The Weird Kitchen Tool I Bring to a Vacation Rental

Rachel Cericola
Rachel Cericola
Rachel Cericola will never be a real New Englander because she can't stand the sight of clam chowder. She spends her days (and nights) covering home, technology, and entertainment trends, as well as trying to update her website.
published Jul 14, 2016
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This is the time of year when we all love to get away — from work, from school, from paying the electric bill. We don’t really care where we go, as long as we’re away. And if you’re escaping the heat en famille — whatever family may mean to you — a rental house can’t be beat. It allows you to sprawl out, have personal space, and not have to endure a 30-minute wait for the bathroom. It’s great for making big family-style meals, a chance to gather after being scattered throughout the day.

And it provides all the comforts of home — well, most of them. I always bring this trusty, slightly bizarre kitchen tool with me to make my vacation rental feel more like home. Can you guess what it is?

(Image credit: RSVP International)

Did you guess onion goggles? I didn’t think so. But they’re now a crucial item on my packing list.

OK, onion goggles are kind of silly … I get that. It’s a weird thing to have in my vacation bag, let alone my kitchen drawer. However, they really work. I’ve tried bread, water, and candles. I’m working on chopping faster, but my body always seems up for a good cry — until, that is, I tried onion goggles.

My husband got me these years ago from Sur la Table. (They still have them, but Amazon has them for a little cheaper.) He was sick of consistently watching me blubber into my meal prep! But what started out as a bit of a gag gift became a kitchen favorite and travel companion.

These geeky goggles shield your eyes from the sting. Just slip them on and suddenly, you become a culinary superhero.

I use the goggles when chopping and cooking onions, shallots, scallions, and leaks, which I do a lot, at home and on vacation. They also work well when standing at the barbecue — having smoke pour into your face is no picnic, either. They’re even fog-proof, and these days, they come in all sorts of fashionable colors.

Of course, you can wear swim goggles or construction goggles instead, if you have them handy. Just know that whatever you wear, you’re going to look goofy. But it’s nothing worth crying over.

Have you tried onion goggles? What’s the weirdest thing you pack when you go on vacation?

Filed in:
Kitchen Tools
Product Review
Rental Kitchen
Travel