Jenn McKinlay: It’s been a minute since I’ve attended a wedding. Life is like that. You tend to move in your generational circle and minus a few outliers, you get married about the same time as your friends and colleagues, then it’s on to family creation (if you choose to have one), and so begins kid’s birthday parties, graduations, and suddenly, there you are again, attending the weddings of the next generation.
My first wedding of the next Gen is my nephew's. How long has it been? Well, I was one of the last of my set to get married and this is my nephew at my wedding — um, where did the interim 23 YEARS go??? Ack!!!
Which brings me to the topic of my post, I was scanning the nephew and bride’s registry, which is very Gen Z (glass straws,
I get the idea and I love you guys, but if you have babies, those have to go, I’m just sayin’). Now, I recently acquired my first Kitchen-Aid mixer, so I’m behind the curve on the trends in culinary appliances, clearly, but when I wandered off their registry (I picked out something super cool – not glass straws — don’t tell) and while out there I fell into the rabbit hole of what people are registering for which was also a "what the heck is that?" and "do I need one?" experience that is the reason why my next book will be late.
So, here are some items that I pondered and marveled at and thought I’d share just in case anyone else was out in the weeds like me on what’s trending in wedding gifts these days.
1. Rub-Away
A stainless steel bar that rubs away the smell of onions and garlic and other stuff. I had no idea this existed. Seriously. And judging by the 18K reviews of positivity, it works. Huh.
2. Collapsible Tea Kettle
I'm just going to go with a big old "Hell no!" on this. A robot to clean the grill,? Yeah, not before I get the housecleaning robot, thank you very much.
How about it, Reds and Readers, any weird gadgets or gizmos that you've stumbled across lately?
My goodness, Jenn, there are some truly weird things out there . . .
ReplyDeleteMy favorites include the Egg Minder that syncs with your smartphone so you can click a button to find out how many eggs are in the fridge!
No? Well, maybe you’d like some Pac Man oven mitts . . . or a microwave s’more maker . . . or an Egg cuber so you can turn your hard-boiled eggs into squares [although I must admit that the reason for doing this totally escapes me] . . . .
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DeleteSquare eggs!!!! I'm in. I have no idea what I'd do with them but April Fool's Day cometh.
DeleteOoops. When I saw "Square Eggs" in your reply, Jenn, all I could think was, *&^*, give the poor hens a break, eh?!
DeleteApparently the egg cuber is to keep that pesky hard-boiled egg from rolling away! [So you smoosh the egg into a square and, voila!, it no longer rolls away.] You can order it from a slew of places, including Amazon and Walmart . . . .
DeleteOh, my! My mid-thirties older son and his wife both love to cook and bake, and I'm proud that they are trying not to acquire any (or more) single-use items. Which is what all of those you featured, Jenn, are, except maybe the collapsible teapot, and all have regular alternatives. Bar of soap. Scrub brush. Knife.
ReplyDeleteI once bought a pretty little shallow dish at a craft fair. The inside has a rough, sharp surface, and it's supposed to be for grating garlic. All it grates is your fingertips! Also languishing in my kitchen is the mandoline. It does a great job, but we usually resort to a sharp knife, instead.
My younger son is getting married in February, and they do have a registry. It's mostly dishes so far. I want to tell them, "Ask for really high quality sheets and towels - this is your chance!" I'll see if they end up adding anything silly. (Glass straws?)
I second your vote for your high-end towels and sheets, Edith. So worth it.
DeleteI, too, always counsel young folks to double their requests for sheets and towels as NO ONE WILL EVER BUY YOU THOSE AGAIN!
DeleteEdith, I have that garlic grater and I use it a lot. Mostly for grating nutmeg which is just so much better fresh.
DeleteSheets and towels - yes, yes, yes. Also, I have a mandolin but I'm afraid of it.
DeleteI also have a mandolin but am terrified of it!! On the other hand I am all for very sharp knives.
DeleteMy stepsister gave me one of those pretty ceramic garlic graters. It's great if you don't mind wasting half a clove.
DeleteEdith, this reminds me. My Mom is always asking for the color of the bathroom walls so that we know which towels (colors) to give them for wedding gifts.
