TIME-saving gadgets are becoming more and more inventive.

However, I've little time for all the fancy paraphernalia. It takes as long to wash them up as it does to do the work by hand in the first place.

In a recent home-shopping catalogue, I spotted some new-fangled appliances I've not seen before.

There was a cast-iron bacon crisper like a flat iron to squash the rashers to the heat. Surely a spatula and bit of pressure would do just as well.

There's a Julienne cutter for turning veg into strips, when all that's needed is a sharp knife and a bit of patience.

Then comes a butter curl maker and a professional blow torch for caramelising sugar, searing meat and skinning potatoes, described as magic, in the hands of a serious cook. I'm good at burning things without one of those.

I have enough time-wasting devices cluttering up my cupboards and never use them. They include a deep-fat fryer, toaster, coffee perc, vegetable chopper, food processor, etc, etc.

They're all just wasting space.

The only thing that attracted me was a pineapple corer which, for £4.50, peels, cores and slices a fruit in one easy movement.

Now I just might be able to find a little corner for one of those.