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Ok. So you won’t find any robots in this guide. Even so, these kitchen tools and gadgets are sure to make your life in the kitchen easier and less stressful. But how do you know? In this post I’ll show you some innovative kitchen products and help you to decide if any of them are right for you!
This blog post contains affiliate links.This means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
How Do I Know if a Kitchen Product is Right for Me?
Let’s be honest. We all love to buy new stuff. But how many times have you spent your hard-earned money on something that just sat around gathering dust? Maybe you bought something on impulse and then regretted it later. And you definitely shouldn’t buy something just because I say so. Just because a product is right for me doesn’t mean it will be right for you. Before pulling the trigger on any new purchase, it can be helpful to ask yourself a couple of questions.
What Will I Actually Use This Product For?
This is an especially important question to ask when we are talking about kitchen gadgets that might make our lives easier but that might not be absolutely essential purchases. Ask yourself, If I buy this product, what will I actually use it for? Is this a product that will accomplish many different kitchen tasks? Or is it a highly specialized item that only does one thing? If the answer is the latter, you might want to skip it. As Food Network personality Alton Brown has stated on many occasions, it’s best to avoid these “unitasker” gadgets in the kitchen. For a hilarious take on exactly why this is, check out “Alton Brown Reviews Amazon’s Dumbest Kitchen Gadgets.”
How Will this Kitchen Product Make My Life Easier?
In this post: Start to Cook Like a Pro, I talked about the kitchen tools that every home chef should have in their culinary arsenal. The truth is that everything beyond that is just gravy.
But hey, I do love gravy. And I’m also a big fan of streamlining processes in the kitchen. The following criteria can also help you to decide if a new piece of kitchen gear is right for you:
- If you’re like me, then space is at a premium in your kitchen. And even if it’s not, having more room to work is never a bad thing. Products that can help declutter your work area or keep items that you frequently use nearby where you need them, but out of the way when you don’t can be really useful.
- Kitchen gadgets that can combine the functions of several different products that you currently use can help make cooking easier.
- If a kitchen tool will help you to cook better dishes, then it’s definitely worth considering.
- We’ve all got something in our kitchen that drives us nuts … that one thing that you dread doing. If a new purchase will help take the misery out of that task and make cooking more enjoyable for you then you might want to consider going for it.
In my not so humble opinion, all of the products in the list below meet one or more of these qualifications. Keep reading to find out why.
Show Me the List of Totally Awesome Kitchen Gadgets That Make Life Easier
A Set of Magnetic Letter Size Picture Frames to Protect all of Your Recipes
Printing paper recipes can be great for when you are in the kitchen. It can also be a lot more sanitary than reading recipes on your phone while cooking.
Consider for a second, where exactly you often use your phone and the last time you sanitized it thoroughly.
Ewww!
The problem with paper recipes is that it’s too damn easy to get them dirty or wet and they usually end up in the garbage after one use. Now you can stop killing trees with this set of 12 Letter Size Magnetic Picture Frames. They are perfect for holding all of your recipes. Since they’re magnetic, you can hang them on your fridge to keep them out of the way. When you’re done, give them a quick wipe and save them for next time! These are also great for other things too … like your kids’ art projects, your monthly activity calendar or my Free Cooking Temperature Guide.
A Stylish Bamboo Salt Cellar
Properly seasoning your food is pretty much the most important step in just about every recipe ever. That’s why I chose it as one of Nine Pro Chef Techniques to Help You Learn to Cook Like a Chef at Home. The Totally Bamboo Salt Cellar keeps your most used ingredient handy and right where you need it at all times. The opening is perfect for getting your hand inside to grab a pinch. It doesn’t look too shabby either.
A Cole & Mason Stainless Steel Pepper Mill
We all know that using fresh ground pepper in your dishes is infinitely superior to that pre-ground supermarket stuff. It just …. tastes …. better. This Cole & Mason Derwent Stainless Steel Pepper Mill was named the best Pepper Mill of 2023 by America’s Test Kitchen.
The Original Butter Bell Crock
Tired of trying to spread cold, rock-hard butter onto your morning toast? Need a little softened butter for a recipe? The Butter Bell crock by L. Tremain keeps butter fresh and spreadable for weeks without refrigeration, spoilage or odors. The two-piece design features an inverted bell-shaped lid and crock base for serving butter at the table, while protecting and storing the butter after each use. Simply add a little bit of water into the base of the crock, then pack the lid FIRMLY with softened butter. Replace the lid into the base and you’re ready to go! It’s available in a variety of colors to match your kitchen design.
The Kitchenart 1 Cup Adjustable Measuring Cup
The Kitchenart 1 Cup Adjust-a-Cup is definitely one of those products that you don’t even realize you need until you have it. With a two-piece design, you’re able to easily adjust measurements to any size you need by pulling down the bottom plunger. This measuring cup really shines when measuring anything sticky. Peanut butter and honey come to mind instantly. Simply set the cup to the amount you need, fill it up, push up the plunger and it will pop right out! Scrape off any excess with a spatula. Done! No more leaving half the product stuck in the cup. Genius!