DeleteDiana
Diana, you can never go wrong with white!
DeleteWHITE TOWELS! xx
DeleteI hope the person that buys the corn shredder thing knows you can get kernel corn not on the cob.
ReplyDeleteRight?
DeleteI just stripped a couple of ears of corn last night, easy peasy. See above, sharp knife.
DeleteTotally, Debs.
DeleteThe last wedding I attended was for my husband's nephew. They had married quietly the year before during Covid but wanted to have a big wedding once things eased. The bride's family is wealthy and the wedding and reception were so swanky it seemed like a film production. The registry was actually offensive to me, as all the items listed were in the $100-$500 range. ($100 for a single rocks glass?) The nephew is a cardiologist and of course already makes more at 30 than we ever made in our lives. It was a struggle for me to push through to feel happy about a gift. Ultimately we donated cash to their "art fund."
ReplyDeleteMilkmaid, that's one wedding where I would have been very tempted to give a card saying, "In your name, a gift has been given to X charity." Maybe the American Heart Ass'n, since he's a cardiologist!
DeleteOh, my...I'm with Julia on this one. I like to give a donation of trees to those who suffer from conspicuous consumption :)
DeleteArt fund!!! Of all the cheek! I find registries these days, when most people have been living on their own and have the everyday stuff they need, pretty offensive in general. Not a big fan of the honeymoon fund, either.
DeleteART FUND! HA HA HA HA HA.
DeleteJenn, you and the hub are so cute! Those gloves! And the little groom too:). I went off the reservation for a wedding this summer and sent big gorgeous cookbooks from Dori Greenspan and Jacques Pepin. (They had asked for an instapot cookbook only.) I keep thinking they'll want these nice things later, but maybe they won't??
ReplyDeleteI actually liked the gifts we didn't know we needed the best :)
DeleteHaha, I’m chuckling even though it’s still very early in my land. My last attendance at a wedding was via Zoom so in best Gen Old tradition I sent $$ to the charity of their choice. But first you all know I love to cook but the size of kitchen never gets larger. Last night a burner glowed red on my great electric stove 22 years old and going strong, so off with the power, on with a microwave dinner. I finished cooking the brown rice, then sautéed onion and garlic to add to it plus frozen peas and prepped kale. Topped with cooked chicken it was tasty and all in an old fashioned microwave. I remember my first microwave very simple but a life changer. So my take on wedding gifts is the trend is to start out without the complications of formal commitment. Over time one gathers pots, plates, etc etc. the light bulb moment! Out go the invitations, now for THE list. Of course one wants stuff by which to remember THE day but if you already have all the ordinary stuff, then a collapsible kettle will add that last touch of whimsey to the kitchen as one brews iced tea to drink through the glass straw. Why not because it would be rude to only ask for money wouldn’t it? Jenn your gloves are the plus ultra, I love them.
ReplyDeleteOh dear done it again, my excuse it was early when I wrote the Haha comment love - Celia
DeleteThank you, dear Celia! I loved those gloves - I felt very Audrey Hepburn :)
DeleteAt our house we call the cookie dipper a fork and I learned of its use from my genius youngest son years ago. Well, maybe not so genius…should have patented his idea as the cookie dipper apparently.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Ahead of his time!
DeleteI'm going to be an early-morning curmudgeon and say that the idea of a wedding gift registry was invented by Marshall Field, a department store, in 1924; can you say self-interest? As for glass straws, the concept is a good one, but I have stainless ones that the young couple can keep even if/when babies arrive!
ReplyDeleteOr those collapsible silicon ones! Youngest has one she travels with; it's in its own small case, about the size of a box of matches, and you can put it in a dishwasher.
DeleteSilicon straws are new to me. Off to check them out. Collapsible is even better to fit in the purse!
DeleteThe thing is - who uses a straw? I don't use them at home, and out I'm either sipping wine, beer, or water - from a glass.
DeleteIt always comes down to $$$. Weddings as an industry is insane. I remember the wedding people kept trying to up sell Hub and I on various things by saying "You're only going to get married once" and I'd look at them and say, "Statistically, that's not true and my next husband is in high school right now." Hub would roll his eyes and the salesperson would look at me as if uncertain whether I was joking. Ha!
