12 Highly Recommended Cooking Gadgets For Your Kitchen

Depending on who you ask, cooking is either an enjoyable activity or an inevitable chore. No matter which camp you fit into, it can almost always be made easier by adding some extra gadgets to your kitchen. Not every kitchen gadget is worth buying, however, and with so much choice out there, it can be tricky to know where to start. One of the best ways to narrow your search is to focus only on gadgets with a proven track record. Finding this top-rated tech can in itself be a chore, but don’t fret — we’ve got that bit covered.

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SlashGear has rounded up 12 of the best-rated kitchen gadgets covering everything from grilling to grating, with each item recommended by buyers and experts alike. Each boasts a rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars from at least 10,000 reviews on Amazon, and also has been put through its paces by professionals. Most can be picked up for affordable prices, too, making them excellent gifts for a frequent cook or a cost-effective way to add to your own arsenal of kitchen tools.

Canned ingredients are a vital part of many popular recipes, but opening cans manually can be awkward. Once they’re open, you’re left with a sharp lid that can be easy to catch yourself on if you’re not careful. The Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Can Opener promises to do away with these common hassles, with a simple lever operation and a cutter that opens cans at the side rather than at the top so that their lids aren’t as sharp.

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It retails for about $33 on Amazon, and is backed by scores of happy reviewers who give it an average rating of 4.6 stars over more than 76,000 reviews. It also won a head-to-head comparison conducted by the folks at Serious Eats, who crowned it the best stand-up electric can opener on the market. And its compact dimensions mean that when not in use, it won’t take up much space, although its silver-and-black design gives it a look premium enough to blend in with other appliances on a countertop.

Another affordable gadget designed to make cooking that bit easier is the Black+Decker CJ625 Citrus Juicer, which can be picked up for about $26 on Amazon. It gets consistently strong reviews from buyers, with an average of 4.5 stars from over 30,000 reviews.

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It can hold 32 ounces of juice, with the container also functioning as a pitcher and including a pouring spout. After use, it can be put through the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

A review by TechGearLab noted that its price as a citrus-only juicer was low compared with those of full-size juicers, and it produces very little pulp on its smooth juicing setting. Those who prefer their juice with more pulp can adjust the juicer to their liking with the pulp control switch. When it’s time to put their juicer back into storage, a built-in cord wrap ensures that it won’t get tangled with other appliances in the cupboard.

In our 2024 comparison of major air fryer brands, Ninja took the top spot with a winning combination of affordability and features. One of its bestselling models is the Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, which usually sells for about $90 but currently is on sale for $70 on Amazon. It offers four quarts of frying capacity, and also boasts modes for dehydrating, broiling, reheating, and roasting, making it a versatile companion for all kinds of cooking.

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Both the air fryer’s basket and crisping plate can be safely put into the dishwasher, and both are nonstick. Ninja also includes a recipe book with the AF101 that includes 20 recipes to showcase its cooking abilities. Both buyers and professional reviews have come away impressed with the Ninja — on Amazon, it boasts an average rating of 4.7 stars from over 82,000 reviews, and after being put through its paces by Real Homes, the outlet delivered a verdict of 4.5 stars.

TikTok can be a useful way to discover new gadgets, but many of its most viral gadgets can be hit-or-miss when it comes to real-world usefulness. The nonstick Dash Mini Waffle Maker is very much a hit, in no small part thanks to its temptingly low price. For just $13, it makes fresh 4-inch waffles, and can also be used to cook hash browns, cornbread, and a variety of other foods. A recipe book is included with the waffle maker with instructions on how to cook each food.

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Its low price might draw some buyers’ suspicions, but the waffle maker’s claimed talents are backed up an average rating of 4.6 stars on Amazon from more than 242,000 reviews. If that’s not enough, a reviewer at Vice said it was so affordable and easy to use, it “has changed my (culinary) life,” adding that she was done with restaurant waffles: “Sorry, Denny’s.”

Making ice cream at home can be significantly cheaper — and significantly more tasty — than buying it from a shop, but only if you have the right ice cream maker. Anyone looking to dip their toe into the world of ice cream making won’t want to spend a fortune, and that’s where the Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker comes in. There are better ice cream makers, according to Ice Cream Science — but for the money, they say, the Cuisinart ICE-30 remains a strong contender. Buyers of the machine agree, too, since it currently boasts an average of 4.6 from more than 19,000 reviewers.

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It holds up to two quarts of ice cream, and takes as little as 20 minutes to turn chilled ingredients into ready-to-eat dessert. A recipe book is included with instructions on how to make sorbet, sherbet, and frozen drinks as well as ice cream. It retails for $100, but currently is on sale for $70 on Amazon, further boosting its value.

A larger, more powerful blender than the brand’s signature personal blender, the nutribullet Pro+ 1200 Blender can tackle larger batches of ingredients without compromising on blending speed. It retails for $130, and is very popular with buyers on Amazon — it boasts more than 10,000 reviews on the platform, with an average of 4.6 stars across them. It’s also been tested by several outlets, including TechRadar, which gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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The nutribullet Pro+ 1200 has — as its name suggests — 1,200 watts of blending power, and can blend to a variety of consistencies. Whether it’s smoothies or salsas, the 32-ounce cup can blend family-sized portions in one go, although a smaller 24-ounce cup is also included for when maximum capacity isn’t needed. There’s also a to-go lid and a recipe book. The cups can be put through the dishwasher, but the blades can’t be. Instead, they’ll need to be washed with soap and water.

