I have a tiny house with a small kitchen and it is not always practical to make use of big and clunky kitchen gadgets.
Likewise, it is of no use downsizing your kitchen tools when they do not perform as great.
For me size matters as well as quality and sometimes it is a balancing act between the two but it should always be there to make your life easier and that is what makes for a great kitchen gadget.
Have you ever opened your kitchen drawer or cupboard and felt that it is too much effort to get that big and clunky scale out or that big mixing bowl at the back that contains all manner of smaller items?
Then you may even appreciate this list of gadgets suitable for your small kitchen:
Great Small Kitchen Gadgets
Best Small Digital Scale
What does the best small digital scale look like?
To me it looks round since most of my containers I want to use on a scale has a round base.
It also needs to be accurate and take imperial – as well as metric measurements for all my recipes across the globe.
This Cuisinart digital scale ticks all the boxes for me and here is what it has to offer:
Features:
- Sleek design
- Imperial and metric measurements
- Weight capacity: 11 lbs / 5Kg
- Auto-off function
- Zero tare function
- Easy to store
- Easy to clean
Keep it on your countertop or easily store it away.
But one thing is for certain: If you like cooking and baking, a small digital scale is a must.
The Best Hand Grater
This is a fine grater / zester from KitchenAid and it is a great addition to your kitchen.
It is perfect for grating stuff like lemons, limes, ginger, nutmeg and chocolate among other things.
This sharp, bi-directional grating, stainless-steel blade will make quick work of your zesting needs while being compact and easy to store with a blade cover for safety.
Features:
- Durable stainless-steel blade crafted from 304 stainless steel
- A soft, silicone foot for stability and grip on any flat surface
- Bi-directional grating for double the grating speed
- Dishwasher safe
- Plastic guard for safety
- Ergonomic handle for comfort
- Compact and easy to store
Comfort, compact and fast grating: What more do you need in a zester? KitchenAid offers this great product fitting for one of the best hand graters out there.
If; however, you are looking for a handheld cheese grater that is not that fine; I have you covered in the next product:
Best Handheld Cheese Grater
Just like KitchenAid’s fine greater, their etched medium grater follows the same great design, making it one of the best handheld cheese graters money can buy.
It is again a flat grater perfect for grating hard cheese, chocolate and a variety of vegetables.
I love the bi-directional grating feature and the fact that it is easy to store along with great quality.
Features:
- Durable stainless blade
- Dishwasher safe
- Ergonomic handle for comfort
- Bi-directional grating
- Compact
- Plastic guard included for safe storage
- Soft, silicone foot for stability and grip on flat surfaces
With a one-year hassle-free replacement and a limited lifetime warranty, you can have peace of mind that this handheld cheese grater will give you joy for a long time to come.
Prepara Herb Saver
The Prepara Chef’s Eco Herb Saver is a BPA – free container designed to prolong the life of fresh herbs.
It is easy to use and will fit inside any fridge door.
There are several benefits using the Prepara herb saver container to a damp cloth:
The hard casing prevents leaves from being crushed by other items in the fridge, the container that holds the herbs are clear so you can see what is stored inside and it lets the leaves breath at optimum hydration levels.
The Prepara also comes with a three bladed shear to chop herbs quickly and evenly as well as a leaf stripper to strip leaves from stems in seconds.
This Prepara herbs and green tool works best on woody herbs like Thyme, Rosemary and Oregano.
Features:
- Saves herbs for up to 3 weeks
- Includes herb shears
- Includes the herbs and greens cool tool leaf stripper
- Fits inside any fridge door
- Clear container to easily see what is stored inside
Do you buy fresh herbs for cooking and find that you have to throw most of it in the bin before you had time to use it all?
The Prepara herb saver solves that problem for you, keeping your herbs fresh for up to 3 weeks so you always have fresh herbs at hand for your cooking.
Silicone Cooking Lids
Silicone Cooking Lids are simply a fantastic idea especially if you have limited space in your kitchen.
Creative Home brings you a universal 4-piece silicone lid set that will fit a wide variety of containers.
These suction lids are easy to use: Simply press it down over the surface of the container and it is done!
You do not have to worry about food poisoning as the lids are 100% BPA-free and is FDA and LFPGB approved.
Apart from the good temperature range (-40° C to 250° C) that allows you to use it in your oven, microwave and fridge, I love that these silicone lids fit snugly together that makes for easy storage.
Features:
- Dishwasher and microwave safe
- Easy to use suction lids
- Compact and easy to store
- 100% BPA free
- Safe at high temperatures
- Avoid microwave splatter
- Stop fighting with plastic wrap and put a lid on it!
