Christmas roasts, Easter feasts and other festive meals are simply part of life for us humans. However, preparing tasty dishes is not child’s play for everyone. While some people are able to conjure up truly Michelin-starred dishes with just a few accessories, others simply lack the necessary talent. But everyone enjoys delighting friends and family with a delicious dish. Fortunately, there are some practical kitchen gadgets that can help even those who don’t like cooking to create a delicious dish. And even amateur chefs can achieve even better results with the right accessories. We have picked out the best kitchen gadgets for you.
The best kitchen gadgets: More order and cleanliness
Many people lose interest in cooking at the latest when the tidying up begins. Fortunately, there are a few little helpers that can help keep the kitchen tidy and clean.
Spoon holder and tray
No matter whether it’s soup, sauce or steak – nothing works in the kitchen without a wooden spoon or tongs. However, the use of cooking utensils usually results in stains in the cooking area and beyond. Why is that? It’s simple: you often don’t know where to put your cooking spoon or tongs. No matter where you decide to put them – sauce or grease stains are often the result if you don’t wipe away the residue from the spoon or tongs. It would therefore be helpful to avoid stains in the first place.
A spoon holder is the perfect solution. There are numerous models on the market. We have picked out two funny representatives for you. One is the funny red crab from the OTOTO brand (€ 17.89 *). The bright red crustacean not only holds the wooden spoon between the two scissors. It can also be placed on the edge of the pot to keep a gap free between the lid and the pot. This prevents boiling over.
Alternatively, you can also use a practical shelf. The ravioli from Monkey Business (€ 14.49 *) is a real eye-catcher. Not only wooden spoons but also other kitchen tools such as tongs or knives can be placed on the noodle-shaped cushion. Both gadgets are made of silicone and therefore offer perfect protection against heat damage. As they are also BPA-free, they are also safe if they come into contact with food.
Chopping board
A chopping board is undoubtedly part of the basic equipment in every kitchen. After all, chopping vegetables, meat and other foods is unthinkable without a suitable surface. However, one chopping board is usually not enough. We can therefore recommend a set with several boards. The chopping board set from the popular British brand Joseph Joseph (€ 64.65 (€ 16.16 / stück)*) is comprehensive and also stylish, tidy and hygienic.
In addition to the four high-quality boards, you also get a practical case. Thanks to its attractive appearance, the board set can also be placed visibly on the worktop without hesitation. No matter how careful you are when chopping. Leftovers such as onion or potato peelings are sure to collect around the chopping board. This is where a board with an integrated drip tray comes into its own.
The cleenbo chopping board made of high-quality bamboo wood (€ 69.90 *) has a practical gastro drip tray that is not only perfect for kitchen waste. Diced food can also be collected here. This speeds up the cooking process immensely and also reduces the amount of washing up. After all, you don’t have to collect chopped food in bowls, but can store it directly in the large drip tray.
Spice carousel
A kitchen without spices is unthinkable. Culinary experts and cooking fans always follow the rule that great cooking results are only possible with an extensive selection of spices. But if you use a lot of spices, there are a few things to bear in mind. A large quantity of spices can quickly lead to a messy spice rack. But that’s not all. On top of that, it’s easy to lose track of your own repertoire of spices.
The result is that you no longer know which spices are actually available in the kitchen and, over time, duplicate and triplicate versions of certain spices accumulate. The solution is a practical spice rack. For example, we recommend the Cambridge spice rack from Cole & Mason (€ 115.50 (€ 7.22 / stück)*). This is available in a version for eight spices and a version for 16 spices. The big advantage: the spices are already included. This makes the carousel the perfect housewarming gift.
The best kitchen gadgets: Help with preparation
You can learn to cook. That is a fact. But the path to a tasty three-course meal can sometimes be bumpy. With the right support, however, preparation is much easier. We’ve picked out a few kitchen gadgets that will increase your chances of creating a delicious meal.
Hot air fryer
Hot air fryers actually only share a similar name with conventional oil fryers. Unlike their unhealthy oil-based cousins, AirFryers allow you to prepare crispy chips, chicken nuggets and other fried dishes using hot air. This is not only much healthier, but also safer. After all, given the risk of fire and injury, very few of you will want to have a huge tub of hot oil in your kitchen.
This is especially true for families with small children. But over the years, users of hot air fryers have become inventive and have given the household helpers other tasks. There are now large-format models such as a COSORI TwinFry (review, € 201.15 *), which can even be used to cook whole roasts. Thanks to the option of using two different cooking chambers, you can even prepare different dishes at the same time or realize different cooking requirements.
Food processor
Cooking enthusiasts with a certain affinity for modern technology can now find really practical and sophisticated food processors on the market for smart kitchen gadgets. These sometimes have access to a wide-ranging recipe library and guide you step by step through the cooking process. You don’t even need your stove. Everything takes place in the machine itself. This means that you only have to worry about shopping and chopping.
