10 Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier

Looking for ways to help with food preparation that doesn't cost a lot of money? See our list of inexpensive kitchen gadgets that make cooking easier | Inexpensive kitchen gadgets that make cooking easier
Inexpensive kitchen gadgets that make cooking easier

Anyone who knows me, know that I am a gadget person! I believe in having the right tool for the job…and to me cooking gadgets are no different.

Over the years I have tried many different cooking accessories to try to make things easier…some of them have worked and some haven’t…so I decided to come up with “my top 10” list of kitchen gadgets. I would be truly unhappy if someone took any of these accessories out of my kitchen!

Click next to see my list of 10 inexpensive kitchen gadgets that make cooking easier.

Lemon/Cheese Grater

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Lemon Grater | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Lemon Grater

I do a lot of cooking with lemons so having a good grater* is definitely a must…and the graters that are shaped like a hand tool work better than any other kind.

The grated lemon peel | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
The grated lemon peel

The lemon peel grates really easily…it works so much better than the old school graters. And it also works well for grating cheese, citrus or garlic.

Find it HERE.

Ginger Grater

These ceramic ginger graters* let you grate ginger all the way down to the bottom without hurting your fingers.

Just scrape the ginger over the bumps on the dish and the ginger comes right off. As an added benefit, it’s also really easy to clean…just rinse under water.

A Good Garlic Press

The garlic press | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
The garlic press

I have owned a few garlic presses in my life and my biggest issue with most of them is having to peel the garlic before you mince it.

I finally splurged (and “splurge” is a relative term here) for a more expensive garlic press*, and guess what? Now there’s no peeling involved!

Put the garlic in the press...no need to remove the skin | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Put the garlic in the press…no need to remove the skin

Just put the garlic into the garlic press.

Push the garlic through the press | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Push the garlic through the press

Push the garlic through the press.

Press the garlic through the holes and scrape it off with a knife | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Press the garlic through the holes and scrape it off with a knife

Use a knife to scrape off the garlic. And it is all ready to use!

Find it HERE.*

Garlic Peeler

The garlic peeler | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
The garlic peeler

If you do need to peel garlic, a garlic peeler* is a must have gadget!

Put the garlic in the tube | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Put the garlic in the tube

Put the garlic in the tube and roll it around on the counter.

Roll the tube to remove the garlic skin | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Roll the tube to remove the garlic skin

Pull the garlic out and it is peeled! Almost like magic…and so much easier than doing it manually.

Find it HERE.*

Potato Ricer

If you ever have to mash potatoes, then a potato ricer* is the gadget for you!

Boil your potatoes as usual…then load them into the ricer.

Squeeze the handles and you will end up with perfectly “mashed” potatoes with so much less effort than using a masher…also perfect for making gnocchi or perogies.

Find it HERE.*

Apple Peeler

Apple Peeler | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Apple Peeler

I love to make apple crisp (click here to see my recipe), but I hate peeling apples. With this apple peeler*, that is no longer a problem!

Place the apple on the spikes | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Place the apple on the spikes

Just place the apple on the spikes of the apple peeler, making sure that the blade is at the bottom of the apple.

Rotate the handle until the apple is peeled | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Rotate the handle until the apple is peeled

Rotate the handle to start the peeling. When the blade gets to the top, the peeling is done.

The peeled apple | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
The peeled apple

Remove the apple and you are done!

Apple Corer and Slicer

Position the corer around the center of the apple | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Position the corer around the center of the apple

If you used the apple peeler (or some other means) to peel an apple and now need it to be sliced…then the apple corer/slicer* is the gadget to use.

This is so much easier than trying to core and slice the apple with a knife!

Position the corer/slicer over the stem of the apple.

The sliced apple | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
The sliced apple

Press down to cut through the apple and you will end up with perfect slices.

Pineapple Corer and Slicer

I have to say that I was skeptical about this pineapple corer and slicer* gadget when I first saw it…but now that I have tried it, I am a believer!

I love to make my own fruit salad, and fresh pineapple is a great addition…but once again, I hate the coring and slicing process. Thankfully, this pineapple corer and slicer really does work!

Cut the top off of the pineapple | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Cut the top off of the pineapple

Slice the top off the pineapple.

Position the pineapple cutter so that it is over the pineapple core | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Position the pineapple cutter so that it is over the pineapple core

Position the gadget over the core of the pineapple. Then just turn the handle so that the blade cuts into the pineapple.

Pull out the cored and sliced pineapple | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Pull out the cored and sliced pineapple

When you get to the bottom of the pineapple (you can tell because it gets tougher to turn), simply pull the corer along with the sliced pineapple out.

Take the handle off the pineapple slicer | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Take the handle off the pineapple slicer

Remove the handle from the corer by pressing on the buttons at the side.

Turn the corer upside down and slide the pineapple off | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Turn the corer upside down and slide the pineapple off

Turn the corer upside down and remove the pineapple. Make one cut from top to bottom of the pineapple to end up with slices.

Slice the pineapple as desired | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Slice the pineapple as desired

Or cut through the slices in multiple places to create pineapple pieces…which is what I do for my fruit salad.

Strawberry Huller

The strawberry huller* is another gadget that is great for making fruit salad (or anytime you need hulled strawberries).

Push the green button in to open the blades | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Push the green button in to open the blades

Push the green button at the top of the huller so that the blades open. Then push them into the top of the strawberry.

Hulled strawberries | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Hulled strawberries

Turn the huller so that it cuts a perfect circle around the hull…then pull it out. You will end up with perfect strawberries!

Food Ties

These food ties* are another one of those gadgets that eliminates frustration. I don’t cook turkey that often (once or twice a year at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas) but it seems like every time I do, I’m hunting for some string to truss it with.

These food ties completely eliminate that problem. It’s so easy to tie up the legs…and to remove the ties when the turkey is done.

And you can use them for any kind of food that you are stuffing and want to keep together while it cooks.

Mini Food Processor / Chopper

The mini chopper | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
The mini chopper

Finally, if you don’t have a mini food processor*, you definitely need to get one of these! I use mine almost exclusively for chopping onions, and it is completely worth it.

Chop the onions into large pieces | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Chop the onions into large pieces

Remove the onion skin and chop it into chunks.

Put the onions into the chopper, but don't fill more than half full | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
Put the onions into the chopper, but don’t fill more than half full

Load the chunks into the mini food processor (don’t fill it more than half full or it won’t process them evenly).

The chopped onions | Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
The chopped onions

Press the Chop button a few times until the onions are chopped to the size that you want them. If you want vegetables that are not pureed, don’t hold the button down…you will end up with onion mush!

I have never actually used the Grind button…so if you have a good use for it, I would love to hear about it in the comments!

Have comments or questions about Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier? Tell us in the section below.

This post was originally published on April 28, 2016 but was updated with new content on July 7, 2023.


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