You know how that is when you come across something that you didn’t even know existed and then, when you come in contact with it, you realize you always needed it? I find a lot of those sorts of items at Estate Sales. Often, my cart at Target and Trader Joe’s end up with much more than was on my original list. Things just turn up sometimes and want to come home with you.

Well this ultra sleek pan scraper is just one of those didn’t-know-I-needed-it items that came into my life and has now found a regular place there. I was given the modern tool, which came from this kitchen supply website and learned that it was originally designed by Martin Puryear, a well known sculptor, for the MOMA store.

“A pan scraper?” I thought. What could that really do? Well, the sharp but not too sharp white plastic blade could swivel as you push it around to remove all the crunchy left over bits from searing meat. Or, it could easily lift up the residue of a cornbread cake from a glass baking dish. Or, it could put all the other black, ordinary utensils in your drawer to shame.

Yes, this pan scraper just breezed into my kitchen utensil collection and has quickly become the big man on campus.