Today I’m sharing my favorite and very useful kitchen gadgets that I consider must haves. They’re minimal, simple and will make your life easier in the kitchen.

And I can confirm that these 8 kitchen gadgets are extremely useful and make my life just that much easier in the kitchen. Let’s dive in.

Magnetic Measuring Spoons

Measuring spoons are a staple item in any kitchen but I love these magnetic stainless steel measuring spoons because they literally stick together. That means you won’t have to rummage through your drawers to find a missing spoon size when you’re in the middle of a recipe.

I also love that there’s two ends to each spoon, with a round end and a narrower end. The narrow end easily fits into small jars or spice bottles. And having two ends is like having two sets of measuring spoons, so it takes up less space.

You’ve seen me use these measuring spoons on pretty much every cooking video from turmeric milk to homemade mayonnaise and everything in between. So they’re very deserving of the number one spot.

Garlic Press

Quality knives and cutting boards are essential in any kitchen and I may have to do another video on kitchen essentials, but when you want to add fresh garlic to a recipe and fast, nothing beats a garlic press.

My garlic press is heavy duty and stainless steel and has a large chamber that accommodates several garlic cloves. The built in cleaner also pushes out garlic pulp which makes cleaning a breeze.

Garlic has natural antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory compounds along with numerous other health benefits. So I add fresh garlic to savory recipes whenever possible – and the garlic press makes it that much easier.

Microplane Grater

When it comes to making food not only taste good, but look good, the fine microplane grater is your best friend.

Now, I have every size microplane grater which is definitely not minimalist, but remember that my full time job as a food blogger and recipe developer means that I spend heaps of time in my kitchen.

But if I was to choose the one grater I use most often, it’s definitely the fine grater. This is perfect for grating hard spices like cinnamon or nutmeg and adding a little chocolate to the top of a sweet dessert.

It’s also perfect for zesting citrus to use on vegetables or in any recipe, even including cocktails. One of my favorite cocktails is a simple vodka soda with a splash of lemon. And you can elevate this or any cocktail by adding a little citrus zest to a salt rimmed glass.

Instant Read Thermometer

Cooking delicious food many times means cooking it to the perfect temperature and not overcooking it.

A perfect steak for you might be medium rare, while for someone else, that might be medium well. That makes an instant read thermometer invaluable in taking out the guesswork and keeping everyone happy.

I love my Oxo thermometer as it has a simple on/off button on the top and large display. The storage sleeve is also a little cheat sheet with the cooking temperatures of various meats and poultry, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting what the perfect temperature is.

I use my thermometer all the time for cooking meat, but you’ve also seen me use this thermometer when making homemade yogurt, to ensure the milk is heated to the proper temperature. So it has many uses in the kitchen.

Cookie scoop

A cookie scoop is a great tool for making perfect, evenly sized cookies and I highly recommend you try it out with my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. But it’s also a great tool for when you want consistent sizes of other recipes.

For instance, I’ll use my cookie scoop to measure and shape meatballs, energy balls, chocolate truffles and coconut macaroons. I’ve even used my cookie scoop as a melon baller and for scooping small balls of homemade ice cream.

The bonus of a cookie scoop, particularly on recipes that you’ll be cooking, is that the even size of everything translates to even cooking. Now this cookie scoop come in several different sizes, but I use the medium size most often.

Silicone Ice Cube Tray

I know most wouldn’t consider an ice cube tray a gadget, but it’s all about how you use it.

I love my silicone ice cube tray not only for making perfectly square cubes of ice for cocktails, which always look nicer than the cubes out of the freezer. But the possibilities are really endless.

So here’s a couple of ideas on how I use it. After I’ve made homemade bone broth, I’ll pour it into the ice cube tray to freeze the broth into individual cubes. Not only does it make it easier to store this way, it also makes it easier to thaw and use in future recipes like homemade soups, stews and sauces. It’s also great in the wintertime to add a few cubes to a mug, warm it up and sip for a gut-healing and immune boosting beverage.

Another way to use this ice cube tray is for freezing fresh herbs. If you have a large herb garden or if you have leftover fresh herbs from a recipe, it’s as simple as chopping them up, filling up the ice cube tray and adding either olive oil, butter or ghee.

You can freeze the herbs individually or make blends. You could even add minced garlic and salt and pepper for a homemade compound butter. The oil and butter help to preserve the flavor and these cubes makes cooking a breeze. You can add them to mashed potatoes, veggies or top that perfectly cooked steak in the form of an herbed, compound butter cube.

Milk Frother

If you love lattes like I do, this milk frother will become your new best friend.

It’s a small little contraption that with the help of a battery whips up any dairy or non-dairy milk into frothy goodness. Now, you guys know I love my Chemex coffee, but add a little coconut milk, homemade cashew milk or almond milk and it takes it to the next level. You could even grate a little cinnamon for a soon-to-be seasonally appropriate, cinnamon-spiced latte.

I also use this milk frother when making my matcha lattes as I find it’s easier than using the the bamboo whisk and it ensures that all the matcha powder is blended up.

But I do have one tip and that’s to use a larger glass or measuring cup with the milk frother as it’s quite powerful and can easily spill out of a regular sized mug.

CO2 Wine Bottle Opener

Alright, lastly we have a wine bottle opener. And this isn’t just any bottle opener, it’s a CO2 bottle opener.

So CO2 is carbon dioxide and it’s what we as humans breathe out every day. We breathe in oxygen and we breathe out carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also what makes bubbles in soda.

But when it comes to wine bottles, it makes opening them super easy and a little bit of fun.

So here’s how it works. It has a two small blades on the inside that you turn around the top of the bottle to slice the foil off the top. The needle then pokes through the cork and you push the top to add a pop of pressurized CO2 into the bottle and out pops the cork.

I actually got this wine bottle opener with my mom 20 years ago when we did a wine tasting trip in Napa, and I’ve loved it ever since.

So there you have it – 8 kitchen gadgets that are minimal and extremely useful. If you have a favorite kitchen gadget that wasn’t on this list, I’d love to know what it is in the comments below. And if you’d like to invest in bigger pieces, make sure to check out my post on the best cookware to invest in!