Today I’m back with a trio of kitchen gadgets all under 15 dollars and I’m excited to put them to the test. On the agenda are Anytongs from Shark Tank, Sunny Side Out Egg Separator, and Silicone Plastic Food Covers.
Where to Purchase
Below are the most updated links to the gadgets in this review, as of June 2023.
- Egg Separator: Amazon
- Anytongs: Amazon or Direct
- Silicone Lids: Amazon via Freakin’ Store
3 Kitchen Gadgets
Sunny Side Out Egg Separator
My first product test was the Quirky Sunny Side Out Egg Separator. I managed to get my hands on this for just five dollars, and it has a decent 4.2 star rating to its name. The design is rather simple – just a suction tool with a large opening and a flat bottom. The makers claim it’s a cinch to clean and it conveniently stands upright when not in use.
Despite some negative reviews that pointed out issues with breaking yolks and inefficiency for separating only one or two eggs, I found it surprisingly effective. I tried it on a single egg first and it worked like a charm, yolk intact and all. I even had some fun playing with the suction mechanism! When it came to handling multiple eggs, it was a little more complicated. The separator could hold the yolks, but one broke when I attempted to deposit them all at once. My advice: stick to one yolk at a time for the best results.
In short, the Sunny Side Out Egg Separator is a nifty tool that does its job well, especially if you’re in need of a lot of egg whites.
Anytongs
Next in line was the intriguing Anytongs from Shark Tank. At $13, this innovative device promised to turn any of my flatware into a pair of tongs.
The Anytongs did well with two forks, allowing me to handle raw, marinating chicken with ease. However, the real test came when I needed to use tongs for a fresh salad and cook the chicken simultaneously. Thankfully, the Anytongs came in a pack of two, so I was able to handle both tasks with different utensils – a clever solution to cross-contamination concerns.
When it came to a real-world test with spaghetti and chicken, the Anytongs weren’t quite as successful. The flatware kept sliding out and I felt it didn’t have as much grip as standard tongs. Plus, the forks kept getting stuck and would “snap” back, which splashed me with boiling water. While they did a decent job with the chicken, I can’t say they’re as effective as real tongs. Also, it’s worth noting that using two different forks can cause alignment issues due to differing lengths.
Overall, while the Anytongs did work to some extent, I’m not entirely sold on their effectiveness compared to conventional tongs. I have kept them in my kitchen drawer to see if I’ll find them useful in a pinch.
Silicone Plastic Food Covers
My last exploration was with the Silicone Plastic Food Covers, available for $13.99 for a pack of 7. These covers promised to be splatter-proof and suitable for a range of uses including fridge, oven, and microwave. They also claimed to withstand temperatures from -40 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
The covers were effective on a range of containers like bowls and cups, but they had limitations. They don’t work on plates, and the surface has to be round and smooth for them to form a seal. I also found that the pack needed more of the larger sizes. They did an impressive job of sealing containers and even allowed me to lift them by the lid tab, although I wouldn’t recommend trying this with hot contents.
During microwave testing, they effectively prevented splattering, but the seal did not hold once the microwave door was opened, which makes lifting hot items by the tab a risky move. Despite that, they worked quite well with a bubbling pot of pasta sauce on the stove and prevented splatter even as the pasta sauce boiled.
If you’ve tried any of these products, tell me what you think in the comments below.