Skip to main content

The best kitchen gadgets to upgrade your cooking

The best kitchen gadgets elevate your cooking skills while also saving you time in the kitchen. Some kitchen gadgets can help reduce prep time, some allow you to leave recipes unattended, while others let you prepare more adventurous dishes.

Based on our testing and research, we’ve rounded up our picks for the best kitchen tools to upgrade your cooking.

Hamilton Beach Food Processor

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Save time cooking and prepare homemade recipes for the entire family with a food processor. This versatile kitchen gadget saves you from having to cut ingredients by hand; and, let’s face it, that’s the worst part of cooking.

The Hamilton Beach Food Processor has a 10-cup capacity, making it an ideal size for medium to large families. It’s kitted with a powerful S-blade for chopping, mixing, and pureeing foods, so you don’t have to waste time cutting onions and vegetables by hand in the kitchen. Plus, it’ll evenly chop your ingredients, so they cook to the same consistency.

This food processor allows you to be more creative with dishes too and create pesto, sauces, and even grate cheese with one machine. Thanks to the two-speed pulse control, you can adjust the settings to create the perfect consistency for mealtimes. It’s not bulky either, which is ideal if you have limited space or wish to keep it on display in the kitchen.

The powerful 450-watt motor has a large feed chute, allowing you to fit an entire block of cheese in the processor to reduce time pre-cutting. Plus, all components are dishwasher-safe, meaning less time washing up.

Buy one now from:

Sous vide: Anova Culinary Sous Vide

Image used with permission by copyright holder

A sous vide is a must-have for those who frequently cook at home. It’s a great way to enhance flavors, create healthier meals, and most importantly, never overcook your food while providing a stress-free environment in the kitchen.

You can operate the Anova Culinary Sous Vide via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, allowing you to leave the kitchen while food is cooking. It’s designed with a smart temperature control that never lets you undercook or overcook food again.

To use the sous vide, simply attach the device to a pot, add water, and place your food in a sealed bag inside the pot. Begin cooking your dishes with the touch of a button and set an alert when the food will be finished cooking. The timer lasts up to 99 hours and has a temperature range from 32 degrees to 210 degrees F.

The Anova Culinary Sous Vide is 12.8 inches, so some users might need to purchase a larger pot to accommodate it.

Buy one now from:

You can also check out our list of the best sous vide deals for more options.

Slow Cooker: Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker with Temperature Probe

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Slow cookers help to tenderize meat and bring out flavors in your food. If you’re cooking at home, you’ll likely be using the oven every day. With money being a huge concern for most, a slow cooker can reduce your electricity costs compared with using an oven, making it an economical investment.

The Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker has two settings — program and manual — making this appliance suitable for novice cooks and those who like to be in charge. Once cooking is complete, the appliance automatically switches to warm, and this feature is great for times when a hiccup with work arises and you can’t get to your food immediately.

Throw in your ingredients, set the timer, and enjoy delectable recipes with the family later. The additional temperature probe allows you to ensure food is thoroughly cooked before serving. You can also adapt the temperature for a slower or speedier process. It’s user friendly, thanks to the simple control panel and dishwasher-safe components, allowing you to spend less time in the kitchen.

Buy one now from:

Carbonated Drink Maker: Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker

Image used with permission by copyright holder

What better way to brighten your day than with a carbonated beverage?

This stylish appliance allows you to easily carbonate any drink, including sparkling water, juice, tea, lemonade, energy drinks, craft cocktails, flat soda, and other creative beverages.

The Drinkmate looks elegant on your countertop, and it won’t break the bank either. Get the children involved in creating delicious fruit juices — a perfect task to keep them occupied. It’s simple to use and doesn’t require any electricity or batteries, saving on the hassle of recharging. Remain in control with the push of a button, and technophobes will love its operation, too. The 10-liter cylinder keeps you hydrated and allows you to experiment with drinks for the entire household.

