18 Kitchen Items Found That Even the Most Skilled Chefs Might Not Know How to Use

Since the invention of the wheel, human creativity has never ceased to amaze us. But sometimes it goes too far, and we’re faced with objects that are difficult to understand and discover their purpose. And if these things are found in the kitchen, we’ll at least have a clue, but, at the same time, we may feel more lost than an onion in a fruit salad.

At Bright Side, we don’t like to be left in doubt. Luckily, these mystery hunters in the kitchen turned to the Internet to take away the uncertainty of what they had in their hands.

1. “Found this in a kitchen utensil box at a thrift store. Any idea what this oddly beautiful object is for?”

Answer: It’s for grilling on a BBQ or fire. The food goes inside and can then be turned easily by flipping the whole thing over.

2. “Heavy, metal, found in a collection of old kitchen things, help me out on the larger piece.”

Answer: It’s a nutcracker. You crack the walnuts or pecans with the V-shaped part and use the picks to get the nuts out of the shell.

3. “Found this in the kitchen. They appear to be some kind of hooks, no idea what for though.”

Answer: We have one for our breadmakers to pull out the handle when it’s hot.

4. “What is this insert that is the exact size of the bottom of my kitchen sink with a cutout that appears to be for the faucet?”

Answer: It’s probably just the part of the countertop that they cut out when they installed the sink. They probably kept it so that you could take it to the store for color matching if you go to add a backsplash or something.

5. “A wiggly little spoon with a hole in the bottom — I think it’s some sort of kitchen supply, but I have no idea what it is.”

Answer: It is, in fact, a melon baller.

6. “Strange tool found in our Airbnb kitchen — pressing buttons on the sides ’opens’ it. What is this used for?”

Answer: It’s a detachable handle for a Tefal oven-proof range of kitchen pans.

7. “3 sizes of flat metal pieces with punched hooks on one side, probably stainless steel. Found in a kitchen drawer.”

Answer: They are turkey plates. You stuff your turkey, then put the plate in at the opening. The cutouts are to catch the skin, which holds the plate in place. My mother got a set for her wedding in 1957, and we used them every Thanksgiving.

8. “What is this tool that came in my assorted kitchen bundle?”

Answer: fish scale remover

9. “A black and red rubber/plastic thing found in my kitchen drawer”

Answer: It’s a water filter filling primer disc.

10. “This has a wooden handle and a metal top with 5 sharp pointy tips and is about 8 1/2 inches long. What is it?”

Answer: It can also be used as an ice pick for big blocks of ice that went into an icebox before refrigeration was common. I think that was the primary purpose.

11. “This metal object looks like it could attach to a table to hold things. Found in a 90-year-old New England relative’s silverware collection.”

Answer: It hooks onto the edge of a serving bowl and a smaller bowl goes into the top for a dip. Here’s an example.

12. “This was found in a kitchen, it has a wooden handle and a heavy metal end with no markings, it’s about 6 inches long.”

Answer: a hammer crown capper

13. “Found in my grandmother’s silverware drawer — any idea what it is?”

Answer: It’s an antique cheese scoop by the looks of it.

14. “A metal bar cage that opens and closes, found in the kitchen during Thanksgiving. No idea what it is.”

Answer: It’s a stuffing cage.

15. “Found in the kitchen. The 2 pieces can be separated.”

Answer: Ice crusher

16. “An old metal bar (over 100 years old) — this was previously stored in a kitchen drawer (possible hint to purpose).”

Answer: pestle

17. “The turquoise part spins and that opens and closes the metal triangles. Some Japanese writing I think in symbol.”

Answer: Direct translation is “flower type egg cut.”

18. “What is this small (4.5-inch) solid plastic tool I found in our old family cottage’s kitchen drawer?”

Answer: It’s a pumpkin carving scoop. The indent is for a kid’s thumb.

Have you ever owned something that led you to ask people online what it was meant to be used for? Share pictures of those mysterious objects if you have any.