Kitchen Gadgets Can Spice Up Your Cooking And Make The Process More Efficient (2024)

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The Vitamix E310 is our top blender pick because it's versatile, durable, and easy to clean. Programmed with 10 variable speeds, a pulse function, and durable stainless steel blades, this blender can shred leafy greens, purée soups, crush up tough ingredients for smoothies, and much more. The blades also generate high enough speeds to create friction heat that will warm up your cold ingredients in six minutes.

It has a 48-ounce container that's great for making batches for small family dinners or meal prep. The container is also designed to fold the ingredients you're blending back toward the blades. To clean, you simply drop in some dish soap and water and put on the blender's highest speed.

Like all other Vitamix blenders, this blender is backed by a full warranty that allows you to get your blender serviced or repaired should anything go wrong. Although it is rather pricey, reviewers note that it's built to last and well worth the investment.

Key specs:

_{Size: 48-ounce container | Watts: 1400 | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

More affordable but still powerful, the Nutri Ninja Pro Blender is an excellent option for shoppers on a budget or for those with less countertop or storage space. This blender comes with two BPA-free, dishwasher-safe cups for blending and sipping on the go—an 18-ounce cup and a 24-ounce cup.

A smart choice for consumers that live alone or with one other person, this machine makes morning smoothiesor juiceseasier than ever. The 1,000-watt motor has the power to crush through whole fruits, vegetables, and ice in seconds. In addition to smoothies and juices, shoppers can make delicious nut milk, sauces, dips, and even dough.

Key specs:

_{Size: 18- and 24-ounce cups | Watts: 1000 | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

Instant Pots are taking over kitchens around the country—and for good reason. These multi-function electric pressure cookers make cooking a variety of dishes fast and easy, and they are a great pick for novice and experienced cooks. The Instant Pot Duo multi-cooker combines seven appliances in one: a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, saute pan, yogurt maker, and warmer. Shoppers can choose from 3-, 6-, and 8-quart options, depending on household size and storage space.

For some, an electric pressure cooker might seem intimidating, but the 10-plus built-in safety features—including overheat protection, safety lock, and more—ensure safe pressure cooking. Cleanup is easy as the stainless steel inner pot, lid, sealing ring, and steam rack are all dishwasher safe. Customers can make chilis, stews, soups, oatmeals, and yogurt and even cook whole chicken with ease and efficiency.

Key specs:

_{Size: 3-, 6-, and 8-quart options | Watts: 1000 | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

Unless you have the knife skills of a top chef, chances are chopping vegetables can be a drag or intimidating. The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor makes food prep easy. Customers can use this gadget to chop herbs, grind hard cheese, emulsify salad dressing, puree baby food, and process vegetables for the base of a soup, or create tasty salsas and dips in a dishwasher-safe, 24-ounce work bowl.

The mini-processor takes up minimum counter space and stores neatly on the countertop or in a cabinet. Love almond butter but hate the high price tags? One of our favorite things to use a food processor for is fresh, deliciousnut butterat a fraction of the price.

Key specs:

_{Size: 3 cups | Watts: 250 | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

Buying bunches of fresh lettuce and greens at the supermarket or farmer’s market is more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than buying pre-washed greens, but washing and drying them on your own can be a drag. Enter the OXO Salad Spinner, a must-have forsalad loversand for those who are looking to boost their homemade salad skills.

Dry salad greens with a simple press of the soft, non-slip knob. The non-slip base keeps the bowl steady on the countertop, and the updated built-in brake button stops the salad spinner from unloading. Great for those with minimal storage space, the basket doubles as a colander and the bowl can be used for serving and storage. All parts are top-rack dishwasher safe and BPA-free.

Key specs:

_{Size: 6.22 quarts | Watts: N/A | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

There are several reasons why someone might want to make their own salad dressing. Store-bought salad dressings and sauces can sometimes contain ingredients that you don’t care for or that you’d like to have control over. Or, they might skip ingredients that you really love and want in your dressing. Thanks to the OXO Salad Dressing Shaker, you may never spend money on a pre-made dressing again. Customers can add a range of ingredients, like oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, onions, and spices.

Cup, milliliter, and ounce markings are printed on the sides for the easy measurement of ingredients, regardless of whether you are a beginner following a recipe or a pro writing down your own recipe for others to follow.

Once ingredients are added, the top screws tight, and all you have to do is shake to quickly mix dressings with no spills. The shaker is ideal for serving, and it can then be used to store leftover dressing and sauce in the fridge. Made from Triton, the shaker is dishwasher safe, highly durable, BPA-free, and holds up to 1.5 cups of dressing.

Key specs:

_{Size: 355 mL (1.5 cups) | Watts: N/A | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

An air fryer, toaster, and convection oven all in one? Sign us up! This product is a bit large and on the pricier side, but it covers so many bases for every level of home chef and simplifies recreating your favorite restaurant meals.

When using the toaster oven feature, this appliance is big enough to toast six slices of bread or a 12-inch pizza! Air frying, which uses powerful ultra-hot air, allows you to prepare delicious fried favorites—from wings to fritters to fries to shrimp—at home using less oil. And since toaster ovens stay on the countertop, this fryer doesn’t have to move back and forth from cupboard to counter.

