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12 Gadgets Every Kitchen Should Have

Here are our picks for the gadgets you need to make cooking much easier.

By Meaghan Cameron
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1. Slow cooker

They’re perfect for making bean-based soups and stews high in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Slow cookers are also ideal for simmering lean cuts of meat, which are healthier due to their low fat content, but also tougher for the same reason.

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2. Kitchen scissors

Cut herbs, a whole raw chicken and meat. You can even cut pizza into perfect slices. (Yes, pizza!)

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DKB Household USA
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3. Salad spinner

A quick whirl in one of these will dry your greens, which will help dressing cling to the leaves and give you better flavor with less fat.

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4. Soda maker

This gadget lets you create healthy sodas (yes, there is such a thing) and flavored seltzers. Sodastream has easy-to-use models and sells flavoring to customize your own brew. We like a little fresh lime juice or a tablespoon or two of frozen berries for a low-calorie option.

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5. Easy chopper

While a food processor is a must for big jobs, it can be a pain to clean. Quickly chop onions in uniform pieces and save the tears for a good romantic flick, with fresh salsa and chips on the side. A Facebook reader recommends the Zyliss chopper.

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6. Mandoline

For picture perfect veggies, this guillotine-looking gadget is a must. Make your own veggie chips and slice perfect matchstick vegetables, also known as "julienne." Just be sure to use the hand guard with each use. Watch this video on why the OXO mandoline is a good option.

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7. Immersion blender

Bring this to your stovetop and puree mashed potatoes, soups and more. Then just rinse the blender in the sink. Try the Cuisinart hand blender for an affordable price and good performance.

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8. Garlic press

Garlic is messy and despite the many hand-cleaning remedies, the stink remains. A garlic press will save your hands and flavor only your food.

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9. Grill/Panini press

Whether it's the ubiquitous George Foreman or the Breville, a countertop grill and panini press will change the way you cook. Use it for chicken, burgers and steaks as well as crisp sandwiches and grilled veggies.

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10. Parchment paper

It's not really a gadget, but use parchment paper under cookies and brownies and you’ll never have to clean stuck-on burnt messes anymore. Another great use: bake fish inside little packets for a no-mess quick weeknight meal.

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11. Vegetable peeler

Beside the obvious carrots, vegetable peeler are great for getting thin slices of cheese and those picture perfect curls of chocolate you see in magazines. Plus, read up on how to do more with you vegetable peeler.

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12. Bamboo steamer

Try this as an alternative to the traditional metal variety. 'Unlike the metal variety, bamboo absorbs condensation—which means the vegetables stay firm. This steamer’s several tiers fit on top of each other; each one can make a rustic yet elegant serving dish, too,' Dietitian Sari Greaves told Best You.

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Your Comments

  • Jokenforster

    I have been married or almost 60 years.  I have a vegetable peeler, parchmentpaper,  a garlic  press, kitchen shears.  I would add to yourlist a cast iron skillet, a waffle iron, and a cheese slicer.
    Some ofyour other suggestions are luxuries, not necessities.

  • Peltier1968

    my george foreman grill and my dutch oven needs to be added to your list

  • elfarny

    really, ?  A soda machine? Maybe we don’t NEED soda.

  • Old cook with classic cookware

    I agree with Jokenforster on this.  If I was young, and startng a new kitchen, I would go to an antiques store (because they are already seasoned) and buy one or a couple cast iron skillets in a variety of sizes (I have 5)-they cook better, with less sticking, and can go from the stove to the oven.  The next thing I would get is a large, 5 or 6 quart enamel coated dutch oven.  Lot’s of stores sell these now for $40.00 or less, and you can also get smaller ones.  These also go from stove to oven, and you can cook soups, stews, chickens, roasts, and just about anything else in them. I learned along time ago to go with pratical, versatile items.  I found the non-stick coating didn’t stick so well after a few years, and the non-stick set (which I couldn’t use in the oven), that cost me almost $200, was worthless after a couple of years. My cast iron skillet has lasted me 18 years, and does not stick!

    • 63Bren

      Definately a thumbs up on the cast iron skillets.  And mine has an additional function, it reminds me of my Grandma, who bought it the year my dad was born (1938) and passed it on down to me.  Cast iron is so versatile.

  • bcbarb

    Are you serious … a soda maker!!  I’d think a juicer would be a much healthier and more practical choice.

  • Sylvia

    I really enjoy my slow cooker.

  • Rdavis013

    I haven’t got a Soda maker, and personally, don’t believe I want one. I do, however, have an electric pressure cooker, which I use almost daily.  I do have several “gadgets” which I use only periodically and have stored on shelves in my basement.  Just because I don’t use these items daily doesn’t mean I need to rid myself of them. 

    rdavis013

  • Anonymous

    I’ve been cooking for over 40 years and dont use most of these ‘gadgets’.  I do have a peeler even though most vegetables I wash thoroughly and leave the skin attached.  I have a slow cooker I very seldom use, maybe once every 3 years.  An immersion mixer?  I dont think so.  A bamboo steamer? How sanitary is that?  Unless you you use it daily.  The mandolin is one I often think about purchasing, though keeping your knives sharp suffices.  A soda maker?  Why not a deep fryer and lard container next to the stove too.
      I am a vegetarian and find handling the food during preparation therapeutic.  Dropping a carrot into some machine that buzzes, hums or grinds doesnt do it for me.  

  • Nora

    My daughter bought me an electric potato/apple peeler, and I wouldn’t be without one now.

  • bitsy

    why so many pasta recipes?   there’s very little nutrition in pasta.   when we delete the pasta your recipes are tasteeeee and nutritious., the kids love it!

  • Anonymous

    When you look through a few Slowcooker Cookbooks and see all the great, easy recipes possible, you’ll definitely want to get a Slowcooker!!