Read about our favourite cool and useful gadgets for the kitchen, tried and tested by the Good Food team.
We’ve picked products we think you’ll love and may earn commission from links on this page. Read about why you can trust BBC Good Food reviews. This page was updated in August 2020.
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We all have well-used kitchen essentials, but there’s nothing like a cool kitchen gadget to make cooking fun again.
On a practical level, useful gadgets can not only change the way you cook but save you time and money. This collection is a round-up of some of the best kitchen gadgets we’ve tested, top-rated for their quality, value for money and overall-geniusness (among other things).
From cleverly designed budget buys that prove you don’t have to break the bank to to find a great kitchen gadget, to multi-functional machines that over-perform in their versatility. Whatever your budget or kitchen size, discover 30 of the best and brightest new kitchen gadgets to buy in 2021.
These mini bear claws are perfect for pulling apart barbecued pork or shredding chicken, particularly if the meat is still hot inside – they also keep the juices off your hands.
Best pasta maker We love this pasta-maker. It took top spot when tested and produced beautifully silky, unpuckered pasta sheets through its non-stick rollers. Plus, the shiny metal finish – available in chrome or special-edition colours – is classic, making for a beautiful addition to your counter-top.
Prestige hard anodized non-stick Smartplus pressure cooker
An everyday pressure cooker
Pressure cookers are quick and economical for making dishes that usually require long, slow cooking. The Prestige locks in flavour and has a 6-litre capacity that comes with a veg basket, separators and a trivet – top marks for versatility. It’s a doddle to clean, too.
With three sets of interchangeable plates, this is a versitile little workhorse. We turned out thick slabs of light, golden brown waffle from this compact device, perfect for small counter-tops and it packs away easily.
Believe it or not, dishwashers can actually save you money on your energy bills over washing them by hand. This free-standing Bosch is rated A++ for its overall efficiency and has adjustable shelves for versatile loading. If you’re looking for an all-rounder, this would be a great one to consider.
Out of all the chopping boards we’ve tested, this set by Joseph Joseph is our favourite. It’s a contemporary-looking space-saver with a ‘library’ stacker design that has four slots for four boards. Each has non-slip feet, too, which is a nice touch.
Chop, grate, whisk, mince, slice, mill, knead, blend, juice. Awarded most versatile standing mixer by our team, the Kenwood is a powerful kitchen gadget with great volume to have as a helper in the kitchen.
OXO Good Grips stainless steel electronic kitchen scale
Kitchen scales with ample capacity
Free-hand cooking is a surprisingly freeing activity, but for bakes that need a modicum of precision, kitchen scales are a life-saver. This set by OXO has an ingenious pull-out display that means that even when chunky roasting trays are on its stainless steel plate, you can still read the display.
This cool kitchen gadget is both thrifty and nifty and will save you the hassle of fiddly chopping. Its little blades are uber-sharp. Just drag it along the veg as if peeling to get perfectly julienned strips of vegetable goodness.
With a super-sucker to secure it to your work surface, the AnySharp gives you added security when sharpening your knives. It’s a secure way to get an extra-sharp finish on your knives.
Spiralizers are beyond satisfying to watch in action. It’s an easy way to transform vegetables like carrots and courgettes into spaghetti-like noodles that make the perfect light alternative to pasta. Try using it for our summer courgetti & meatballs.
üutensil Super Smash large rotation grind mortar & pestle
Great value and smart design
The pestle of this set fits snugly into the mortar meaning rather than pounding spices and cloves of garlic, you simply use your palm to grind them down. The pestle also has grooves underneath to help it capture spices.
The Klean Kanteen impressed for many reasons but its ease of use and security really stood out. It also got a big tick for keeping drinks fresh with no lingering tastes. A flip-down metal handle sits snugly in the lid when not in use, which you can open and close with one finger if desired. An all-round nifty and reliable bit of kit.
For achieving the perfect golden, crispy toastie stuffed with oozy filling, the Cuisinart is the best we’ve tested so far. There are three heat settings to play with, but what’s really exciting is it fits in the dishwasher for easy cleaning afterwards.
This modern nutribullet not only looks great on the counter with its champagne metallic finish, but has a small footprint so doesn’t take up much room. Its motor is full of oomph, so just bung in your ingredients, frozen or fresh, and blitz.
Best multi-tasking hand blender
We’ve classed this hand blender as a must-have kitchen gadget because of its sheer versatility. You get a host of attachments, which means you can save on buying other kitchen appliances if you only want to make small quantities or use occasionally – like a food processor. Everything attaches easily and is straightforward to use.
ElectriQ 1800W multifunctional blender, smoothie and soup maker
Best multifunction soup maker
Do-it-all bits of kit are particularly useful space-savers in the kitchen. Not only will this blitz fruit and veg into delicious soups and smoothies, you can heat at the same time.
Although there are two core sides to this machine’s functionality; making coffee and frothing milk, its feature-rich control panel gives you control over what you’d like and is user-friendly. Most importantly, it makes a great cup of coffee.
This is a modern and innovative machine that is particularly impressive for being quiet as it processes. It’s not a budget option or one particularly suited to small spaces, but it comes with an arsenal of disks and blades for peeling and dicing ingredients, as its name suggests.
Best value ice cream maker Pop this in the freezer the night before and the next day, it will produce deliciously light ice cream. The machine is easy to assemble and worked away quietly in the background when we tested it. It also comes with a five-year guarantee.
Best smart fridge freezerIf you’re a tech lover with deep pockets, this fridge freezer may be for you. It rated four out of five when tested by our team. Its camera system allows you to check its contents from an app while you’re out on the go. Both the interior and exterior scream quality and it does all the essentials well.
The Philips is a button activated juicer that makes light work of pressing tough fruit and vegetables. We achieved a full glass of smooth, froth-free juice in one minute, caught from a capped tap, which made for a mainly mess-free process. Unlike many juicers, there are no blades so it’s simple to clean.
This is another cool kitchen gadget that can help make life just that little bit easier, particularly when cooking for families or large groups. There are lots of programs to choose from but with its specific rice function, you can set it to cook up to 12-cups and just leave it to do its thing.
Rated five out of five by the BBC Good Food team, the Magimix Le Blender combines style with great functionality. Its stainless blades cut both vertically and horizontally, giving it great efficiency when making smoothies, soups and dips. Plus, it’s a slick design.
The retro design of this food processor makes it a decorative, as well as useful, kitchen gadget for your counter-top. As an added bonus, It’s also affordable.
While this espresso machine is under £100, it produces great quality espresso with a good crema – ideal for making long drinks and lattes. Its vintage aesthetic also adds a bit of style to your kitchen.
Best multicookerSlow-cook, steam and sauté. This gadget took America by storm when it was released, boasting a 7-in-1 function roster, led by its pressure cooker setting. As long as you follow the instructions, it has the capacity to save you a lot of time, energy and money on other gadgets and all within a small footprint.
Space-saving sous videRated four out of five by our team, the Joule sous vide attachment for cooking in a water bath is diminutive but effective, accompanied by an app that features step-by-step instructions, plus how-to videos for ease of use.
This is another multi-function gadget that we highly rate. Make easy everyday meals like our slow-cooker beef stew with minimal effort, or switch through other functions including pressure-cooker, steamer, or air-fryer. It can also roast, sear and sauté.
If you’re looking for a solid and straightforward air fryer, this one by Power goes about its business with quiet efficiency. It comes with a basket divider for cooking two different dishes at once and a 77-page recipe book with full-page images. All in all, it’s a great mid-range air fryer.
This review was last updated in August 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
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