The kitchen gadgets you didn't know you needed in 2023
If a gadget can cut down time spent in the kitchen or at least make that time a little more exciting, we want to know about it. And once we do, we feel it's only fair to pass this intel on, especially if it can be of assistance and bring flavour to your cooking.
We've found some weird and wacky, and most importantly, useful kitchen gadgets you didn't know you needed.
Bon appétit.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
Stanley Rogers Cheese Slicer
Designed for semi-firm cheeses like gouda, edam and havarti, this stainless steel cheese slicer will make sure every slice is evenly cut and ready for the perfect bite. It might not seem like much, but this is a highly underrated kitchen gadget, that deserves its place in every cutlery drawer.
OXO Good Grips Corn Prep Peeler
This dishwasher-safe corn peeler from cookware brand OXO has a Y-shaped design and shark-jaw style blade that digs under the kernels to cleanly remove them all from the cob in their entirety. You can buy yours today for just $9.95.
Mind Reader Supreme Lazy Suzan 2-Tiered Snack Organiser
Keeping all your snacks together and organised while saving space in the pantry, the Mind Reader Supreme 2-Tiered Lazy Suzan rotates 360-degrees to access all your favourite treats. It measures 35.5cm tall, with the top tier 29.8cm wide and the bottom tier 36.2cm wide.
Joseph Joseph Scoop Colander
Letting you scoop and drain your cooking in one go, having the Joseph Joseph Scoop Colander is great for draining veggies and paste straight from the pot or removing your food from the deep fryer. It is heat resistant up to 200-degrees Celsius, has a non-slip silicone handle and is dishwasher safe.
Right now, this scoop is on sale for $17.72 for Amazon Prime members. If you want this great deal, you can sign up to a free 30-day Amazon Prime membership here.
Hoan The Original Bagel Guillotine
This bagel cutter can create an even and smooth slice down the middle of your bagel, roll or muffin. While the blade is sharp and looks a little intimidating, it is built with an acrylic shield to protect your fingers as you slice.
Mini Jar Scraper Spatula Set, four-pack
Never miss out on that last swipe of Nutella, Vegemite or peanut butter again with these mini jar scrapers. Made from flexible silicone, these spatulas can scrape every side of any jar or bottle and then evenly spread it on your food. In this current cost-of-living crisis this will be the best $15 you've ever spent.
Cool Mama Refrigerator Deodorant
The Cool Mama Refrigerator Deodorant naturally deodorises any interesting smells in your fridge without the need for any chemicals. It helps absorb any excess moisture and mold spores that may attempt to develop. Just add baking soda to mama, keep her in your fridge and voilà. The Cool Mama is also BPA-free, food safe and impact-resistant to avoid any accidental bumps or knocks over.
Want mama to clean your microwave too? You can also buy the Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner here.
Almond Cow Milk Maker
If you're partial to almond, oat, soy or lactose free milk and you want to have a go at making it fresh for yourself in your very own home, the Almond Cow Milk Maker will help get the flavour right in the most economical and environmentally friendly way. Without needing to add any extras you can create your preferred non-dairy milk as you need it and save plenty of money along the way.
YYYFEI Mini Colander, three-pack
These dishwasher-friendly silicone colanders may be small but they're a big help when prepping your meals. Measuring 75mm in diameter, you can use these colanders to empty the juices and liquids from canned foods, like beetroot, corn and beans, and make tea with fresh tea leaves.
FOYO Egg Separator
Making baking quicker and less of a mess, this helpful little hand-painted ceramic chick can separate two eggs at once, keeping the yolk inside as you pour out the whites.
READ MORE: Make quick and easy eggs with these affordable kitchen must-haves
RADICALn Handmade Marble Cheese Cutting Board with Wire
Whether you're using it as the perfect tool for a cheeseboard or making a cheesy snack, this cutting board will evenly cut your cheese and look elegant doing so. Made with marble, it uses a stainless steel wire to slice through all types of cheese – hard and soft.
Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Nano Sous Vide Stick
It's easy to over or undercook your food when you're busy multitasking and preparing a meal in the kitchen. Using the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Nano Sous Vide Stick, you will be able to cook chicken, beef, fish, vegetables and more just the way you like it.
It works by circulating the water at your set temperature to cook your food to perfection, and comes highly recommended by serious foodies. Just attach the sous vide to your saucepan or pot, add your foods into a sealed bag, set your time and temperature controls on the stick or via the Anova app and watch the sous vide stick work its magic. You'll also gain access to thousands of recipes on the app to help you become a pro home chef.
