{"id":5222,"date":"2024-05-26T16:14:20","date_gmt":"2024-05-26T16:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aitesonics.com\/best-kitchen-tech-gadgets-small-appliances-124515179\/"},"modified":"2024-05-26T16:14:20","modified_gmt":"2024-05-26T16:14:20","slug":"best-kitchen-tech-gadgets-small-appliances-124515179","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aitesonics.com\/best-kitchen-tech-gadgets-small-appliances-124515179\/","title":{"rendered":"The best kitchen gadgets for 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
You can get a lot done in the kitchen with the most basic tools, but adding a few gadgets to your countertops can make things a little easier and probably more enjoyable. This is the tech-infused cooking gear we like to use in our own kitchens, with insight from Engadget reviews, buyer\u2019s guides and personal experiences. The perennially popular Instant Pot is here, as is the brand\u2019s air fryer, which is the best we\u2019ve tested. Our favorite thermometer takes zero seconds to give a reading and our top pick for a blender makes everything you put into it smooth as silk. If you like to cook, these are the best kitchen gadgets to help you do it.<\/p>\n
Quick Overview<\/p>\n
$90 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $109 at ThermoWorks<\/u><\/a> $27 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $200 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $450 at KitchenAid<\/u><\/a> $350 at Wayfair<\/u><\/a>$380 at Amazon<\/a>$380 at Macy’s<\/a>See more options<\/a> $400 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $90 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $145 at Amazon<\/u><\/a>$199 at Sur La Table<\/a>$200 at Ace Hardware<\/a>See more options<\/a>See 4 more<\/a> The hottest kitchen gadget right now seems to be the air fryer<\/a>, presumably because the idea of \u201cfrying\u201d foods without the oily mess is an easy sell. Really, though, air fryers are just miniature convection ovens. They\u2019re typically pod-shaped and often come with a removable basket. There are also toaster ovens with an air-frying function \u2013 see our recommendations below \u2013 if you prefer to have a multi-purpose appliance on your countertop.<\/p>\n Though both have their own merits, if you think you\u2019re going to be air-frying a lot, we actually recommend a dedicated pod-shaped air fryer. These devices tend to result in crispier food, plus they\u2019re easier to clean. One of our favorites is the Instant Vortex Plus<\/a> with ClearCook and OdorErase. As the name suggests, it has a window so you can see what you\u2019re cooking, as well as odor-eliminating filters that help reduce cooking smells \u2013 not many other air fryers have both. It also doesn\u2019t take up as much space as a large toaster oven and it has easy to use controls.<\/p>\n $90 at Amazon<\/a> Nobody wants to eat undercooked meat, but it\u2019s pretty inedible when it\u2019s overcooked as well. One way to avoid either extreme is to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Our favorite is the Thermapen One<\/a> from ThermoWorks. It gives readings instantaneously, and the screen rotates automatically depending on how you\u2019re holding it. The auto-wake and sleep feature is useful for quick temp checks, and its IP67 waterproofing rating means you don\u2019t have to worry about accidentally dropping it in the sink.<\/p>\n The ThermoPop<\/a> is a more affordable option in ThermoWorks\u2019 lineup. It\u2019s not quite as fast as the Thermapen One, and it doesn\u2019t have the rotating display or backlight. But it still measures temperatures accurately and while it\u2019s not waterproof, it is splash resistant.<\/p>\n $109 at ThermoWorks<\/a> Bakers everywhere know that the most precise way to measure ingredients is with a scale. A \u201ccup of flour\u201d can be wildly different depending on how you scoop it, while a scale can tell you exactly if you have 120 grams. A digital scale is best for the most accurate measurements, and we especially like the Escali Primo<\/a>. You can switch between grams and ounces with a single press, and importantly, there\u2019s also a tare button that zeros out the weight so you can keep measuring in the same container. One reason we like the Escali Primo over other models is that it has a very long auto-off timer, allowing it to stay on for four minutes before shutting off. That\u2019s important for when you need the extra time to chop up vegetables or gather other ingredients without having to worry about the scale resetting to zero.