#kitchen-gadgets

#kitchen-gadgets

People in the modern world will never fully appreciate how miraculous it is to have ice on demand. Before the invention of refrigeration technology, we relied on naturally formed ice. If you were in sunny Florida and wanted an ice-cold drink, you needed to have wealth because this was a luxury. The ice industry was a massive business, involving people cutting huge blocks of ice from frozen lakes in the northern U.S., Canada, Norway, and other frosty climates, then shipping them all over the world.

1. A self-stirring multi-cooker for those of us whose grown-up version of a fairy godmother would be a private chef. This dream machine uses an automatic paddle to shred meats and stir soups and stews so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time picking out Halloween costumes with your kiddos.

Every chef has their go-to kitchen tool. For Chris Cosentino, the former San Francisco chef behind Incanto and Cockscomb, it's a stackable stainless-steel bacon press that he swears by. "I have two round ones and six small ones in varying weights at my house. I probably have double that at Koast," Cosentino said of his Maui restaurant. "They give me consistency and control, and I think that's really what's super important about it."

Connect Images/brett Stevens/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Let's be real for a second - washing lettuce is a pain. Unless a bag instructs you to do otherwise, it's something that just needs to be done to avoid any unwanted illnesses. This is where the humble salad spinner steps in, and luckily for us, there's one brand that continues to deliver the most user-friendly versions: OXO.

I love cooking, I write about kitchen gadgets for a living after all, but cooking in bulk when you live alone can feel like a chore. And eating the same thing four days in a row can even get downright depressing. The way I've figured out how to enjoy it is by starting with basics-grains, roasted veggies, versatile proteins-and then jazzing them up with sauces, marinades, and dressings so they don't feel repetitive. That's where the Smart Stick comes in.

The 1990s were the decade that gave us boy bands, Pokémon, and an unreasonable fear of the coming millennium, but it was also the defining age of novelty gadgets. Long before smart small kitchen appliances started filling our homes, countertops and cabinets were brightened up by multi-functional tools designed to save time, remove fat, and part you from your hard-earned cash. The late-night infomercial prompted millions of amateur cooks to purchase items that claimed to make their culinary lives easier and their food so much better.

If the Barefoot Contessa does something herself, you can feel confident it makes life that much better, whether it's a refreshingly easy recipe for a dreamy dish, a genius organization hack, or a stress-free solution to throwing a memorable dinner party. We've rounded up 18 kitchen tools Ina Garten considers essential, as these are the secrets to her efficient and effortless culinary magic. But it's just as important and intriguing to know: Is there a kitchen tool she deems unnecessary?

BugMD: Pest Solutions Better for you and bad for bugs. BugMD makes effective solutions for everyday pest problems. Essential Pest Control is designed to fight ants, roaches, fleas, ticks and bed-bugs in your home. It's powered by clove and cottonseed oils so it's safe around kids, pets and plants when used as directed. Choose from zap traps, bracelets, plug ins, sprays and more.

If you're someone who eats eggs regularly and values speed and precision, then yes, an electric egg cooker can be a worthwhile investment. But if you're more of an occasional egg-eater, stovetop methods are perfectly adequate.

The Opal 2.0 countertop ice maker delivers munchable nugget ice at home, fitting under most cabinets and promising convenience with its smart features.

Willis Johnson patented a game-changing solution: hand-cranking rotary egg beaters. This invention changed at-home baking for good and was registered in 1884.

The Ninja Creami ice cream machine has gained a massive cult following, including its own subreddit with 104,000 members. The Swirl version even allows for soft serve functionality.

At my big [cough late thirties cough] age, I've spent a number of years living alone, and from time to time, issues do arise with tasks that require more brute strength than my biceps can offer.

The importance of a rice cooker lies not just in its presence, but in acquiring one with the right features to guarantee consistent, fluffy rice.

It does as described! I have arthritis and neuropathy in my hands. This keeps me from burning my hands when I use it for pasta and keeps me from spilling my fruits and vegetables in the sink when I wash them! - LB

A pie scorer is designed to help you slice perfectly ratioed segments of pie every time and is worth the investment if you bake regularly.

I honestly didn't think this would work, but it does. It's like magic. Takes literally 20 seconds and comes out perfectly every time.

"For those not fully familiar with how it works, what it's accomplishing is trying to surround your liquid with as much ice-behind-metal as possible. So, it has a center chamber of ice behind the metal, then an outer chamber of ice... You can pour in boiling water and...none of that water will mix with your drink. This will get that done." - P. Ericksen

Makes life so much easier. I can't imagine chopping onions or bell peppers by hand anymore, and it does so much more. We used to have a Prepworks chopper which was a similar idea, but you had to press so hard to chop, and it broke after not too long. This one requires very little effort to cut through the food, and it has a generous container.

The Yonanas fruit soft-serve maker transforms frozen fruit into a creamy dessert, mimicking ice cream or sorbet, with a focus on dietary-friendly options.