We've tested 100s of kitchen gadgets between us, and these are the ones we can't live without: The You magazine team reveal their favourites
- READ MORE: I’m a professional product reviewer and these are the items I couldn't live without in my kitchen (and the ones I could)
- SHOP: I've been reviewing expensive products for years - here's my tip to get homeware, fashion and beauty at a discounted price
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Hands up if you've got a small collection of barely-used gadgets gathering dust at the back of your kitchen cupboard.
With new cooking fads and constant Instagram ads promoting the new 'must-have' in kitchenware, it can be easy to get sucked into thinking that you simply need to add the latest bit of kit to your home. And then a year or so later you find yourself with a spiraliser, french press, pod coffee machine or smoothie maker that you never use, but takes up a hell of a lot of space on your shelves. We've all been there.
On the other hand, sometimes you make a kitchen purchase that proves to be worth its weight in gold, a kitchen tool you never knew you needed. It's a favourite topic among the You magazine team (we've tested endless kitchen gadgets and gizmos between us), and there are a few that stand out as real star products.
Here are the kitchen products we simply couldn't do without...
Sophie Dearden-Howell, Fashion Director
This vegetable chopper is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I make lots of Em the Nutritionist recipes, which means endless chopping of vegetables, but this means it takes a quarter of the time and is just so easy. Please be aware of your fingers as I don't think it would be hard to take one off!
Joseph JosephMulti-Prep™ Compact Multicolour 4-piece Grater & Slicer
Product Specs
- FeaturesFour interchangeable blades for different tasks, finger guard, non-slip base
- FunctionsChop, grate, slice, and julienne with ease
- SizeH15cm x W21.6cm x D9.8cm
Rosie Green, Beauty Director
This coffee machine is the biggest joy in my life - so much so I bought my boyfriend one too. It froths the milk, you can use a pod so it's easy, you can do cappuccinos, espressos, everything. You get a coffee-shop level coffee with minimal effort. And it looks really good too. Read our full Nespresso Creatisa Plus review for more details.
Nespresso Creatista Plus Coffee Machine by Sage
Product Specs
- FeaturesLCD display, 8 coffee selections with customisable milk settings, brushed stainless steel
- FunctionsCreate Latte art and barista style coffee recipes at home
- SizeH168mm x W310mm x D414mm
Lindsay Frankel, Deputy Editor
I am the proud owner of an egg slicer. It takes your salade nicoise up to the next level.
ProCook Egg Slicer
Product Specs
- FeaturesCuts at 5mm intervals for uniform slices perfect for salads, sandwiches & more, made from high grade plastic and stainless steel wires for durability, dishwasher safe
- FunctionsEgg slicer makes slicing hard boiled eggs simple
- Size12.5cm x 10cm
Nicole Gray, Interiors Director
The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser has been a game-changer for me. Not only does it make my hot chocolates amazingly smooth and my lattes barista-worthy, but it also looks swish on the kitchen counter. Read our full review of the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser here, as well as our tried and tested favourite Velvetiser alternatives.
Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser
Product Specs
- FeaturesThermodynamic programming,
- FunctionsMake barista-grade drinking chocolate, hot or cold, at the touch of a button, LED-lit dial, removable whisk and solid ash handle
- SizeL24.50cm x W19.10cm x H21.50cm
Maddy Fletcher, Books Editor
What do I love about my pepper mill? How long do I have? I love that it produces so much pepper in a single grind. I love that there are various – and simple to change – settings, so you can get different sizes of pepper dust. I love that the top functions like a little cork, so it’s really easy to pop out, refill and reseal. And I love that there’s no spindle in the grinder, so the mill holds a huge amount of peppercorns. (I have my setting on quite a coarse grind, cook with a lot of pepper and estimate I refill once a month.)
T&G Apollo Pepper Mill Stainless Steel
Product Specs
- FeaturesStainless steel, ceramic machanism
- FunctionsGrind not only salt and pepper but also whole dried herbs and spices
- Size15cm
Charlotte Vossen, Deputy Digital Editor
I love my Our Place Wonder Oven. It's very dinky. It says it’s 6-in-1 but I don’t think the reheat option works very well. Otherwise, I have no notes – it bakes, air fries, toasts, grills and broils. It so much faster than my regular oven, which I now only use for pizzas and roasts, and has replaced my toaster.
Our Place Wonder Oven
Product Specs
- Features6-in-1 with steam infusion technology, two racks for simultaneous cooking, bake pan, air fryer basket, crumb tray
- FunctionsAir fry, bake, roast, toast, broil, and reheat, all in one sleek and stylish countertop appliance
- SizeH29.5cm, D26.9cm, W29.2cm
Marianne Jones, Features Director
I love fizzy water but hate the waste of plastic bottles, so a couple of years back splashed out on my rather sleek Aarke carbonator. I now have fizz on tap and have saved a fortune.
Aarke Carbonator 3 Steel
Product Specs
- FeaturesStainless-steel enclosure, BPA-free PET water bottle, drip tray
- FunctionsPremium sparkling water maker
- SizeH41.4cm x W15.3cm x D25.8cm
Sophie Hines, Lifestyle and Digital Director
I refused to get on board with the whole air fryer thing for a really long time, largely because I thought it might be a fad (like that disastrous time I got a juicer and spent a fortune on apples just to achieve one glass of apple juice, before the whole thing started smoking). Then I moved to a new house, which is largely lovely except the oven is tiny and I have a whole family to feed.
Enter the Tefal Dual Air Fryer, which speeds up cooking (helpful with young kids), makes the crispiest potatoes ever (among other dishes) and crucially gives me extra cooking space without having to buy a whole second oven. Consider me a convert.
Read our full roundup of the best air fryers for even more options.
TEFAL Easy Fry Dual XXL EY942DG1 11L Air Fryer
Product Specs
- FeaturesSeven presets, dual 6.5L and 4.5L baskets, digital touchscreen
- FunctionsXXL dual air fryer that cooks two different food at once
- SizeH330mm x W458mm x D385mm
Marion Jones, Sub Editor
You know when you go back to your parents’ house and they have something new and it’s vexing? It was the Oxo vegetable peeler for me. We had done perfectly well with a small, lethal knife all my life, now this nonsense. Obviously, I used it and never looked back, and yes there has been one in my cutlery drawer ever since.
OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
Product Specs
- FeaturesBuilt-in potato eyes, swivelling twin Japanese stainless stell, blade, non-slip handle
- FunctionsPerfect for prepping tough-skinned fruits and vegetables
- SizeH18cm x W2.5cm x D2.5cm
Alice Robertson, Beauty Editor
A gravy separator: you don’t know you need it until you have it. Simply squeeze the handle and fat drains out without you having to skim. Bloody brilliant!
OXO Good Grips Gravy Separator
Product Specs
- FeaturesFunnel for pouring, shield to prevent splashing
- FunctionsFilters gravy and leaves fat behind, catching unwanted herbs, bay leaves and vegetables, to create a smooth sauce
- SizeH14.1cm x W18cm x D11.5cm
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