10 Kitchen Gadgets That Genuinely Save You Time (And 5 to Skip)

 We’ve all been there. You find an exciting 30-minute recipe, but 45 minutes later, you’re still just chopping vegetables. The dream of a quick, healthy, home-cooked meal gets derailed by the sheer time it takes to prep, cook, and clean.

As a professional in the food world for over a decade, I’ve tested, bought, and been given just about every kitchen gadget imaginable. I’ve seen what works and what just ends up in a donation pile.

The market is flooded with tools promising to "revolutionize your kitchen." But for busy professionals, working parents, or anyone trying to squeeze in a healthy meal between work and the gym, we don't need more clutter. We need efficiency.

This post is your definitive guide. We're cutting through the noise to identify the kitchen gadgets that genuinely save you time, and just as importantly which popular ones are nothing more than drawer-clutterers.

The 10 Kitchen Gadgets Genuinely Worth Your Money

These are the tools I use day-in and day-out. They don't just do one thing; they speed up a process, whether that's prep, cooking, or cleanup.

1. The Instant Pot (or a Good Multi-Cooker)

Why it saves time: This isn't just a trend. An Instant Pot (a brand of multi-cooker) excels at "set it and forget it" cooking. It slashes cooking times for things that normally take hours—think tender pulled pork in 45 minutes, not 6 hours, or dried beans in 20 minutes with no soaking. Its real power is in one-pot meals, meaning cleanup is a single insert, not three different pans.

2. The Air Fryer

Why it saves time: Think of it as a small, high-powered convection oven. Its main time-saving feature is the lack of pre-heat time. An oven takes 10-15 minutes just to get to temperature. An air fryer is ready in 2-3 minutes. It cooks proteins and vegetables incredibly fast (e.g., crispy salmon in 8 minutes) and is perfect for reheating leftovers without making them soggy, saving you from a lengthy oven-reheating process.

3. The Immersion Blender (Stick Blender)

Why it saves time: A traditional blender is a hassle. You have to transfer hot soup, blend in batches, risk a "blender explosion," and then clean a bulky pitcher, blade, and lid. An immersion blender lets you blend that same soup directly in the pot you cooked it in. Cleanup involves rinsing the blender's wand, which takes about 15 seconds. It’s a massive time-saver for soups, tomato sauces, and quick homemade mayo.

4. A Quality Mini Food Processor

Why it saves time: While I love my 14-cup food processor for big jobs, the mini chopper is my daily workhorse. It saves you from the tedious 5-10 minutes of fine-dicing. Need to mince 3 cloves of garlic, a shallot, and some ginger? It’s a 5-second job in a mini-chopper. This is the key to getting your mise en place (your prep) done fast, which is the secret to all quick recipes.

5. A Digital Instant-Read Thermometer

Why it saves time: This one is counter-intuitive. It doesn't cook faster, but it stops you from wasting time. How? By completely eliminating the "is it done yet?" dance. No more cutting into a chicken breast "just to check," letting out all the heat. You get a perfectly cooked, juicy result every time. It saves you from the time-suck of overcooking (and ruining) a good piece of meat.

6. A Mandoliner Slicer

Why it saves time: A mandoliner will give you perfectly uniform slices of potato for a gratin, paper-thin onions for salads, or carrot "chips" in seconds. It can do the work of 10 minutes of careful knife work in 30 seconds.

Crucial Pro-Tip: This is a pro tool and demands respect. Always, always, always use the safety guard. The time you save is not worth a trip to the ER.

7. The Electric Kettle

Why it saves time: If you don't have one, you're wasting minutes every day. An electric kettle boils water in a fraction of the time it takes a pot on the stove. This isn't just for tea or coffee. Need to boil water for pasta? Start with water from your electric kettle. Need to hydrate couscous or soak dried mushrooms? Done in 90 seconds.

8. A Simple Salad Spinner

Why it saves time: If you're trying to eat healthier, you're probably eating more salads. And wet, limp greens make for a sad salad (plus, the dressing slides right off). Drying greens with paper towels is slow, wasteful, and ineffective. A salad spinner gets your greens bone-dry in 15 seconds. This means your prepped greens last longer in the fridge, and your salads are better, instantly.

9. A Bench Scraper

Why it saves time: This is the cheapest, simplest gadget on the list, and I use it every day. After you've chopped your vegetables, a bench scraper lets you scoop them all up in one motion and transfer them to the pan. No more awkward knife-scooping or using your hands. It also cleans your cutting board in one pass. It's a 10-second-at-a-time-saver that adds up to minutes.

10. A "Set it and Forget It" Rice Cooker

Why it saves time: Yes, you can make rice on the stove. But you have to watch it. It takes up a valuable burner. It can (and does) boil over or scorch. A simple rice cooker makes perfect, fluffy rice every single time and then keeps it warm for you. It frees up a burner and, more importantly, your mental energy and attention for the rest of the meal.

The 5 Gadgets to Skip (And What to Use Instead)

This section is about building trust. Not all gadgets are created equal. These "unitaskers" take up more time in cleaning and storage than they ever save you in prep.

1. The Garlic Press

Why skip it: This is controversial, but I stand by it. A garlic press is a nightmare to clean. Those tiny holes trap more garlic than they press.

Use instead: AMicroplane zester. It gives you a fine garlic paste (perfect for sauces) and rinses clean in 5 seconds. Or, just learn the "smash and mince" technique with your chef's knife.

2. Avocado Slicers / Pitters

Why skip it: This is the definition of a "unitasker." It’s a solution in search of a problem. It's bulky and doesn't work any better than...

Use instead: A Chef's Knife. A knife cuts the avocado, removes the pit (with a gentle thwack and twist), and slices it, all in one.

3. Egg Separators

Why skip it: A novelty gimmick that just creates another thing to wash.

Use instead: Your hands (let the white slip through your fingers) or the shell-to-shell method. It's a basic kitchen skill that's faster and cleaner.

4. The Banana Slicer

Why skip it: A perfect example of a gadget that takes longer to find in the drawer, use, and wash than the original task.

Use instead: A butter knife. It takes 5 seconds to slice a banana.

5. Specialty "Sandwich Makers"

Why skip it: I'm not talking about a versatile panini press, but the sealed-edge sandwich makers or novelty breakfast stations. They have one function, the non-stick coating wears out, and they are impossible to clean.

Use instead: A non-stick skillet. It makes a perfect grilled cheese or fried egg, can be used for a thousand other things, and wipes clean in 20 seconds.

Your Time is Valuable Invest in the Right Tools

In a busy world, kitchen efficiency is the key to eating healthier, saving money, and reducing stress. It's not about having more gadgets; it's about having the right ones.

By investing in tools that reduce prep, streamline cooking, and minimize cleanup, you're buying back your most valuable asset: your time. You're removing the friction that stands between you and a delicious, home-cooked meal, which is what we're all about here at Recipe Remote.

Ready to Streamline Your Entire Week?

You've got the tools now get the system. As a special thank you for reading, I'm offering a FREE downloadable PDF

 The 5-Step Guide to a More Efficient Kitchen.

This guide goes beyond gadgets and gives you my core system for weekly meal planning, high-speed prep, and building a "go-to" ingredient list that makes weeknight cooking a breeze.

👉Click Here to Download Your Free Efficient Kitchen Guide