Unless you live in a major metropolis like New York City, where eating out is often easier and less expensive than cooking, the kitchen is your go-to place for a quick snack, hearty meals, comfort food, or a strong happy hour drink. Whether you want one or all of the above, here are some gadgets your kitchen should never be without.
Belkin Kitchen Cabinet Mount ($50)
Buying a mini-television for the kitchen so you can watch your favorite cooking shows while following the instructions is a thing of the past. These days, who has the time to wait for those live programmings, or even attempt to DVR them? If you have a Belkin Kitchen Cabinet mount for your iPad in the kitchen, you’ll be able to access cooking tutorials and recipes with just a swipe of a finger, all while keep your kitchen clutter-free. If you don’t have the space in your kitchen, you can also turn any old fridge into one that holds your tablet for the same purpose. Take that, smart refrigerators.
iGrill Bluetooth Meat Thermometer ($80)
It’s very easy to over or underestimate the time it takes to perfect a piece of meat, so why not lessen the troubles by using an iGrill? Just leave the Bluetooth-enabled thermometer rod inside your meat, walk away, check on your iOS device the temperature of the meat, and walk back to the grill when it’s juicy, tender, and ready to eat. Even if you forgot to check your phone, the app will alert you when the meat has reached a decent temperature.
Not sure what temperature you should be aiming for? The app offers suggestions and guidelines for that too. When you don’t need to use the rod, the iGrill also doubles as a kitchen timer.
Vinturi Wine Aerator Tower ($70)
Every wine connoisseur knows even the most best reds can suffer if you don’t let the wine breathe properly. Still, most wine decanters are bulky and are hard to store away inside a smaller kitchen. Enter the Vinturi Wine Aerator Tower. The tower looks similar to a beer tap, except it’s meant to hold your wine glass in place while you pour over the top, allowing the air to infuse and release the scent and flavors. When not in use, the Aerator Tower is small enough to tuck away in a cabinet — looks good, works great, take up very little space. We love it.
Grilled Cheese Toastabags ($15 for 3)
For those with limited kitchen space, any gadget that helps you multiply the functionality of one appliance you already own is a must-have. Such is the case with the the Grilled Cheese Toastabags, a dishwasher-safe pouch for your cheese sandwich when you want to make a grilled cheese but don’t have the time to fire up a pan. The Toastabags make cooking up a quick snack fast, clean, and you can carry the grilled cheese on the go if you’re rushing out the door. The bags can be used up to 50 times before needing replacement, making it great for kids … or very lazy people.
Compact4All Appliances ($52 apiece)
Again, for those with cramped apartments or just ones who like to minimize the use of space in their kitchen, the Compact4All makes for a nice appliance system that stacks up beautifully. You can purchase the toaster, coffee maker, juicer, or kettle in separate pieces depending on what you need the most, or buy all four and pile them on top of each other, Tetris-style. Each component only holds enough for one serving, but if you have a tiny apartment to begin with, you’re probably not serving that many more people that they can’t wait for coffee to be brewed one cup at a time.
Ferris Deluxe Spice Rack (TBD)
One of our favorite things about spices, aside from their spiciness, is how colorful they look when arranged neatly next to each other. With the Ferris Deluxe Spice Rack by Kitchen Pro, you can simply display all your favorite spices while gaining convenient access to them whenever you’re cooking. The jars can all be removed, refilled, cleaned, and all come with a lid that allows for easy sprinkling. Each Ferris Deluxe comes with 15 jars pre-filled with spices, with a selection of classic staples of Indian flavors. You can also choose from a plastic or bamboo finish.