DeleteOh Jenn, you rocked those gloves and veil! And Hubs tie is the whole enchilada! Love the little nephew!
ReplyDelete"Art fund?" from Admilkmaid's comment above--what rarified air they must breathe! The things I tend to remember are the gizmos I might actually use. Like the rechargeable mini-air compressor that I bought to keep our tires inflated properly (or at all, sheesh!). So nice to have it in the car and not worry in the winter or the rain or the dark where the nearest gas station is and whether I have the change required to pay for air.
Totally agree on the wedding attire!
DeleteFlora, you won one of my giveaway books. Please write to me at edith@edithmaxwell.com!
Mini air compressor - genius!
DeleteHaha! I can't believe there's now a specific thing for dunking Oreos. I learned from my grandpa- just stick a fork through.
ReplyDeleteSee? And I didn't even know that! Brilliant.
DeleteFirst, Jenn, you were such an elegant bride! I wish your nephew and his new wife the happiest of lives together.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear, I'm cleaning up coffee from your cookie dipper remarks. LOL The best way to strip a corn cob is to put it in the hole of a Bundt pan and use a sharp knife. Far too many people don't have such a thing as a sharp knife, and I've been known to give them as wedding and shower gifts. Not sexy, but I still have--and use--the good knife Steve's sister gave us 40 years ago.
Aren't single-purpose gadgets more of an American thing? When I've been in kitchens in other places in the world I've not seen more than the basics displayed.
Last year I ordered a lot of Christmas gifts from one company, and when they arrived the order included a free gift, a set of metal spoon/straws. In their own travel pouch. So if you want to give them to your nephew as a gift, Jenn, let me know and I'll send them on!
Karen, I'm with you; even my own mother didn't have a truly good knife, which drove me batty when I visited. Get newlyweds a sharp knife of German steel and a sharpener; they're expensive but so worth it. And if the marriage doesn't work out... ;-)
DeleteWe didn't have a good set of knives until Hub took over the cooking. Biggest mistake in my culinary life. My goodness, I love his knife set!
DeleteAnd thank you for the kind words - I was such tomboy (always in jeans even as an adult) that my entire family was in collective shock at the sight of me as a bride :)
You're very kind to offer the straws, Karen. Let's see how the kids do in gifts. I expect they'll
Deleteget a lot of interesting items during these sustainability (thank goodness) times.
Jenn, you were a lovely bride.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has very limited counter space, I might go for the collapsible tea kettle. Might. Because I'd probably wind up leaving it out all the time and at that point, you might as well get a regular one, right?
My go-to wedding gift is cash. But yes, luxury sheets and towels are lovely. Good cookbooks. And a high-quality knife set.
Cash is always a good idea.
DeleteI was reading just yesterday about people including cash on their registries. Cash to go toward the down payment for a mortgage. Or to fund their honeymoon.Doesn't sound like a great idea to me but by now I'm probably just an old fogey!
ReplyDeleteFor years I have read the tip to rub your hands with something stainless steel if they smell of garlic or onions. I have found that a large serving spoon works great for that and it can also be used as a, you know, spoon.
Wonderful wedding photo, Jenn!
I've seen that metal bar in Jenn's photo in catalogs for decades. And I always think the same thing about a spoon!
DeleteI went to a wedding this spring where the ONLY "registry" was a request for $$ for a house down-payment fund.
DeleteLOL on the spoon! I just rub my fingers on the faucet and that works fine.
DeleteSo many people don't get married nowadays until they've been on their own for awhile. I know when we got married we were in our 30's, and we didn't need china or crystal, or even cooking gear. I had a hard time trying to come up with a registry.
DeleteLOL - that's exactly what my mom said, "Why wouldn't you just use a spoon?" Which I also didn't know. Doh!
DeleteJudi, yes, I am laughing because I was dating a man years ago. When his friends got married, their registry was quite interesting. One of the items was a cash donation to their Italian honeymoon! I was surprised because I thought they could afford the trip to Italy themselves. it seemed they wanted the luxury option of travel to Italy. Ha ha. I am laughing because when I travelled to Italy with a tour group, it was Budget Travel and it was still Very nice. It was a two week tour of Europe (France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy)
DeleteDiana
Lucy, me, too. Or just the sink.
