Really useful SMALL kitchen gadgets?

[FurrySlipperBoots]

Help me out would you Mumsnet? I'm wanting stocking filler suggestions of little kitchen gadgets. What can't you do without when you're cooking? Looking for ideas for both 'essentials' and quirky novelty things that are fun but will actually get used.

[WalkingInTheAir13]

www.lakeland.co.uk/26295/Colourworks-Silicone-Coated-Mini-Whisk-%E2%80%93-Colours-Vary-

Silicone Mini-Whisks are great for using in non-stick pans.

www.lakeland.co.uk/6312/2-Small-Stainless-Steel-Wonder-Whisks

For steel pans, these are wonderful for whisking out lumps in gravy, sauces, custard etc

Fully endorse previous posters' recommendation: AnySharp knife** sharpener from Lakeland.

[GraceQuirrell]

Pickled Onion grabber - couldn't be without this little gadget so handy for so many things not just pickled onions. I've had them for over a decade perhaps longer and just bought myself another pair just to make sure I'm never without one.

Pickled Onion Grabbers

[RJnomore1]

I love my ceramic garlic grated more than my children. 😂

[GraceQuirrell]

Couldn't go back and edit but forgot to add I also can't be without my Tomato Knife which has a serrated edge for cutting even soft tomatoes and a rounded front which keeps the slices from falling apart.

Like this one here: Tomato Knife

And I have several of these serrated butter knives - absolutely perfect for toast and sandwich making as the serrated edge means you can slice them without needing to grab a separate knife.

Serrated Butter Knife

[ThatLibraryMiss]

This garlic press - you don't need to peel the cloves. It squishes the soft bits out and leaves the skin behind. It comes with a cleaner to get the bits out of the holes but a cocktail stick works just fine.

This OXO peeler - I prefer it to the Y-shaped ones.

A good salt and pepper grinder that allow you to vary the grind - this one gets good reviews and I've just bought the pair for DD and her partner for Christmas - they were cheaper at Dunelm. Add some mixed peppercorns and some fancee salt.

This grater and rasp: super-sharp, go in the dishwasher, come with a protective plastic cover for safe storage.

This citrus squeezer. You can really work the fruit onto the cone bit to get all the juice and the filter part makes it easy to fish the pips out.

Not a stocking filler but the knife I reach for almost every time: the Global GS-83.

I like the colourful silicone spoons and scrapers that show up in Aldi's Aisle of Doom and the Middle of Lidl.

[Fluffsmum]

Herb scissors

[northender]

Apple corer & segmented is used all the time in our house
We have a special silicone spoon which we use to scrape out jars
Love my good grips peeler

[ExpletiveDelighted]

The problem is, one person's really useful is another person's waste of money. There are dozens of things listed above that I've found to either be useless, not really needed or too faffy.

Winners for me are:

Ikea garlic press
Microplane graters
Oxo potato masher
Grippy silicone thing for getting jar lids off from Lakeland
Silicone mat for kneading dough and rolling pastry on - Lakeland
Silicone sheets to line baking trays - Lakeland
Beeswax wraps
Large and small silicone spatulas
Large and small silicone tipped tongs
Ikea box cheese grater
Meat and jam thermometers
Cherry stoner, pineapple peeler/corer and melon baller - only used occasionally but very useful.

Wastes of money:

Any sort of egg poaching stuff, far easier in a pan of water by itself
Lakeland toaster tongs - broke after about two uses and we have a wide slot toaster with baskets now so never really need it
Any silicone bakeware but especially cake cases
Any sort of garlic device apart from the Ikea crusher
Hand held spiraliser
Potato ricer, too faffy and messy compared to the Oxo masher

[ElizaPancakes]

I love this Joseph Joseph strainer spoon although I got mine from TK Maxx. Especially good if you’re buying for someone just moving out or something, I use it for when I’m cooking a single portion of veg or pasta.

[Bluetrews25]

As others have said - apple corer and segmenter, egg slicer (if you turn the egg after cutting, to cut at 90 degrees to the first cut, then roll it off onto your hand and cut the other way again, you will end up with perfect chopped egg.)
Asda do a little magnetic whiteboard and pen that lives on my fridge. Great for shopping lists or to say when you will be home. I think it was £2/£3, and was in the small stationery section near newspapers and mags.

[ithinkmycatistryingtokillme]

Soft fruit peeler, has a serrated edge and is great for peeling kiwi fruit, tomatoes etc

[IncrediblySadToo]

@mateysmum💐

Thank you!!! I bought the anysharp knife sharpener on your recommendation and it’s AMAZING!!

It wouldn’t sharpen the first knife, so I was set to be very disappointed! It’s fine all the others perfectly & SO easily. I’ll have to see what’s going on with the first knife, but the itgers slice tomatoes wafer thin now.

VERY impressed!!

