I’ve written about hundreds of products in my time at the Good Housekeeping Institute and spend a lot of time talking to brands about their newest gadgets. I’m also a keen home cook and love anything that makes kitchen jobs a little easier (if they minimise the washing up – even better!).
I’ve used each of the picks below for several months in my own home. I’ve judged their performance, design and affordability and considered whether they’re actually useful or just fun to have.
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My rating: 5/5
Starting off with one of my favourite buys, I now use this gadget every time I cook rice. You’ll honestly never see me boiling it on the hob again.
It’s incredibly easy to use but the handy instruction book is clear and detailed should you ever need to refer to the guide. Once you’ve added the right amount of rice and water, you simply pop the whole container in the microwave and leave it to cook.
The results are always just right when cooked to the manufacturer’s instructions, delivering beautifully fluffy rice every time (that’s definitely superior to those microwavable pouches). I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this rice cooker to others. And have done. Frequently.
My rating: 5/5
An ice cream maker isn’t an essential appliance but this gadget is much cheaper than the majority of the best ice cream makers and still comes out on top.
It’s a freeze-first model so you’ll need to make up a batch of base mixes, but with three dessert tubs included, it’s easy to keep one in the freezer for emergency ice cream. To use, simply pop the hand blender on top, select your setting, and push down slightly as it churns. The result is honestly delicious and is perfect for bringing out on fancy occasions (or on a random Tuesday evening).
My rating: 5/5
I hear you: more than £50 for a soap dispenser? But listen when I say that this is one of the best things in my kitchen. As someone who hates cutting and handling raw meat, this automatic soap dispenser has really helped streamlining the hand washing process. No pumping required. This also makes it great for anyone who struggles with a pushing or squeezing motion.
Just hold your hand close to the nozzle and you’ll get a small squirt of soap, or hold your hand near the bottom and you’ll get extra. While you do have to keep the battery charged, it hasn’t run out on me yet and I’ve been using it multiple times an evening for nearly a year.
My rating: 4.5/5
Joseph Joseph is well-known for its space-saving solutions, and this colander ticks that box. The handles fold down at the side, so it’s easier to store away – genius.
The colander itself works as well as any and the handles feel surprisingly durable considering they fold away. I only wish the colander was circular as it doesn’t quite slot inside my sauce pans in the cupboard. It does balance on the top well enough though, or sits nicely in my frying pan to the side.
My rating: 4/5
This fun gadget can turn a plain wrap into a culinary masterpiece. Okay, that might be an exaggeration but trust me when I say it’s a real step up. Simply fill your wrap with your chosen ingredients, crimp it, remove and then chuck it in the air fryer, microwave or pan. Filling opportunities are endless – try a cheesy quesadilla, samosa-style veg, or even a dessert option – and it couldn’t be easier to use.
While I love it, it is one of those gadgets that you get out every few months, use obsessively for a week or two, and then promptly forget about again. Like that toastie maker or juicer sitting in your cupboard. Wonderful, but not essential.
My rating: 4/5
I’m sure I’m not the only one that flinches when opening the cupboard where the Tupperware and storage containers live. I have too many and they always fall out, no matter how I stack them.
These silicone bags solve a lot of my problems. First of all, they’re soft, and being hit by a flying bag is nowhere near as bad. Jokes aside, the bags are made of durable, food-grade silicone and they seal tightly, reducing any leakage. They’re also super easy to clean as you can turn them inside out and soak them in hot, soapy water, or you can pop them in the dishwasher.
They can also go in the freezer and microwave, making them suitable for storing all kinds of foods. A real winner in my kitchen.
My rating: 4/5
Prepping ingredients is a bugbear for many when it comes to cooking – we’re fed up of crying over onions – but the best mini choppers take all the stress away.
I invested in the Good Housekeeping Institute’s runner-up from Ninja and couldn’t be more pleased. It quickly dices up everything from onions and peppers to herbs and breadcrumbs, and the bowls have lids so you can easily store marinades and dips in the fridge if you’re not eating them straight away.
Sometimes the faff of getting the gadget out the cupboard and plugging it in is less than chopping the odd ingredient (so I docked one mark) but for getting extra veggies into your pasta sauce, this is a life saver.
My rating: 3.5/5
A niche tool, but one I’ve used surprisingly frequently in my kitchen. Stir fries have had an upgrade thanks to the perfectly thin slices of veg. It’s equally good for salads and slaws.
My only niggles are that you often have to stop to break off the end of the strip, as the peeler doesn’t seem to cut through the final section – or if it does, it will sometimes break off the end of my carrot and get jammed. Work slowly though and it isn’t much of an issue.
My rating: 3.5/5
While it’s one of the more expensive gadgets on my list, this smart gadget is a worthy investment for anyone looking to save electricity. The Shelfy is a smart fridge device that links to your smartphone. Using the accompanying app, you can see how many times you open the fridge in a day (and how long it’s left open), making it perfect for busy households who want to monitor usage more closely.
The app also offers advice on the best places to store certain ingredients in your fridge, such as cheeses and sauces, potentially helping to reduce the amount of food you waste. However, I was already storing everything correctly, so this feature wasn’t that game-changing. My other niggle was charging; I frequently forget to check the battery level as it sits inconspicuously at the back of my fridge.
What I do love about it is the reminders to clean out your fridge and its own filter (it checks the air quality inside your fridge), maintenance jobs that I would otherwise leave way too long to do.
My rating: 3/5
This compact toastie maker is non-electric and made for the microwave. You build your toastie like normal, apply butter to the outside of your bread to stop it sticking to the plates (and to create a crunchy texture), and then pop it in the microwave.
The result wasn’t as effective as the toasties made by our best toastie makers but it’s an excellent alternative if you’re short on storage space as it slides neatly into a drawer. You also don’t need to pre-heat the plates or watch to make sure it doesn’t burn.
My rating: 2.5/5
I couldn’t help but smile when I stumbled upon this angry little lady. And it actually made me want to clean my microwave, which is something I never thought I’d say. To use, all you need to do is add white vinegar and baking soda to her body and then microwave her (no wonder she’s angry). All the steam will come out of her head – thus, cleaning the microwave.
It proved very effective at loosening dirt, but it did make the interior very wet, so a lot of wiping was required to remove the residue left behind, which sort of defeated the object. Sure, no scrubbing is required, but you still have to get wiping.
The vinegar also left a lingering smell in my microwave, so I’d recommend following our household advice editor’s tip on how to clean your microwave and use lemon wedges instead. It’s a fun product though and it works well if you hate scrubbing.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women’s Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
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