For his next project, the engineer ended up creating a similarly ingenious coffee maker: the AeroPress, which looks like a big needle-less syringe that pushes a cup of brewed coffee down through a filter and directly into a mug. More than 20 years later, the AeroPress remains a cult classic because it is so easy to use, so easy to clean and the coffee it makes is the perfect middle ground between drip's reliability and French press's richness.
If you've ever mixed something vigorously in a large bowl during a cooking project, you have probably experienced the universal frustration of a tilting, wobbly bowl. Maybe you're whipping cream by hand, whisking a vinaigrette, or even just beating eggs for a casual, but perfect, omelette, and notice the bowl starts migrating across the counter. There are some low-tech workarounds, like a damp towel or a silicone mat slipped underneath the bowl. Neither works terribly well, especially with super-slippery granite countertops.
Whether you love cooking already or you want to try to cook more at home to spend less money on takeout, there are tons of gadgets that can make your time in the kitchen even more enjoyable. As food lovers and tech reviewers, the Engadget team has tried out pizza ovens, sous vide machines, air fryers, ice cream makers and more.
Business Insider editors share their top holiday gift wish list picks for 2025. Editors' choices include kitchen gadgets, stylish bags, and wellness-focused footwear. Gift ideas range from Vitamix blenders to Salomon running shoes and Beats headphones. The editor-selected companies were not involved in the sourcing or writing of this story. The views contained within represent the editor's personal views. The holidays are creeping up faster than our unread Slack messages, which means one thing: wish list season is officially on.
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.