<\/p>\n $27 at Amazon<\/a> While the Ninja Creami<\/a> is more like a blender than a traditional ice cream churn, it still allows you to create luxurious frozen treats while taking up less room on your countertop compared to old-school rivals. It\u2019s also super easy to operate \u2013 if you can use a food processor, you can use the Creami \u2013 and pretty much everything aside from the machine itself can go in your dishwasher, so it\u2019s easy to clean. Granted, it\u2019s a bit loud while in action, but for $200, the Creami is an affordable and surprisingly versatile way of making great ice cream at home. \u2014 Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter<\/em><\/p>\n $200 at Amazon<\/a> Sure, you could probably mix together a batch of cookie dough by hand, but it\u2019ll take time and quite a bit of upper body strength. That\u2019s even truer if you want to knead bread dough or whip up a meringue. Save yourself the trouble by getting a stand mixer. The favorite among bakers and amateur cooks for years have been KitchenAid\u2019s Artisan series<\/a>. It\u2019s durable, powerful and it comes with your choice of paddle, hook and whisk attachments to use with the mixing bowl. We also like that the KitchenAid mixers are compatible with a variety of accessories and attachments that can turn the machine into an ice cream maker<\/a>, a meat grinder<\/a> and a pasta machine<\/a> just in case you want to expand your culinary horizons.<\/p>\n $450 at KitchenAid<\/a> It\u2019s hard to beat the Vitamix<\/a> in this space. The high-performance blender brand makes machines that do more than just prep smoothies, but can also make salad dressing, sauces, batters and soups. It\u2019s especially handy if you have a habit of adding tougher ingredients into your recipes \u2013 things like nuts, dried fruit and frozen produce. Whereas other, less powerful blenders may leave chunks once you introduce hardier ingredients, the Vitamix won\u2019t, leaving you with a silky smooth final product.<\/p>\n Depending on the model you get, you can also buy different attachments to make the most of the blender\u2019s powerful base. You can pick up 64-ounce containers<\/a> for making smoothies for your whole family at once or a \u201cdry grain\u201d container<\/a> that\u2019s outfitted with a blade specifically for grinding up things like whole grains so you can make your own flour.<\/p>\n Vitamix currently has four series of blenders: the basic Vitamix One<\/a>, which comes in at $250; the slightly more advanced Explorian series<\/a>, which starts at $350 and is arguably best for most people; the Legacy series<\/a>, starting at $400; and the advanced Ascent series<\/a>, which will set you back at least $500. Yes, these are expensive machines, but it\u2019s worth investing in if you do a lot of blending or like to experiment with making things from scratch.<\/p>\n $350 at Wayfair<\/a>Explore More Buying Options$380 at Amazon<\/a>$380 at Macy’s<\/a> A toaster oven is a surprisingly versatile appliance. Yes, you can use it to toast bread, buns, and all manner of baked goods. But it\u2019s also a great alternative when you don\u2019t want to warm up your whole house with your full-size oven. It heats up far faster too, which makes it a more efficient choice for warming up leftovers.<\/p>\n We love the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro<\/a> as it\u2019s big enough to roast a chicken and it also has other functions like dehydrate, proof and air fry (thanks to a super convection mode). It also includes presets for baking pizzas and toasting bagels. A step up from that is the Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro<\/a>, which adds WiFi connectivity so you can control it from your phone. The app has lots of recipes, too, and there\u2019s an \u201cautopilot\u201d feature that automatically adjusts the temperature during cooking.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want something quite so large, a smaller and more affordable alternative is the Panasonic Flash Express<\/a>. It\u2019s roomy enough to handle a slice of pizza but definitely won\u2019t take up as much space as the Breville. It\u2019s definitely a great option if all you want is a toaster oven for heating up frozen snacks or toasting several bread slices at once.<\/p>\n $400 at Amazon<\/a> If you haven\u2019t yet hopped on the bandwagon, a multi-cooker like the Instant Pot could become one of your favorite kitchen gadgets. This cult favorite can perform multiple tasks, including pressure cooking, slow cooking, saut\u00e9ing, rice cooking, yogurt making, steaming and warming. The combination of all these features make it easy to prepare stews, soups, braises and more. You can make cheesecake in it too! Our favorite model for most people is the Instant Pot Duo Plus<\/a> because it\u2019s simple to use, with several quick-cooking modes for soup, eggs, porridge and grains. It has sterilizing and sous vide cooking functions too.<\/p>\n Want a smarter Instant Pot instead? Consider the Instant Pot Pro Plus<\/a>. It not only has updated features like a canning function and an oven-safe inner pot, but you also get WiFi connectivity and a companion app, which offers step-by-step guided instructions for over 800 recipes. Plus, you can use it to release the Instant Pot\u2019s steam remotely. You can also use the app to set a timer to release the steam automatically.