Cutting Through the Nonsense: The Best Kitchen Appliances & Gadgets of the Decade

If you are in the market for some new kitchen appliances or gadgets, there are several products readily available that might interest you. However, with so many modern appliances out there, you might find searching for new kitchen equipment slightly overwhelming.

Over the last ten years, manufacturers have developed some incredible state-of-the-art kitchen devices, which home cooks around the globe have invested in. Because of technology and modern science, there has been a major change in the features and functions of several kitchen appliances. So let’s jump in and take a look at some of the best modern kitchen devices that entered the market over the past decade.

Instant Pots

A recent study shows that 21% of American adults have an instant pot at home. These multifunctional modern devices allow you to reduce the amount of time it takes to cook great tasting meals. They are so easy to operate, people who don’t enjoy cooking can easily cook complicated meals with an instant pot.

It’s rare when a kitchen appliance generates a cult following, but instant pot fanatics who adore the device have been joining groups, posting images on social networking platforms, and swapping recipe ideas online. One instant pot fan page on Facebook has over two million followers! There are several websites out there dedicated to instant pot recipes, like Corrie cooks.

Surprisingly, it is one of the greenest kitchen appliances out there. Unlike other electronic kitchen equipment, it doesn’t consume a lot of electricity. You can invest in an instant pot for as little as $70, but you might want to push the boat out a little further by getting a high-end model. You can buy a top of the range instant pot for less than $200.

Air Fryer

If you are trying to shed a few pounds, ingredients cooked in traditional oil fryers won’t help. However, an air fryer specializes in cooking great tasting healthy meals that taste almost the exact same as ingredients cooked in oil fryers. You can cook multiple dishes simultaneously, and you can prepare delicious meals within a short space of time. If you lead a busy life and don’t have the time to prepare healthy meals, an air fryer might prove to be a game changer in your kitchen.

The appliance uses hot air circulation, which cooks the ingredients from all angles, which is why you don’t need any oil. If you can’t stand the smell of your traditional oil fryer while you are cooking meals, you won’t have to worry about the unwanted aroma, because you won’t be able to smell anything when cooking with an air fryer.

Most air fryers come with a booklet of ingredients to get you started on your air fryer journey, but just like instant pots, there are tons of great recipes available online. Some even post video clips of them cooking with their air fryer on streaming services like YouTube.

Modern Food Processor

If you are looking for a kitchen tool to help you chop, slice, grind and puree lots of different types of food, then a food processor might do the trick. Most modern food processors come with a range of blades, so you can change the blade depending on what ingredients you want to process. They are simple to use and highly effective.

Because they are so popular today, there are several well-known brands making food processors. You can purchase a small version that has a small bowl with the capacity of two to five cups, or a larger bowl with the capacity of nine to thirteen cups. The bowls in most food processors are made of plastic, which is transparent so you can see your ingredients while it is processing. Here are some of the reasons people love to use food processors.

• Save time: One of the best things about having a food processor is that you won’t have to spend all day chopping and slicing, as this handy device will do all the messy work for you. It can save you lots of time in the kitchen, so you can focus on the other ingredients you are preparing.
• Easy to use: If you are new to cooking, and you are finding it difficult to make food, then a food processor can help you.
• Safety: If you are preparing a meal when time isn’t on your side, you could sustain a serious injury during the hustle and bustle in the kitchen. You should take your time cooking, especially when using a sharp knife to chop food. Instead, let your food processor do the chopping for you.

Smart Fridge

Smart technology has changed the way we live our lives. The latest smart fridges to appear on the market have multiple cameras built into the appliance, so you can inside your fridge at any time, from anywhere. Every time you open and close the fridge door, the cameras will capture images, and store them so you can keep track of what’s inside it. Before heading to the store, you can take a quick look at your fridge from your mobile device without having to go home to see what you need.

At times, many of us overlook expiration dates on the food we store in our fridges. Smart fridges will help us manage our food, by sending us notifications to inform us that some of the food needs to be thrown out.

Most smart fridges have a tablet-like screen on the main door. You won’t need to rely on magnets and small notes to write down your shopping list. Instead, you can rely on this easy to use interface, which can send all the information you input into the fridge to your mobile device.

However, you can expect to put your hand deep into your pocket if you want to get the top quality smart fridge. Some of the best models out there will cost you around $6,000! Just like any device that connects to a network, there is a risk of your fridge being hacked. Although you might think your fridge being hacked is not a big deal, cybercriminals will be able to take data from your fridge that will let them know what time you go to bed, and get up in the morning. If they get access to the images stored on your fridge, they might find pictures of your family members. A smart fridge will need to download software updates now and again, which can prove frustrating.

Portable Speaker

Cooking food and listening to music is a great combination. If you enjoy listening to your favorite songs while you are preparing dinner, you should consider investing in a portable speaker. There are several different models on the market, so you are bound to find one that fits in with the design of your kitchen.

You can connect your speaker to a smart device via BlueTooth, but if you are worried about notifications and phone calls disturbing your music, you should find a model that allows you to connect it to a USB stick. Just put your music on the USB stick, and connect it to the speaker. Most modern portable speakers have a decent battery life, so you’ll rarely have to charge them. Some models even take MicroSD cards.