Our Favourite Kitchen Gadgets

A well kitted out kitchen doesn’t just make mealtimes easier, it makes the whole cooking experience more enjoyable too. Once you’ve got the basic kit covered, you can begin to invest in other handy equipment. 

There are a whole host of bits and bobs out there that make home cooking easier. While you can manage without certain gadgets, sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself! To help you know what’s worth it in the long run, we’ve made a list of our favourite gadgets that are guaranteed to save you time and effort in the kitchen. 

AnySharp Pro Metal World’s Best Knife Sharpener with Suction

You can’t underestimate the importance of a sharp knife when preparing food. We always recommend that beginner cooks invest in a decent set of knives, but it’s just as important to keep them sharp, and in tip top condition. 

Picking up one of these AnySharp Pro Knife Sharpeners is a no-brainer – it’ll save you money in the long run, because you won’t need to replace a whole set of kitchen knives. Sharper knives actually cause fewer accidents in the kitchen, as blunt knives can slip around more easily. On top of that, they’ll slice and dice through your ingredients in far less time. 

Put those newly-sharpened knives straight to work and thinly slice some juicy, ripe peaches to make this dreamy Peach and Blueberry Tart. We love to serve it warm, with a scoop of low-calorie ice cream. 

OXO Good Grips Y Peeler

You can peel your veggies with a good vegetable knife, but this inexpensive OXO Good Grips Y Peeler makes the job so much easier. In our opinion, this is one of the best peelers out there. It’s nice and sturdy, with a non-slip handle and a super sharp blade. 

Whether you’re prepping a salad or a Sunday lunch, your vegetables will be peeled with far less fuss – so you can get ahead with any other jobs!

Why not try using this nifty peeler to shave ribbons of courgette to make our refreshing Courgette Ribbon, Lemon and Feta Salad? At 93 calories per serving, this is a lovely light side dish with a delicious crunch. 

eSofa Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set

Slimming-friendly food should never be bland food, so we love to use all kinds of herbs and spices to create punchy flavours, without the calories. When you’ve got lots of these to measure out, a good set of measuring spoons will help you get the perfect balance. 

This eSofa Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set not only stacks and stores neatly, it also includes a handy leveller, so you can make sure your measurements are exact. Double-ended, these spoons have one side for measuring dry ingredients and another for wet – say goodbye to the guesswork! 

Forget packet spice mixes – these Chicken Fajitas are much tastier, thanks to our homemade seasoning. Grab your measuring spoons and blend cumin, ground coriander, garlic salt, chilli powder and chilli flakes until you’ve got that spicy Mexican-inspired flavour. 

The CRIMPiT

This one is for anyone who loves a sandwich thin! The slimming-friendly square bread slices are a must-try – on average they’re only 100 calories per thin. Designed to be used to make sandwiches, you can also load them with your favourite fillings and toast them too. 

If you want to keep everything inside the thin while you toast it, you can try to seal the edges together with a fork, or use this handy CRIMPiT. It squishes the edges of the thin together to make sure all that good stuff stays inside while you pop your thins into the toaster, oven, grill or air fryer. No fuss, and no mess!

Give it a whirl the next time you make these Steak Bakes. Baked in the oven until the sandwich thins are golden and crisp, they’re just as satisfying as a pastry treat, with a fraction of the calories. 

Index Coloured Chopping Board Set 

For anyone looking to keep their kitchen as hygienic as possible, we always recommend investing in a set of colour-coded chopping boards. This Index Coloured Chopping Board Set includes 4 separate boards that pack neatly away so you don’t have to sacrifice your kitchen counter space.

With dedicated chopping boards for meat, fish and fresh vegetables, you can prepare food with no risk of cross contamination. The boards are made from easy-to-clean plastic, with non-slip silicone feet so they won’t budge while you’re chopping. 

With chicken and lots of veggies to dice, this Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe will put your new chopping boards to good use. If you like to sneak extra vegetables into your meals, you’ll love how much fresh veg goes into this one!

