The holidays are in full swing and I spent the year trying out different gadgets for the kitchen. As a cook and a new mom, I love gadgets that help make life easier preparing a meal and of course makes cooking a breeze.
Here are a few of my favourite gadgets for 2019 that you might want to consider getting your loved ones. Do note there are no affiliate links, but some of these items were gifted to us throughout the year to give it a test.
Here are 10 of our favourite items.
Instant Pot
Instant Pot is a slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, pressure cooker, egg cooker, sautees, steams, and so many other things. No wonder, this is one of the hottest appliances out there. It can do it all. Of course, the most popular function is the pressure cooker as it can create meals very quickly. Great for a busy family.
Website:
https://instantpot.com/
Nespresso Vertuo
I’ve been skeptical about Nespresso machines until I got one. I would go out for coffee often just to get a nice strong latte, but then I realized I could just do it at home and the quality was pretty good and there are so many options for the capsules. I especially love making iced lattes in the Summer.
Website:
https://www.nespresso.com/ca/en/vertuo-coffee-machines-ranges
HUROM Citrus Juicer
If you love making juice, it’s easier than ever with the HUROM Citrus Juicer. It’s able to squeeze as much out of the fruits as possible. Much better than with hand. It’s perfect for not just juice, but cocktails, mocktails, or anything else that needs juice and pulp.
Website:
https://www.hurom.com/products/cj-citrus-juicer
Zojirushi Rice Cooker & Warmer
When it comes to rice, we are really serious about how our rice is cooked. Whether it is white, brown, or mixed rice, it must be very fluffy. I have had my Zojirushi Rice Cooker for 2 years now and I would not use anything else. I’ve tried cooking rice with the Instant Pot but it really didn’t cut it.
As we aren’t a large family, we opted with the 3-cup version for just our family of 3. There are setting for white/mixed riced, sushi rice, brown rice, GABA brown rice, long grain white rice, steel cut oatmeal and quick cooking. It does take a little while longer to cook brown rice, but it tastes amazing.
Website: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/category/rice-cookers
SodaStream
I’ve grown to really love sparking water and I just hate how many bottles accumulates and it is very wasteful. When I got my SodaStream many years ago, I always had sparkling water at my fingertips. Over the years, the machines got better and better, thus meaning more gas. I love my sparkling water really fizzy. You can use it in cocktails, mocktails, and whatever else that needs sparkling water.
Website: https://sodastream.com/
T-Fal Acti-Cook & Stir
Another great kitchen helper for whipping up a meal is the T-Fal Acti-Cook and Stir. It can create a plethora of different meals without monitoring, stirring, and just one appliance to get it done. If you need an extra hand in the kitchen, their intelligent stirring paddle will help. Imagine stir fry, curries, pudding, soup, and much more. There is also 18 different preset cooking programs to cook many things.
Website:
https://www.t-fal.ca/en/acticookandstir
Vitamix Ascent A3500
The powerhouse of all high powered blender is the Vitamix. From smoothies, dessert, soup, dips & spreads, it does a great job turning simple ingredients into a smooth smooth puree or whatever you need pulverized.
We absolutely love it.
Website:
https://www.vitamix.com/ca/en_us/shop/a3500?skuId=062436
Zojirushi Micom Water Boiler and Warmer
Another Zojirushi appliance, but I have my water boiler on all the time. It make making a bottle of milk easy for the baby, and a pot of tea for myself. I grew up with these water boilers and it’s an Asian household essential.
Website: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/product/cdwcc
Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Digital Air Fry Toaster Oven
Having an oven at home is great, but we cook a lot of smaller batched dishes that don’t require the use of the full over. Hamilton Beach has their Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven and we have been loving it over Thanksgiving. There are 6 different settings – Air Fry, Toast, Bake, Broil, Pizza & Rotisserie. It’s a pretty good size that it can fit 6 slices of bread and even a 12″ pizza. From air fried cauliflower to pizza pockets, it worked for us.
Website:
https://www.hamiltonbeach.com/sure-crisp-digital-air-fryer-toaster-oven-with-rotisserie-31193
T-Fal’s Thermo-spot Frying Pans
I have been using my trusty T-Fal pans with the thermo-spot for about 5 years now. I love how it takes the guess work out of figuring out when the pan is hot enough to start cooking. The spot turns solid red and it’s ready to get cooking. They are also very durable and non-stick.
I love how when you can get the pan hot, it gives steak a nice sear. Also, I love it for making dumplings too.
Website:
https://www.t-fal.ca/en/cookware
Final Thoughts
Well, there it is, 10 of my favourite appliances in our house. Each one has a purpose and has made our life easier in the kitchen. Of course, having all 10 would be overkill, but pick and choose the items that works in your space.
What is your favourite small appliance in the kitchen?
