iSecond Tracks

As any tech enthusiast knows all too well, buying new gadgets can be a hit-and-miss endeavor. Things that seem useful or fun at first can end up being a waste of money, taking up valuable space in the house that could otherwise be used to store genuinely necessary items. Nowhere is this more true than in the kitchen — almost everyone has at least one rarely used item or gadget that gets pushed to the back of the cupboard.

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That makes it doubly important to make sure that any new kitchen gadgets are going to get plenty of use. Whether it’s gadgets for making cleaning the kitchen easier or gadgets designed to make you a better chef, baker, or barista, there’s plenty of opportunity to go wrong. Luckily, there are also plenty of ways to evaluate a gadget before heading to Amazon and buying it, with one great way being checking out the reviews left by the armies of buyers on Amazon itself.

We’ve done the hard work for you and put together a roundup of ten kitchen gadgets that get consistently strong reviews. Each gadget here boasts an average rating of 4.5 stars out of five or higher and is among the best sellers in its segment.

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Drinking fresh fruit juice often tastes better than buying prepackaged juice, but it can be a hassle to make. The Ninja JC151 NeverClog Cold Press Juicer promises to cut out most of that hassle, with dishwasher safe juicing components and a 150-watt motor. Two quickly interchangeable filters are included with the juicer, and allow users to make juices with more or less pulp getting through. The built-in 24 ounce juice container and 36 ounce pulp container ensure that even larger juices with multiple ingredients can be made in one go.

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The juicer is activated with a single button press, and it can also be run in reverse if needed. It weighs in at less than eight pounds, and so can be easily stored away when not in use. Ninja’s current lineup includes a wide variety of kitchen gadgets, and the JC151 Juicer is one of its most highly rated, with an average of 4.5 stars out of five from around 1,500 user reviews on Amazon as of this writing. It retails for $130.

Although a milk frother might appeal primarily to the coffee lovers of a household, that’s not the only thing it’s good for. It also doubles as a hot chocolate maker, and so can be a worthwhile investment even for those who prefer to do without their daily dose of caffeine. Deciding how much to spend on a milk frother isn’t easy, and at $160, the Breville BMF600XL Cafe Milk Frother is certainly towards the more premium end of the market. However, it gets consistently high reviews from Amazon buyers, with an average of 4.5 out of five stars from around 6,700 reviews.

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Its stainless steel construction gives it a more premium look and feel than many of its rivals, but that doesn’t come at the expense of cleaning convenience. The heating jug can be placed in the dishwasher safely, as can the plastic lid. Two frothing disks are included — one to make lattés and one for cappuccinos — while the central temperature dial allows users to precisely adjust the frother’s heating power to their liking. Making hot milk drinks such as hot chocolate is just as simple as preparing milk for coffee, with the only extra step being to add flakes or syrup into the milk as it’s being heated.

The SodaStream Terra Sparkling Water Maker is a worthwhile addition to kitchens small or large, and it seems Amazon buyers agree. It gets an average of 4.5 out of five stars from those buyers, with around 9,400 reviews logged on the site to date. Creating unique flavors of homemade sparkling water can be a great family-friendly activity, but it’s just as useful if you’re looking to make a healthier everyday alternative to your favorite brand of pop.

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The device is available on Amazon as part of a bundle for $125. That bundle includes the SodaStream device, a branded carbonating bottle, and a triple pack of CO2 canisters, giving you everything you need to get started. The CO2 canisters can be swapped out using a snap-in system when they’re spent, while the 1L bottle can be put in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. Once it’s ready to go, the SodaStream can produce sparkling water in under a minute.

If you’re a fan of Korean barbecue or simply want to keep grilling when the weather outside isn’t cooperating, the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill might well be worth considering. It boasts a maximum temperature of up to 450 Fahrenheit, making it suitable for cooking all kinds of meat, and there’s a handy window in the lid to keep track of your food without needing to lift the lid. The non-stick ceramic grill plate offers 118 square inches of grilling space, enough to grill family sized portions without issue.

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The grill temperature is adjustable from 200 Fahrenheit to 450 Fahrenheit, and there’s a simple indicator light to let you know when the grill has reached the target temperature. Also included is a drip tray, which slides out and can be put in the dishwasher after use. The Hamilton Beach grill costs $80 and gets consistently high ratings from buyers on Amazon, with an average of 4.5 stars out of five from over 30,000 user reviews as of this writing.

Vacuum sealing food is a great way to help keep it preserved in the freezer for longer, and it’s also essential for sous vide cooking. The FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Machine is among the best rated machines of its kind on Amazon, and it won’t break the bank either. It retails for around $150, but as of this writing, it is reduced to $90. Reviewers agree that it’s worth the cash even without the discount, giving it an average of 4.6 stars out of five from over 7,600 reviews.

