The One-Use Kitchen Tool That's Actually Worth Buying
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Are single-use kitchen appliances stupid or actually useful? That depends on the appliance. If you eat a lot of popcorn, a hot air popper may be more convenient if you don't have a microwave, while a pineapple corer can come in handy if you eat the fruit pretty frequently. Salad scissors, however, are a kitchen utensil that's not needed since a good pair of kitchen shears can do so much more. One item we were initially on the fence about that turns out to be well worth adding to your kitchen arsenal is meat claws. They may actually do a better job of shredding chicken or making pulled pork than two forks or bare hands.
Meat claws come in either metal or heat-resistant plastic, and they're usually pretty cheap. The 4.7-star-rated BBQtrips brand of meat claws is selling for under $7 on Amazon at the time of writing. People who swear by meat claws enjoy how they can shred hot meat without burning their hands, saving some time. Some say these meat shredders can also allow you to remove any bits of cartilage, fat chunks, or veins as you shred, and you won't need to touch anything unpleasant. This might be a boon for cooks with sensory issues.
Meat claws may not be as single-purpose as you'd think
We may have done meat claws a disservice by calling them a one-use tool, since they can actually do more than simply shred meat ... if you put some creativity into it. Some Facebook users have facetiously suggested using them for hair trims or bar brawls, both of which seem like a really bad idea. Joking aside, though, these meat shredders are great for lifting and carrying hot, heavy foods like a whole roasted turkey or ham. You can also use them to hold that ham, turkey, or any other large piece of meat in place while you carve it. They can even be put to non-carnivorous uses like tossing salads or mixing guacamole, and if you have the metal kind, you can use your meat claws to move hot coals around on a grill. Since these claws can be sharp, be careful when using them.