Ruibo Ziplock Bag Adjustable Holder Stand, six-pack
Avoid the mess as you food prep for the week ahead with these Ziplock bag holders with adjustable heights for different sized bags.
Yalin Multifunctional Butter Knife, two-pack
This 3-in-1 butter knife can make your breakfast routine an aesthetically pleasing one. Made from stainless steel, one edge has holes to scrape the butter into small curls for even spreading on the bread. The tip of the knife has one large hole for a larger curl while the other edge is serrated to cut both the butter and the bread.
WF Power 2-Layer Fridge Rolling Cans Dispenser
Save space in your fridge all while still keeping your cans of soft drink or beer nice and cool in the summer heat. This can dispenser has two tiers that can store up to 12 cans neatly and help make the fridge more organised.
Ecolution Microwave Popcorn Popper
I don't think we'll ever stop raving about this simple-to-use popcorn popper. This one made by Ecolution is designed for the microwave. All you need to do is measure your kernels in the lid, pour them into the popper, put it in the microwave, wait three minutes and then enjoy your perfect movie treat. Made from temperature-resistant glass, it's safe to use again and again in the microwave, and can even melt butter over the kernels while they pops.
Chicken Shredding Tabletop Machine
This fun tool has started to go viral on TikTok and other social media platforms – and for good reason, too. While designed for chicken, you can also quickly shred pork and beef for your favourite meals. Simply place the meal in the shredder, twist the handles back and forth – job done!
READ MORE: The weird and wonderful Amazon buys going viral thanks to TikTok
Corn Cob Stripper
Small but mighty, the corn stripper removes all the kernels from a corn cob in one motion, while keeping your fingers safe from knives and preventing any accidental cuts.
U-miss Rice Dispenser
With its 11.3kg capacity, you'll be able to keep your dry foods fresher and easier to access with this rice dispenser. It is made from a BPA-free plastic and funnel-like design to help easily dispense your grains and has an easy-to-use one-touch dispense system wide enough to also use for cereal and pasta.
READ MORE: The best food-storage containers for organised eaters
Fruit and Vegetable Washing Machine
This fruit and vegetable ultrasonic cleaner can sterilise your food by up to 99.99 per cent and remove up to 96.2 per cent of pesticide residue.
It works through water electrolysis (breaking down water and separating hydrogen and oxygen), which will then create OH ions (AKA hydroxide), which in turn will then break down pesticides and other chemicals. Science just got a whole lot healthier!
Rosle Stainless Steel Egg Cracker
Cracking eggs can be super messy, and usually runs the risk of dropping a bit of shell inside whatever it is you're preparing. Save yourself the hassle with this stainless steel egg cracker – best used for hard-boiled eggs. Simply pierce and remove the shell, and leave no fragments behind.
If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can buy this egg cracker today for $35.90. Not an Amazon Prime member? No worries! You can also get this deal when you sign up for a free 30-day membership here. This will also give you access to free and one-day delivery.
LIMIRNO Corrugated Kitchen Knife
This corrugated kitchen knife is the secret to the perfect crinkle-cut fries. Alternatively, you can use it to cut up fruit and vegetables, offering more texture and intrigue to the foods the kids like the most – or the least.
Ezonedeal Lemon Citrus Sprayer
This citrus press will get plenty of juice from your lemons, oranges, and limes using its sharp squeezer and nozzle head. Manually squeezing can help avoid pulp, or mess, as you try to get the most out of the fruit.
Multipurpose Kitchen Shears
Best used for snipping herbs, these high-tech scissors feature five finely balanced blades, which equal 10 knife chops. This is perfect for serious home cooks and those who love a herb garden.
3 in 1 Avocado Peeler
Take the mess and stress out of avocado cutting with this simple peeler. The blade will break through the skin of the fruit with ease, while the pitter can remove the core in seconds.
Premium Heat Resistant Meat Chopper
With five bevelled pinwheel blades, this handheld device makes it easier to chop and crumble food with ease, especially if you're breaking it apart while it's already in the pan. While designed to break up meat, it can also be used to mix and mash other foods, especially fruit, vegetables, or anything gelatin based. Featuring an ergonomic, non-slip handle, you'll command the kitchen with this powerful tool.
Country Trading Co. Pappardelle Pasta Maker Rolling Pin
Not much can beat a freshly-made Italian meal. Instead of heading out to a restaurant, you can now make pasta from scratch with your own pappardellle pasta maker. Shaped like a rolling pin, this maker is able to create pasta ribbons 1.5cm wide. When you buy it, you'll also receive a recipe booklet for making pasta dough and accompanying sauces.
