We love Emmo Home‘s modern take on housewares, not to mention their site, with categories like Be a Foodie, Love Your Kids and Visit Slumberland. This week, you’ll have a chance to win their knife stand — sleek and modern, but functional with a dishwasher-safe sleeve (and you know how nice that is if you’ve been wiping down a wooden block for years). 
One reader will receive the slanted knife stand by answering this week’s question before 12/11c, Monday, September 13th.
This week’s question: What kitchen utensil needs a style makeover?
THE SPATULA: IT SHOULD BE MADE WITH (PLASTIC) MESH LIKE THE WOK FRYING SCOOPER, SO THAT WHEN YOU TAKE THINGS OUT OF A PAN YOU DON'T GET THE OIL WITH IT!!! USE THE PLASTIC THAT IS OKAY FOR NON-STICK PANS SO IT WON'T SCRATCH!
For sure it's the can opener. Everyone needs one… I have 3 because they get dirty , not to mention are very ugly
I'd like a newly designed garlic press where I don't have to scrape out what's left of the garlic that isn't pressed through.
The Garlic Press!!!
SPATULAS! They are so plain, flimsy, cause scratches, melt… just can't take the abuse I deal out!
I believe that cheese graters could use a little make over.
I use mine quite often, but I don't like the design. I had one that you held up to grate the cheese, and loved the idea, but it was hard to use. I switched to the bell shaped one, and it's a lot easier, but I don't consider it to be stylish at all.
I would like to see a self-scraping blender!! It is so frustrating to find just the right scraper to do the job…..
The ladle! It needs a hook of some sort at the end so that it won’t fall into the crockpot or the stew pot. The ones that come with a punch bowl sometimes do, but Ive never seen one for nomral kitchen use.
Crab Cracker…. Make it simple to use
I would like to see a redesigned broiler pan. The drip pan needs to be made non-stick from top to bottom, the rack above should also be non-stick with some way to make the openings either wider or narrower depending on what you are cooking.
knife organizer,built in sharpner and lock system to keep the kid `s out.
I say the knife holder…Picture your kitchen utensils are all white….and your style is traditional with pops of yellows and greens …..and on your counter sits a knife holder that is craved and painted to bring out the traditional lines and curves with pops of color…..it will bring out the utensil and also serve as a great decorations on your counter top.
It looks like a nice knife set but what about the durability of the blades? getting a serrated knife shapened like new again is near impossible right? might as well buy a new one for the cost.
Dishwashers – I want it to be easier to take out the top rack to wash large items.
THE WHISK could be inproved.It should have a battery in the handle.So all you do is push the botton. Watch it go. 2 speeds. ( hi-low)
The vegetable peeler. I think it could be a little safer and easier to manipulate, while still being beautiful and functional.
As we're nearing halloween, how about a better pumpkin scooper, or seed separator?
Style make over…hmmmmm…I think the hand held lime or lemmon squeezer needs a revision. I have the plans too if you care to inquire and we can go over it. It always seems like there is a lot of unsqueezed juice still left in those little buggers. drives me nuts not to get all the possible juice out of it in a quick non electric hand held device.
I would say the chopping board. I often chop my seasoning and then freeze it; I would love to be able to slide my seasoning into a small container instead of using my hands.
The toaster. Make one similar to the ones used in Dunkin Donuts or Tim Hortons.
I AM GOING TO GO WITH THE…..MEASURING SPOONS…. ALL CONNECTED TOGETHER ON THAT RING….THEY ARE FUMBLESOME, AND LOOK LIKE A MECHANICS TOOL.. WHAT DO YOU THINK??
Garlic press is terrible, but id have to say food processor since i use it more. (Maybe that’s because the garlic press is so rediculous to clean, its easier to smash and chop)
The cheese grater could definately use an update….there has to be a way to keep it practical but make it look less like a torture tool!
I use long cooking chop sticks with practically everything I cook. I would so love it if someone would develop a chop stick with silicone tips to grab easier. Professional cooks may not share my dilemma but I’m sure us amateur cooks could make good use of them!
The dish drying rack. Those things are so hard to clean and a kitchen never really looks clean or nice with a dirty, plastic rack sitting out.