[mateysmum]

Glad you like it incredibly. I just find that because it is always on the unit I sharpen my knives so much more.

[purplemanholecover]

I could not live without the oxo chopper. With 2 young kids this saves me so much time! I use it every day, can be put in the dishwasher, it’s best £20 I’ve spent!

www.lakeland.co.uk/71653/OXO-Good-Grips-Vegetable-Chopper?src=gfeed&efid=EAIaIQobChMIxbqfrayc5QIVBEPTCh2VAgGmEAQYAyABEgJllvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!246750930881!!!g!296680182163!&ev_chn=shop&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMIxbqfrayc5QIVBEPTCh2VAgGmEAQYAyABEgJllvD_BwE:G:s&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxbqfrayc5QIVBEPTCh2VAgGmEAQYAyABEgJllvD_BwE

My mum works in Lakeland so between us we probably had/have every gadget known, and I would agree with toast tongs too!

[Thesuzle]

Culinary magiCan. About £3 in Sainsbury’s a year ago. Can opener is brilliant. And I’ve spent way more on the fancy big name ones which fail

[Oblahdeeoblahdoe]

The Joseph Joseph can opener, you'll never need another one! I've bought quite a few as gifts

<a class="break-all" href="https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-JOSEPH-JOSEPH-CAN-DO-COMPACT-CAN-OPENER-EASY-RELEASE-TWIST-OPERATE/202615263465?ul_ref=rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&toolid=10040&campid=5338536930&customid=Cj0KCQjwuZDtBRDvARIsAPXFx3CPZrVDYeutziaCzgmVe5_7fEWScX5Y-lNYpcnIOq8GeU4AnjvbiOEaAnTjEALw_wcB&lgeo=0&vectorid=229508&item=202615263465&srcrot=710-53481-19255-0&rvr_id=2144657846518&rvr_ts=cc18f05f16d0a4e908c6966affeb3505&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true&pageci=93b1b321-07e1-439e-baef-968a04b173b9" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">m.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-JOSEPH-JOSEPH-CAN-DO-COMPACT-CAN-OPENER-EASY-RELEASE-TWIST-OPERATE/202615263465?ul_ref=rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&toolid=10040&campid=5338536930&customid=Cj0KCQjwuZDtBRDvARIsAPXFx3CPZrVDYeutziaCzgmVe5_7fEWScX5Y-lNYpcnIOq8GeU4AnjvbiOEaAnTjEALw_wcB&lgeo=0&vectorid=229508&item=202615263465&srcrot=710-53481-19255-0&rvr_id=2144657846518&rvr_ts=cc18f05f16d0a4e908c6966affeb3505&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true&pageci=93b1b321-07e1-439e-baef-968a04b173b9

[Oblahdeeoblahdoe]

Sorry for the mega link! 😕

[Totaldogsbody]

Another one for the mini brush and pan set, I got a great one from dunelm. I love my over the cabinet door waste bin its great for when I'm preparing veg got one for around £2 from Amazon .

[MontStMichel]

Yes, ITA about a set of measuring cups for American recipes! Also

1. Garlic press
   
2. Melon baller
   
3. Turkey Baster
   
4. A device for opening stubborn jar lids - like pincers of different sizes all in one
   
5. Measuring spoons
   
6. Lemon juicer
   
7. Pastry brush
   
8. Digital scales that go down to 1 gram
   
9. Measuring jug - glass
   

10. Pepper mill

[Thirza38]

A jarkey
Opens jars very easily

[gingerandsmall]

www.johnlewis.com/luckies-hug-doug-spoon-saver/p1492393

Thus guy. I hate putting utensils down on the counter and then back in the pan. Doug to the rescue

[Pics]

This. It's really small so lives in the teaspoon drawer and I use it loads as I'm always forgetting g how long things ha e been in the oven. I have a chart of safe temperatures for meat that I printed off the web up on a board I the kitchen, and use this for everything from roasts to sausages. www.bing.com/shop?q=meat+thermometer+uk+cdn&qs=n&form=SHOPSB&sp=-1&pq=meat+thermometer+uk+cdn&sc=0-23&sk=&cvid=43A241BA76654C99921A4DD1EC982DC9

[Campervanlife4me]

Don't know if this is too big or not, but I recently ordered a hand blender for soups and things. There was a potato ricer attachment thing free with it. Well, life changing or what!!!! I've got to 42 years old and never had one but I'll never be without one again!!! Perfectly smooth mash every time!!!

[Grambler]

Rotary cheese grater
Jar spatula
Apple cutter
Astonish powder for cleaning flasks/travel mugs and rims of tea/coffee cups
Toast tongs
Sundae spoons
Butter dish

[chunn65]

Love my jarkey too. But i love my garlic roller, once peeled you smash the garlic and it minces the garlic, scrape off contents and hey presto! love a gadget.