5 Simple Electric Gadgets Everyone Should Have In Their Kitchen
If you're a home cook outfitting your dream kitchen, chances are you're pretty overwhelmed with choosing from the vast selection of kitchen appliances and devices available in the market today. On top of the staple appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens, there's a whole universe of unconventional kitchen gadgets to go through, too. You have options such as air fryers, sandwich makers, vacuum sealers, and even high-tech smart devices like Wi-Fi-enabled and app-controlled smart displays and toasters.
If your budget is generous, then by all means, deck out your countertops with an array of your favorite appliances and gadgets. But if you're working with a more modest budget or simply prefer to focus on the essentials, it's best to narrow down your picks to those truly indispensable items. To help you do so, we've compiled a list of five simple yet very handy electric gadgets you'd need in your cooking space.
Digital kitchen scale
While some meals can come out perfect even when you just measure by heart (there's no such thing as too much garlic or cheese, anyway!), cooking is still undeniably a form of science. To achieve that perfectly consistent flavor in your meatloaf, spaghetti, and mac and cheese, precise measurement of ingredients is key. That's why having a handy digital scale in your kitchen can be a game-changer.
Most digital kitchen scales are versatile enough to handle both dry and wet ingredients. Their capacity typically ranges from a modest two pounds to a more robust eleven pounds, catering to various needs. If your kitchen adventures include small-scale tasks like measuring coffee beans or single servings of sauces, a two-pound scale should be enough. However, if you're cooking for a big family or are into canning large quantities of fruits and veggies, opt for an 11-pound scale.
Another convenient feature you can find in most modern scales is the tare function. This allows you to measure multiple ingredients in the same bowl without needing to pull out all of your measuring spoons or having to empty the bowl after each ingredient. Just press the 'tare' button and keep adding your ingredients — it's that simple. And you don't have to worry about the scale taking up too much space either. There are dozens of digital scales designed with a sleek profile, some as thin as 0.5 inches and as compact as four inches in width. This makes them a perfect fit for even the smallest of kitchens.
Electric mixer
If you're not one for the old-school charm of manually mixing ingredients, an electric mixer is a must-have in your kitchen. Generally, you've got two types to choose from: a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Stand mixers are your go-to for heavy-duty tasks like mixing large quantities of batter or kneading dough for baked goods. On the other hand, hand mixers are more suited for lighter jobs like making icings or whipping egg whites.
But even if you're not a baker, you'll find a variety of uses for an electric mixer as they're surprisingly versatile for everyday kitchen tasks, too. Need the perfect mashed potatoes? Just toss your boiled potatoes into a bowl and let the mixer work its magic until you get that smooth and creamy texture. Mixing meat and spices for burgers or meatloaf? An electric mixer can also handle that job easily. Pulling apart a cooked chicken but hate using a fork? You can use an electric mixer for that, too.
Most mixers come with a range of speeds, typically between five to nine, and include various attachments like scrapers, whisks, and dough hooks. What's more, stand mixers from major brands like KitchenAid can transform into entirely different kitchen gadgets with the right attachments. Think pasta rollers and cutters, vegetable spiralizers, and even food processor kits so that you can have a mini kitchen army in just one appliance.
Electric food chopper
Dealing with prep work in the kitchen — all that chopping, dicing, and slicing of veggies, meats, and aromatics — is probably one of the least favorite parts of cooking. It's tedious and time-consuming, especially if you have a heap of ingredients to chop up and the recipe calls for specific cuts for each one. Wouldn't it be great if you could just snap your fingers and have all those ingredients prepped instantly? Well, while you can't, unfortunately, do magic, electric food choppers are the next best thing.
These handy devices offer a quicker way to prepare your ingredients, whether you need minced garlic for your marinade, bread crumbs for your chicken breading, or even chopped cucumbers for your salad. Many models also double as food processors that you can use to prep things like tomato purée, guacamole, and even soft baby foods. Another great thing about typical home kitchen electric food choppers is their cordless design, making them super convenient to move around your space. Food choppers usually come in various sizes, like three, five, and eight cups. But if you're often cooking smaller meals, mini food choppers with just 250-milliliter capacities are also available.
Electric can opener
How many times have you ended up with a nasty cut while trying to pry open a can of beans using a knife? The worst part is you risk seriously injuring yourself if the knife slips from the can. Fortunately, gone are the days when you have to wrestle with the can just to retrieve its contents. This mundane kitchen task is now almost effortless thanks to electric can openers.
Electric can openers come in three main designs: countertop, under-the-cabinet, and handheld. The countertop models are generally bigger than your traditional manual openers, but they pack more power and can handle a variety of can sizes. Some even come with extras like built-in scissor holders and bottle openers. Under-the-cabinet can openers, as the name suggests, are mounted under your kitchen cabinets. They often feature additional tools like bag and bottle openers and sometimes even a knife sharpener. Handheld electric can openers are the smallest of the bunch, making them easy to store. They attach effortlessly to your chosen can and do all the work for you.
Most electric can openers on the market now come with convenient features. There's the automatic shut-off function, where the blade stops cutting immediately to prevent any metal shavings from contaminating your food. Plus, there's the one-touch feature — just press a button once, and the opener starts cutting. Some models even cut along the sides of the can instead of the top for a smoother and duller lid and less chance of spillage.
Digital thermometer
Although most recipes tell you exactly what temperature to set your oven to or how long to cook your fried food, there's always a bit of uncertainty, particularly if you're working with an ingredient with a different cut or thickness than what's mentioned in the recipe. The good news is that you no longer have to rely on guesswork or constant checking to make sure your food is cooked just right. Digital thermometers ensure that your meal's quality is precisely how you want it.
These handy devices do only one thing but do it well: they give you the precise temperature of your meat, cooking oil, or sugar solution (for candy/jelly making).
You'll find two types of digital thermometers in home kitchens: meat thermometers and deep fry thermometers. Meat thermometers usually come in two varieties: instant-read, which you insert into the meat to quickly check the temperature before removing it, and probe thermometers, which stay inserted in the meat throughout the cooking process. Some probe thermometers even have an alarm that notifies you when the meat reaches your desired temperature. On the other hand, deep fry thermometers, as the name implies, are designed for frying. You can clip them to the side of your pot to accurately monitor the temperature of your cooking oil or sugar solution. Modern digital thermometers often come with a mobile app companion, where you can control and monitor them, making them one of the best smart gadgets for your kitchen.