DeleteRhys: we have one of those kettles. We travel with it to be able to make tea in our hotel room. It’s good but actually not that much smaller than a real kettle.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with registries these days is most couples have lived together and already have what they need
Absolutely. How many crock pots can a person actually use?
DeleteI personally would never use glass straws, and I’ve given up using straws for the most part. That said, I do have a nice set of metal straws that were given to me. They are good but get a little too cold when used for milkshakes. So I have a set of silicone straws which work well and have a larger size which is great for the super thick shakes we get at a local place in the summer.
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten to silicone straws yet, but I do like the paper ones.
DeleteI had the same thought as Rhys, about the collapsible tea kettle, it would be great for travel. The corn stripper could be matched up with the corn-on-the-cob plate and holders.
ReplyDeleteThat would make a nice gift set.
DeleteJenn, you were SUCH a glamorous bride. As a guest, I'm grateful for registries, even though I didn't have one when I got married. It was such a small wedding, the guests all asked my mom what we needed. (The answer was everything.)
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking we should all get a do-over when we're empty nesters, and we have three of everything we need in the kitchen, but it's all at least 20 years old. When do we get our crack at things that were invented after we got married? I'd like digital scales and stemless wine glasses and an air fryer, none of which were around at the end of the eighties.
Let's give our junk away to the kids, who will be grateful with it in their first apartments, and then throw swanky parties to restock. I call dibs on the eighteen-button gloves!
Exactly, Julia. Give it away, toss it, regift it, and then get yourself those stemless wine glasses and that slim digital scale (I LOVE mine).
DeleteAnd the comment in several places above about young people having already set up housekeeping before they marry. Well, unless they are the aforementioned cardiologist, everything in their kitchen came from their parents updating their OWN stuff.
As a new empty nester, I'm in!
DeleteJulia, I love your story! Yes, young couples often love getting items from families. I know that some families will let the young couples pick what they want from their parents? A registry helps me get a good idea of what the newlyweds would like to have. When a friend from University and her husband got married, they were registered at a very high end store and everything was really expensive. Friends and I had a whip around and bought the cheapest thing on the list, which was 60 dollars at that time. The husband's father is a doctor. The friend's father is a prominent attorney. Believe it or not, the young couple (now in their 50s) are very humble and live simply - they go camping, hiking among other fun activities. They are Not like the Hiltons nor whatstheirname.
DeleteThinking about myself. If I ever am blessed to get married, I already have a lot of nice things that I have collected over the years since University days. And I am sure that my future husband will have things too. I do not think we will need a registry.
Diana
Ooh, I love my digital scale!! That's something people won't think they need, but you will use all the time.
DeleteStemless wine glasses, LOVE.
DeleteThis was such a fun and funny post. I was amazed to read of all these gadgets. Don't own a single one! But it might be fun to write a story where someone has all of them.
ReplyDeleteAnd their potential as murder weapons - seriously, underrated research here :)
DeleteHa ha ha!!! Very dangerous, getting lost in Registry-Land. I want that corn stripper. It goes with my cherry pitter which I've actually used often enough (once... but memorably) to make it worth the purchase.
ReplyDeleteI love my cherry pitter!
DeleteJENN: You were a gorgeous bride! Loved your wedding dress and veil.
ReplyDeleteIf I may ask, when one of your sons get married, if the bride wanted to borrow your wedding dress, would you lend it to her? Why was I reminded of Kate Middleton's brother who got married? His bride Alize wore his mother's wedding dress.
Speaking of gadgets, I am different from. my generation. I like old fashioned things. As a child , I remember we had this hand grinder for grinding coffee beans. I an not a fan of the new electric coffee grinder, though. I am still looking for a coffeemaker that grinds coffee beans. Please do NOT suggest ordering from Amazon. I saw something from Sur La Table that looked like a possibility.
The tea kettle that can be plugged in to boil looks like a neat gadget, though I like the old fashioned tea kettle.
Seriously thinking of buying the Kitchen Aid mixer with the bowl.
Looking at photos from the wedding registry, I have never seen any of these!
Diana
Buy the Kitchenaid. They’re the best.
