Kitchen tools that do everything for you
Singaporeans love food – we’re prepared to queue for hours just to try the newest gastronomical creations, and it’s no surprise that a lot of us bring this passion with us into our own kitchens. To save yourself the trouble of doing all the mundane saikang nobody has time for, here are 12 kitchen gadgets that’ll take your culinary skills a notch up:
1. Kitchen shears that chop herbs up super fast ($6.60 onwards)
We might not understand how it’s possible to chop veggies or spices so evenly at lightning-fast speed like in MasterChef, but with these kitchen shears, you won’t even break a sweat. Don’t worry about slicing off a finger or getting the width of your veggies wrong, because this’ll make your veggies look like they’ve been cut by Jamie Oliver.
Buy it here.
2. Meat claw to shred and pull meat ($1.60 onwards)
Shredded chicken makes for a myriad of quick recipes, but not before you painstakingly whip out two forks to claw at your huge block of chicken in futile attempt to Wolverine it apart. These meat claws give you full control over your shredding, and help to hold the meat in place while you mince it even further. You can use it for holding down large fruits like watermelon while cutting, too.
Buy it here.
3. Sushi roller kit ($5.95 onwards)
Most of us have tried rolling our own sushi at some point, it often ends up in a limp, messy lump, with the ingredients falling out. But this sushi roller packs and compresses your maki into one neat roll of dense goodness in a short amount of time.
Buy it here.
4. Lemon/lime squeezer
From fish and chips to Hokkien mee, lemon slices and limes are the perfect finishing touch to zest up any dish. To avoid squeezing the life out of yourself as you try to wring every last drop of juice out of the fruit, this handy gadget does it all for you. Just cut your favourite sour sphere into half, and watch the juices pour.
Buy it here.
5. Portable digital grill ($88.20 onwards)
You don’t have to book a BBQ pit at East Coast Park and battle with a dying fire the whole evening to enjoy a grill. If you’re planning a chill evening with the squad, this is all you’ll need to cook and eat at the same time – all in the comfort of your home.
Buy it here.
6. Electric sandwich maker ($25.80 onwards)
Giving up that extra 30 minutes of sleep to prepare a filling meal early in the morning is dreadful – it’s no wonder most of us settle for a subpar breakfast to start the day. But instead of having to prepare and cook each ingredient separately, this machine lets you throw all the goodies in at once – and after a few minutes you’ll return to a ready-to-eat sandwich!
Buy it here.
7. Chop Wizard for vegetable dicing ($21.70 onwards)
We all know the pain of having to chop onions into tiny pieces with tears welling up in our eyes, all while wishing we could just use a Severing Charm instead. While we don’t have the juju, there’s the Chop Wizard for our veggie-dicing woes. Just cut your veggies to a size that’ll fit in the device, then shut the lid and watch your vegetables get pushed into the grills, getting cut in the process.
Buy it here.
8. One-step prawn peeler ($1.70 onwards)
We’ve all had someone ask us to peel their prawns for them at least once in our life. Helping a friend out is great, but when you’ve reached your patience ceiling, here’s a gift idea: the one-step prawn peeler. Now every time anyone asks you to peel their prawns for them, you have an excuse to decline.
Buy it here.
9. Pineapple slicer and corer ($4.70 onwards)
Pineapples complete our favourite dishes like Hawaiian pizza, pineapple fried rice, and pineapple tarts, but getting rid of the uneven shell and removing its core is as much of a prick as the fruit itself.
Its depth guides also prevent you from damaging the shell in case you want to use it to either hold your Thai pineapple rice, or to dry and use as a flower pot.
Buy it here.
10. Avocado splitter, de-seeder and slicer ($2.45 onwards)
Avocados are great on toast and in smoothies,, but slicing these slippery fruits has a dangerous potential to give you some serious cuts. Equipped to split, pit and slice your avocado – even without having any sharp edges – you’ll have your favourite fruit ready for consumption in 20 seconds, and your fingers intact.[a][b]
Buy it here.
11. Hand-held heated bag re-sealing machine ($20.50 onwards)
We all know someone who opens a bag of chips claiming that they’re famished, but halts all consumption after a grand total of 4 bites. To keep your snacks crisp, just slide your bag resealer over the opening hole, and the heat from the wire will melt the plastic enough to seal the bag together.
Buy it here.
12. Pizza scissors ($4.20 onwards)
So you’ve just received your piping hot pizza, but you don’t want to contaminate the slices by using your hands to tear at everything. These pizza scissors will help snip your meal into neat portions – and with a nylon base, it won’t scratch your plates.
Buy it here.
Kitchen gadgets that make life easier
Tools are supposed to make getting through everyday chores easier, and since the discovery of making our own fires, we’ve come a long way. With this list of magical kitchen gadgets that get the dirty work done, we’ll be well on our way to becoming the domestic gods and goddesses we always wished we were.
Can’t get enough of gadgetry? Check out:
- Appliance shopping guide in Singapore
- Affordable home essentials
- Practical fridge accessories
- Tips to save money on air-conditioning
Cover image adapted from Amazon