Silicone Cooking Lids solved multiple problems for me: Many of my pot lids had plastic handles which mean that I could not use it in my oven for some dishes I like to do.
There are times when I want to use a lid on my pan and I just used one of my pot lids, but when I have to use the pot and my pan at the same time, I really need another lid but purchasing all the lids I would like to use in the kitchen, just would not be practical for the space I have available.
The big one for me is the space-saving and that it replaces a wide range of lid sizes.
Squish Collapsible Bowls
Squish Collapsible Bowls are such an ingenious idea and I love it.
We all know how much space all your mixing bowls can take. Well, now you can easily collapse them to save loads of space.
Being collapsible, they are still sturdy when expanded.
This is a 10-piece set that consists of 8 measuring spoons and cups and two bowls. (One 3 qt. mixing bowl and One 5 qt. Mixing bowl)
Saving space is the main purpose for purchasing these items and is perfect for your camping trailer.
Features:
- Non-slip base
- Compact and easy to store
- Dishwasher safe
- BPA free
- Easy-grasp rims
I normally list the features / benefits of the product but for this item, I feel it is important that you take note of the following before deciding on purchasing this item/s:
- It is NOT microwave safe
- It is NOT oven safe
Save loads of space in your cupboard using Squish Collapsible Bowls. They are collapsible, nested together and lightweight.
Perfect for using as mixing bowls and cleaning them in the dishwasher afterwards.
Electric Breakfast Sandwich Maker
I just love an easy, healthy and convenient way of preparing breakfast and this is exactly what you get with the Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker.
My favourite feature is that it saves a ton of space and makes awesome breakfast sandwiches hassle-free and minimum effort to clean.
Tips:
For best results, let the electric breakfast sandwich maker pre-heat a bit longer.
Now give the egg cooking plate a spirts of cooking spray. This will prevent the egg from leaking on the sides.
Get full-sized muffins that fills the whole bottom ring and by placing the cheese before the meat it prevents the egg from slipping around on the melted cheese.
Features:
- Quick and easy recipes included
- Removable parts are dishwasher safe
- Use your own fresh ingredients including eggs, cheese and much more
- Use English muffins, bagels, biscuits and more
No need to make regular stops at the drive-through for your breakfast muffin.
Let the Hamilton Beach electric breakfast sandwich maker create your perfect breakfast sandwich quick, healthily and easily.
Stainless Steel Sponge Holder
A stainless-steel sponge holder with suction cups is just what you need to solve your limited space at the kitchen sink.
It was a great frustration whenever I am looking to for a space to put my kitchen cleaning sponge without it falling into the sink every so often.
I stuck mine inside my kitchen sink directly in front of me and find that it is simply convenient and out of the way.
It is a great little place to store my sink plug as well that somehow eluded me most of the time.
Features:
- Eliminates clutter
- Neat and out of the way
- Lets your sponge drain-dry quickly
- Convenient
Keep your cleaning sponge out of the way but yet in reach for use. Get a stainless-steel sponge holder! It is as simple as that.
Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner
The Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner makes cleaning your microwave fun and practical.
Just pop her hair off, add some vinegar and water, put the head back on and you are set.
Now place Angry Mama in your microwave and turn it on for 5 – to 8 minutes and see the steam rise from her head as it not only loosens dirt but disinfects your microwave.
Wipe the loosen crud off with a damp cloth or paper towel and you are done.
Angry Mama is small and easy to store and takes way less space than chemical bottles. Yes, vinegar also comes in bottles but is something I already use in my cooking.
Features:
- No need for chemicals
- Easy to use
- Steam cleans
- Softens crud for an easy wipe down
Easy, quick, no chemicals and convenient. This is what makes Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner one of the best microwave cleaner products in my opinion.
3-in-1 Avocado Slicer
This 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer saves time, is safe to use and easy to store.
If you love Avocado’s then this is an essential tool to quickly split, remove the pit and scoop the Avocado out while slicing it in equal parts.
It is perfect for adding Avocado slices to pizza, sandwiches or salad toppings.
Features:
- Serrated blade easily cuts through Avocado skin but save to the touch
- Use it on other fruit too like Papaya or Mango
- Non-slip grip
- The pitter removes cores easily and safely
No mess or hassle when trying to remove the pit with a sharp knife. Why not make life easier with this 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer?
Instant Read Digital Food Thermometer
What is the best instant read meat thermometer, some may ask?
