Kitchen gadgets worth owning (and the ones that are not)
Every kitchen has a drawer of regrets: the avocado slicer, the egg-shaped egg separator, the pineapple corer that was used once. Meanwhile, the tools that actually make cooking easier are often cheap, unglamorous and sitting right where you reach for them. Here is a short, honest list for anyone who cooks for guests.
Worth owning
An instant-read thermometer
This is the one purchase that changes how you cook. It tells you when chicken is safe to eat (74 degrees C in the thickest part), when a roast is where you want it, and whether the oil is hot enough. A basic digital model is enough. It also removes the guessing that makes hosts nervous.
A good chef’s knife and a honing steel
One sharp 20 cm chef’s knife does most of what a block of knives does. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one, so keep it sharp. A bread knife is a worthwhile second, and a paring knife the third.
A heavy cutting board that does not slide
Put a damp cloth or a rubber mat under it if it moves. A board with a groove around the edge helps catch juices from a roast. Keep one board for raw meat and another for vegetables and bread.
A Y-peeler and a fine grater
A swivel peeler saves time on potatoes, carrots and apples. A fine rasp grater zests citrus, grates hard cheese, garlic and nutmeg, and finishes dishes with a bit of lift. Both are inexpensive and last for years.
A fine-mesh sieve
For rinsing rice and beans, straining stock, dusting icing sugar and draining pasta in a pinch, a sieve does more than a colander.
A heavy pot and a large skillet
Not a gadget, but worth saying: one Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and one 30 cm skillet will outwork a set of ten thin pans. They hold heat evenly, which helps sauces and sears.
A kitchen scale
Weighing flour, salt for a ferment or portions for a crowd is more accurate than cups. It also means fewer dishes, because you can weigh straight into the bowl.
Tongs
They flip, toss, lift and serve. Keep one pair for the stove and one for the table.
A timer you will actually hear
Your phone works. A cheap loud timer works better if your phone is in another room.
Worth it only if you use it often
- Immersion blender. Excellent for soups and sauces if you make them regularly, and easier to wash than a jug blender.
- Slow cooker or multicooker. Useful for batch cooking, chili, braises and keeping things warm at a potluck.
- Stand mixer. A joy for bakers, an expensive shelf ornament for everyone else.
- Mandoline. Makes thin, even slices, but it is a common source of kitchen injuries. Use the guard every time, or skip it.
Usually not worth it
- Single-purpose slicers and corers for avocados, bananas, strawberries or mangoes. A knife and a spoon do the same job.
- Garlic presses that are hard to clean. A knife and a pinch of salt work well, and there is less to wash.
- Pasta machines with six attachments, unless you really do make pasta every month.
- Electric can openers and egg-boiling gadgets. A pot of water already boils eggs.
- Giant knife blocks with ten knives you never reach for.
- Any gadget that needs a manual to explain how to clean it.
How to decide before you buy
Ask three questions. Will I use this at least once a month? Can a tool I already own do the job? Do I have a place to keep it where I can find it? If the answer to the first is no, the second is yes, or the third is “somewhere,” leave it on the shelf.
For the host
Before a dinner party, put your best tools within reach: knife, board, tongs, thermometer, a large spoon and a ladle. Clear one drawer. Fewer tools used well will always outperform a counter crowded with devices. Keep appliances you plug in away from the sink and stove, and unplug them when you are done. If you want to build up a kitchen slowly, our kitchen and home section has more ideas, and our home cooking pages show these tools at work.