. The culprit? An over-the-top foodie culture and trend-driven tools that promise time-saving magic, but often deliver clutter and regret. Commissioned by meal delivery service EveryPlate, nearly 75 per cent of people participating in the survey own between 10 and 20 gadgets. Almost a third said some of these have been left untouched for more than a year, and 90 per cent admitted to using the same three or four items over and over again - sound familiar? Coined the spice rack effect, 36 per cent of those surveyed buy a kitchen gadget, use it once, then never again, with 43 per cent admitting to wasting between $100 and $200 on cooking contraptions they don't use. Sixty per cent reported to having a kitchen junk drawer, where unused tools are mercilessly dumped. What are the top kitchen one-hit-wonders? An egg yolk separator came in at number one (51 per cent), followed closely by the avocado pitter (50 per cent), then the spiraliser (47 per cent, electric salt and pepper grinders (40 per cent), garlic crushers (23 per cent) and even the time-honoured food processor (22 per cent). To help Aussie households cut through the chaos and bring dinnertime back down to earth, home cook and clutter realist, Mel Buttle shares her top five tips for simplifying your kitchen. 1. Ditch one-hit wonders They overpromise, underdeliver, and take up way too much space for something that gets used once a year (if that). If it requires a tutorial and a deep clean after every use, it's not a time-saver - it's a shelf hog. Let it go. 2. Back to basics You don't need an army of appliances to make dinner. Just a solid knife, a chopping board, tongs, and a pot. Maybe a peeler if you're feeling fancy. These are the tools that pull their weight - no flashing lights, no USB charger, no risk of accidentally grating your knuckle. 3. Six-month rule If it hasn't been used in six months, it's not a gadget - it's a squatter. That pasta maker you bought during your 'Viva Italia' phase? It's not on a break, it's done. Gift it to a retiree with time for that stuff, give it to the op shop, or the local kindy, but it does need to rack off. 4. Viral? Think twice Wondering if your drawer is full of irrational viral flings? Try this: pick your top three go-to recipes and write down the tools you actually use. You'll likely find the same handful popping up every time, and that's your lineup. Did the electric egg cracker make the cut? No? Shocking. If you won it from a magazine, if you got it from a supermarket for collecting stamps, or got it from a $10 work secret Santa, it may not be worthy of the cupboard space, alongside legends like the chopping board, frypan and butcher's knife. 5. The re-buy rule Here's a task for you to help decide if it's earned its place on the used once and never again metaphoric spice rack; the 'Would I buy again?' test. Line up all those kitchen gadgets gathering dust and perform a merciless cull. Be honest with yourself, is that corn peeler really going to need replacing? If the answer is no, it's time to say, toodle-oo. If your kitchen cupboards are more scrambled than last night's eggs, turns out you're probably not alone. New research reveals that Australians have accumulated a truckload of expensive and useless kitchen gadgets, cluttering our drawers, gathering dust and turning dinner prep into a game of utensil hide and seek. Not only are we wasting money, but we're also adding stress and losing precious time. The culprit? An over-the-top foodie culture and trend-driven tools that promise time-saving magic, but often deliver clutter and regret. Commissioned by meal delivery service EveryPlate, nearly 75 per cent of people participating in the survey own between 10 and 20 gadgets. Almost a third said some of these have been left untouched for more than a year, and 90 per cent admitted to using the same three or four items over and over again - sound familiar? Coined the spice rack effect, 36 per cent of those surveyed buy a kitchen gadget, use it once, then never again, with 43 per cent admitting to wasting between $100 and $200 on cooking contraptions they don't use. Sixty per cent reported to having a kitchen junk drawer, where unused tools are mercilessly dumped. What are the top kitchen one-hit-wonders? An egg yolk separator came in at number one (51 per cent), followed closely by the avocado pitter (50 per cent), then the spiraliser (47 per cent, electric salt and pepper grinders (40 per cent), garlic crushers (23 per cent) and even the time-honoured food processor (22 per cent). To help Aussie households cut through the chaos and bring dinnertime back down to earth, home cook and clutter realist, Mel Buttle shares her top five tips for simplifying your kitchen. 