Top 10 brunch gadgets
Take a homemade brunch to the next level with our review of the best tools and gadgets for putting on a spread in no time, easing you into the weekend...
This page was last updated in March 2019.
Whether you're entertaining friends or family at the weekend, or simply want to read the Sunday papers while indulging in your favourite brunch dish, make sure you have the right kit to maximise your me-time. For more unbiased advise on kitchen essentials, kit and gadgets, visit our reviews section and find over 400 practical buyer's guides.
Specialist frying pan
Master Pan divided frying pan
We never realised how messy things can get trying to cook lots of breakfast items together until we tried this brilliant frying pan with lots of cooking sections. There's no need to despair over runny baked beans spilling into fried eggs as this frying pan has a compartment for everything. Storage wise, it may not suit if you're limited on cupboard space as it spans nearly 40cm in width, however you'll find no limit to the amount of items you can cook in each little segment. When we tried it out we had no problems with food sticking, meaning minimum cooking oil was needed and cleaning was easy. A solid investment that will get lots of use.
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Check out our review of the five best non-stick frying pans.
Egg poaching pan
ProCook Gourmet steel 4-egg poacher
For those who love to brunch, a poaching pan should be considered a kitchen cupboard essential – and if you're looking for a reliable pan that delivers perfect poached eggs every time, this is the one. The ProCook poaching pan allows you to make consistently runny poached eggs within minutes and you don't have to waste time cooking them one-by-one, or risk a burn by having to swirl boiling water around a regular saucepan. Although it claims to be dishwasher safe, we would recommend you clean the individual compartments by hand as, with most pans, they may lose their non-stick properties over time.
Buy from ProCook (£34)
Now, how about whipping up some eggs Benedict? Check out our collection of poached egg recipes.
Pancake griddle
Lakeland Swift flat griddle pan
Calling all pancake lovers... Lakeland's griddle pan offers a foolproof way to turn out perfect pancakes every time. When we put it to the test, we used hardly any oil because of the pan's super non-stick properties. You can also class it as a practical purchase because, apart from making pancakes, you can also use it for cooking naan breads, Welsh cakes, drop scones and omelettes. The pan can be used on all types of hobs and is also fairly easy to clean.
Like this? Read our review of the best pancake pans.
Waffle maker
Cuisinart WAF1U waffle maker
As waffles for breakfast (and dessert) become increasingly popular, lots of us are tempted to try making them at home. This machine is ideal if you're a novice and with our homemade waffle recipe, you can create perfect crispy creations with ease. It's great fun with the kids too, but it gets hot pretty quickly so we advise that an adult takes control when it comes to pressing the waffles.
Toaster
Magimix Vision toaster
We all have strong opinions on how light or dark we think our toast should be and now, with this incredible see-through gadget, we can actually watch the toasting process to make sure the end product is just right. As well as adding a bit of theatre to the kitchen, we found it really easy to use, attractive while sitting idle on the kitchen counter and quite simple to clean with a handy slide-out crumb tray. The attention to design, inside and out, is reflected in the price.
Read our review of the best toasters.
Coffee machine
KitchenAid Nespresso Artisan coffee maker
Wake up and smell the coffee! We reviewed the best equipment for that perfect cup of java in our coffee machine review and the KitchenAid Nespresso came out on top. This pod machine doesn’t have a milk attachment but the coffee extraction is excellent and if you are looking for milk-based coffee drinks, the Nespresso range has plenty of options. It’s quite large for a pod machine (almost as big as a manual home espresso maker) but the water chamber is built-in so the whole thing feels neat and tidy.
Slow juicer
Smeg slow juicer
Juicing is a fast-growing trend and fresh juice is a great addition to any brunch. This Smeg slow juicer, with its classic retro design, was crowned our Star Buy when we put a range of machines to the test. It affords you the option of two strainers for fine or thicker juice, producing incredibly smooth results. In contrast to some of the heavy and unattractive machinery on the market, this slickly designed and relatively lightweight model would keep pride of place on our kitchen counter.
Check out which other machines made our list of the top 5 juicers.
Egg cups
Le Creuset stoneware rainbow egg cups
Add a splash of colour to your brunch service with this beautiful set of rainbow egg cups. True to the iconic style of Le Creuset, each stoneware egg cup is made from specialist clay, making them all robust, durable and safe for putting in the dishwasher.
Don't forget to check our guide to making the perfect boiled egg.
Avocado gadget
OXO Good Grips 2-in-1 avocado slicer
If you're looking for a tool that cuts open, pits and slices your avocado, allowing you to create the perfect avo on toast in a flash, this quirky little gadget is what you need. The blade is relatively sharp so it cuts through the skin of the avocado with ease, however it's not too sharp that you worry about cutting yourself. The slicer creates evenly-sized chunks of avocado which make for a pretty impressive dish at brunch time.
Toast tongs
Divertimenti Pebbly magnetic toast tongs
Don't be fooled into thinking this is another gimmicky kitchen gadget – this set of bamboo toaster tongs is a genius way of avoiding burnt fingertips when retrieving toast from piping hot toasters. Particularly handy with larger appliances where pieces of bread may get lost inside, you will soon come to wonder why you didn't already have this fun and inexpensive kitchen accessory.
Available from Divertimenti (£5.50).
Related reviews
Once you're kitted out with the best brunch gadgets, you'll want to host brunch every weekend. For more product picks, visit our reviews section and don't forget to check out our brunch recipes.
What's your most valued piece of brunch equipment? Share your thoughts with us below...
This review was last updated in March 2019. 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.