The food processor market now offers an extensive selection. The available appliances differ not only in size, range of functions and performance. The price range is also really impressive. Thermomix from Vorwerk (price comparison at Geizhals) is a pioneer in the field of smart food processors with a wide range of functions. To this day, many households swear by the kitchen helper, which not only scores with a wide range of cooking options, but also has an extremely powerful motor to offer.
It is not without reason that the food processor can also be found in posh star kitchens. But this piece of kitchen technology also has a catch – the high price. If you are looking for an inexpensive alternative, you should take a look at the Monsieur Cousine from LIDL (€ 549.99 *). It may not be able to keep up with Vorwerk’s flagship model, especially in terms of motor performance. But for the average user, what is on offer should still be perfectly adequate.
Contact grill
Contact grills are real all-rounders. That wasn’t always the case. When the first models celebrated their market launch, buyers used the grills for what they were originally developed for – grilling steaks. But these practical kitchen gadgets have much more to offer. After all, it’s not just rump steak, chicken breast etc. that can be successfully grilled on a contact grill. A community has formed that has turned the compact grills with Teflon coating into real all-rounders.
The little helpers are not only used to prepare crispy cheese sandwiches. Some users also use their contact grills to bake mini cakes. There are virtually no limits to the imagination here. And some manufacturers have now responded by launching suitable accessories. The best example is Tefal with its Optigrill series.
Thanks to the removable grill plates, the contact grill is not only easy to clean. This also results in a modular concept that makes it extremely versatile. With inserts such as a baking tray (€ 84.79 *) or a waffle plate (€ 68.99 *), the range of functions can be skillfully expanded.
Meat thermometer
The preparation of a perfect steak, roast goose or other meat dishes is considered a fine art among chefs. But it is not rocket science. The focus is, of course, on the cooking process and the associated temperature. If the meat is too hot, it becomes tough and dry. To prevent this, simple recipes are usually not enough. After all, there are differences from steak to steak. The key to success is targeted monitoring of the meat temperature. At best, a meat thermometer is used for this.
This displays the temperature in real time, making it the perfect gadget for achieving the desired degree of doneness. Many models also offer a matching smartphone app that can be used to monitor the Christmas roast remotely. A prime example is the MEATER Pro (€ 139.00 *). The meat thermometer not only offers real-time monitoring of the meat temperature. The app also offers numerous types of meat and associated preparation instructions.
The best kitchen gadgets: Other accessories
In addition to tidiness, cleanliness and cooking itself, there are other tasks that take place in the kitchen. We have compiled another list of helpful gadgets that are particularly useful for preparation work or other steps in the cooking process.
Herb pots
A diverse selection of herbs is simply part of good cooking with varied and delicious dishes. However, not everyone has a balcony, let alone a herb garden. But that is no longer a problem these days. There are compact herb pots on the market that promise strong growth of parsley, basil, mint and other herbs, even indoors.
Some models, such as the WMF Gourmet herb pot, even have an integrated watering system. This means your herbs will survive even if you are on vacation for a few days. With herbs in the kitchen, you not only have fresh, natural flavors at hand when you need them. The green herbs are also a real eye-catcher in the kitchen.
All-purpose slicer
Decent, sharp knives are an essential part of any good kitchen equipment. But some people just don’t warm to these sharp kitchen gadgets. The fear of cutting their finger is too great. If you want to use a blade as rarely as possible, you should consider buying an all-purpose slicer. The best example is the GRAEF Sliced Kitchen G50 all-purpose slicer (€ 97.49 *).
This offers a stepless cutting thickness adjustment from 0 to 20 mm and is suitable for slicing sausage, bread, cheese, vegetables and much more. A real all-purpose slicer. To ensure that you and your loved ones can use the appliance without injury, GRAEF has included safety features such as a child safety lock and a safety lock.
Kitchen scales
While conventional cooking can be done passionately and literally by instinct, you should use a scale when baking at the latest. After all, even the slightest deviation from the recipe can lead to the complete failure of your baked goods. A kitchen scale is therefore indispensable.
Unfortunately, most measuring instruments are not exactly pretty to look at. The ZWILLING ENFINIGY (€ 32.29 *) is an exception. It not only looks modern, but is also state-of-the-art. So you don’t have to insert any annoying batteries. Instead, the scales, which are available in black, silver, gold and pink, are conveniently charged using a USB cable.
Smart display
In the kitchen, it’s not uncommon for your hands to be covered in flour, butter or fat. Turning the egg timer or flicking through a cookbook at these moments can cause annoying messes. If you know and fear this problem, then perhaps a smart display with voice control is the right solution for you. You can simply use your voice to activate the timer for the Christmas roast, for example.
Or you can search for suitable recipes and work through the instructions on the display step by step. Maybe you just want to use the smart screen to stream your favorite series or listen to music while cooking. The Echo Show 5 (€ 109.99 *), for example, is a welcome helper, Echo Show 8 (€ 169.99 *) or Echo Show 10 (€ 269.99 *), which offer one of the most popular voice assistants with Amazon Alexa.
