Greatest invention ever!

[Selkie]

not really a gadget...

birth control pills

In the words of Meatloaf, "you took the words right out of my mouth!"

[ClockworkOrange]

Glue, I love repairing things and have a good selection.........bit of a tacky comment.

Clock

[Becky]

not really a gadget...

Birth control pills

+1!

[bambu101]

the sewing machine

[skhill]

all sorts of kitchen appliances-- the fridge and electric or gas stove (who wants to mess with iceboxes and open fires?). And especially the programmable coffee maker.

Bike helmets, that's a great one

Public transportation

[Zen]

And especially the programmable coffee maker.

That has to be one of the most unnecessary gadgets.

Coffee filter +tea strainer + boiling water= coffee

[7rider]

That has to be one of the most unnecessary gadgets.

I disagree.
The rice steamer doesn't do anything that a pot of boiling water can't do.

[Veronica]

Unneccessary to some... indispensible to others. I like having my coffee ready when I get up at 4 AM.

My niece would argue that birth control pills are unneccessary.

Veronica

[alimey]

The humble screw. Elegant design & soooo useful. Also where would our bikes be without them?

[Pedal Wench]

... Also where would our bikes be without them?

Where would our bikes be? In a pile of assorted bits and pieces on the side of the road...

[indigoiis]

Indoor plumbing.

[zoom-zoom]

Hmmm...if we are talking kitchen appliances I'd have to say the simple toaster oven. When we first bought our house we had to order appliances and we had a week or two without a stove/oven. We survived with an electric frying pan, a 2 burner electric cooktop, a toaster oven, and the crock pot. The toaster oven is still the countertop appliance that we use BY FAR the most. It's handy for baking or reheating small quantities and not heating up the entire house.

[Becky]

The toaster oven is still the countertop appliance that we use BY FAR the most. It's handy for baking or reheating small quantities and not heating up the entire house.

Definitely one of my favorites, although the coffeemaker is right up there too. I have a picture somewhere of our toaster oven set up in the garage, baking a casserole on a humid, 90+ degree day

[kermit]

I have a 4 am wake up, and there's nothing better than taking a cup of joe to work with me. I got another one, the bungee cord! There's nothing that can't be fixed with a bungee wrapped around it.

[arielmoon]

velcro

also the internet