I consider myself a MasterChef critic, but my skills were a bit, well… dull, before I amassed an arsenal of useful kitchen gadgets. My butter knife was as chef as it gets, and a ceramic or plastic platter sufficed as a plate.
Thankfully, I’ve gotten out of college-like habits and my curated collection is far more sophisticated than it was when I was younger. I prefer to host at home. I know what’s in my food and how much alcohol is in my cocktails.
After all, it is real homes We’ve put together a list of the must-have cooking essentials to kick off 2023 well. The best air fryers flew off shelves last year, but you’ll want these accessories to earn amateur chef status. The reason is that a) many of them are very compact and b) I use them almost every day.
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1. ReneeChef Garlic Press
If you’re the type to look at how much garlic a recipe calls for and double (or even triple) it, we can totally relate. may feel like a chore. So if you love adding crushed cloves to your food and want to avoid garlic mani in the process, Editor-in-Chief Melissa Epifano swears by this ReneeChef Store Garlic Press, available on Amazon.
“Garlic is my one and only love, and it’s slow to mince or mince, so using a press makes cooking so much easier,” says Epifano.
With this garlic crushing gadget, you don’t even have to worry about pre-peeling or smelly hands.
Epifano likes to grind in a grinder, but ecommerce editor Christina Chrysostomou swears by her Microplane to help this little kitchen helper go a long way. Whether you grate parmesan cheese all over your pasta, grate garlic, or combine the tag with a milk frother for barista-style hot chocolate, this gourmet grater is so versatile it fits in your kitchen drawer. so slim.
Remember, this lightweight tool can also peel citrus fruits and nutmeg, which are perfect garnishes for those with a sweet tooth.
3. Zyliss E910015 Easy Pull Food Processor
looks like you saw notebook In the middle of chopping onions? you need this I tried all the tricks mentioned in the book. Put a metal spoon in your mouth? check. Do the tap — it did. This food processor is not guaranteed to be tear-free, but it gets the job done much faster.
And you will have a uniform onion. All you need to do is chop a red or brown bulb to fit in the container, replace the lid, and pull the ring pull a few times. Can be sliced and diced.
4. ZWILLING Fresh & Save Vacuum Sealer Machine 4 Piece Starter Set
If you’re sick of your salad veggies wrinkling in your vegetable drawer after just a few days, invest in this pick to keep your food fresh up to 5 times longer. It may seem a little pricey at first, but it keeps fruits and vegetables fresh for weeks, so you get your vitamins before your produce gets a little hairy.
Fresh food is often more expensive. So this gadget prevents spoilage by essentially sucking out all the air. There’s even an app you can download that tells you when your food is going bad. And if you want to cook fork tenderized meat, use a plastic bag to cook a cut sous vide in a water bath. This is one of our products.
5. Aeropress coffee maker
“I die on the aeropress hill,” says Epifano. And if he’s not ready to invest in one of the best coffee machines but can’t put up with it right away, consider joining this coffee mold mount as well.
To make a cup of joe without a coffee maker, simply add ground coffee and hot water to make a perfectly brewed java (no grit) in less than a minute. Capable of brewing 1 regular cup or 1-3 espresso-sized shots, you can have your usual homebrew on the go without swallowing subpar sludge.
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6. Takuhi Ceramic Soy Sauce Plate
“If you want to spice up your meal a little, we recommend getting a cute dipping bowl like this one,” says ecommerce editor Louise Oliphant.
“I have the IKEA equivalent. As you can imagine, it’s a set of 4 and very inexpensive. I like the expensive and timeless look. It seems like it will last a lifetime (if not No problem.) I’ve been eating it for at least three years, but be careful and take it out with the dinners I’m eating.”
“Sometimes you put Parmesan in one, another cheese in the sauce, or some other add-on. It’s also dishwasher safe, so no harm done.Trust me: it makes mealtime a lot more fun.Bonus, it’s worth it!
7. Nespresso Aeroccino 4 Milk Frother
This milk frother is the editor-in-chief’s most-used kitchen gadget. Those who don’t like black coffee need a powerful whisk. Aeroccino is he one of two that we highly recommend. After two years of using it almost daily, this whisk still looks and functions like new. Hot or cold milk can be frothed by him in less than a minute (without scorching or burning), making it easy to make lattes, matcha, and hot chocolate at home in any season. The nonstick interior cleans in seconds with a quick sponge rinse and wipe. A small machine takes up very little counter space.