Buy one now from:

Cuisinart Hand Blender with Whisk

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The best kitchen gadgets allow you to experiment with new ingredients without taking up too much of your time.

Hand mixers and blenders are a must-have if you want to experiment with a range of culinary tasks. From beating eggs to pureeing soup to creating whipped cream to making your own sauces, this little gadget can do it all with minimal effort on your part.

It has a powerful 200-watt motor, variable speed control, and blend and whisk settings to put you in control with the appliance doing the hard work for you.

Buy one now from:

Nesco Deluxe Vacuum Sealer

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Food preparation is a great way to have dishes, sauces, and extras on hand when you next need them. Though, keeping your creations fresh and contamination-free can be difficult. Fortunately, a vacuum sealer allows you to meal prep in advance and save leftovers, reducing your food waste.

The Nesco Deluxe Vacuum Sealer is fully automatic and only requires the touch of a button to effectively vacuum a food bag shut. It even allows you to seal moist food, so you can store your bags in your fridge with no leaks. This application also has an automatic shut-off, reducing operational costs and keeping it safe to have around little ones.

To prevent over-vacuuming or crushing your food, it’s equipped with a Seal-Only switch — great for newbies and to keep your food in perfect condition. This gadget also has clear functions with indicator lights, so you’ll know when the process is complete.

Buy one now from:

Editors' Recommendations

Amy Poole
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Best portable power station deals: Bluetti, EcoFlow, and more
Bluetti AC300 portable power station

Whether you’re looking for some portable power because you’re about to hit the road or because you’d like some extra power around the garage or backyard, portable power stations are a great way to go about it. A portable power station can help you keep your device charged up while camping, or can simply power the day while tailgating. But a portable power station can also add some savings to your wallet, as we’ve tracked down all of the best portable power station deals to shop right now. You can read onward for all of the details on how to save, and if you’d like to shop for more savings around the house, be sure to check out the current lawn mower deals, pressure washer deals, and smart lock deals.

 
Our favorite portable power station deals

Read more
Best office chair deals: Improve your posture from $78
staples offering best deals on select printers office chairs plus free shipping chair

A long day at the desk deserves a way to make it more comfortable. Adding one of the best ergonomic office chairs to your work life can get a little expensive, which is why we’ve rounded up the best office chair deals worth shopping right now. There are a lot of budget options and premium options available, as well as several to choose from in between. Reading onward you can find all of the details on the best office chair deals to shop right now, and if you’re looking for some savings on a device to plop yourself in front of have a look at the going laptop deals, gaming laptop deals, desktop computer deals, and monitor deals as well.
Flash Furniture Fundamentals swivel task chair — $90, was $149

This offering from Flash Furniture clearly states that it is task chair and not your typical office chair. Not familiar with the lingo? Task chairs are a subset of office chairs that are made to... well, do tasks in. The thinking goes that office chairs are used primarily for sitting and looking at screens, then doing occasional fits of typing and clicking. The Flash Fundamentals Task Chair, and other task chairs like it, are made for more activity than normal. How does Flash Furniture give you this? It emphasizes quick twists in the 360-degree swivel and a smaller horizontal profile so you can move about with ease through multiple task stations or with multiple workers present. And, of course, there's the nice mesh backing to keep you from getting overheated while doing everything. Try it out for yourself via the button below to see if a task chair is for you.

Read more
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo vs. Dreame X40 Ultra: Which robot vacuum is best for your smart home?
The Ecovacs X2 Combo installed in a home.

The Dreame X40 Ultra and Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo are both well-rounded robot vacuums. They bring heaps of functionality to your home, including self-cleaning docks, robots that can both mop and clean in a single run, and luxurious designs that blend with most home décor. All that doesn't come cheap, and you'll be spending well over $1,000 to get your hands on either robot. That means you'll want to carefully weigh your options before making such a hefty investment.

From vacuuming and mopping performance to pricing and additional features, here's a look at the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo and Dreame X40 Ultra to help you decide which is best for your home.
Pricing and availability

Read more