5 must-have kitchen gadgets for lazy cooks

For the busy cooks who like convenience and a helping hand in the kitchen, we’re compiling a list of five must-have items that will help make cooking a breeze. These items are small but designed to make a big impact during meal prep times. 

1. Handheld spiralizer

Turn baby marrow, pumpkin or beetroot into colourful pasta-like spirals that can be served as the base of nutritious plant-based dishes. Spin out colourful vegetables in a flash, then steam or fry them lightly in olive oil and herbs. Serve the vegetables either as a side dish or arrange a combination of spiralled raw salad ingredients like cucumbers, carrots and beetroot on a platter to create a dazzling salad centrepiece on your table.

2. Garlic press or crusher

Garlic is a star ingredient in many delicious meals, but the pungent smell it leaves behind on your fingers after chopping it is a nightmare for many a cook. Say goodbye to garlicky fingers and simply mince a clove inside a handy garlic press. But a garlic press is not only for garlic! Use this versatile tool to crush or mince other small ingredients like fresh turmeric or ginger. Try mincing some olives, capers and anchovies and sprinkle them over pasta dishes or spread on wraps or crackers.

3. Stick blender

For those times when a food processor is too cumbersome to use, whip out a handheld blending stick instead, for quick whipping and frothing of sauces, creams, smoothies, purees and soups. Use the blending stick to create a trendy coffee or as a replacement to costly baby blenders and create your very own baby food at home.  It’s compact and easy to use, wash and store.  

4. Ice-cream maker

End your favourite meals on a sweet (and nutritious) note by making your very own sorbets at home. Freeze seasonal summer fruits like bananas, mixed berries and mangoes the night before, then just after dinner, churn them in the ice-cream maker to create silky smooth desserts. Try classic fruit combinations like banana with peanut butter and cinnamon or mixed berries with mint shavings, or challenge yourself and family members to create your very own delicious recipes.

5. Clear silicone stretch lids

Missing a few Tupperware lids? Replace all your missing lids with these convenient silicone lids that stretch to cover containers of every shape and size. Meal prep for the week like a pro by dishing out your meals in advance and storing them in the fridge, or keep leftovers sealed and ready to eat the next day. When shopping, look for silicone covers that come with little tabs around the lid that make it easy to seal or to remove the lid from the container.