8 Favorite Kitchen Gadgets
Will that new kitchen gadget be something you use and love or just take up space in your kitchen? We asked over 100 families about their favorite kitchen tools and we received some fantastic feedback in return.
Some of the favorites are well known basic items, while others that were mentioned by many families, were new to us and are now must-haves in our kitchen. If you are looking for a new little gadget or a tried and true gift idea, here are the favorites from the survey.
1 Good Knives - Durable, sharp knives can be expensive, however if well taken care of they can last for many years and are well worth the cost. The brand favorites mentioned were Wustof and Vitronox. This little Vitronox knife set, an inexpensive family favorite option, is available on Amazon for about $15.
2. Zester/ Grater - Also referred to as a rasp grater, this sharp little little tool is used to zest citrus fruits and grate parmesan cheese along with other foods like fresh ginger, chocolate, and nutmeg. Warning: this is very sharp and should be used with caution. Voted the best rasp grater by America’s Test Kitchen, this microplane grater is available on Amazon for about $13.
3. Kitchen Shears - Great for everything from cutting up bunches of grapes to cutting up a whole chicken, the uses for this simple tool are many. A popular option is the J.A. Heckles Take-Apart Kitchen Shears available at Walmart for about $13.00.
4. Garlic Press - Mincing garlic is now a very quick and easy process. Some presses are a little easier to use and clean. This OXO Good Grips Garlic Press rates high on gadget tests and reviews and is available from OXO for $17.00.
5. Mix and Chop - This little tool made by Pampered Chef was mentioned by several families as their favorite go to for breaking up ground beef while browning, and crushing avocados for guacamole. It is available through Pampered Chef for $15.00.
6. Apple Peeler/Slicer - This apple peeler, slicer, corer creates fun shaped snacks or quickly preps several apples for a recipe. Just place an apple on the slicer and turn the handle (a fun activity for kids) and the gadget magically peels, slices, and cores an apple all at once. It is available on Amazon for about $19.
7. Spatula/ Turner - Some family cooks love their extra large spatulas for big pancakes while other families rated the high temp option the most important. Stiff, non stick, and safe for all pan surfaces were also desired attributes to this very basic tool. This simple spatula has great reviews and is only $1 at IKEA. There is also a large capacity option here. The OXO silicone cookie spatula is a great high temperature option.
8. Citrus Squeezer - Juice a lemon or lime efficiently and quickly with a little juicer like this one available on Amazon for about $23. It has been voted the best juicer by America’s Test Kitchen and others and has great reviews on Amazon.
**All of the links above are merely to help you easily find the items and show some of the family survey favorites. We are not affiliated with nor will we receive any compensation from the companies referred to.