7 useful kitchen gadgets you didn’t know you needed
Here are 7 useful kitchen items that will completely change your approach to food.
From toasters and kettles to pots and pans, our kitchens are filled with appliances and items that we use almost every day. We may think we have all our bases covered with these fundamental tools, but a few simple and affordable additions to your kitchen can make a world of difference.
If cooking is becoming more of a chore than an enjoyable activity for you, here are 7 items that will reignite your passion for food.
Tortilla Press
There's nothing quite like authentic Mexican cuisine. The spice, the zest and the colour continue to make Mexican food some of the most popular on the planet.
Among these dishes, one stands alone: the taco. Since originating from 19th Century Mexican silver mines, this dish has slowly become adored the world over. If you really want to enjoy this culinary tradition, forget going to the supermarket and buying packaged, preservative-filled tortillas; get your hands on a traditional, authentic tortilla press, and make them fresh.
You can pick up a premium cast iron Tortillada Tortilla Press for $58.99 on Amazon. And just in case you're lacking inspiration, it comes with a free ebook containing 50 recipes.
Stovetop smoker
Want to enjoy that smoky flavour, but don't have a barbeque of your own? With nothing but a simple stove and a stovetop smoker, you can add a delicious dimension to just about any meal. These overlooked items can be used with wood chips for an extra crisp, smoky flavour and they're also simple to clean. It feels like cheating when you can make food that tastes freshly grilled this hassle-free, but that's exactly what a stovetop smoker provides.
Amazon is selling ExcelSteel Stainless Steel Stovetop Smokers for just $65.88. With this bargain, you'll have meals with the flavour of an open flame, without having to step outside your kitchen.
Ice cream maker
We all scream for ice cream, but having your very own ice cream maker will take your frozen obsession to a whole new level. In both flavour and texture, freshly churned ice cream is a marked improvement on the store bought stuff, largely thanks to the absence of modifying agents and unnatural flavourings.
When your freshly made batch is done churning, it's smooth as silk, every time. As soon as you get your hands on your ice cream maker, your mind will instantly be abuzz with dozens of weird and wonderful flavour combinations you could never find at the supermarket. Soft serves, gelatos, sorbets and frozen yoghurts are just some of the other frozen delicacies you can produce with your ice cream maker.
Excited by the idea of getting your very own summer saviour, but think it's out of your budget? Guess again. Nisbets is selling the Apuro 1.5 L Ice Cream Maker for $399.90.
See the best rated ice cream makers in Australia.
All-in-one food processor
Food processors are a handy tool, but I'm guessing it's never occurred to you to cook an entire meal with one. All-in-one food processors are basically a mini-kitchen – soups, breads, juices, jams and sauces, there's not much these gadgets can't make. They boast the functionality of 10+ appliances in one, so dump your old juicers and stand mixers and replace them with a sleek and intuitive all-in-one.
Top of the line all-in-one food processors used by the pros can retail at around $2,000, but fear not. There are far more modestly priced models with much of the same functionality, like the TODO Thermo Cooker Machine, available on Kogan for just $249.
See the best rated food processors in Australia.
Multi-cooker
We've all been to a dinner party, and wondered how the meat we're eating has come out so tender and delicious. Smiling hosts usually give 1 of 2 answers: slow cooking or pressure cooking. Now, you have the opportunity to use both of these methods in the 1 appliance.
All-in-one multi-cookers offer the functionality of both slow and pressure cookers, meaning the only problem you'll have is deciding which gourmet method to prepare your next meal with. Put your stew on to slow cook before you go to work, and enjoy fall-off-the-bone meat when you get home. You can then turn around and throw some chicken breast in your pressure cooker and marvel at how quickly it produces a perfectly cooked meal.
You can currently buy the Philips Viva Collection All-in-One Multi-Cooker for $179 on Amazon – that's a saving of 28% on the RRP.
Knife whetstone
There's an endless supply of exciting new appliances to spruce up your kitchen, but sometimes it's best to take things back to basics. If you ask a professional chef to name one error in a home cook's kitchen, there's a good chance they'll pick out the sharpness of their knives.
Far too many wannabe chefs are hacking away at meat and produce with dull knives, affecting the flavour, texture and presentation of their meals. Additionally, slicing through your ingredients like butter with a razor-sharp blade vastly reduces the risk of injury. The solution to your blunt knives is a simple and affordable whetstone. These nifty, user-friendly tools will have your entire knife collection up to restaurant-quality in no time.
You can grab the Sharp Pebble's Dual Grid Sharpening Stones for under $90 on Amazon. Get it now, and you'll be wondering why it hasn't always been a staple of your kitchen.
Grill press
Preparing meats, on the stovetop or the grill, can be challenging. From bacon curling every which way, to grease accumulating on burgers and steaks, something always seems to be going wrong.
A grill press is an extremely handy device that will give you a helping hand in your quest to enjoy perfect meats by ensuring they are always evenly heated and free of excessive grease. Additionally, if you preheat your grill press, it speeds up your cooking time significantly, making it perfect for throwing together bacon and eggs before rushing to work.
You can currently pick up the Lodge LGP3 Cast Iron Grill Press on Amazon for $90.95. With this steal of a deal, you'll be whipping up the perfect meat in no time.