Garlic press, mine works great but it is tough to get clean! maybe if presser could pop out while still being attached to the handle it would be easier to clean.
The hand-held can opener is on the top of my list. I have an all-metal one that's hard to hold (no padding on handles) and a padded one that's heavy and bulky. Would appreciate one in between.
The wooden spoon(s) they are so usefully but looks so boring and dull!
The two utensils that drive me crazy are any sort of cheese slicer….make one that actually cuts thin slices and doesn't stick…. And, the hand can opener. I know there have been many styles and brands, but they just can't get it right….
I’d like to remake the garlic press. So useful, so hard to clean.
The wisk… food always clumps to it, and it's a pain to clean!!
I would like to see a new design for micro waves , not the draw kind, the regular counter style i would like to see a pull out shelf design instead of just rotating actually both would be great the pull out tray that also rotates.
I wish that they would design an electric can opener that will open the large cans. When we have a function and I have to provide for a large amount of people, I purchase the very large cans. It ends up with me becoming very frustrated because the can opener will not open the large cans.My husband then has to take the badly dented up can (where I have attempted to open it) and use one of his tools to work the lid off.
Toaster
The dish-drainer! I've gotten so fed up with them I put towels on the counter instead.
New design for vegetable/pototoe/PEELERS, no matter which hand I use, and which way I try to swish it to peel the veggie, it is clumsy and awkward…..even the new Tupperware is hard to use, but about the best one I have found lately. There has to be an easier way to peel/pare fruits and vegetables. Hope some of you have some good suggestions. If it has already been invented I would be glad to hear the brand name. Thanks. Dottie
I would have to agree with the can opener. I know there are different types out there, but they are all built the same way and break esily. I go through a couple can openers a year just with opening the dog food every night. Maybe dog food cans need a make-over to be pull tops.
The only one that I have evr been able to rely on is the old fashioned military style can opener, which takes forever to open a can… But it wont break.
Plastic ware that does not stain. Anytime I heat up or store any kind of red sauce, the container is stained for life.
Can opener. I want one I can toss in the dishwasher and it won't RUST! Especially after getting tuna water on it. Yuck.
Everything wooden! I'm big on veggies, but I hate that most nice looking salad bowls and utensils are wooden and not dishwasher safe. If they're plastic, they either look cheap or too immature in bright colors.
Either the blender/food processor or the can opener. Both are a pain to clean. I have bought expensive AND inexpensive blenders and food processors and none of them perform as promised. I've got 2 in my panty now. Anyone interested? Make me an offer! lol
I meant to type pantry! How funny!
The spaghetti fork!
Cheese grader!! They are so hard to clean! And I hurt my nuckels when I am grading cheese fast! PAINFUL!
I actually think the spaghetti spoon should be redone with retracting prongs. What if you pushed a button and a few prongs folded up. I hate that it never fits in the drawer correctly.
The slotted spoons….would like to see one that is metal but has holes and tines pointed upwards to hold the pasta without spilling out while straining.
How about a makeover for the hand or stand mixer? They all pretty much have that form follows funtion look and have not changed dramatically since they were introduced for going on 100 years. Changing the color is NOT an innovation of style. For those of us that have issues with grip and vibration, it's a real problem.
The kitchen utensil that I think needs a makeover is the splatter screen that you use when you fry things. Even with it on I still get hit by flying grease.
I think the garlic press. Why so little at a time? And why do you have to have such big muscles to press one little clove of garlic? Just a thought.
I agree with almost everyone but I seriously with cookware_ no matter how much money you spend on them _ food always stick to them and they always get scratched_ can they finnally makes cookware that are worth the money or at least utensils that won’t scratch them _ or something that could cleaned them without leaving scrath. also plastic wares that you can store or heat food in without having to throw them away after because they stains. a multi-function kithen appliances that doesn’t a require a college degree or the patience of a god to use and clean. about a cofee maker that brewed on its own every morning and be our alarm clock. what would be out of this world would be stove top that turns off-itself automatically before food burn. i could go on… but these few would make cooking even more pleasurable.
I so agree with Barbara. My husband and I have spent so much money on trying different cookware with the same results every time, we end up giving the old set away and buying something else.
The gravy stirrer You know the one that works so well and looks like a spring hard to clean but just love it for stirring.