Kitchen Gadgets I Actually Use (and the Ones I Just Stare At)
A guided tour of the gadgets I love, the ones I regret, and the air fryer I’m still pretending I have space for. Also – who says kitchen gadgets need to be ugly?
Listen, I am a gadget girl and I am not ashamed to say it.
I think I have inherited this trait from my mum, who loves a kitchen gadget more than anyone I have ever met, despite the fact that she low-key hates cooking. In hindsight, it’s because she hates cooking. Give that woman a gadget that will cook for her and she’ll embrace it as her new best friend: it all started with her Bimby (Italian trademark for Thermomix), which she pioneered in the 80s, but her collection slowly grew to include a Magimix, bread machine, vacuum sealer and, obviously, an air fryer – which she wouldn’t stop shouting out about for about 6 months (so would I, to be fair, if only I had one. Still trying to work out where on earth I could store it, never mind in my kitchen.).
She even bought an American-style fridge with a screen as big as our TV, which shows her recipes she’ll never use and offers a glimpse into its contents — usually amounting to a hefty collection of kefirs and a couple of wilting Brassicaceae.
But I digress.
In my defence, I see kitchen gadgets as cooking enhancers rather than substitutes — my little army of helpful minions I couldn’t do without. The list below is in no particular order (you can’t ask me to choose a favourite child). And yes, there’s a spectrum here, from serious tool to full-blown indulgence, but you get the idea.
So buckle up for some serious kitchen gadget window shopping.
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My trusted Japanese knives
Starting from the absolute pinnacle of what I can’t live without: my beloved and extra-sharp Global knives, a much-appreciated housewarming present from my dad. Being the cook of the house, he knows firsthand how soul-crushing it is to operate with blunt knives — an experience I confront every time I go home-home, where my mum chucks them in the dishwasher (capital sin no.1).
For the love of god: keep your knives sharp and wash them by hand.
These aren’t cheap, but they’re not as pricey as some artisanal Japanese options, and they’re stainless steel — which means they won’t oxidise and don’t need helicopter-parenting. Treat them well and they’ll last a lifetime.
Here are the ones I have, in order of use I get out of them (please note the images are not to scale with each other):
Global G-55 Cook’s Knife with 18cm Blade, £175
My workhorse, good for absolutely everything!
Global Knives G-80 Fluted Santoku Knife with 18cm Blade, £139
A nice-to-have, but not fundamental. The fluting helps with sticky foods, but to be honest, the Cook’s knife will do if you are looking to invest in just one
Global Bread Knife G-9, £118
pretty self-explanatory. Works wonders on melons and beefsteak tomatoes too!
Global Chef's Knife G-16, £179.00
This is a big boy and, to be honest, I rarely use it. Helpful to carve or slice through big things, though.
You might have spotted from the pic of my drawer that I also possess a Mezzaluna (G-76) to chop herbs. I’m going to be real honest with you, I never ever use it and just use my G-55 or G-80 instead. (Please don’t tell my dad)
Microplane
Another kitchen must-have, in my modest opinion. I grate everything from Parmigiano to ginger, garlic, nutmeg, citrus zests…you name it. The same rule applies here as with the above-mentioned blades – you really want to handwash it to keep it sharp!
Microplane Zester, with stainless steel blades, £27.95
Nutribullet
Didn’t understand the hype until I got one. Now I use it constantly — and not just for smoothies. Think gazpacho, salad dressings, breadcrumbs, pesto, homemade mayo… It’s incredibly versatile.
Mine is the silver + champagne version (which felt the least offensive at the time), but I’ve since seen a delicious matte sand model I’m mildly obsessed with. Currently on sale on Amazon…just sayin’.
Nutribullet Blender 900 Series in Matte Sand, -20% £99.99 £79.99
My Kitchen Aid
I am not a massive baker (as in, I don’t often bake sweets. I do, however, use the oven all the time), but having a Kitchen Aid was high on my list of priorities because, well…just look at it! Doesn’t it scream hello, I’m the next Nigella?! Since getting it, I can happily report my baking performances have increased, and it’s super handy not just to prepare cakes, but savoury things too – namely focaccia, breads and pasta dough. I also have the pasta attachments, which make home-made pasta so easy!
