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BUYING GUIDE
I have bought a lot of kitchen gadgets over the years. Most of them are in a drawer. A couple are in the bin. One was a genuine fire hazard and we do not speak of it.
But some of them, the ones on this list, I genuinely use every single week. Some of them I use every day. They are the ones that made me faster, made the food better, or just made the whole process of cooking for four children slightly less chaotic. None of them cost a fortune. All of them are on Amazon. All of them are worth it.
1. A Microplane Grater
This is the one I tell everyone about. Before I had a Microplane grater, I was using a box grater for garlic, ginger, lemon zest, parmesan, everything. The difference is embarrassing. The Microplane is razor sharp, the zest comes off feather-light, the garlic practically dissolves into whatever you are making, and it rinses clean in two seconds. I use mine every single day. It costs around £15 and it is one of the best £15 I have ever spent in this kitchen.
2. A Digital Instant-Read Thermometer
If you cook meat regularly, roast chicken, pork, anything with a thick centre, you need one of these. A digital instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork completely out of it. No more cutting into the chicken to check, no more serving something that turns out to be raw in the middle, no more overcooking expensive steak because you were nervous. You stick it in, you get a number, you know. They cost around £12 to £20 depending on the brand and they last for years.
3. A Stick Blender (Immersion Blender)
I make a lot of soup. A LOT of soup. If you have ever tried to transfer hot liquid from a pan into a standing blender in batches, let the steam pressure build, and then watched your kitchen ceiling get a new coat of butternut squash, you will understand why a stick blender is life-changing. You blend directly in the pan. No transferring, no splashing, no drama. You can get a decent one for around £25 to £35.
4. A Good Garlic Press
I know people who peel and chop garlic with a knife and I respect them but I am not one of them. A proper heavy duty garlic press takes an unpeeled clove and squeezes the garlic straight out while the skin stays behind. No peeling, no sticky hands, no smell on your fingers for three days. I use the OXO Good Grips one and it has been going strong for years. Under £15, dishwasher safe.
5. Silicone Baking Mats
Baking paper is fine but silicone baking mats are better and cheaper in the long run. Nothing sticks to them, they are reusable for hundreds of uses, they wash up in seconds. They come in standard baking tray sizes, cost around £8 to £12, and they will last you years.
6. A Kitchen Scale That Actually Works
I know scales seem boring but a bad scale is a genuine problem when you are baking. A good digital kitchen scale is accurate to one gram, responds instantly, has a tare function that actually works, and should cost you around £10 to £15. The difference matters, especially for baking.
7. A Salad Spinner
Bear with me on this one because I know it sounds like the least exciting thing on the list. But a salad spinner is genuinely one of those things that, once you have one, you cannot believe you managed without it. The spinner dries everything in about thirty seconds, the leaves stay crisp for longer in the fridge, and it doubles as a colander. OXO and Zyliss both make excellent ones for around £20 to £30.
8. Reusable Silicone Food Bags
Reusable silicone food bags are what you use instead of cling film for storing leftovers, marinading meat, freezing portions, or packing lunches. They seal properly, they go in the dishwasher, they are freezer and microwave safe. A set of mixed sizes costs around £12 to £18 and they will genuinely last years.
9. A Y-Peeler
If you are still using a straight peeler, try a Y-peeler. The blade is perpendicular to the handle instead of parallel and the motion is more natural, faster, and you waste far less vegetable. Cooks in professional kitchens use them almost exclusively. They cost about £5 to £8 and the OXO Good Grips version is particularly good.
10. A Mandoline Slicer
I will be honest with you: the first time I used a mandoline slicer I was terrified of it. It is extremely sharp and you must use the hand guard. But the results are extraordinary: paper-thin cucumber for salads, perfectly even potato slices for gratin, courgette ribbons. You can get a solid adjustable one for around £20 to £30. Use the hand guard. Seriously. Use the hand guard every single time.
11. A Good Set of Silicone Spatulas
A heat-resistant silicone spatula set sounds mundane until you realise how much you use them. Scraping every last bit of batter out of a bowl, folding ingredients without deflating them, scraping the bottom of a pan without scratching it. A set of three in different sizes costs around £10 to £15.
12. A Cast Iron Skillet
Okay this one goes slightly over £30 depending on the size but I am including it because it is the single most used pan in my kitchen and nothing else comes close. A cast iron skillet holds heat better than anything else, goes from hob to oven seamlessly, produces the best sear on meat you will ever achieve at home, and gets better with every use. Lodge make excellent ones and a 25cm skillet is the most versatile size. Under £40, lasts literally a lifetime.
One Bonus: A Clip-On Pot Strainer
This is the least glamorous thing I own and I absolutely love it. A clip-on pot strainer clips to the side of any pan and lets you pour off water without needing a separate colander. Pasta, potatoes, blanched vegetables, tip the pan, the water goes down the drain, everything stays in. About £6.
If you have been inspired to actually use these gadgets, here are a few recipes worth trying: my OXO cube soup recipes are perfect for the stick blender, the barley and butternut squash risotto is a good test for the scale and the garlic press, and my oat cheese and herb biscuits will make excellent use of those silicone baking mats.
Soundtrack for the Kitchen
The single best upgrade I have made to my cooking life that has nothing to do with food: a proper sound setup in the kitchen. The WiiM Mini and Edifier R1280T bundle is the cheapest path to a real streaming hi-fi setup, total spend under £200, and it makes a kitchen feel like a kitchen. For the vinyl version, the Pro-Ject E1 turntable goes into the same speakers, and these are the seven records currently on heavy rotation while I cook.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kitchen gadgets are actually worth buying?
The ones worth buying are tools that do a specific job faster or better than improvising without them. A Microplane grater, a stick blender, a digital thermometer and a decent garlic press are at the top of most professional cooks’ lists for good reason. Avoid single-purpose gadgets like avocado slicers and strawberry hullers.
What is the most useful kitchen tool?
If forced to choose one, a sharp chef’s knife beats everything. But assuming your knives are decent, the next most useful purchase for most home cooks is a Microplane grater. It changes how you use garlic, ginger, citrus zest, hard cheese and chocolate, and it costs very little.
Are kitchen gadgets worth the money?
The ones on this list are, yes. The key distinction is between gadgets that replace a tool you actually need (stick blender, thermometer, scale) versus gadgets that solve problems you do not have (spiraliser gathering dust in a drawer since 2019). Buy tools that do real jobs and skip the novelty items.
What kitchen gadgets do chefs use at home?
Almost universally: a Microplane grater, a cast iron skillet, a reliable instant-read thermometer, a Y-peeler, and a stick blender. None of these are glamorous. All of them are used constantly. The fancy equipment stays at the restaurant.
What is the best budget kitchen gadget?
The clip-on pot strainer at around £6 has the best price-to-usefulness ratio of anything in this kitchen. The Y-peeler at £5 to £8 is a close second. Both cost almost nothing and make you wonder why you did not buy them years ago.