3 PCS Reusable Non Stick Oven Liner

We love finding ways to make our kitchen as eco-friendly as possible, and this set of 3 Reusable Non Stick Oven Liners will save you buying rolls and rolls of greaseproof baking paper. Made from food-grade safety materials, they can be used in the oven, grill and even on the barbecue. 

Non-stick, sustainable and easy to clean, you can cut the sheets down to size and use them time and time again. Whether you’re roasting meat or baking cookies, they’ll help your food slide off the tray when it’s time to serve. 

Put these non-stick sheets to the test by baking this irresistible Tiramisu Swiss Roll. Two desserts are better than one, and this slimming-friendly recipe blends coffee-infused chocolate cake with light mascarpone cream. It’s ready in under half an hour and just 103 calories per slice! 

FREETOO Garlic Press Stainless Garlic Crusher

When you want to build big flavours without adding lots of calories, garlic is your best friend. No matter what type of cuisine you’re making, you’ll find that many recipes start off with a few cloves of finely chopped garlic. 

Even if you’re a whizz with your kitchen knives, this FREETOO Garlic Press Stainless Garlic Crusher will save you time. It’ll crush 2 or 3 cloves in one go, for instant results. We love how easy this garlic press is to clean – rinse it under the tap and it’s ready to be stored away until next time. 

You’ll need 3 good-sized cloves to make this Garlic Mushroom Risotto. It turns out seriously creamy, garlicky and delicious, and it’s low on effort too – we make it in the Tefal Actifry which is another super handy kitchen gadget!

Microplane Kitchen Grater

This Microplane Kitchen Grater might not be a kitchen essential, but it’s really helpful for anyone on a slimming journey. We’re crazy about cheesy recipes, even though cheese can be fairly high in calories. They key is all about making a little go a long way. 

You’ll be surprised how much further a bit of cheese goes when you use a microplane grater. You’ll be left with a mountain of really finely grated cheese that you can sprinkle over the top of food, so that it never feels like you’re missing out. 

If you love cheese, get stuck into this Cheesy Mac ‘n’ Meatballs. Using a microplane grater makes it easier to completely cover the top of the dish in cheese before baking it in the oven – just look at that melty golden topping!

DOQAUS Instant Read Cooking Thermometer

No matter how much experience you have in the kitchen, using a food thermometer guarantees peace of mind. Taking the guesswork out of cooking meat, you’ll always be sure that the food you cook is safe for you and your family. 

This DOQAUS Instant Read Cooking Thermometer is reasonably priced, with a clear, digital screen that makes it nice and easy to check that your food is ready for serving. As a guide, standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and maintained that temperature for at least 2 minutes. 

This BBQ Roast Chicken is perfect for testing out your thermometer. It can be tricky to know when a chicken is cooked all the way through, so make sure you test the thickest part of the meat. When it’s ready, this dish is so juicy and flavourful – with that lovely smoky taste from the homemade BBQ marinade.

Kenwood Food Processor

While you certainly don’t need a food processor to get started in the kitchen, you won’t regret investing in one. This Kenwood Food Processor just about does it all – it chops, mixes, blends, grates and emulsifies. 

Whether you want to save time on slicing and dicing, or you fancy whipping up a soup or smoothie, it’s such a handy gadget to have around. A multi-purpose device like this is a great way to save space in your kitchen too, rather than having separate choppers and blenders cluttering your counters. 

You’ll need really finely chopped mushrooms to make this super slimming-friendly Mushroom Bolognese. Save yourself some time by popping them into the food processor instead, and pulsing it until they’re evenly chopped. 

What’s your top kitchen gadget?

Head on over to our Facebook group to let us know! With almost 1 million members, it’s the place to be for friendly advice and inspiration, and it’s a safe space to ask any questions about recipes or your slimming journey. 

Wondering what to make for dinner tonight? Make sure you drop by our Gallery to take a look at what everyone else has been making lately. Send us photos of any Pinch of Nom dishes you’ve made and you might just win some SWAG!