1. Ditch one-hit wonders They overpromise, underdeliver, and take up way too much space for something that gets used once a year (if that). If it requires a tutorial and a deep clean after every use, it's not a time-saver - it's a shelf hog. Let it go. 2. Back to basics You don't need an army of appliances to make dinner. Just a solid knife, a chopping board, tongs, and a pot. Maybe a peeler if you're feeling fancy. These are the tools that pull their weight - no flashing lights, no USB charger, no risk of accidentally grating your knuckle. 3. Six-month rule If it hasn't been used in six months, it's not a gadget - it's a squatter. That pasta maker you bought during your 'Viva Italia' phase? It's not on a break, it's done. Gift it to a retiree with time for that stuff, give it to the op shop, or the local kindy, but it does need to rack off. 4. Viral? Think twice Wondering if your drawer is full of irrational viral flings? Try this: pick your top three go-to recipes and write down the tools you actually use. You'll likely find the same handful popping up every time, and that's your lineup. Did the electric egg cracker make the cut? No? Shocking. If you won it from a magazine, if you got it from a supermarket for collecting stamps, or got it from a $10 work secret Santa, it may not be worthy of the cupboard space, alongside legends like the chopping board, frypan and butcher's knife. 5. The re-buy rule Here's a task for you to help decide if it's earned its place on the used once and never again metaphoric spice rack; the 'Would I buy again?' test. Line up all those kitchen gadgets gathering dust and perform a merciless cull. Be honest with yourself, is that corn peeler really going to need replacing? If the answer is no, it's time to say, toodle-oo. If your kitchen cupboards are more scrambled than last night's eggs, turns out you're probably not alone. New research reveals that Australians have accumulated a truckload of expensive and useless kitchen gadgets, cluttering our drawers, gathering dust and turning dinner prep into a game of utensil hide and seek. Not only are we wasting money, but we're also adding stress and losing precious time. The culprit? An over-the-top foodie culture and trend-driven tools that promise time-saving magic, but often deliver clutter and regret. Commissioned by meal delivery service EveryPlate, nearly 75 per cent of people participating in the survey own between 10 and 20 gadgets. Almost a third said some of these have been left untouched for more than a year, and 90 per cent admitted to using the same three or four items over and over again - sound familiar? Coined the spice rack effect, 36 per cent of those surveyed buy a kitchen gadget, use it once, then never again, with 43 per cent admitting to wasting between $100 and $200 on cooking contraptions they don't use. Sixty per cent reported to having a kitchen junk drawer, where unused tools are mercilessly dumped. What are the top kitchen one-hit-wonders? An egg yolk separator came in at number one (51 per cent), followed closely by the avocado pitter (50 per cent), then the spiraliser (47 per cent, electric salt and pepper grinders (40 per cent), garlic crushers (23 per cent) and even the time-honoured food processor (22 per cent). To help Aussie households cut through the chaos and bring dinnertime back down to earth, home cook and clutter realist, Mel Buttle shares her top five tips for simplifying your kitchen. 1. Ditch one-hit wonders They overpromise, underdeliver, and take up way too much space for something that gets used once a year (if that). If it requires a tutorial and a deep clean after every use, it's not a time-saver - it's a shelf hog. Let it go. 2. Back to basics You don't need an army of appliances to make dinner. Just a solid knife, a chopping board, tongs, and a pot. Maybe a peeler if you're feeling fancy. These are the tools that pull their weight - no flashing lights, no USB charger, no risk of accidentally grating your knuckle. 3. Six-month rule If it hasn't been used in six months, it's not a gadget - it's a squatter. That pasta maker you bought during your 'Viva Italia' phase? It's not on a break, it's done. Gift it to a retiree with time for that stuff, give it to the op shop, or the local kindy, but it does need to rack off. 4. Viral? Think twice Wondering if your drawer is full of irrational viral flings? Try this: pick your top three go-to recipes and write down the tools you actually use. You'll likely find the same handful popping up every time, and that's your lineup. Did the electric egg cracker make the cut? No? Shocking. If you won it from a magazine, if you got it from a supermarket for collecting stamps, or got it from a $10 work secret Santa, it may not be worthy of the cupboard space, alongside legends like the chopping board, frypan and butcher's knife. 5. The re-buy rule Here's a task for you to help decide if it's earned its place on the used once and never again metaphoric spice rack; the 'Would I buy again?' test. Line up all those kitchen gadgets gathering dust and perform a merciless cull. Be honest with yourself, is that corn peeler really going to need replacing? If the answer is no, it's time to say, toodle-oo.
