Whether your an amateur home cook or a professional chef, cooking a full meal is a lot of work. From the planning to the prep work, it takes patience and skill to whip up a tasty dish. While we’re very confident that you’re capable of cooking something with just a sharp knife and a fry pan, sometimes you can use a little extra help. And when you can’t enlist the help of your roomie, your beau or your kiddies, you can always count on some fancy schmancy cooking gadgets to cut your prep time. Let these 52 kitchen tools be your sous chef. They’ll make your life so much easier — we promise.
1. Devil Oven Pull ($3): One of the most annoying parts about baking is pulling out the tray or dish from the oven. Mitts can be clunky and always wind up in the food, but it’s just too hot to handle without ‘em. That’s where this pull comes in: Just hook the heat-resistant devil’s mouth to your dish or rack while your hands stay nice and safe on the other end of the handle.
2. Flexicado Slicer ($7): Holy guacamole! This citrus-colored slicer makes cutting an avo easy as pie. We predict a lot more avocado cooking in your future.
3. Carrot Peeler + Sharpener ($16): Yes, there’s such a thing as a carrot sharpener. And yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to play with your food. This fun gadget has a built-in peeler, too, so you can prep Instagram-worthy carrots while making use of those unique sharpenings in stir-frys or smoothies.
4. Open Sesame Bagel Slicer ($15): Become a magician with this quirky tool that holds your bagel while you slice it down the center. It’s a heck of a lot safer than the alternative, plus you get to pretend that you’re chopping your lovely assistant in half. (It’s magic, of course).
5. Ice Cream Slider Makers ($5): We found something that you never thought you needed: An ice cream sandwich maker! Simply place your favorite cookie in the bottom, followed by a scoop of creamy goodness and top with another cookie. Perfect sammies every time, without the mess.
6. Zipstrip Herb Stripper ($8): Stripping fresh herbs has never been easier. This awesome tool is perfect for those that use a lot of rosemary, thyme and tarragon in their cooking.
7. Pancake Pen ($10): This is one that the kids will love! Draw your favorite shape, write out a name or create perfectly round flapjacks with this easy-to-use, mess-free pancake pen.
8. One Stop Shop Cutting Board ($40): We’re obsessed with organizing, and this compartmentalized chopping board is no exception. It lets you organize your veggies as you chop them! Buh-bye, extra dishes.
9. Hot Dog Slicers ($5): Chopping your kids’ hot dog has never been so adorable. This dachshund cuts your frankfurter into bite-sized bits without the blades and comes complete with a mini bowl for dipping sauces.
10. Pineapple Corer + Slicer ($6): As one of the most laborious fruits to chop up, pineapples don’t have a very good prep rep. But this thing makes it fail-proof. Sweet success!
12. Banana Slicer ($10): We know, bananas are the easiest (and softest) fruit to slice. But if you want to save yourself two seconds and have an adorable looking tool in your kitchen gadget drawer, this one’s for you.
13. Condiment Gun ($16): This one’s perfect for food fights (kidding, but not really). Make your mustard and ketchup squirting more enjoyable with this condiment gun — but don’t let the fun stop there. You can also fill it with BBQ sauce, spicy mayo or honey mustard.
14. Stupendous Splendiferous ButterUp ($12+): This Kickstarter project solves all your butter softening problems. Instantly take your hard, cold butter to spreadable, soft butter with this simple knife.
15. Melon Slicer ($20): If large fruits intimidate you because of all the knife work it takes to CIY (chop it yourself), get yourself a larger melon slicer that works for watermelons, pineapples, honeydews and cantaloupe melons.
16. JarKey ($5): If you ever have a hard time opening a jar, this colorful tool breaks that stubborn seal, making it much easier on your wrists.
17. Hamburger Stuffer ($17): Forget those plain old burger patties. This gadget helps you effortless stuff your burger with cheese or vegetables for a maximum flavor boost.
18. Nibble ($13): Have your cake and eat it, too — literally. This smart cake pan allows you to get a taste of your baking skills before you frost it. And nobody will ever know!
19. Cast Iron Bacon Press ($15): Aside from the oil splatter, the worst part about making bacon in a frying pan is that it curls up, making it harder to cook evenly. This heavy press will flatten your breakfast meat. Plus, you can also use it to make paninis.
20. Coffee Scoop + Clip ($5): This adorable coffee bag clip can also be used as a scoop. It makes a seriously cute housewarming gift, too, when paired with a bag of brew.
21. Tomato Hullster ($10): Remove the cores from your tomatoes with ease with this colorful tomato hullster.
22. The Snug ($22 for set of three): These bright and colorful clips hook right onto the side of your pan or pot while you’re cooking. It’s a perfect tool for tiny kitchens that don’t have space for a spoon rest. Plus, less dishes to wash!
23. Strawberry Slicer ($15): Slicing strawberries is a tedious task — especially when you need uniform pieces for a tart or a display. This thing’ll cut your prep time in half.
