The 15 Best Kitchen Gadgets to Make Healthy Cooking Easier

Best Overall: Sonder Los Angeles Acacia Wood Cutting Board

Why It's Great

• Juice grooves catch liquid
• Sustainable wood
• Water-resistant
• Gentle on knives

Grain of Salt

• Needs frequent oiling

This cutting board is a great addition for clean, fast vegetable and fruit prep. Acacia wood is a sustainable choice, and this board features deep juice grooves that trap any runoff without creating a mess. The wood is gentle on knives, and with proper care, this board will last for years. Thanks to its beautiful design, you can keep the Sonder board on your counter even when it's not in use.

What's more, you can use this board to display charcuterie spreads featuring healthy goodies, such as fruit, vegetables, seed crackers, and hummus. After each use, hand wash the board with warm soapy water. Every month, apply food-grade mineral oil, like this one, to keep the wood hydrated.

The Details: Measures 16 x 12 x 1.5 inches; acacia wood; hand wash only

Best Air Fryer: Philips Kitchen Appliances Premium Digital Air Fryer

Why It's Great

• Provides an even crisp
• No preheating needed
• Large capacity

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• Bulky

An air fryer is a must-have kitchen gadget if you want healthy food that tastes indulgent. The Philips Premium Air Fryer is our best overall choice for its ability to give foods an even crisp and grill, roast, bake, and toast. Preset buttons take the guesswork out of cook time, making for perfect results with minimal effort.

Although it's on the pricier side, our product testers claimed this air fryer was the "most effective" model out of all of the ones they tested. It has an extra-large basket that provides enough room to make meals for four people, so it's a great option for families.

The Details: Measures 15.55 x 15.55 x 15.67 inches; plastic; dishwasher-safe parts

Best Chef's Knife: Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef Knife

Why It's Great

• Stays sharp for ages
• Antibacterial handle
• Wide, curved blade

Grain of Salt

• Pricey

The Shun brand of knives is beloved by chefs and advanced home cooks, and this single chef's knife is all you need for basic food prep. Crafted with 68 layers of stainless Damascus steel and a Pakkawood handle that won't harbor bacteria, it will be the one knife you need for a wide variety of cutting jobs. The Japanese knife effortlessly slices meat and vegetables as well as finely chops garlic and herbs. As a private chef, I use mine for two private chef cooking sessions a week, and I only need it sharpened twice a year.

The Details: Measures 15 x 2.8 x 1 inches; Damascus steel; hand wash only

Related: The 9 Best Knife Sets of 2023, Tested by Allrecipes

Best Mandoline Slicer: Gramercy Kitchen Co. Adjustable Mandoline Slicer

Why It's Great

• Sturdy construction
• Multiple safety features
• Easily adjustable

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• Few blades

As our Allstars favorite mandoline slicer, this healthy kitchen gadget will speed up the time you spend on jobs like grating and slicing. No matter if you're making salads, soups, or roasted vegetables, this tool gives you uniform slices ranging from super thin to extra thick. We recommend slicing up your favorite type of potato and cooking the slices in the air fryer for a clean alternative to chips.

Because of its multiple safety features, including gloves and a food holder, it's a smart choice for those who are new to mandoline slicers. Its compact design makes it easy to store, and the blades will stay sharp for years.

The Details: Measures 7 x 3.4 x 16.7 inches; stainless steel; hand wash only

Best Spiralizer: Spiralizer 7-Blade Vegetable Slicer

Why It's Great

• High-quality carbon steel
• Variety of blades
• Easy to use

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• Large construction

Any vegetable can become a healthier alternative to pasta in mere moments with this spiralizer. You're not limited to zucchini, either: Turn potatoes, beets, carrots, and more into any noodle size, from angel hair to wide curly fry, with this tool. You can top the vegetable spirals with tomato sauce, pesto, or alfredo, or add them to a chopped salad for extra color, texture, and, most importantly, nutrients. The hand crank helps you get an even result for better cooking.

The Details: Measures 32 x 17 x 24.1 inches; stainless steel and plastic; hand wash only

Best Blender: Ninja BL610 Professional Countertop Blender

Why It's Great

• Extra large pitcher
• Dishwasher safe, BPA-free pitcher
• 1000 watts of power

Grain of Salt

• Pitcher may not hold up

Ninja rose to popularity with its individual-size blender, but you can family-sized batches in this extra-large version. Blenders are the key to incorporating greens into your day without sacrificing flavor. You can blend handfuls of spinach and kale with fruit, and you and your family will barely be able to taste the vegetables.

With a 72-ounce pitcher, the blender can also whip up entire batches of soup, marinara sauce, and almond milk. We love its 1000-watt motor that can turn ice into snow and frozen bananas into banana ice cream.

The Details: Measures 9.5 x 7.5 x 17 inches; plastic; dishwasher safe

Best Food Processor: Cuisinart SFP-13 Elemental 13-Cup Food Processor

Why It's Great

• Large capacity
• Separate chopping compartment
• Grinds very smooth

Grain of Salt

• Cumbersome to clean

You're unlikely to ever need a larger food processor than this 13-cup model by Cuisinart. It won our best overall award for food processors because of its roomy size for big batches and bonus compartment for chopping smaller ingredients. There's really no better way to make homemade hummus, salsa, pesto, and other dips.

Featuring an adjustable disc, the food processor can cut foods at a variety of thicknesses, depending on your recipe. It has an extra-wide feed tube, so you can fit large foods, such as zucchini, down it with ease. As a bonus, the device comes with an accessory storage case to keep all your blades and discs in one place.