Sydney Morning Herald
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The Project is over. Love it or hate it, that's bad news for Aussie comedy
Channel Ten has dropped the axe on The Project, and as the South Yarra studio goes dark, many words have been written about the show's impact on news and culture. But for me, a former head writer, the greatest loss will be felt by Aussie comedy. For 16 years, The Project has platformed comedy on-screen and behind the scenes, and its cancellation is nothing but bad news for those of us who make a career out of playing silly buggers. On air, The Project' s commitment to comedy was plain to see. Every night the show featured at least one comic at the desk who was tasked with keeping things light, even when the news was dark. The comedy on The Project was like punctuation, allowing the panel to tackle the big issues and still get out on a laugh. Some days this was easier to achieve than others. I always felt for comics who made their desk debut on days dominated by bushfires or bombs. Loading Perched on the far left of the desk, it was the comic's job to keep things interesting and to lob a few curveballs into the guest interviews. That guest chair was a welcoming spot for different voices, too. Multiple times each week, local and international comedians would drop by The Project desk to plug their stand-up, movies or podcasts. These chats resulted in thousands of hilarious moments and only one or two national scandals. In an age when our tastes are curated by the all-powerful algorithm, 6.30pm weeknights was a time slot that showcased new talent and introduced viewers to a comedy voice they might just fall in love with. Off the desk, The Project had a reputation for giving comics their first live TV gig. Countless stars were born via the very hectic and very eclectic 'Metro Whip', a Friday night segment that crossed to five locations around the country to find out what was happening in our capital cities. Names such as Em Rusciano, Mel Buttle, Sam Mac and Nath Valvo all cut their teeth trying to be funny while fighting to hear Carrie Bickmore over a cheering audience and simultaneously flogging a giant garage sale, agricultural show or spaghetti festival. Even during the darkest days of COVID, the show turned to comedy to help lift spirits and fill the rundown. Socially distanced sketches, jokes performed to empty studios and insane crosses to Ross Noble in his bunker where he would turn a three-minute Zoom call into must-see TV. A rare bit of paid work for an industry completely shut down. For the complete run, those on air were supported by a full-time comedy writers' room, a team made up of comedians and writers who worked to wedge humour between the headlines every day. Except the day the Queen died. We got to go home early that day.
The Age
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
The Project is over. Love it or hate it, that's bad news for Aussie comedy
Channel Ten has dropped the axe on The Project, and as the South Yarra studio goes dark, many words have been written about the show's impact on news and culture. But for me, a former head writer, the greatest loss will be felt by Aussie comedy. For 16 years, The Project has platformed comedy on-screen and behind the scenes, and its cancellation is nothing but bad news for those of us who make a career out of playing silly buggers. On air, The Project' s commitment to comedy was plain to see. Every night the show featured at least one comic at the desk who was tasked with keeping things light, even when the news was dark. The comedy on The Project was like punctuation, allowing the panel to tackle the big issues and still get out on a laugh. Some days this was easier to achieve than others. I always felt for comics who made their desk debut on days dominated by bushfires or bombs. Loading Perched on the far left of the desk, it was the comic's job to keep things interesting and to lob a few curveballs into the guest interviews. That guest chair was a welcoming spot for different voices, too. Multiple times each week, local and international comedians would drop by The Project desk to plug their stand-up, movies or podcasts. These chats resulted in thousands of hilarious moments and only one or two national scandals. In an age when our tastes are curated by the all-powerful algorithm, 6.30pm weeknights was a time slot that showcased new talent and introduced viewers to a comedy voice they might just fall in love with. Off the desk, The Project had a reputation for giving comics their first live TV gig. Countless stars were born via the very hectic and very eclectic 'Metro Whip', a Friday night segment that crossed to five locations around the country to find out what was happening in our capital cities. Names such as Em Rusciano, Mel Buttle, Sam Mac and Nath Valvo all cut their teeth trying to be funny while fighting to hear Carrie Bickmore over a cheering audience and simultaneously flogging a giant garage sale, agricultural show or spaghetti festival. Even during the darkest days of COVID, the show turned to comedy to help lift spirits and fill the rundown. Socially distanced sketches, jokes performed to empty studios and insane crosses to Ross Noble in his bunker where he would turn a three-minute Zoom call into must-see TV. A rare bit of paid work for an industry completely shut down. For the complete run, those on air were supported by a full-time comedy writers' room, a team made up of comedians and writers who worked to wedge humour between the headlines every day. Except the day the Queen died. We got to go home early that day.