24. Corn Zipper ($12): For those of us who love corn but can’t stand to get it stuck between our teeth, use this fabulous gadget to easily remove it from the cob. It’s quick, easy and much less mess and stress than a knife.
25. Microwave Bacon Rack ($13): Serious bacon eater? This tool helps you cook the whole pack at once and reduces the fat by 35 percent. It’s like the George Foreman grill for bacon! And it’s dishwasher-safe.
26. Farm Animal Pot Lids ($7 for set of three): These silicone cuties fit just about any pot in the pantry. Use ‘em to prop up a lid to allow steam to escape out and avoid messy overboils forever!
27. Dumpling Cube ($25): Who wants Chinese food?! Make dumplings with ease using this bright red cube.
28. Goose That Lays Golden Eggs ($25): Okay, so this isn’t really a golden egg laying goose gadget. But this Kickstarter-funded tool does allow you to make scrambled eggs without cracking a shell. Ah-mazing.
29. Cherry Chomper ($14): There’s nothing worse than chomping on cherries and having to spit out the pit every few minutes. Let this adorable chomper do all the work while you reap the sweet benefits.
30. Adjustable Rolling Pin ($20): Say goodbye to eyeballing the width of your pie crusts or cookie dough. This rolling pin makes it easy to have perfectly even dough, every time.
31. Resisti Draining Sieve ($28): Who needs a colander when you’ve got this pot attachment? Use it to drain veggies or pasta without going through the effort.
32. Garlic Zoom Chopper ($10): Say goodbye to pre-chopped garlic for good. This gadget-on-wheels will do all the tough work for you, delivering aromatic minced garlic in seconds.
33. Slip-on Bowl Spout ($5): We’ve all made messes in the kitchen pouring liquids from bowls or pots, but with this handy device you can give any bowl a spout.
34. Citrus Reamer ($9): Most of us have a citrus reamer, but this one has an attachment that catches pulp and seeds. No more fishing for seeds in your lemon juice!
35. Rotary Peeler ($13): Cucumbers, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes are no problem for this multi-functional peeler. It comes complete with three types of blades and a potato-eye remover.
36. Steam Ship ($11): Let off some steam with this bright blue silicone lid. You can use it on 10-inch bowls, pots or pans and it’s microwave safe.
37. Jalapeno Corer ($11): Depending on your tolerance level for spice, you’re going to want to remove the ribs and seeds from your jalapeno peppers before you make that guacamole. This tool will make it a cinch.
38. Tomato + Grape Cutter ($10): Cutting grapes, pitted olives or cherry tomatoes is a laborious task. A convenient gadget like this one makes it easy to quarter your small fruit.
39. Stem ($4): Turn your fresh citrus into sprays with a handy stem. Now you can top off every dish with a lemony spray.
40. Egg Minder ($70): A smart egg carton is something that every egg-eating household needs. It keeps track of your egg inventory, alerting your smart phone so you’ll never run low.
41. Never Soggy Cereal Bowl ($15): Some people like their cereal soggy, but the majority of us like it to still have that crunch up until the very last bite — which is why this nifty bowl was created.
42. Onion Holder ($5): There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to slice an onion into perfect rings. It’s slippery, the outer ring starts to separate from the rest — no bueno. This thing holds your onion in place for uniform slicing and less crying (in more ways than one!).
43. Hands-Free Bag Holder ($6): This bag holder is super useful for all the times you marinate meat or store leftovers.
44. One Click Stick Butter Cutter ($15): Easily slice perfect squares of butter for your morning waffles, toast or baked potato with this handy butter cutter.
45. Spaghetti Twirling Fork ($9): While it’s a little ridiculous, this gag gift is one any pasta-lover will enjoy. It’ll also cut back on sauce stains and noodle slurping.
46. Oyster Knife Set ($10): Shucking oysters is a daunting task when you’re not an expert. This set makes it easy to make your own raw oyster bar.
47. Pluck Egg Separator ($5): Whether you need the yolks or the whites, separating your eggs is not a fun job… until now.
48. Canning Jar Converter ($14): Split your mason jar into two compartments with this BPA-free plastic gadget. Bringing your lunch to work has never been this easy.
49. Bin 8 ($29): This wine bottle-shaped tool comes with eight essential gadgets. Complete with a funnel, juicer, graters, masher, opener and measuring cup, the Bin 8 would be a fine addition to any kitchen.
50. Wand Oil Dispenser ($19): This one is for all the grilling guys and gals. Brush your tasty veggies or proteins with oil before and during the cooking process with ease.
51. Veggetti Spiral Veggie Slicer ($13): Trying to eat lighter? This fun gadget easily turns your veggies into pasta strands for a carb-free Italian dish you’ll totally enjoy.
52. SpreadTHAT! ($20): This smart butter knife uses body heat to instantly warm up your cold butter, making it super spreadable in seconds. It also works with cream cheese and peanut butter, plus it’s dishwasher safe.
Which kitchen tool do you find most useful? Share with us in the comments below!
