I don't think I have many "gadgets" ... but this one should qualify! I wrote this e-mail to a friend just a short while back:

"Got to tell you about one of the BEST purchases Larry has made (for me, anyway!) It's a water-powered hose reel that we bought at Home Depot...we were going to buy a storage hand-crank one at Menards & then this guy saw us looking & stopped & told us about one he had got his wife that wound up by itself...and how remarkably it worked! He said if you don't mind spending more money.... so we went & looked & bought it ... and I am just amazed!!! It winds up to 125' by itself & I have the drain hose going into the corner barrel pond. Since the bushes are so small now, I needed something for the hose (to hide it) ... here's a link, brand is Suncast...so if Dick needs to buy you a gift (and I know he complains about the hose left out), this is it!"
http://www.newgardengear.com/waterPoweredGardenHoseReels.php

ANYWAY, GJers, this is one of the BEST gadgets I've had in quite awhile & so far is working very, very good! This is NOT a sales pitch...just sharing a great gadget! My latest project has been tearing out overgrown bushes on south end of house & I replaced them with ones that will grow only up to 3' (and they are very small right now)... then mulched the heck of 'em...it's a WIP ... Jeanne S.

I guess I'm the odd ball out 'cause I don't like gadgets. They never work as easy & clever as they were demonstrated, or, I just don't have the coordination for them!
Vickie

Im not much on kitchen gadgets.I didnt have a microwave til about 6 months ago. I do not like storing things I dont use often because I usually forget how to use them or put them together(such as my Jack Lalanne Juicer LOL)
I do like tool gadgets tho and am a sucker for those and hubby always gets mad that I fall for the 16 tools in one gig.

I'm not a real gadget junkie either. I rarely buy things like that. I have a few that I have recieved as gifts that are now collecting dust though...a snow cone machine, a waffle maker, food dehydrator...

I love my 'no sharp edges' hand can opener.
I use the lids to paint snowman or Santa faces,
I can use the cans for pencil holders (VBS), and
I opened the pulltop cans with it and put money
inside for Christmas gifts one year. The kids got
cat food, vienna sausage, fruit, pork'n beans, and
anything else I could find. You should have seen
their faces when they got an 'unopened' can of food
for Christmas. We told them money was short,
and we couldn't afford anything else!
Lids glued back on with E6000. They had to pull
the tab to open them.

nonacook, I love your idea! lol! And I love those can openers too. I'm not much of a gadget person either. I love going to the state fair and watching the experts use them though! It does make it hard not to buy one. I tend to ruin most gadgets I buy because they don't work right (throw it across the room) or I break/burn them while using. I do have to restrain my Bob from buying all kinds of stupid gadgets. He did by an Eggstractor to find out it didn't work worth a crap. At least he bought it at a thrift store though. When we go to thrift stores, I'm always yelling at him to put stuff like that back.

I have spent my share of money on gadgets. Remember the crank handle apple peeler? Could never get that to work. Used a juicer for a while and got tired of washing 50 parts and pieces everytime I used it. I do use my George Forman Grill (a freecycle item). There is a sandwich making griller (looks like a waffle maker kindof) that I used for years when the kids were home and Son took it when he moved to his own apartment. It pressed the sandwich and trimmed off the edges and cut it down the middle. Cheese sandwiches worked great in this. You ended up with two triangle cheese pockets sealed on all sides. I have been using the same Ginzu knives to slice tomatoes for the past 20 years. I use a plastic lettuce knife but I think my lettuce turns brown anyway. I'm thinking of buying those green veggie storage bags but it is hard to make myself spend that much for plastic bags. I wore out several marguerita, ah,,,,,, blenders when I was in my 20's. I use a food processor when I cook for a crowd. Coffee bean grinder now chops nuts quickly during the Holiday cooking season.

OMG- Another Vice!!!!! I am a sucker for gadgets too.