KitchenAid 125 Artisan 4.8L Stand Food Mixer, Matte Fresh Linen (Exclusive to John Lewis), £499.00
KitchenAid, 3-piece Pasta Attachment Set for Stand Mixers, £138.95
I am also coveting the ice-cream making attachment, because I cannot find for the life of me my favourite flavour of gelato in London (it’s liquorice, in case any of you have seen it), so I have to resort to doing it myself! The fact that it is also currently on sale might tip me over the edge.
KitchenAid UK 5KSMICM Ice Cream Maker, Aluminium, -40% £149.00 £89.95
Joe’s coffee machine
This was a wildly generous wedding gift from our builder and friend Edi (Optimal Build). Joe is the coffee buff of the house — he loves experimenting with obscure bean varieties, which means the grinder has to be recalibrated every single time. I gave up on it early on, but it’s a total beauty on our counter.
Sage Barista Express Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine, £629.00
Tineco hoover+mop, aka my new boyfriend
This might be a stretch (I hear you — it’s not a kitchen gadget, and it’s not even that pretty), but stay with me.
This bad boy changed my life. Our terrazzo floors hide crumbs like a dream but are a nightmare to clean — too much water leaves streaks, traditional mops are useless, and spray-mops just smear things around. Enter: Tineco.
Two tanks (clean/dirty water), a rotating soft brush, and a built-in hoover that lifts the water straight back up. The first time I used it, the dirty water tank was filled with what can only be described as street sludge. We don’t even wear shoes indoors! Terrifying. Incredible.
Bonus points: it self-cleans and works on my ancient wobbly pine floors, where my Dyson would just… destroy everything.
Tineco FLOOR ONE S5 Smart Cordless Wet-Dry Vacuum Cleaner and Mop £399.00
On my wishlist:
Bruno Rice cooker
My current rice cooker technically works, but it also splutters like a toddler with a hosepipe. It was a student-era budget buy and it shows (it’s this model, in case you’re curious). This Bruno model is painfully pretty — and no, I don’t know whether it’s actually good, but I do know it would spark joy.
BRUNO, Compact Rice Cooker, £67.00 £76.90
Air Fryer
As mentioned earlier, I’m air fryer-curious. The main obstacle (aside from the complete lack of counter space) is aesthetic: they’re all so blooming ugly. The only one I’d happily display is the Our Place Wonder Oven, but after the traumatic experience of their “non-stick” Always Pan (aka the stickiest thing I’ve ever used), I’m cautious.
So if anyone has tried it and can testify to its efficacy, please send me a smoke signal.
Our Place Wonder Oven®, 6-in-1 air fryer and countertop oven with steam infusion SALE £195 £165
A new Nespresso machine (that doesn’t burn my retina)
The direct consequence of having a beautiful, professional coffee machine I can’t use is that I still find myself resorting to our old Nespresso machine whenever we have guests and Joe isn’t around.
The one I currently have is a metallic red number — flashy as anything (honestly, what was I thinking…) — and it gets swiftly hidden behind the pantry curtain after each use.
But then I spotted this model at my sister-in-law’s and instantly had Nespresso envy. It’s slim, discreet, and just… elegant. No neon lights, no clunky tank jutting out the back, just a streamlined little caffeine enabler.
NESPRESSO by KRUPS Essenza Mini XN110140, £117.48
Got a beautiful air fryer I need to know about? A rice cooker that won’t spray starchy goo all over my walls? Let me know in the comments. Gadget girls (and boys?) unite.
This is reminding me I need to update my 10+ yo nutribullet 😂
Can confirm the Our Place gadget is fabulous. Has been a workhorse while we were missing an oven too.
Rice cooker. I’m sorry but as a Korean, it can only be a Cuckoo (Korean brand) or the star, a Zojirushi (Japanese). Not just for rice but also for one pot rice dishes too. I can’t live without mine. Plus, she sings 🎶
Literally obsessed with my Microplane. Loved reading this Martina, saved a few gadgets for my wishlist! 🤭