Vegetable cutter and garlic press
Onions and garlic don’t just play a major role in Mediterranean cuisine. The two vegetables are also extremely popular in the rest of the world. However, both vegetables have a major problem that bothers many people. When you prepare them, your hands often smell of them even hours after cooking.
If you don’t fancy that, you can find little helpers on the smart kitchen gadget market that skillfully prevent your hands from coming into contact with onions and garlic. For onions and other vegetables, the Genius Nicer Dicer vegetable cutter (€ 27.85 *) is a real classic.
For garlic, on the other hand, you should get a suitable press. If you like to eat a lot of garlic, you shouldn’t save money in the wrong place. After all, you want to enjoy the press for many years to come. What’s more, a high-quality garlic press is usually easier to clean. For example, we recommend the RÖSLE garlic press (€ 27.19 *). It is so strong that it can even crush ginger.
Egg stove
For many people, eggs are simply part of a good, hearty breakfast. Athletes also swear by this superfood due to its high protein content. But cooking eggs is not in everyone’s blood. Even with the right timer, sometimes they just don’t turn out the way you want them to. What’s more, the cooking process is quite a waste of energy – at least if you only want to cook one or two eggs and have to switch on the stove.
You can kill two birds with one stone with an egg boiler. After all, you can not only set the desired hardness of the egg yolk. You also save energy and water. The kitchen experts at WMF have made a name for themselves in recent years and decades with the high quality of their egg stoves.
What’s really cool is that the manufacturer not only offers large stoves, but also mini stoves. The WMF MyEgg (€ 24.99 *), for example, has space for just one egg. Alternatively, there is also a WMF egg stove for up to two eggs (€ 39.98 *). If you want to cook more eggs, the egg stove from KESSER with space for up to eight eggs (€ 32.80 *) may be the right choice. It can even be used to prepare scrambled eggs, omelettes and bacon by changing the insert.
The best kitchen gadgets: Which gadget do I really need?
A kitchen gadget is useful if it makes your work easier, saves you time or improves your cooking experience. Before buying, think about whether you will really use the appliance regularly. A smart kitchen appliance that just collects dust in the corner is money wasted and won’t help you.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I really need the gadget, or would it just be a nice extra?
- Can I use it to complete tasks that would otherwise take a lot of time or effort?
- Does it fit in with my cooking habits?
- A good gadget should make your everyday life noticeably easier – for example through faster preparation, easier cleaning or additional functions.
The best kitchen gadgets: Which gadgets are worthwhile?
It all depends on how you work in the kitchen. If you like to cook often, versatile appliances such as a smart food processor, a good knife set or a meat thermometer can be real game changers. If you rarely cook, simple helpers such as a quick vegetable cutter or digital scales are worthwhile.
Tip! The more functions a gadget has, the more often you can use it. Also pay attention to whether the appliance is easy to clean – because nobody wants to spend ages scrubbing after cooking.
The best kitchen gadgets: Which gadget is right for me?
To find the right gadget, it helps to analyze your own cooking habits first. Ask yourself: What do I often do in the kitchen that I want to optimize? If you regularly prepare meat, for example, a meat thermometer could be just the thing. If, on the other hand, you like to eat chips or other oven dishes, you could consider a large hot-air fryer. Also take a look at ratings and test reports. You can often find videos online in which gadgets are shown in use. This will give you a better idea of whether the appliance really delivers what it promises.
The best kitchen gadgets: What should I look out for when buying?
It is important that the gadget is robust, easy to use and easy to clean. A cheap appliance that breaks quickly or is complicated to use will not bring you much joy. The following features can help you decide what to buy:
- Material quality: Stainless steel is durable and hygienic.
- Size: Does the gadget fit in your kitchen? Some appliances take up a lot of space.
- Ease of cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts save you time.
- Guarantee: A guarantee provides additional security, especially for more expensive appliances.
The best kitchen gadgets: How do I avoid gadgets going unused?
Do you know this too? You buy a new kitchen gadget, but after the first few weeks it sits in the drawer. This often happens when an appliance is too specialized or is rarely used. To avoid this, choose multifunctional appliances or ones that go with your favorite dishes. Always ask yourself the question: Will I really be able to integrate this into my everyday life? If the answer is “yes”, the gadget will give you pleasure for a long time.
Conclusion
Kitchen gadgets can be real helpers – but only if they suit you and your cooking habits. Our list should make it clear to you that the market has a lot to offer in this respect. But you should not buy blindly. Before making a purchase, consider whether the gadget will really make your everyday life easier and how often you will use it. It’s not about owning as many appliances as possible, but the right ones that will make your work in the kitchen more effective, creative and enjoyable. Also focus on quality, simple operation and easy cleaning so that you can enjoy it for a long time. With thoughtful decisions and a little research, you can optimize your kitchen step by step. Have fun discovering and cooking!
