Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of kitchen gadgets. I’m pretty old school when it comes to the utensils I have in my kitchen. I will spend money on a good set of pots and pans, and my chef’s knife has to be top of the line. Yes I have an obsession with wood cutting boards, but that’s for another post. Other than that I have only a handful of kitchen gadgets and appliances that I use on a regular basis.
I admit, over the years I have been talked into purchasing all sorts of gizmos and gadgets that sounded like they would be a wonderful addition to my arsenal of kitchen tools. I plunked down hard earned cash believing the promises that they would make my life so much better. Truth be told, most were only used once or twice, ending up pushed to the back of my kitchen cabinets, collecting dust for years.
Anyone else out there that loves walking around the commercial buildings at the State Fair watching demonstrations on how their tool will completely change your life for the better? They lure you in with their free samples of food, those sneaky buggers 😂 the free food gets me every time! I’m such a sucker for free stuff, especially free food!
The slicers, the dicers, the food choppers, the Quesadilla grill that would transform my life, all these amazing tools for only $19.95. They make it look so easy and effortless to use them, how can you possibly go on living with out one?
I found them all in the back of my kitchen cabinets when we moved. All of them covered in a thick layer of dust from years of non-use. I can only imagine what the volunteers at my favorite thrift store thought when they opened the box I donated with all those unused kitchen gadgets, LOL.
There are a few that I actually use on a regular basis and worth the investment. I’m not talking about the staples that every kitchen needs, but those extras that actually will help you in preparing your meals. I promise that these won’t get shoved to the back of your kitchen cabinets from non-use.
Food Processor
By far the most expensive gadget on the list. Can you live without one, yes, but this tool will significantly cut down on the time and effort it takes to slice, dice and puree foods. I pull out this workhorse all the time. It makes short work of chopping and pureeing foods. It also works great to get dough to come together. I pull this puppy out every time I make my favorite salsa or hummus, which is often.
Citrus Juicer
Using fresh lemon juice adds a fresh brightness to almost any recipe. A vintage juicer like this one is not only pretty but its clever design makes quick work of extracting the juice from citrus fruits.
Pizza Peel
If you enjoy making homemade pizza or bake bread on a regular basis, a pizza peel is an essential tool to have in your kitchen arsenal. Dust it with cornmeal and your pizza or loaves of bread will easily slide right off and into the oven.
Dish Drying Rack
A fact of life; if you cook a lot there will be dirty dishes to wash. This stainless steel drying rack is low profile and almost disappears from view. It will never rust and rolls up out of the way for easy storage when not in use.
Plastic Spreading Knife/Spatula & Taco Holders
I’m not a big fan of plastic but I have to admit that these two plastic gadgets are very useful. I reach for this knife/spatula more than any other item in my utensil drawer. It’s great for spreading almost everything; butter on toast or mayo on slices of bread when making sandwiches. Makes quick work of assembling PB&Js too.
We are a taco loving family and these little taco proppers conveniently hold your taco shell upright so you can easily add all your favorite taco toppings.
Shaker
The least expensive item on the list, is actually free. It’s the shaker top saved from an empty unattractive jar of grated parmesan cheese. It fits perfectly on a glass mason jar.
I fill mason jars with Grated Parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes and set them out when we have pizza. So much prettier than the plastic containers they come in.
Stovetop Grill
This is the only $19.95 State Fair purchase that I actually use all the time. I love the non-stick surface. Instead of heating up the big gas grill I can quickly grill right on the stovetop; it’s the perfect size for grilling just a couple burgers or a few kabobs.
The ring holds water, producing steam that prevents meats from drying out. It helps keep the meat moist & juicy as it grills.
I keep it in our trailer and use it when we go camping. It is lightweight and its compact size makes it perfect for camp cooking. Plus the non-stick surface makes clean up a breeze.
Adding water to the ring produces steam. 
It’s perfect for grilling small quantities of food.
Immersion Blender
My neighbor gifted me one of her extra blender sticks; she had three! Thank you Deby for one of the most useful gifts I have ever received!!! I use this tool constantly to puree soups, sauces and gravy. It’s so much safer and easier to blend items right in the pot you are cooking them in rather than transferring hot liquids into a blender. I love the convenience of using this tool!
An immersion blender makes it easy to produce one of my favorite soups, a smooth and creamy Split Pea soup.
Pastry Cutter
You probably already use this tool a lot if you like to bake pies and enjoy making pie crust from scratch. But I started to use this tool constantly when I discovered how easily it mashes avocados to make guacamole! Using a fork works but inevitably pushes the avocado up the sides and out of the bowl making a mess. Using a pastry cutter is so much more efficient! Try it and you will see how much easier it is to mash an avocado using a pastry cutter instead of a fork!
Slow Cooker
My list wouldn’t be complete if it didn’t include a slow cooker. This one kitchen gadget probably gets more use than any of the other kitchen gadgets on the list. It’s a real workhorse in my kitchen. I don’t know how I would have survived as a working mom without it. There is nothing better than walking in the door at the end of a long hectic day and being greeted by the delicious aroma of dinner in the crockpot.
I have 4 slow cookers, but this old crusty one, with its crumbling and missing handles and knob is my favorite. It cooks at just the right temperature on low, rarely burning anything I cook in it. It’s just the right size for a family of four, not too big or too small for most recipes. It’s cooked hundreds and hundreds of delicious meals over the years and it’s the one I reach for over and over.
Here is one of our favorite slow cooker recipes. Give these Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches a try, I think you will love them as much as we do!
If you are on the fence about purchasing any one of these items you can rest assured that you will definitely use them. They will quickly become those items that you pull out of your pantry or kitchen cupboards and drawers over and over again. They will simplify your life and meal making will be so much easier when you have these handy tools at your disposal.
Let me know if you have any of these tools in your kitchen arsenal. Don’t forget to comment and let me know which one is your favorite, or tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
That sure is a great list. I have most of them with the exception of the stove top grill and the low profile drying rack. We have a big clunky drying rack, but I plan to follow suit and get this new compact version.
The stove top grill looks awesome. In my new house I’ll have a gas cook top, so that would work great for when the hubby doesn’t want to fire up the grill.
Interesting idea with the shaker cap and the mason jar, too. I love to read your insights on everything. We have the immersion hand blender, but have never used it. I’ll have to give it a shot soon. Totally agree on the pasta cutter as a masher. It’s my go-to masher as well.
Kristine, I’m so glad you are enjoying the blog! If I had to pick my favorite, hands down, it would be the dish rack! I have some house plants sitting on it right now, draining. It is one of the handiest and nicest looking utilitarian gadgets in my kitchen that I use every single day. You can’t say that about most dish racks. I highly recommend it!!!