Kitchen Gadgets That Can Change Your Life

By Jean Aw (from NOTCOT) on March 23, 2010

There are so many kitchen gadgets out there that can change the way you cook. They can make a tedious task easier, faster and more fun. Or they can do things to food you didn't know were possible.

Here are some kitchen gadgets--from the amazingly simple to the technologically ingenious--that can change your cooking experience.

Chef'n Gadgets
This company's whole adorable product line will speed up your prep time in style. But the new GarlicZoom is one of my favorites. You put your garlic inside what is basically a tiny clear-covered unicycle you roll around on the counter, then you have some minced garlic. Check out the demo:

The PalmPeeler makes peeling anything so much easier. It slips on to your finger and tucks into your palm, so you can just slide your hand over whatever you're peeling instead of awkwardly manipulating a little pen-shaped peeling device.

Fusion Brands Gadgets
Like Chef'n, this is another brand where you could just buy the whole product line and your kitchen would be a better place. I'm particularly into the heat-resistant, silicon fingertongs. You can now use your hands to flip over bacon, grilled cheese sandwiches, pan-fried salmon ... or whatever delicious fare you're cooking up.

The foodpod is one of those things you didn't realize you needed because you couldn't imagine it existed. You put your food inside the pod and stick it in the boiling water. When it's done, just pull out the pod by the handle and let the water drain into the pot. Aside from ensuring consistent cooking, it saves water, time and makes pot clean-up easier.

Fusion Brands' foodloop series of silicon trussing and lacing replaces kitchen string and toothpicks. Not only is it a lot prettier than string and toothpicks, but it also is better for the environment since it's reusable.

The Sous Vide Supreme
Replicate the fancy meal experience at home ... with less fat and less effort that your normal cooking method. Sound crazy? The Sous Vide Supreme makes this complicated style of cooking so easy. Sous vide cooking slowly heats vacuum-sealed food in a water oven at low temperatures, locking in natural juices and flavors lost with other methods. The result is tender, perfectly cooked food with little work. You just leave it alone, and the machine cooks your food at the ideal temperature in a healthy way that will taste great.

Vacuum Sealer
Of course, you'll be able to use this to vacuum seal food to prepare sous vide. But you'll also be able to store food for longer without it going bad, save room in your fridge and just generally have fun making tiny sealed food packs for every possible purpose.

So, what do YOU love in your kitchen that few would expect?

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JEAN AW Founder of NOTCOT: Concept, Content & Creative, Editor-In-Chief of the NotEmpire*. . . Design Addict + UX Designer + Shopaholic + Tech Connoisseur + Design Writer + World Traveler   *NotEmpire = not an empire, composed of NOTCOT.com, NOTCOT.org, NotCouture.com, and Liqurious.com