My Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets That Actually Get Used

Kitchen gadgets. We have them, we occasionally get rid of them, we keep some, we rebuy some, and really the ones we use depend on our season of life. Here are the top gadgets that I think are worth having and that I consistently use.

1. Instant Pot

Do you need an Instant Pot? No. Is it nice to have? Absolutely. I use mine at least once a week. If you haven't tried one, they really are worth it to cook meat from frozen without defrosting, to make soups and stews in half the time, and to up the nutrient level in your food because pressure cooking is even healthier than steaming!

2. Garlic Press

I have heard it said that if you're not going to hand chop garlic, you don't deserve garlic. I disagree. The garlic press is a wonderful tool, and makes me more likely to actually use garlic than if I had to chop it.

3. Potato Masher

There are many styles of these, and yes you technically can use a fork or a hand mixer or whatever... but a potato masher is so fast and easy and I use it for mashing other items too (like bananas for banana bread) and so for me, it has been really worth it to have one in my kitchen.

4. Cake Stand

My daughter's 6th birthday cake. It was decorated exactly how she wanted it, and was absolutely beautiful in that "a child made this" kind of way

Again, strictly necessary? No. But a cake stand is inexpensive and takes your baked goods up a notch. You don't have to only put cakes on these, display cupcakes, cookies, or even fruit when it isn't in use.

5. Digital thermometer

So two favorites here, I like this one for meats and bread, and this one for the grill. The grill one CAN be used inside, but my husband likes having a dedicated grill thermometer and it hooks up to an app on his phone that he can use to monitor the temperature from inside the house. The one for meat and bread, I know this is on the pricier side for a digital thermometer but this one held up really well and even survived a couple accidental runs through the dishwasher. I've never had a thermometer last so long in our house.

6. Parchment paper

Some of these are technically not kitchen gadgets, but things you wouldn't always think to buy for a kitchen. Parchment paper is really a wonderful tool to have. For any of your baking or roasting, or projects that might otherwise stick to your cookie sheet, I really recommend parchment paper. I do like them better than silicone mats which I have not used to be honest, because I don't like the idea of washing a big floppy mat of silicone in my little kitchen sink. I usually get this eco-friendly brand, which is nice both because it is eco-friendly, and because it is often less expensive per sq ft than it's not-so-green competitors.

7. Whisk

Noooot a gadget! But do you have one? I used a fork for years and insisted it was just as good as a whisk. I was wrong. Do yourself a favor and use the right tool for the job.

8. Hand Mixer

These come in handy even if you have a big fancy Kitchenaid, because there are times you won't want to get it dirty or you'll want to make whipped cream or just have something a little lighter and less bulky than a gigantic countertop mixer. If you don't have a kitchenaid, this is a great tool to have for your cake making and those projects where you once or twice a year wish you had a mixer but don't, and these are a much smaller investment.

9. Cheese Grater

I don't always hand grate my cheese, but it is very useful to have a cheese grater for the times that I want to. I also grate potatoes and chocolate, and use it to zest lemons and oranges. This multipurpose tool is a great thing to have in your kitchen.

10. Ice Cream Scoop

Yes you can use a spoon, but an ice cream scoop is great and scoops much faster at holiday get togethers, or other occasions when you're serving multiple bowls and actually would prefer that "rounded scoop" look. They're inexpensive, and it's worth having one.

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So tell me, was your favorite kitchen gadget on the list? What did I miss? What do you use and love?