The Details: Measures 19.5 x 9.75 x 19.75 inches; stainless steel, plastic; hand wash only

Best Steamer: Oster Steamer Stainless Steel Cookware

Why It's Great

• Stacks well
• Space saving
• Even heating

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• Small batches only

Want to switch up your cooking method? We recommend our favorite food steamer: the Oster Dutch Oven Steam Set. It allows you to cook multiple things at once, which ultimately helps you cut back on cooking time and pieces of equipment.

The Dutch oven can be used alone or topped with the steamer, so you can cook grains and vegetables at the same time. Thanks to the glass lid, you can see your food inside, eliminating overcooking.

The Details: Measures 8.5 x 8.5 x 6.2 inches; stainless steel; dishwasher safe

Best Pressure Cooker: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

Why It's Great

• Multifunctional
• Various sizes available
• 13 customizable programs

Grain of Salt

• Bulky

Out of all the pressure cookers out there, nothing compares to the Instant Pot. As its name suggests, the Instant Pot can cook fresh or frozen chicken in just 10 minutes. Pressure cooking instills flavor into food with no extra oil needed, making healthy dishes taste succulent.

The 7-in-1 pressure cooker is designed to prepare soups, stews, or braised dishes quickly and efficiently, and it can even perform tasks such as making yogurt, sautéing, and steaming. This device might seem overwhelming with all of its functions, but, luckily, it couldn't be easier to use. The control panel is clearly labeled with the different cooking methods and other settings like pressure level and keep warm. After each use, simply clean the lid and pot in the dishwasher.

The Details: Measures 13.38 x 12.2 x 12.48 inches; stainless steel; dishwasher-safe parts

Best Food Storage Containers: Glasslock 24-Piece Food Storage Containers

Why It's Great

• Variety of sizes
• Leakproof lids
• Very stackable

Grain of Salt

• Heavy

You're more likely to do meal prep and make large batches of dishes for leftovers if you have something secure to store them in, making this 24-piece set a wise investment for healthy cooking. The glass construction is microwave- and freezer-safe for fast reheating and long-term freezing, plus they can go in the oven (up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit) if you want to use them as bakeware.

One of the best parts about these containers is that the lids latch and lock on all four sides, meaning you don't have to worry about spills and your food will maintain its freshness. Both the lids and containers can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

The Details: Measures 17.41 x 12.25 x 7.64 inches; glass, plastic; dishwasher safe

Related: The Best Glass Food Containers for Meal Prep and More

Best Indoor Herb Kit: AeroGarden White Harvest Indoor Hydroponic Garden

Why It's Great

• Comes with seeds and lights
• Intuitive control panel
• Fits on counter

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• Very bright

The easiest way to enhance your meal's flavor and presentation is by adding fresh herbs. And luckily, with this hydroponic indoor garden, anyone can grow them — without even stepping foot outside. It's our best overall pick for indoor herb kits because it comes with everything you need to get started.

The kit comes with basil, parsley, dill, thyme, and mint, all of which have their own unique flavors to accompany of variety of dishes. Equipped with a 20-watt LED lighting system, the indoor garden produces fresh herbs five times faster than outdoor ones, according to the manufacturer.

The Details: Measures 6 x 10.5 x 17.4 inches; plastic, hand wash only

Best Food Chopper: KitchenAid KFC3516CU 3.5-Cup Food Chopper

Why It's Great

• Multiple speeds
• Compact and lightweight
• Stainless steel blade

Grain of Salt

• Lid can be tricky

Mincing a large quantity of garlic, making a small batch of pesto or chimichurri, and even whipping up a mini-batch of hummus or bean dip all take just a moment with a mini-chopper. Our Allstars love this Cuisinart one, and I've used mine regularly since the early 2000s without yet needing to replace it. You'll be surprised at how often this comes in handy, and how much time it saves.

The Details: Measures 8.75 x 6.94 x 5.63 inches; stainless steel, plastic; parts are dishwasher safe

Best Vegetable Peeler: OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler

Why It's Great

• Japanese steel blade
• Blemish remover
• Works on delicate foods

Grain of Salt

• Blade eventually dulls

Shave even the softest fruit with this peeler, and in utmost comfort, thanks to the ergonomic handle OXO Good Grips is known for. This gadget is our favorite vegetable peeler because it makes quick work of both large batches of produce and has an extremely sharp blade. And there are even replacement blades available for when it eventually dulls, but you'll have years of usage before that occurs. One the blade end of the tool, there is a blemish remover for potato eyes, and on the handle end, there is a hole for convenient wall storage.

The Details: Measures 10.4 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches; stainless steel, plastic; dishwasher safe

Best Citrus Juicer: KitchenAid No Mess Citrus Squeezer

Why It's Great

• Pour spout
• Sits flat for leverage
• Durable materials

Grain of Salt

• Lemons and limes only

A good citrus squeezer can help you be more inclined to use more fresh lemon and lime juice in your daily dishes and drinks. This KitchenAid juicer lets you do that free of a mess thanks to the pour spout that prevents spillage, and the bottom sitting flat also allows for extra leverage. It has an additional compartment that keeps everything tidy as you go yet is quick to clean.

The Details: Measures 2.25 x 3.5 x 8.07 inches; aluminum; dishwasher safe

Best Strainer Set: Cuisinart Fine Mesh Strainers

Why It's Great

• Lifetime warranty
• Three convenient sizes
• Durable mesh material

Grain of Salt

• Small ingredients can get stuck

Rinsing grains, draining canned beans, and straining tea are all made into much faster chores with this KitchenAid strainer set. Its durable stainless steel holds up nicely even with regular use, and the set eliminates the need for using a flour sifter. There are three different sizes, and they can all be tossed into the dishwasher for easy cleanup.

The Details: Measures 15.25 x 5.13 x 8 inches; stainless steel; dishwasher safe