Food trends are funny things. What’s old is new again and what was once “poor” food is now hot and trendy–pork belly anyone? Skirt Steak? How about fried hominy? Not saying that those things aren’t great. I LOVE me some pork belly, skirt steak and fried hominy (if you haven’t had this, think corn nuts).

But yesterday I read a CBS news story on the Top 5 Kitchen Trends. While I’m on board with the colorful cookware they feature (they show Ingrid Hoffman’s fun T-fal cookware), a few photos down is the popcorn maker they gush about: Popcorn makers, including this one from West Bend, were very popular at the show. The dome of this particular model detaches and turns into a bowl. 

I have owned that Westbend popcorn maker for at least 7 years. And I bought it because a popcorn loving friend showed me her well-used maker way back when. Not new.

The very next image is of a microwave with a coffee maker. Ditto–when we remodeled the kitchen in Kentucky 8 years ago, I coveted a multifunction stove/cooktop…

Not to say I don’t like some of the items mentioned in the story. Wilton Ametale has cookware that does double duty as serveware..They say it can go straight from the stove to the table. I like that (especially since I never have enough serving bowls)..

I also like the Cubodira, the dish rack that collapses into a cutting board. Again, double duty.  Works for me.

The rest seemed like not-needed stuff to me. I don’t need more STUFF. I need less of it. I need workhorses in the kitchen.

You want trends? Make something real. Like this kettle corn (sweet and salty)…and I don’t even use my Westbend popcorn maker–a pot, popcorn (you know, the kernels–not the stuff that goes into the microwave), sugar and oil.