The Best Kitchen Gadgets You Can Buy

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While strong voices like those at Slate were quick to defend Alton Brown's famous rejection of single-function kitchen gadgets in 2015, the shopping public's love for them has not decreased since, with Statista reporting that Americans spent $17.6 billion on kitchen gadgets in 2021 alone. Whether you're looking to enhance your own kitchen experience or gift some gadgets to a home chef you love, it's important to sift through the sea of available gadgets to separate the junk from the gems, so we've set out to find the very best kitchen gadgets you can buy.

Unless you're living in the lap of culinary luxury, you likely want to save space wherever possible in your kitchen, so it's helpful to look for gadgets that either take up minimal space or tackle more than one task whenever possible. Ideally, try to accomplish both. Beyond this, easy storage and cleanup are essential qualities for a good gadget — after all, the point is to make your cooking life easier, not more laborious. Finally, keep an eye out for gadgets that aren't just practical, but spark a little joy; there are plenty of opportunities to add some personalization to your kitchen. You're able to choose your favorite color and find models that range from whimsical to sophisticated, depending on what matches your style best. And if you're gifting, this is a great opportunity to show that you put some extra thought into your selection, so make it your own wherever possible.

When you're looking for one amazing gadget to replace as many others as possible and take your culinary prep game to another level, the only choice around is the newly released Prepdeck Gen 2. This sleek set includes eight neatly stacked kitchen tools that include a zester, a juicer, a grater, a slicer, a peeler, a green-stripper, a bottle opener, and a garlic crusher (new since the original Prepdeck) to handle most of your meal prep without taking up the valuable drawer space individual gadgets would require. The Prepdeck Gen 2 also comes with 14 storage containers to hold your ingredients for cooking or for longer-term storage with super-seal lids. It comes with removable trash compartments, a cover that doubles as a cutting board, and a bonus tablet stand so you can follow along with your favorite TikTokers or YouTube personalities.

Champagne and Coffee Stains praises its appearance on kitchen counters (something that can't be said for many gadgets or appliances) and appreciates that the parts are dishwasher safe, while GeekDad confirms the stackable kitchen slicers and other tools really are good enough to replace standalone gadgets. Verified purchaser V. Payne says it's intuitive enough to use straight out of the box without reading instructions or watching tutorials, and verified purchaser Debra Kimble also loves using it for bar prep to look like a pro mixologist when entertaining

Purchase the Prepdeck Gen 2 on Amazon for $129.

No matter how much you may love the satisfying performance of well-designed kitchen gadgets, or gadgets of any kind (hello, crafting tools, tech toys, and workshop gadgets), they're hand-held by nature, and that makes many of them cumbersome or even painful to use for those suffering from arthritis. But fear not: Some kitchen gadgets are actually designed with arthritis in mind, and some even specifically help with tasks that are otherwise difficult for arthritic hands. That's the case with our top choice for this category, the OXO Good Grips Jar Opener with Base Pad.

It's not surprising that gadgets from OXO's Good Grips line would have superior grip, but what we love most about this gadget is that it's not just easy for arthritic hands to handle, but it solves the problem of gripping and twisting difficult jars in general — a key concern for anyone with arthritis trying to navigate the kitchen. Wal-Mart customer Hayleyc925 loves the rubber base that prevents slipping when the jar opens, preventing plenty of messes (we've all been there, especially with jars full of liquid, like pickles). Amazon verified purchaser Nando says this is the only gadget that worked for their elderly mother, and purchaser Dr. Amy S. Wooley agrees that it's the best lid opener around.

Purchase the OXO Good Grip Jar Opener with Base Pad on Amazon for $14.95.

When considering weight loss, the kitchen may not be the first room that comes to mind for purchasing new gadgets. A healthy diet is important for any weight loss journey, but still, most new non-edible items you'd buy for this experience may fall more into the category of fitness equipment, not kitchen gadgets. However, there are some kitchen helpers you can snag that will assist in your effort to eat healthier as you reach your weight loss goals. Our favorite is among the simplest out there, because you surely don't need any more stress right now.