Chicago Metallic Non-Stick Split Decision Pie Pan
Why have one pie when you can have two? Well, two halves, that is. Make your favourite pie recipes for everyone to share (or to have all to yourself) with this split pie pan. If you're in the market for an ordinary pan, the middle divider is removable to make one full pie.
You can currently buy this pie pan on Amazon for $26.06 if you are an Amazon Prime member. Still after a great deal? You can sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial here to access great prices as well as faster shipping.
READ MORE: The gadgets you need to be a cake boss in your own kitchen
Stainless Steel Meatball Maker
Make perfectly rounded meatballs with this meatball maker. Made strong and durable, you can trust this one will have a long service life. And not only is it strong, it's useful. If you're not into meatballs, you can use the tool to serve perfectly rounded ice cream scoops, create cake pops and other baked treats, little balls of fruit, or rice balls to supplement a fancy dinner.
Stainless Steel Watermelon Cutter
Perhaps the most useful gadget for summer, this watermelon cutter will take the mess out of slicing everyone's favourite hot weather fruit. Shaped similarly to a windmill, this cutter slices several small cubes.
Under Cabinet Jar Opener
You either have the grip strength needed to open a jar, or you don't. If you fall into the latter category, this opener will be a life-saver. Simply attach the lid to the teeth of the opener and twist to the left for the lid to come off. It can be discreetly hidden under any tabletop in your kitchen and can also open bottles and other containers.
Stainless Steel Garlic Chopper
With the help of this garlic chopper, you can crush as many cloves as you want to add to your food. Just rock the crusher back and forth.
Animal Mold Pancake Pan
This animal molds pancake pan can make seven kid-sized pancakes at a time, each with a unique animal print. The pan is non-stick for easy and quick flipping, and is bound to make breakfast a whole lot more fun.
Fanglcy Silicone Utensil Rest
Finally, a solution to the 'where do I leave my sauce stirrer without making a mess on the bench?' problem: the Fanglcy Silicone Utensil Rest. Just rest your utensil on the heat-resistant silicone mat and grab it again when needed – no fuss and no mess. Underneath the rest is a drip tray, so even if your spoons and spatulas wanted to spill some Bolognese on the counter, it won't be able to.
Best Utensils Tomato Slicer
Looking for a quick way to get slicing in the kitchen? This is the utensil for you. No longer will you have to deal with your round fruits and veggies rolling away from you. Or your slice sizes not staying consistent.
Wuciray Expandable Microwave Shelf
You can never go wrong with some extra shelving in your kitchen. Add that little bit extra with this expandable shelf. The height can be adjusted from 43cm to 65cm and can hold up 40kg of weight. It's a great option to add some extra room over your microwave or other cooking devices sitting on the benchtop – it also comes with hooks to store items you can hang like oven mitts and tea towels.
If you're after even more space, the shelf is also available with two tiers.
READ MORE: The best microwaves to update your kitchen and improve your leftovers
Prepara Mini Herb Saver
This herb saver is made to help make your herbs last up to three times longer in your kitchen. Made from a BPA free plastic all you need to do is open the shell, place your herbs inside, close the shell, fill the reservoir with water and they will keep fresher for longer.
Sunbeam Carveasy Classic Electric Knife
The Sunbeam Carveasy Classic Electric Knife is a great tool to keep in the kitchen ahead of carving your Sunday roast.
Cling Wrap 3-in-1 Dispenser with Cutter
Have all your kitchen wraps in one place with your own dispenser. Made from bamboo, this has its own cutter and is labelled for each kind of wrap you'll need in the kitchen: cling wrap, baking paper and foil.
Olive Oil and Vinegar Dispenser Bottle Set
With a 500mL bottle for olive oil and a 250mL bottle for vinegar, your salads will be dressed to perfection with these dispensers. They help evenly distribute the dressing and control the amount you are using. They will also look super sleek in your kitchen.
Kitchen Safe: Full Units
Designed to help build better habits, this kitchen safe has a time lock mechanism that can be set for a whopping 10 days. If you want to lock treats away from the kids, or just yourself. This container has no override, and will literally keep you from indulging in whatever it is you want to avoid. Recommended for junk food, and strangely, phones as well – you'll be able to curb any cravings/addictions with this handy safe.
Kilner Glass Butter Churner
Making butter isn't as hard as you once thought. Just place whipping or double cream into the churner, turn the handle and within 10 minutes you'll have your own creamy butter.
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