Key specs:

_{Size: 0.6 cubic feet | Watts: 1800 | Dishwasher safe: No}

The possibilities are endless when you have a quality, non-stick fry pan in your kitchen. GreenPan makes affordable, non-toxic cookware using a ceramic non-stick coating called Thermolon, which does not require the use of toxic chemicals like PFOA or PFAS during the production process.

The Thermolon ceramic non-stick surface allows customers to use less oil or butter while still achieving excellent cooking results. Food releases quickly and easily—plus, cleanup is a breeze. Oven and broiler safe up to 600 degrees, you canwhip up tasty shakshukaand perfectly cooked meats.

Key specs:

_{Size: 5 Quarts | Watts: N/A | Dishwasher safe: No}

You know those times when you use half of an onion for a salad or recipe and then have to save it, which usually means discarding single-use products like tinfoil or plastic wrap? Food Huggers make this type of waste and hassle obsolete. Each set of Food Huggers comes with five “lids” that fit right over fruitor veggiesand ensures an air-tight seal to keep foods fresh while eliminating unnecessary waste.

These genius products are BPA- and plastic-free, as well as dishwasher safe.

Key specs:

_{Size: 3.5-10.5 cm | Watts: N/A | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

Food storage is a must-have in any kitchen, and green, sustainable storage options like this one are all the rage (for good reason). If establishing a green kitchen is new for you, investing in Stasher bags is a great place to start. Stasher bags are made from platinum silicone, which does not degrade over time. From the freezer to the microwave to the oven and dishwasher, the Stasher bags are made to last, each one keeping thousands of single-use plastics out of our oceans and landfills.

These bags are completely free of BPA, BPS, lead, latex, and phthalates and come in a variety of sizes, from half-gallon to snack size. Use the bags to freeze and store washed fruits and vegetables forhealthy snack timeanytime and on the go.

Key specs:

_{Size: 28 fluid ounces | Watts: N/A | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

You do not need to be a professional chef in order to benefit from a chef’s knife. A modern chef's knife is a multi-purpose knife designed to perform well at many differing kitchen tasks rather than excelling at any one in particular. It can be used for mincing, slicing, and chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and disjointing large cuts. This one is an affordable, highly rated knife that cuts with ease and efficiency.

Unlike many other knives, this item is technically dishwasher safe. However, remember that placing knives in the dishwasher may cause them to lose their sharpness quicker.

Key specs:

_{Size: 8 inch blade | Watts: N/A | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

Zesters might just be one of the most underrated kitchen gadgets. These small but mighty tools are excellent for breathing life into leftovers, brightening basic recipes, or adding oomph to your favorite weeknight meals.

Use the zester grater for lemons, limes, Parmesan, ginger, coconut, orange, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, and more. Rinse the zester under running water to clean immediately, or pop it in the dishwasher for a deeper clean.

Key specs:

_{Size: 12.7 inches | Watts: N/A | Dishwasher safe: No}

The Cosori 5-quart air fryer is a bestseller, as it comes with a big enough basket to cook for one to four people and isn't as loud as other air fryers. It has nine built-in cooking functions and even includes a shake reminder. Air frying lets you cook crispy foods without the added oil and difficulty of frying at home. You can use 85% less oil and cut down on cook time by 20%!

Cleaning up is easy as the nonstick basket is dishwasher safe, so you'll be saving on cooking time as well as cleaning time. Plus, the sleek design makes this an appliance you'll want to highlight on your kitchen counter.

Key specs:

_{Size: 5 quarts | Watts: 1500 | Dishwasher safe: Yes}

A food scale can be a convenient way to get precise measurements and the Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale does the job right. The stainless steel finish makes it convenient to clean while adding a nice touch to your kitchen decor.

Depending what you are weighing out, you have the option to pick between pounds, ounces, fluid ounces, grams and milliliters. If you're cooking or baking a recipe with specific amounts, measuring food out with measuring cups doesn't always give you the exact amounts. This is where a food scale comes in handy!

Key specs:

_{Size: 7.3"L x 5.7"W x 0.6"H| Watts: n/a | Dishwasher safe: No}

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the best way to organize and store my kitchen gadgets?

  Kitchen gadgets are best stored in a cool, dry place in your kitchen. This may mean in your cabinets, storage closets, or on your kitchen counter, away from heat or wet surfaces. Try placing smaller gadgets like graters, zesters, and can openers in drawers, while bigger items like blenders, food processors, and stand mixers can live in your cabinets or on your kitchen counter.

• When is the best time to buy small kitchen appliances?

  The holiday time, around November and December, is a good time to shop for small kitchen appliances.This is a great time to check for deals.

• How should you clean kitchen gadgets?

  It is important to read the instructions on your kitchen gadget to determine if it is dishwasher safe. For anything that can go in the dishwasher, clean off extra bits of food and place it in the dishwasher for the easiest cleaning method. For gadgets that are not dishwasher safe, hand-wash them with soap and water.

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