It's likely that fresh vegetables are going to be on the menu for a weight loss experience, so our favorite gadget to assist in this journey is the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Steamer because steaming fresh vegetables not only makes them tastier than microwaving or boiling them but helps maintain more of their natural nutrients and health benefits (via CNN). Bonus: Steaming is a faster cooking method, too. One happy Bed Bath & Beyond customer appreciated that this steamer easily fit all their pots and pans and loved that the handle prevented burnt fingers when removing finished foods. Amazon verified purchaser Angel M. adds that this gadget comes with the bonus capability of making perfect hard-boiled eggs in addition to steaming vegetables.

Purchase the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Steamer on Amazon for $20.99.

Among the most common cooking complaints from singles is the pervasive myth that cooking for one is difficult, so it's fair to wonder if gifting kitchen gadgets is really the best move for the singles in your life, but we say it is. Anyone can prepare delicious and nutritious meals at home, even for one, and we strongly believe this should be encouraged, so we've found a great starter gadget to introduce even doubtful singles to sensible home cooking.

Food & Wine says the Chicago Metallic Professional Lasagna Trio Pan not only allows you to cook multiple flavors and styles of lasagna simultaneously (hello, families with picky kids or dietary restrictions), but cooks lasagna more evenly than traditional baking dishes and provides more of the crispy edges everyone wants. But for singles, this divided tray makes it possible to cook far less lasagna at one time, too, as Amazon verified purchaser Music City Vol points out. And if you're trying to encourage singles to cook more, this pan can certainly be used for more than just lasagna — brownies, banana bread, and many other baked goods are all possibilities. As another customer pointed out, you can cook three completely different dishes at once, too.

Purchase the Chicago Metallic Professional Lasagna Trio Pan on Amazon for $19.10.

Collecting kitchen gadgets can become a costly endeavor if you consider just how many unique culinary tasks have their own special tools, so we think it's important to keep costs as low as possible for each (and we encourage you not to clutter your kitchen with dozens of these addictive doodads anyway). You may also be shopping for an office gift exchange or other gifting activity with a max budget, so we've set a cap at $15 for this category.

The OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer may have just one very specific use, but it's one that could save you a costly trip to the emergency room, and we think that's quite worthwhile. OSF Healthcare reports that the phenomenon dubbed "avocado hand" brought upwards of 9,000 people to emergency rooms in 2021. These slippery fruits send knives slicing across hands when mishandled, leading to deep cuts. Amazon verified purchaser Greg Magnanti had doubts about the necessity of this single-function gadget but is glad he bought it, finding it effective and easy to use. Verified purchaser Kimbur confirms it's almost impossible to hurt yourself with his gadget, no matter how inexperienced you are with avocados.

Purchase the OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer on Amazon for $11.95.

We need to start this one with a bit of a disclaimer. In general, we don't believe appliances should qualify as gadgets, so we've tried to keep just about anything with a cord off of our list of the best kitchen gadgets, but we made an exception for this one. It may be designed and marketed for breakfast, but there's so much more you can do with it, and we love when gadgets bring more than one function to the table. Or counter.

The Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker does exactly what it sounds like it does, but also a bit more. At its core, it is designed to assemble and cook the classic egg, meat, and cheese sandwich on an English muffin and, provided you use precooked meat, like Canadian bacon, it certainly accomplishes this for you, cooking the egg, toasting the bread, and presenting a stacked breakfast sandwich when it's finished. For that alone, we agree with Business Insider that it's truly a time-saver and not just a gimmick. Amazon verified purchaser Brenda W finds cleanup to be surprisingly simple, and also adds that this little sandwich maker can go far beyond breakfast. Use it for any hot sandwich for lunch, dinner, or even pizza bagel snack sandwiches.

Purchase the Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker on Amazon for $29.98.