DeleteYou can have mine! I wanted it for so long and now that I finally own one I don't like it at all and I've hardly used it. One thing I don't like, and it could be I am doing it wrong, is adding ingredients to the bowl while it is in place. After I've done the butter and sugar then I like to add the flour directly from my sieve into the bowl and there is no room. Or everything goes all over the place. Additionally, the bowl is glass, which is nice, but very heavy.
DeleteThank you, Diana, very kind of you to say. I like my Kitchen-Aid. It felt like a commitment to buy it, but I'm glad I did.
DeleteDiana, I've also been on a quest (for years) to find a coffeemaker that also grinds beans. They are either around $120 and don't last long (Cuisinart), expensive (JuraPress, about $400), or super expensive (many European brands, starting at $3,000). My coffee freak daughter says the JuraPress is the "gold standard".
DeleteJennifer, thank you for the feedback! Diana
DeleteJudi, thank you for the kind offer. I want the 3.5 qt. size bowl for the Kitchen Aid since they are compact. I am always looking for compact size since I live in a small place. Yes, glass can be very heavy. Perhaps the local public school would appreciate your donation for their Home Economics class?
DeleteDiana
Thank you, Jenn. Now I am leaning towards buying the compact Kitchen Aid and wait on my decision to buy an automatic coffee grinder / coffeemaker. When I was in a hotel recently, I discovered the new Mr. Coffeemaker and it was really compact and easy to use. However, they use coffee pods ? pads?
DeleteDiana
Karen in Ohio, thank you! Jura is new to me. I have been hearing about Mocchit ? and a few other brands. It seems to me that Europe has great coffeemakers from my visits to Europe.
DeleteDiana
Judi, you should be able to buy a stainless bowl for your Kitchenaid.
DeleteOh Debs, it came with a stainless bowl, that had not been properly cleaned at the factory and even though I scrubbed it and put it through the dishwasher, my granddaughter's cake that I was making for her birthday, the last portion of the batter was all gray and streaky! My son insisted I throw the cake batter out. Then he scrubbed the bowl with comet. The company generously sent me the glass bowl because I refused to use the other one even after it was finally clean.
DeleteTo Diana that might just be a perfect idea, especially since I am a former home economics teacher myself. I'll have to have my granddaughter look into that - she's in college now, studying to be a home economics teacher herself, even though it is now called something different.
DeleteMost school systems do not have any kind of home economics programs any longer. The emphasis is on academics. I hope your granddaughter has a backup credential choice or her employment opportunities are very limited!
DeleteI was invited to and attended 3 weddings this past summer. All the brides and grooms were on the more mature side (30s through 50s). Only 2 had registeries. One couple (new home owners) wanted $ toward home improvements, the other (very busy people) wanted $ for a real getaway honeymoon abroad. I thought these were very sensible requests. The other couple requested a copy of my latest book, which they will get if the paper shortage ever eases up.
ReplyDeleteI love that they asked for your book :)
DeleteMy kitchen buying is limited to baking tools that I actually use. My KitchenAid is my best friend.
ReplyDeleteI do like to use a straw so we have acrylic & silicone ones that can be scrubbed & used forever. I bought a pack of biodegradable starch-based straws for when someone needs a disposable one. A couple of the local restaurants use these also.
My gripe about registering is when do the single people get their turn? It seems unlikely at this point that my Prince Charming will ever show up so when am I allowed to ask everyone I know for whatever I want? Seems very unfair.😜
LOL! I like the way you think, Jennifer.
DeleteJennifer, I bought my first home as a single--my coworkers threw me a shower and provided kitchen essentials. They were a great crew!
DeleteBeen a long time since I've been to a wedding - but my hubs would love a cornstripper!
ReplyDeleteWedding gift trends are so generational - my generation were cheese boards and silver plated butter dishes - seriously! Jenn, you still look exactly the same! Well done.
Aw, you're very kind! I'm with your hubs on the corn stripper.
DeleteI could be tempted to buy every gadget on the market! But my tiny kitchen doesn’t have much room for storage. My favorite kitchen tool is, believe it or not, my garlic press. I love using it.