A Four Tier Spice Rack Organizer
I think everyone’s got a cabinet at home full of random spices and pantry items. And if you’re like me, this cabinet has been the bane of your existence and a never-ending source of frustration. Does this scenario sound familiar? You go into a cabinet looking for 1 spice and before you know it you’ve got 20 spice jars out on your kitchen counter before you’ve found the one you need. This 4 Tier Spice Rack Organizer allows you to organize your spices so that you can actually see what you need and grab the one you want. Say goodbye frustration! This product is definitely one of those kitchen gadgets that makes life easier.
A Set of Squeeze Bottles
Squeeze bottles are considered essential kitchen gear in restaurant and commercial kitchens. We use them for all kinds of things from condiments and salad dressings to cooking wine and oils. They are extraordinary useful for making sure that you’re dispensing the amount of product that you actually want. Free pouring cooking oil straight out of the bottle for example, can be a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, keep your oil in a handy squeeze bottle and you’ll end up using a lot less. This will save you money in the long run, keep your food healthier and result in a better end product. It’s a win-win-win kind of situation. This four piece set from Amazon is perfect.
A Magnetic Knife & Utensil Holder for Your Wall or Fridge
This one can be life changing if you are short on counter space. It will allow you to get all of your knives and that annoying utensil crock up and out of the way. Keep all of your most used knives and utensils neat, organized and exactly where you need them. This Premium 304 Stainless Steel Double-Sided Magnetic Knife Holder comes in two different sizes and mounts easily on your fridge or up on the wall using the supplied screws.
A Kitchen Aid Coffee & Spice Grinder Combo Pack
I mean, who doesn’t love a nice cup of hot, freshly ground coffee in the morning? And fresh ground spices are something that can really amp up the flavor of a dish. The KitchenAid Blade Coffee and Spice Grinder Combo Pack addresses two things that I’ve absolutely hated about every single blade grinder I’ve ever owned:
- It comes with a separate bowl with a lid to completely avoid the possibility of flavor contamination. No more need to worry about whether your coffee will taste like spices or vice versa.
- Both of the work bowls are completely removable and dishwasher safe for easy clean up.
The larger bowl, which is mainly intended for coffee also includes handy gradations that easily help you to measure coffee amounts for 4, 8, 10 or 12 cups. I was really impressed with just how well thought out this product is.
An All-Clad Cordless Handheld Blender
A hand held immersion blender can be really convenient. In theory they allow you to puree soups and other sauces while they are still in their pots. Having to transfer hot food into a blender can also be kind of messy and dangerous. I know you’ve been there. The big problem with most immersion blenders is that they become a whole lot less convenient when the cord doesn’t reach, and you end up having to ferry your pot around your kitchen to make it all work. Enter the All-Clad Cordless Rechargeable Stainless Steel Multi-Functional Hand Blender. This little kitchen gadget has 5 speeds and enough power for all of your hand blending needs. It also happens to look damn cool too.
The Meater 2 Plus Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer
When it comes to kitchen gadgets that make life easier, it’s hard to top the Meater 2 Plus Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer. There’s a school of thought that says that a product become automatically cooler when there’s an app. Meater’s got you covered. This next gen thermometer is completely wireless. And it can withstand ambient temperatures up to 1000 degrees so it’s perfect for use on the grill or in a screaming hot oven. You can monitor cooking temperatures with the supplied app. The Meater algorithm will let you know when your food is almost done and will even tell you how long it needs to rest. It’s also waterproof which will come in super handy when you leave it out in the rain during grilling season. Ok, maybe that’s just me.
The Ninja Foodi Smoothie Maker & Nutrient Extractor
The Ninja Foodi Smoothie Maker & Nutrient Extractor is a powerful little blender that’s small enough to sit out on your counter all the time. It comes with a separate bowl attachment that’s perfect for blending small amounts of hummus and other dips, nut butters and even blender ice cream. It’s perfect for blending small batches of soups & sauces too. If you’re only cooking for a couple or a small family, then this might be the only blender you ever need. This little powerhouse sees daily use in my home so I can attest to the fact that it’s built to last.
A 4 in 1 Microwave That’s Also an Air Fryer and Convection Oven
A microwave is pretty much standard kitchen issue. But let’s face it, they aren’t great for much beyond reheating leftovers. This little space saving marvel on the other hand can also take the place of your beloved air fryer. And it works as a convection oven too which means it will handle a lot of what you’d normally throw in your toaster. This is why the TOSHIBA 4-in-1 Countertop Microwave Oven definitely makes the list of kitchen gadgets that make life easier.
Conclusion
So, there you have it folks. By following the criteria I talked about at the beginning of this post, you’ve got all the tools you need to decide if these or any other products are good enough to make the cut on your own list of kitchen gadgets that make life easier. If you’ve tried one of these products and it worked out for you, I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below. If it didn’t, let me know that too.
Until next time, if you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.
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