Best may differ per person but the Faberware Protek Instant Read Digital Meat Thermometer ticks the boxes for me and here is why:
It is so easy to use but above all, it is easy to read and can switch between °F or °C.
But feature-wise, my favourite is surely that you can lock the temperature reading should you want to remove it from your dish to have a closer look.
It has a good temperature range (from -20 °F to 500 °F) which is all you will ever need when cooking meat.
A key factor for me when it comes to essential kitchen tools like this is that it must be easy to store.
The Faberware Protek does come with a protective storage sleeve; keeping it safe in your drawer and easy to carry around when making use of the clip.
Features:
- Comes with a storage sleeve
- Easy to read digital screen
- Temperature hold button
- Temperature range from -20° F to 500° F
- On | Off button to prolong battery life
Easy, fast, accurate and simple temperature readings ideal for meats with a big and clear digital display.
Cook your meat to perfection with this instant read digital meat thermometer.
Pinapple cutter
I remember how mesmerised I was when I first saw this Pineapple cutter on some television tech. show.
I just love Pineapple rings because they are such a perfect size and shape to grab as a quick snack and you cannot go without the occasional pineapple ring on your chicken burger!
Taking a knife and slicing that Pineapple into rings is not that easy and the reason I hardly buy a fresh Pineapple and it is such a shame.
Now, this tool is an amazing invention in my opinion and it works well.
Do you prefer having little triangles of pineapple for your salad? No problem. The included shredder will cut the rings into 8 equal triangles for you without breaking a sweat.
Features:
- Easy to clean
- Comfortable handle
- Compact and lightweight
- Detachable handle
- Included shredder cuts the Pineapple in little triangles if preferred
Cutting perfect pineapple rings safely is as easy as 1,2,3. It does the job perfectly.
Let the Pineapple cutter do all the work for you – why not?
Oxo Lemon Squeezer
The Oxo Lemon Squeezer is so easy to use that your 90-year old grandmother can squeeze fresh lemons to the last drop.
Well, perhaps a little less than the last drop but this tool makes it so much easier than squeezing lemons by hand.
I keep saying ‘Lemons’ but it is ideal for Limes and other citrus fruits too.
The construction is made from a die-cast aluminium which makes it light and durable for many years of use.
Features:
- Dishwasher safe
- strong construction made from die-cast aluminium
- Extracts maximum juice
- Non-slip grips
- Coated with a non-stick finish
Maximum juice, no pips and easy to use: Is that not all you want from a citrus squeezer?
The Oxo Lemon Squeezer offers quality too along with a comfortable grip.
This is one of those essential tools that will make you wonder: ‘Why have I never invested in something like this?’
Starfrit Rotato Express Electric Peeler
The Starfrit Rotato Express Electric Peeler is a blessing for me personally.
I prefer peeling potatoes with it, but it is also good for cutting a variety of vegetables and fruit including Cucumber, Onions, tomatoes and more.
It saves me time and cuts away less potato flesh than I do by hand.
It is easy to clean and easy to use and comes with two extra blades tucked away in the bottom along with a plastic paring knife.
You can have it operate with batteries (making it portable) or plug it in via the 6V adapter.
Features:
- Easy to clean
- Non-slip base
- Includes two extra blades
- Includes plastic paring knife
- Portable
- Safe to use
- More hygenic
- Less waste than manual peeling
Peel a potato in 10 seconds or less, safe time and zest lemons. I love this gadget and actually look for an excuse to use it.
Tips:
- Put a paper towel at the bottom to catch all the peelings
- Press lightly down on the upper food holder for fruits that do not sit that snug as a potato would
Hamilton Beach 25409 Quesadilla Maker
A celebration of flavor, easy, quick and fun food is found in the Hamilton Beach 25409 Quesadilla Maker.
Now if you are not sure what a Quesadilla is: You put down a tortilla, top it with your choice of filling, place another tortilla on top, toast it on both sides and voila!
The Quesadilla maker has non-stick plates and makes 6 perfectly sized wedges.
Not sure what to use as a filling? The manual does include recipes for you to try. Chicken and cheese stole my heart!
Features:
- Ready in 5 minutes
- Non-stick surface
- Makes 6 wedges
- Pre-heat light
- Locking lid
Tips:
- Always preheat the Quesadilla maker
- Don’t overfill your tortilla
- Spray the surface with cooking spray | oil
- Use a plastic spatula or tongs to remove Quesadilla to avoid scratching the surface
- Always use precooked meat
The Hamilton Beach 25409 Quesadilla Maker makes a quick and delicious meal of leftovers, easy to use and easy to clean.