Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets: How to Choose the Ones You'll Actually Use

We've all fallen for a kitchen gadget that promised the world, only to forget it at the back of a drawer a few weeks later. Yet the right tools really do save time, as long as you choose them with a bit of method. Here are the criteria we use to build our range, and the questions worth asking yourself before you buy.

1. Start with the tasks you repeat

A useful kitchen gadget solves a problem you face often. Before buying anything, spend a week noting down the jobs that annoy you or slow you down:

• peeling and chopping vegetables for soups or salads;
• weighing flour and sugar for a bake;
• hunting for a clean utensil halfway through a recipe;
• finding leftovers lost at the back of the fridge.

If a task comes up several times a week, a dedicated tool has every chance of becoming a must-have. If it comes up twice a year, skip it and keep the space for something else.

2. Favour versatile tools

A gadget that does one thing takes up as much room as one that does five. The multi-function vegetable chopper is a perfect example: with its 12 blades and inserts it dices, cuts julienne, slices and spiralises, replacing several knives and a mandoline on its own. In the same way, a digital kitchen scale with a tare function is just as handy for baking as it is for portioning rice or pasta.

Ask yourself one simple question: how many different recipes will this tool help me make?

3. Check the materials

Materials are what separate a gadget that lasts for years from one that breaks within weeks. A few pointers:

• Stainless steel for blades, grids and platforms: it doesn't rust and is easy to clean.
• Food-grade silicone for anything that touches your pans: it handles heat (up to 230°C for our utensil set) and won't scratch non-stick coatings.
• Borosilicate glass for food storage: it copes with temperature changes and doesn't hold on to smells.
• Bamboo or beech for handles and boards: comfortable to hold and sturdy.

Be wary of thin plastics that flex under pressure: on a vegetable chopper, the lid is usually the first part to give way.

4. Think about cleaning before you buy

A tool that's a pain to wash always ends up living in the cupboard. Check whether the parts come apart, whether they're dishwasher safe and whether a cleaning brush is included. Wooden-handled utensils and bamboo boards need washing by hand, but it only takes a few seconds: a fair trade-off for something good-looking that lasts.

5. Measure your storage space

Before you order, ask yourself where the tool will live. A utensil set with its holder sits happily next to the hob, a slim scale slides into a drawer and a compact chopper stores neatly with its container. If you can't think where to put it, it probably isn't a priority.

Our essentials to get you started

Whether you're kitting out your first kitchen or simply want to save time, here's a solid starting point:

1. A multi-function vegetable chopper for soups, salads and Sunday meal prep.
2. A digital kitchen scale accurate to the gram for reliable baking.
3. A silicone utensil set so you can cook without damaging your pans.
4. A knife sharpener to keep every cut clean.
5. Glass food storage containers for leftovers and batch cooking.

Gadgets to steer clear of

Finally, a few warning signs should make you think twice: a tool designed for one very specific food, a promise of "magic" results, parts that can't be taken apart, or a material whose composition isn't listed. A good kitchen gadget is simple, sturdy and easy to clean. Everything else is mostly marketing.

Stick to these criteria and you'll gradually build a thoughtfully equipped kitchen, where every tool has its place and genuinely earns it.