8. Breville BMF600XL Milk Cafe Milk Frother
Fans of hot and cold drinks need a milk frother that can do both. Breville’s automatic models allow you to make the perfect iced latte or hot cappuccino from the comfort of your own kitchen. Set and forget with a simple dial so he can focus on choosing his second portion of his morning drink.We’re big fans of the handle and subtle spout that makes pouring simple and concise. When Compact and the best of both worlds. It’s better than a handheld that can’t heat or cool, and smaller than a heavy-duty coffee maker with a built-in frother.
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9. PriorityChef Potato Ricer
Annie Collyer’s kitchen hero is a potato ricer. If you love mashed potatoes, make way for the smoothest, silkiest pomme puree you’ll ever make. Yes, she’s “a bit of a diva to clean up,” she admits, but she can look past that.
Alternatively, there are some ricer hacks. Mash an avocado for guacamole, use a ricer to make homemade gnocchi, or use it in hummus. Of course, there’s also the TikTok trend of making aligots (who doesn’t like mashed potatoes that look and taste like string cheese?).
Any time of the year, it’s always a good idea to have the best blender.From pasta sauces to protein shakes, you can do so much more with this gadget. It’s fairly compact, so it’s worth keeping even on a small counter.
“My NutriBullet is still my favorite,” says Camille Dubuis-Welch, deputy editor of realhomes.com. “It doubles as a cocktail shaker when you need it.”
You don’t even have to grind everything into a puree or paste. For example, if you need to coarsely chop cilantro, this handy tool can help you hack tender herbs (no need to salvage every last slither of greens from your cutting board.
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11.ChefSofi pestle and mortar set
Try a nutty pesto or fragrant curry paste for a fresh, fragrant base to whisk away herbs and spices. There are some really beautiful marble sets on the market, but our favorite is the ChefSofi pestle and mortar set. A mat is included.
All in all, if you forgive the pun, it’s a smashing little kitchen appliance!
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12. Morimori Olive Oil Dispenser Bottle
Whether you like to cook with neutral fat or drizzle your salad with infused oil, there are no two ways to do it.Plastic bottles aren’t pretty. If you’ve ever had a lid that doesn’t close properly, it’s become slippery and you’ve even spilled curse words.
Upgrade your gourmet game with these glass oil dispensers. Just like your favorite perfume, savory flavors (and coffee syrups) can be displayed in a fashionable way. I love the waterproof, oil proof and pre-printed labels. Of course, the beautiful gold spout looks like a dream. There are two sizes, 350ml and 500ml.
13. Salter 1064 WHDR Electronic Kitchen Scale
Forget what you’ve heard about scales. just For food weighers, fads, dieters and followers. If anything, it’s a chef’s top secret for getting consistent results when cooking recipes. But this mirror-finished kitchen scale does more than just measure ingredients.
It doubles as a stable cutting board and can even measure liquids with its aquatronic feature. No matter where you are in the world, you can complete your meal to perfection in metric or imperial units.
14. Robert Welch Knife Set
If your current blades don’t cut, you need a new knife set. Ideally, your cutting tool should be doing the work, not you, when cutting meat or vegetables. If you’re into hacking, you should accept your fate and invest in new equipment.
Instead of poking around in the dark and picking up random collections, consider this Robert Welch 6-Piece Knife Set housed in a sustainable oak wood block. Yes, it’s a little pricey, but Millie Fender, head of review, swears it’s one of the best knife sets on the market.
“If you only buy one piece of cookware, make it Always Pan from Our Place!” advises staff writer Nishaa Sharma.
“This one-pan marvel is an absolute kitchen must-have because it’s so versatile. First and foremost, it’s an amazing non-stick pan that cooks food very evenly. But that’s as good as it gets.” No. It’s also great: it’s for steaming, deep enough to boil pasta (a personal must-have), and has drains on either side.Gorgeous pastel, rustic, or bright colors And I love well-designed, beautiful pieces that match any dish. Kitchen counters.”
“Cooking is so much fun with such a gorgeous bowl. Another perk is the spatula and built-in spoon rest, so with this pan, kitchen cleanup is minimal. can be reduced to