6 Smart Kitchen Tools to Make Cooking at Home a Breeze
August 11, 2017
There are many reasons to drop your three-times-a-week takeout habit. Cost is an obvious one, as is cutting down on all that excess packaging and food waste. But the main reason? Cooking at home really is fun—especially when you round up a group of friends and throw a dinner party.
But if your lack of culinary confidence is what’s holding you back, it’s tech to the rescue. These six smart kitchen tools were designed to streamline every part of the food (and drink) prep process, from weighing ingredients and cooking lightning-fast curries to making your very own seltzer. Best of all? Their counter-friendly dimensions make them ideal for compact city kitchens.
1. INSTANT POT: The
Instant Pot attracts the kind of frenzied following that's normally reserved for the latest season of
Game of Thrones. If the obsession sounds a little bizarre, trust us that this gadget is a cult favorite for a reason. It helps that it's got more functionality than almost any other appliance out there: this baby's a pressure cooker, a rice maker, a crock pot—even a yogurt maker. Add in its energy efficiency Bluetooth functionality and companion app, and the fact it can cook up top-notch stews, braises and curries in half an hour, and you've got a hit on your hands. Who needs dragons?
Image courtesy of Instant Pot
2. DROP SMART SCALE: Drop the measuring cups and spoons, and pick up the
Drop instead. This smart scale not only makes baking cookies easier and more precise, but it also comes with its own companion app, which includes hundreds of interactive recipes. Pick one that looks tasty, and the scale will ensure you never miss a step (and will even help you halve or double the proportions, depending on how many people you're cooking for). We like to think of it as our own personal sous chef—just digital.
Image courtesy of Drop
3. JUNE INTELLIGENT OVEN: Instead of your current oven—you know, the one that's been in your apartment for decades, and has hot spots that mean everything comes out a little bit burned—there's the
June Intelligent Oven. What kind of smarts does this gadget have? Try a built-in camera that identifies what you're making (and watches your food so it doesn't overcook), an app that lets you livestream your cookie baking from the other room, a digital scale, and more than 50 pre-set cooking programs.
Image courtesy of June Intelligent Oven
4. UUNI 3: Picture it: The perfect Neapolitan-style pizza, with a char-spotted crust, just-right amount of chew, and an array of fresh toppings. No, it's not your trendy neighborhood pizza joint—it's your backyard kitchen. Or it can be with the
Uuni 3, an ingenious portable oven that sits on your patio and turns out professional-grade 'za (in as little as 60 seconds per pie). No, you're not dreaming; yes, your roommates will love you forever.
Image courtesy of Uuni
5. SODASTREAM SOURCE: Sorry, Lacroix—there's a new seltzer maker in town. Namely, the
SodaStream Source, which sits on your countertop (and will finally break your 20-cans-a-week habit). Thin enough to wedge between your toaster and your coffee maker (more on the latter in a sec), but powerful enough to carbonate water, juice, or wine in a matter of seconds, this smart kitchen tool is about to be your new best friend.
Image courtesy of
Ted Eytan/Flickr
6. ORENDA: It's a coffee grinder! It's an espresso machine! It's a coffee maker! No, it's the beautiful new
Orenda, a smart kitchen tool that's so clever and customizable that it's akin to having a barista in your apartment, 24/7. The machine has different settings for different beans and roasts to ensure each brew comes out as it should, and learns your taste preferences automatically. Even better? It can be pre-set to make you a cup of joe immediately upon waking, which is our idea of paradise.
Image courtesy of Orenda
1. INSTANT POT: The
Instant Pot attracts the kind of frenzied following that's normally reserved for the latest season of
Game of Thrones. If the obsession sounds a little bizarre, trust us that this gadget is a cult favorite for a reason. It helps that it's got more functionality than almost any other appliance out there: this baby's a pressure cooker, a rice maker, a crock pot—even a yogurt maker. Add in its energy efficiency Bluetooth functionality and companion app, and the fact it can cook up top-notch stews, braises and curries in half an hour, and you've got a hit on your hands. Who needs dragons?
Image courtesy of Instant Pot
2. DROP SMART SCALE: Drop the measuring cups and spoons, and pick up the
Drop instead. This smart scale not only makes baking cookies easier and more precise, but it also comes with its own companion app, which includes hundreds of interactive recipes. Pick one that looks tasty, and the scale will ensure you never miss a step (and will even help you halve or double the proportions, depending on how many people you're cooking for). We like to think of it as our own personal sous chef—just digital.
Image courtesy of Drop
3. JUNE INTELLIGENT OVEN: Instead of your current oven—you know, the one that's been in your apartment for decades, and has hot spots that mean everything comes out a little bit burned—there's the
June Intelligent Oven. What kind of smarts does this gadget have? Try a built-in camera that identifies what you're making (and watches your food so it doesn't overcook), an app that lets you livestream your cookie baking from the other room, a digital scale, and more than 50 pre-set cooking programs.
Image courtesy of June Intelligent Oven
4. UUNI 3: Picture it: The perfect Neapolitan-style pizza, with a char-spotted crust, just-right amount of chew, and an array of fresh toppings. No, it's not your trendy neighborhood pizza joint—it's your backyard kitchen. Or it can be with the
Uuni 3, an ingenious portable oven that sits on your patio and turns out professional-grade 'za (in as little as 60 seconds per pie). No, you're not dreaming; yes, your roommates will love you forever.
Image courtesy of Uuni
5. SODASTREAM SOURCE: Sorry, Lacroix—there's a new seltzer maker in town. Namely, the
SodaStream Source, which sits on your countertop (and will finally break your 20-cans-a-week habit). Thin enough to wedge between your toaster and your coffee maker (more on the latter in a sec), but powerful enough to carbonate water, juice, or wine in a matter of seconds, this smart kitchen tool is about to be your new best friend.
Image courtesy of
Ted Eytan/Flickr
6. ORENDA: It's a coffee grinder! It's an espresso machine! It's a coffee maker! No, it's the beautiful new
Orenda, a smart kitchen tool that's so clever and customizable that it's akin to having a barista in your apartment, 24/7. The machine has different settings for different beans and roasts to ensure each brew comes out as it should, and learns your taste preferences automatically. Even better? It can be pre-set to make you a cup of joe immediately upon waking, which is our idea of paradise.
Image courtesy of Orenda