ReplyDeleteRecently I needed to scrub some vegetables and I seemed to have misplaced my small scrubber. As I thought about it I remembered that I have a really decent one with a long handle. I think I bought it at a Pampered Chef party eons ago. I rummaged through drawers until I found it. I felt like I won the lottery!
DebRo
I love my garlic press, too, and my lime squeezer. Also my vegetable scrubber that looks like half a potato and stands on its little feet. If you drop in a bowl of potatoes soaking in water, you can lose it!
DeleteEdith, the vegetable scrubber that I couldn’t find is the one shaped like half a potato. I suspect I may have thrown it out, thinking that it was potato scraps!
DeleteDebRo
I need to get the Hub a garlic press.
DeleteRegarding Julia's regifting comment above, I did that this year for my best friend's son and his new bride. They are in their late 30s, and honestly didn't need anything. However, they have a new home, in a new town, and have made new friends, plus their friends from NYC visit often. Lots of entertaining. He's a sports fisherman and hunter like his dad, so I gathered up some collectible glassware we have had in the family for more than 50 years, cleaned it all up, and put it in some cool storage cubes. They loved them, and right away started sending me photos of the glassware in use.
ReplyDeleteKaren, I love that you received photos showing the glassware in use--the best 'thank-you'!
DeleteKaren in Ohio, I agree with Flora that was the best thank you - photos of glassware in use. That was a very thoughtful gift.
DeleteDiana
I meant to add that the glassware depicts game birds and sports fish--two sets of highball glasses. Very mid-century modern, which fits nicely into their style.
DeleteBrilliant and meaningful!
DeleteToo funny, Susan!
ReplyDeleteJenn, Thank you! I can't stop laughing. We are past the nephews and nieces weddings and not yet at the next generation but it will be something to look forward to.
ReplyDelete:) Brace yourself!
DeleteJenn, you and Hubs were absolutely adorable!! And you were so elegant!! I think my go-to wedding gift is a rotary parmesan grater. Everyone should have one, and I think we've used our nearly everyday for at least twenty years. If I want to spend big bucks, I'll go with a good knife.
ReplyDeleteOne of our favorite wedding gifts came from a friend of my in-laws, a set of very good steak knives. I've used them so many times, and always think of her fondly when we do.
DeleteAnother buy item for the Hub. Fresh parm is seriously undervalued.
DeleteWe were invited to my husband's niece's son's wedding a couple of years ago. He went. I skipped. I am amazed at all the stuff that lands on registries. We had one only because my mother-in-law to be insisted on it. Stoneware, stainless, and crystal were all that we listed. Their social and business acquaintances accounted for all the silver trays etc. we got (that we didn't ask for). I was a fly on the wall for a conversation between m-i-l and some of her buddies about wedding gifts. They had "signature" gifts for couples they didn't know well. One was pretty acrylic trays with designs lacquered in--we got one with a roadrunner. The other always gave silver candle snuffers. Groan. Glad she wasn't on the announcement list.
ReplyDeletePeople are so funny about weddings and gifts. My aunt gave me this huge lamp -- for my tiny house. I suspect it was a regift. LOL.
DeleteAgree!
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!
ReplyDeleteSO BEHIND!! I adore this post, hilarious, and there are so many little gadgets. I am telling you--I do want that little metal thing, although our sink works just as well. When I want it for salad, I strip corn with a knife, and this looks safer. I NEED A PESTO MAKING BLENDER, nothing works. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteAnd my favorite favorite favorite thing is a sous vide, um, thing.. Utterly life-changing. Truly.
ANd Jenn, you are so poetically gorgeous. xxx
Hank, get a mini-food processor for Pesto. I just wore out mine (literally - button labels were worn off, it struggled to grind, and then the plastic lid broke) after seventeen years. I tossed it and ordered a new (red!) one: Cuisinart 3 cup. Perfect for a couple handfuls of basil, a cup of olive oil, some pine nuts, some salt, and a lot of garlic. You can also chop nuts in it and make small smoothies. It grinds in one direction and chops in the other. I often go back and forth. FABULOUS.
DeleteCuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 3-Cup Food Chopper, Metallic Red
THANK YOU! xxx Off to get that right now! SO thoughtful of you!
Delete