No matter whether your preferred meat cooking method of choice is the pan, oven, or grill, a meat thermometer is an essential kitchen tool that should be in every home chef’s culinary toolbox. Buying one doesn’t have to break the bank, since the Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer is available for just $20. It features a simple, easy-to-read display with the option to display both Fahrenheit and Celsius, and on top of the thermometer is a helpful chart with safe cooking temperatures for a variety of popular meats.

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It’s IP66 rated and so is able to be washed under the tap, although it should not be put in the dishwasher. It’s not the fastest-reading thermometer on the market, as noted by The Spruce Eats, with a real-world read time of around five seconds. However, that’s hardly a deal-breaker given its affordable price. It certainly didn’t put off buyers on Amazon, who rated the thermometer an average of 4.7 stars over nearly 70,000 reviews.

As well as being useful in the kitchen at home, mini food choppers can come in particularly handy for anyone who frequently needs to bring their kitchen tech on the road. It’s small enough to be part of your geaer when going camping or on a trip in a recreational vehicle, and it makes preparing fresh food much easier. The KitchenAid KFC3516ER Mini Food Chopper comes from one of the most trusted brands in home cooking, and as you’d expect, it gets consistently positive feedback.

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This feedback comes from both critics like The Practical Kitchen and buyers on Amazon, where the chopper has over 25,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars. A common theme across all these reviews is the KitchenAid chopper’s ease of use and chopping power, although like any product, it’s not without its downsides. The most common complaint about the chopper is that it’s a little more mini than KitchenAid suggests, with its official 3.5-quart capacity reported to be overly optimistic.

A larger, primary food chopper is still a necessity for larger batches, then, but for the small stuff, the KitchenAid mini chopper will do just fine. Its smaller capacity is reflected in its smaller price, with the gadget retailing for $60 on Amazon.

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Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a kitchen novice, a good set of knives is essential to bring out the best of your talents. Buying a set of suitably sharp knives is only half the battle — it’s also key to have a knife sharpener like the Presto EverSharp Knife Sharpener to keep them in top condition. The device retails for $45, though it’s currently on sale for $37.49, and boasts both positive reviews from outlets like TechGearLab and from buyers on Amazon, where it has an average rating of 4.5 stars over better than 18,000 reviews.

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The affordable electric knife sharpener features sharpening wheels made from sapphirite, with a simple two-step sharpening system that grinds,  then polishes the knife edge. To keep the sharpener secure at all times, a trio of suction cups on the base of the device clamp it firmly to a countertop or table.

There might be evidence that breakfast actually boosts calorie burning, but many of us are guilty of skipping it anyway. Kitchen gadgets like the $19 Dash Rapid Egg Cooker promise to make breakfast a bit easier and quicker, which might make all the difference when it comes to ensuring you don’t miss out on what’s often referred to as the most important meal of the day. The cooker can hold up to six eggs, and features options for making scrambled and poached eggs as well as boiled ones.

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It’s simple to use and easy to clean, thanks to the dishwasher-safe parts. Since it only weighs a pound, it’s easy to put away when it’s not in use, too, even for those with reduced mobility. It received a thumbs up from The Spruce Eats and gets particularly high praise from reviewers on Amazon, where over 126,000 reviews have given it an average of 4.7 stars.

There are a number of ways to make cooking more accessible for those with reduced mobility, with one of the easiest being to eliminate as many labor-intensive processes as possible. Grating cheese is one such process — it’s strenuous and repetitive, with plenty of opportunity to catch your fingers if you slip up. The Cambom Rotary Cheese Grater, selling for around $30, offers an alternative to traditional graters, with a grating wheel that’s encased in a barrel to prevent mess.

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Users can simply push the cheese down into the chute at the top of the grater, crank the handle, and grated cheese will drop out at a rate much faster than any regular hand grater. It can be used on a variety of vegetables as well as cheese, with three different blades available for shredding, fine shredding, and slicing. The grater previously went viral on TikTok, so Taste of Home decided to try it out and came away impressed. So did thousands of Amazon buyers, with the gadget boasting an average of 4.6 stars over 24,000 reviews.

Many people like a panini from time to time, but buying a dedicated panini press might seem like a step too far. However, the Cuisinart Griddler and Panini Press is no simple panini press. It doubles as a compact indoor grill, with a maximum operating temperature of 425 degrees. It grills burgers just as well as it grills paninis, and it’s good for breakfast foods like fried eggs and French toast too.

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Its versatility resulted in the grill receiving a 4.8 out of 5 rating from The Spruce Eats, and garnering similarly high praise from buyers on Amazon, where it gets an average of 4.6 stars from more than 47,000 reviewers. It remains one of the most popular products of its kind on Amazon, with the site reporting that over 3,000 have been sold in the space of a month. It retails for $100, but is currently on sale for $60.