15 Useful Kitchen Gadgets Every Home Cook Needs
Do you collect useful kitchen gadgets or unnecessary ones? Here are the most useful kitchen gadgets that make life a little bit easier and keep your kitchen decluttered and organized.
Having a small kitchen with little storage, we needed to narrow things down. This includes essential items and kitchen gadgets. Wouldn’t you know that our kitchen drawer was full of unnecessary tools, so was it time to declutter?
It is surprising how many small kitchen gadgets we have tried and collected. Whether they are smart kitchen gadgets, handy kitchen gadgets, or quirky kitchen gadgets, we have narrowed down the essentials to declutter and tidy up our kitchen.
If you are ready to makeover your gadget drawer, these are the essential kitchen gadgets that my family and I use and cannot live without.
Most Useful Kitchen Gadgets
I have a passion for decluttering our home, and although I don’t consider myself a minimalist, my home is always free of clutter. As my grandmother always said, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Let’s take a step towards achieving this by organizing our useful kitchen gadgets. I used contact paper to line my drawers and added a drawer organizer to prevent clutter.
1. Garlic Press
This is one of my most useful kitchen gadgets because I had an accident cutting garlic with a knife, so I highly recommend you have a garlic press to chop your garlic.
Garlic is a common ingredient in many recipes, and a garlic press makes cooking easier.
2. Cooking Tongs
Tongs are an essential tool when it comes to cooking. Personally, I find tongs with a silicone grip to be much more manageable and convenient to use.
It’s helpful to have both large and small cooking tongs on hand for different tasks, whether you’re tossing a salad or flipping meat on the BBQ. We have this exact pair, and they are great!
3. Cheese Grater
We own and really like this type of cheese grater, even though it doesn’t fit in our gadget drawer. We prefer this heavy-duty one for when recipes call for blocks of cheese.
It can grate cheese, vegetables, ginger, and more and, can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher. We put it in our dishwasher 2-3 times a week and have had it for a few years.
4. Lemon Zester & Hand Grater
I tried multiple products when zesting, but a handheld zester does the trick. Plus, it can also be used as a grater for cheese and vegetables.
Having a gadget for adding parmesan or zesting lemon is useful in the kitchen. We have this exact zester, and it’s amazing!
5. Meat Thermometer
I didn’t know how much we needed a meat thermometer until my husband Roger bought this one.
It is important to cook meats, liquids, and other foods to the correct temperature, whether you are baking, barbequing, or roasting in the oven.
6. Turkey Baster
This is a gadget that we don’t use every day, but we certainly enjoy having a turkey baster when roasting turkey or chicken. We just upgraded our 20-year-old baster to this one.
Basting keeps the meat moist and juicy. When cooking a turkey, basting cools down the turkey so the meat can cook evenly.
7. Citrus Peeler
You may think this is silly, but I have used this Tupperware citrus peeler for over 25 years.
I struggle with peeling citrus fruits, but this kitchen gadget is useful to me! I highly recommend it.
8. Apple Slicer
My Pampered Chef apple slicer, a 20-year-old gadget, still makes my favorite gadget list. It’s long-lasting despite its higher price, and I use it weekly.
I know how to cut an apple with a knife, but this little tool is all about convenience and presentation. It really does a great job! And I put it in the dishwater!
9. Wine Opener
A wine opener is a useful kitchen gadget, in my opinion. This steel opener is similar to ours. We’ve had it for a while.
When it comes to uncorking a bottle of wine, a simple and straightforward opener is the way to go. There’s no need for a fancy, elaborate tool when a basic one can do the job just as effectively.
10. Meat Tenderizer
We use a meat tenderizer on chicken, pork, and beef, depending on the cut. It is effective and helps with protein digestion.
The meat tenderizer is very similar to ours, and we have had ours for over 10 years, so they last a long time.
11. Citrus Juicer
I know there are many new models of citrus juicers, but I prefer to use an old-fashioned glass juicer.
Rather than squeezing by hand, I find it easier to use a lemon juicer. Lemon juice is called for in many recipes, so this gadget makes cooking a little bit easier.
12. Can Opener
Like juicers, there are many options for can openers in the market. However, we prefer to keep it simple.
A basic can opener is a useful kitchen gadget that can be easily stored in our gadget drawer, taking up minimal space.
13. All Purpose Shears
If your knife set did not come with all-purpose shears, I recommend purchasing a quality pair.
These scissors are used daily to cut herbs and green onions, open food packages, and more.
14. Vegetable Peeler
A stainless steel vegetable peeler is an essential tool in any kitchen gadget box, and this is my personal favorite.
The shape of this peeler makes peeling vegetables quick and easy.
15. Measuring Cups & Spoons
Everyday stainless steel measuring cups & spoons are great for both cooking and baking recipes.
I have a beautiful gold and wood measuring set in my baking cupboard, and Roger prefers stainless steel for cooking.
15. Bottle Opener with Can Punch
Although we don’t use bottle openers as much as we did in the past, they are still handy to have around when needed.
We have the OXO brand, but this one is very similar and more budget-friendly.
Additional Resources
- Pretty drawer liner
- Smoothing Tool Kit for Applying Peel and Stick Wallpaper
- Gadget drawer organizer
Useful Kitchen Gadgets
If you happen to be someone who enjoys creating an efficient and well-organized kitchen, then you might want to consider decluttering and streamlining your gadget collection.
I am excited to hear your personal preferences and any recommendations you have regarding useful kitchen gadgets. Leave a comment with your suggestions!
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