I Work Smarter, Not Harder With These Clever Kitchen Tools, From $10

I love to cook. I do it for fun and I do it for work, so there’s rarely a day that I’m not in the kitchen whipping up something (hopefully) delicious. But even I don’t like wasting my time. Whenever possible, I use kitchen gadgets that make my life easier. Tools like pepper grinders, spice grinders, and immersion blenders are staples in my home — as they should be in yours. If you would also like to work smarter, not harder, read on.    

 Writer-Loved Clever Kitchen Gadgets 

• Zojirushi 3-Cup Rice Cooker, $54, originally $60 
• Hamilton Beach Electric Spice Grinder, $22 
• Männkitchen Pepper Cannon, $200 
• OXO Good Grips Strawberry Huller, $10 
• Katbite Pre-Cut Parchment Paper Sheets, $17 
• KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender, $50, originally $65 
• AirHood Portable Range Hood 2, $187, originally $220 
• Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale, $27 

Zojirushi 3-Cup Rice Cooker 

I eat rice almost every day. To make it easier on myself come dinner time, I pull out my trusty rice cooker. I love that I don’t have to babysit it like I would if I were using a pot and a stove, freeing me up to prepare other components of the meal. It also has a warming function, so I can set it, forget it, and come back later when I’m ready to eat. I have Zojirushi’s most basic model, but there are plenty of fancier rice cookers available on Amazon if you’re looking for something with more functionality.   

Hamilton Beach Electric Spice Grinder 

Instead of pulling out a mortar and pestle to break down whole spices or coffee beans, I prefer using an electric grinder. It’s easy to clean, wildly efficient, and small enough to store in my cabinet. Thousands of Amazon shoppers agree, with one calling it the “perfect little workhorse for freshly ground flavor every time.” 

Männkitchen Pepper Cannon

I used to have an expensive electric pepper mill that couldn’t do the one thing I needed it to do: grind peppercorns. After that experience, I went back to the basics with Männkitchen’s Pepper Cannon, one of the best manual mills in existence. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s worth the money. It cranks through pepper more efficiently than my electric model ever did, has 60 coarseness settings, and looks chic on my kitchen counter.  

OXO Good Grips Strawberry Huller

I eat a lot of fresh fruit, and even though it’s only May, this clever OXO gadget has already seen its fair share of strawberry stems and tomato cores. Thousands of Amazon shoppers echo my praise, with one calling it a “must-have tool for anyone who loves fresh produce.”       

Katbite Pre-Cut Parchment Paper Sheets

Why struggle with rolls of parchment paper when you can buy flat, pre-cut sheets instead? Katbite’s 200-sheet set saves me so much time and effort when making easy one-pan dinners. Another bonus? I haven’t sliced my finger on the serrated edge of a parchment box once since I transitioned to Katbite.  

KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender 

I use a regular blender every day to make smoothies in the mornings, but I pull out my immersion blender more frequently at night. It’s an “absolute game-changer” for cutting down on dishes. Purée, emulsify, and blend in seconds.     

AirHood Portable Range Hood 2 

I’ve set off the smoke alarm in my house too many times to count, including during an important interview of my husband’s. After that fiasco, my anxiety while cooking at high heat was almost paralyzing. Then AirHood came along. This portable range hood siphoned the smoke, allowing me to sear two steaks at a temperature that was previously inaccessible to me. It’s such a relief to cook how I want, when I want.    

Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale 

I got this editor-loved kitchen scale for my mom in 2020, and it’s completely changed the way she bakes. Instead of dirtying cup measures and tablespoons, she can plop a bowl on the scale and weigh the exact amount needed for her recipes. It saves time and cuts down on dishes.