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The machine comes with a vacuum seal roll included, plus five individual vacuum seal bags and a hose for accessories. It’s relatively compact given its sealing abilities — it’s compatible with rolls up to 11 inches wide, but the whole device is only a little over 16 inches wide. As such, it won’t take up too much space if it’s stored on a countertop.

KitchenAid’s kitchen gadgets can trace their roots back over 100 years, as the brand’s first food preparation tool was launched in 1919. It has remained a trusted name over the decades, scoring top marks in SlashGear’s ranking of major mixer brands. Part of the reason for its continued success is that its gadgets have never strayed too far from their tried-and-tested formula. So, it should be no surprise that the KitchenAid Ultra Power Hand Mixer gets consistently strong reviews from users on Amazon, with an average of 4.6 stars out of five from over 23,000 reviews.

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It retails for $65, and what buyers see is what they get. In this case, that’s no bad thing — the mixer offers five speed settings, a classic design, and dishwasher-safe accessories for easy cleaning. A power mixer is a kitchen essential, particularly for keen bakers, and so anyone who’s missing one from their current arsenal — or looking to upgrade their old mixer — should find it hard to go wrong with the KitchenAid.

Nutribullet is one of the best known blender brands on the market, and its affordable Nutribullet Personal Blender has plenty of fans. It’s a very popular choice, with Amazon noting that over 10,000 examples were sold in the last month. It seems there’s a good reason for that, since buyers are typically impressed with its blending talents. As of this writing, it boasts an average rating of 4.6 out of five stars from over 50,000 reviews.

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A common comment about the Nutribullet blender is that it’s good value for money, since it’s available for a retail price of $70. That makes it far cheaper than a professional-grade blender, but it’s still powerful enough to deal with a range of fruit and veg thanks to its 600W motor. After use, its blending cups can also be cleaned in the dishwasher. One 24 ounce cup is included with the product, and spares have to be bought separately.

Whether you prefer snacking on dried fruit and veg or dried meat jerky, the cost of buying it from the store can really add up over time. Making it yourself can not only be more affordable but also allows you to customize flavors, sizing, and preparation. It’s not difficult either, assuming you have a suitable dehydrator like the top-rated Cosori Food Dehydrator. It retails for $120 and offers enough room for over three pounds of meat, or up to five trays of fruit and vegetables.

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It features a dial to precisely adjust temperature and tops out at a maximum of 176 Fahrenheit, meaning that it meets the USDA recommendations for safe jerky preparation. A built-in timer makes it straightforward to set up and leave, and when it’s time to clean up, the trays can be put straight in the dishwasher. The Cosori dehydrator is backed up by thousands of positive user reviews, averaging 4.7 out of five stars from over 20,000 ratings as of this writing.

A good meat thermometer is a kitchen essential, and there are plenty of choices out there. Some thermometers offer more features than others, with some even claiming to use AI to help you achieve the perfect cook, but the Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo Meat Thermometer keeps things simple. It features a straightforward readout on the LCD screen, with an accuracy of within one Fahrenheit and a detection time of three seconds or less. It’s tough enough to withstand all kinds of kitchen environments, boasting IP65 resistance against dirt and water ingress.

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There’s no need to worry about battery life either, as Lavatools claims the included battery should last over 4,000 hours. That battery also powers a built-in backlight, so squinting at dimly-lit screens will be a thing of the past. There are no AI features to be found here, nor is there smartphone connectivity or any of the other extras that some high-end thermometers offer. That hasn’t dented its popularity with reviewers, who have given the $58 Lavatools thermometer an exceptional 4.8 out of five star average rating from over 17,000 reviews.

In a previous comparison of major air fryer brands, SlashGear crowned Ninja the winner thanks to its fryers’ pricing, features, and versatility. We’re not the only ones who were impressed, as the Ninja DZ201 Foodi Air Fryer boasts over 35,000 user reviews on Amazon, averaging a commendable 4.8 out of five stars. The air fryer retails for $200 and offers eight quarts of capacity, spread across two baskets. That allows you to either cook two things separately at once, or double up capacity for a particularly large batch of one food.

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The fryer also features broil, dehydrate, and roasting functions, and can be set to temperatures anywhere between 100 Fahrenheit and 450 Fahrenheit. The two baskets are also dishwasher safe. There are plenty of things to consider when buying a new air fryer, and no one model is going to be the best bet for everyone. However, the DZ201’s popularity makes it one of the safer bets on the market, and it’s competitively priced too given its range of talents.

To create this list, we searched through Amazon to find kitchen products that were at the top of their category by user rankings. 

Each has an average of at least 4.5 stars or more and is a bestseller in its category in terms of number of reviews published. Our list is sorted by average review rating first, then number of reviews.

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