<\/p>\n $90 at Amazon<\/a> If you want to make sure your expensive steak is perfectly medium rare without having to constantly monitor its temperature, consider getting a sous vide cooker. These machines let you cook anything inside a temperature-controlled water bath so that it\u2019s done to perfection. We\u2019ve successfully made<\/a> steak, chicken, burgers, eggs and even yogurt in a sous vide cooker, and the results have been perfect every time.<\/p>\n Our favorite model is the Anova Precision Cooker 3.0<\/a>. The company added digital touch controls, a longer power cord and WiFi connectivity to an already stellar base product with the launch of the latest version. The companion app is thoughtfully designed as well, with hundreds of recipes and the option to control the machine remotely. And even though there\u2019s an app component, you don\u2019t have to use it; you can easily adjust the temperature with the on-board controls and the large digital display.<\/p>\n $145 at Amazon<\/a>Explore More Buying Options$199 at Sur La Table<\/a>$200 at Ace Hardware<\/a><\/p>\n Valentina Palladino and Amy Skorheim contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You can get a lot done in the kitchen with the most basic tools, but adding a few gadgets to your countertops can make things a little easier and probably more enjoyable. This is the tech-infused cooking gear we like to use in our own kitchens, with insight from Engadget reviews, buyer\u2019s guides and personal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,52,49,56,48,256,255,159,51,53,47],"tags":[66,63,60,67,59,258,257,162,62,64,58],"yoast_head":"\n<\/p>\n
Thermapen One<\/h3>\n
Best thermometer<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Escali Primo Digital Food Scale<\/h3>\n
Best food scale<\/h4>\n
![](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/LpDPF1Ek1qJVhO.1wT5KOg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDtoPTEzNg--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/wG8Myi0BtWLqWieh9TQ0hA--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-05\/88a349c0-113b-11ef-9fdb-f6eba1ed7dc5\")
Ninja CREAMi<\/h3>\n
Best ice cream maker<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer<\/h3>\n
Best stand mixer<\/h4>\n
More options<\/a><\/p>\n
Vitamix Explorian<\/h3>\n
Best blender<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, BOV900BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel<\/h3>\n
Best toaster oven<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saut\u00e9, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer, Includes App With Over 800 Recipes, Stainless Steel, 6 Quart<\/h3>\n
Best multi-cooker<\/h4>\n
![](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/2tNEFrrqo8iPdAtEpx.6_A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDtoPTEzNg--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/YFI06y1oH8A3oSKHWJuagA--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-07\/26186280-1c14-11ee-bbb7-8f51197922e7\")
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker 3.0 (WiFi), 1100 Watts<\/h3>\n
Best sous vide machine<\/h4>\n
<\/a>Instant Pot<\/p>\n
Instant Vortex Plus 6QT Air Fryer with Odor Erase Technology, 6-in-1 Functions that Crisps, Roasts, Broils, Dehydrates, Bakes & Reheats, 100+In-App Recipes, from the Makers of Instant Pot,1700W,Black<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best air fryer<\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Thermapen<\/p>\n
Thermapen One<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best thermometer<\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Escali<\/p>\n
Escali Primo Digital Food Scale<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best food scale<\/a><\/h4>\n
![](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/wG8Myi0BtWLqWieh9TQ0hA--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-05\/88a349c0-113b-11ef-9fdb-f6eba1ed7dc5\")
Ninja CREAMi<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best ice cream maker<\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>KitchenAid<\/p>\n
KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best stand mixer<\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Vitamix<\/p>\n
Vitamix Explorian<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best blender<\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Breville<\/p>\n
Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, BOV900BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best toaster oven<\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Instant Pot<\/p>\n
Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saut\u00e9, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer, Includes App With Over 800 Recipes, Stainless Steel, 6 Quart<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best multi-cooker<\/a><\/h4>\n
![](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/YFI06y1oH8A3oSKHWJuagA--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-07\/26186280-1c14-11ee-bbb7-8f51197922e7\")
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker 3.0 (WiFi), 1100 Watts<\/a><\/h3>\n
Best sous vide machine<\/a><\/h4>\n