12 Cool Kitchen Gadgets for When You Feel Adventurous

Long derided due to the tasteless steamed vegetables that were popular decades ago, steamer baskets have so much more to offer — and what you make in them can actually be downright delicious! With some small changes, such as adding aromatics to the water underneath, steamed foods can have amazing flavor and texture.

This KitchenAid basket enables you to get the most out of steaming: It’s adjustable, fitting seamlessly into any size pot, and it can accommodate a range of foods such as dumplings, fish fillets, homemade bao, and yes, veggies. It will even fit nicely in a pressure cooker for a truly one-pot meal. And thanks to its durable metal construction, it will last for years.

We loved the Breville Joule Sous Vide in testing for its easy app and precise performance. There are no fussy buttons, and the app guides you the whole way, making this an excellent model for sous vide beginners — though seasoned cooks will also appreciate the options for more customization.

Setup is nearly effortless, and we really appreciated the extra-strong magnet for a little more peace of mind during the long cooking process. It heats water quickly and holds it at the exact temperature you need for your dish, and it even has a turbo mode to cook almost any item in half the time.

To say that the Ninja Creami Deluxe became my summer love last year might sound dramatic, but I promise it isn’t. I’ve owned ice cream makers for the entirety of my adult life, and I have never been so in love with one. It functions entirely differently from standard ice cream makers, requiring you to pre-freeze your ingredients and then blend them when you’re ready to eat. And while the ice cream itself is very good, I was blown away by what I could do with its other functions. 

Topping my list are smoothie bowls that taste and feel like ice cream but are made purely with fruit, and alcoholic beverages that are as good, if not better than, any I’ve ever had in a bar. We recommend buying an extra set of jars because you’ll want to keep plenty of options on hand for frozen treats at a moment’s notice.

They’re fairly simple machines, but yogurt makers have come a long way since their early days. (I recall the one my mom used being a bit of a guessing game.) The Euro Cuisine digital maker lets you make yogurt in individual jars, saving you from the hassle of dividing it up after the fact and letting you mix up a variety of flavors. We love that it takes only 7–10 hours to complete a full batch, and that the machine shuts off automatically after 15 hours. Plus, the design lets you make fewer jars at once if you don’t need a big batch. 

If yogurt is part of your weekly meal prep or you have a large family, additional racks are also available for purchase separately. Requiring little more than some milk and starter cultures, you can begin the day holding a glass of milk and end it with a cup of yogurt in its place.

Skip the time-consuming and awkward tower of cans and plates with the Tofuture tofu press. It does all the work for you: Just add the tofu, select your level of pressing, and let it do its thing while you prep. You’ll be left with drier tofu that crisps up much more easily when you sauté, pan-fry, or air-fry it.

You can use any style of tofu from soft to extra firm, and it will press it in as little as 20 minutes — you can even gently drain delicate silken tofu without totally smushing it. The Tofuture is as easy to clean as it is to use; simply dump out the pressed water and rinse the three components.

Stale pre-ground spices could be one reason your own homemade creations might not taste as elevated as those you eat in a restaurant. The solution is buying whole spices and grinding them as you need them with a spice grinder. Rinku Bhattacharya, author of Spices and Seasons, loves this Cuisinart spice grinder for its large capacity, effectiveness, and ability to handle a plethora of spices — it was our favorite in testing, too. “The way it locks the cup securely and also is easy to open is a plus,” she says. “Sometimes [with other grinders] there is a struggle, and this is uncomfortable and also creates the possibility that some of the spice will spill.”

We also love that the blades are extremely sharp and that the bowl is dishwasher-safe. If you already have a coffee grinder and you’re thinking it would work equally well, think again. “There is a difference in the way the blades work,” says Bhattacharya. “While a coffee grinder will do in a pinch, you are more likely to get a finer texture using a spice grinder.”

Just like freshly ground spices, fresh herbs can elevate recipes immensely. Having large quantities on hand also lets you craft sauces like basil pesto and homemade chimichurri on a whim. The AeroGarden is perfect for indoor spaces without large window ledges.

It was our favorite indoor garden in testing in part due to its self-contained lighting and automatic watering systems, as well as a timer for the lights. That means that even people with minimal gardening skills can have their fresh herbs flourish inside. It comes with nine pods and grow domes, but don’t worry, it comes with seeds for basil, two types of parsley, dill, and more to get you started.

The zoodles trend didn’t so much pass as become amalgamated into pasta culture. And in recent years, it’s gotten increasingly common to mix spiralized veggies into your favorite pasta recipes for a nutrition boost. Sure, you could shred zucchini or carrots with a box grater or with a vegetable peeler, but a vegetable spiralizer like this hand-cranked version from OXO is really the only way to go for the true “noodle” effect.

Like all of OXO’s products, the Good Grips spiralizer is ergonomically designed for ease of use and comfort. Suction cups on the bottom of the tool prevent any movement, and it felt sturdy and easily controllable during testing. It snagged our top spot because it delivered consistent, long spirals every time, and the three blades — spaghetti, fettuccine, and ribbon — give you numerous shape options.

The Taiker Cake Decorating Kit has everything you need to get started in baking, even if you don’t own so much as a measuring spoon set. With a whopping 493 pieces, it includes tools like cake pans, silicone molds, spatulas, whisks, and muffin cups. Focusing on turning you into a skilled decorator, it also has a cake turntable, level, and piping bags. There are dozens of different tips for the bags so you can practice virtually any shape and style of piping, and it even includes two injectors for filling cupcakes or doughnuts.

Thanks to the large assortment of additional tools like tongs and plate cleaners, you’ll also be better equipped for other cooking needs. If you’ve been wanting to try your hand at baking but don’t know where to start, this set is for you.

If you’ve ever had a smoked cocktail, you know what a delight it is. My love for the Cowboy Killer, a Scotch-based riff on the Manhattan, led me to purchase my own cocktail smoker, and now it livens up everything from drinks to desserts. The Smoking Gun Pro is a great choice thanks to its versatility and ease of use; even novice mixologists will be able to pick it up quickly.

Professional grade, its nozzle is long enough to fit anywhere — from a full bottle to a plate with a cloche over it — so you can smoke much more than just cocktails. Less expensive models won’t let you customize the level of smoke, but this one has a fan that lets you get just the right concentration right where you want it.

Having owned this fondue pot for about 15 years, I’m impressed by how well it has held up over time and with considerable use, especially for its moderate price point. Though I’m not generally a fan of nonstick coatings, that feature on this fondue pot is a dream, as it lets me swap out a cheese fondue main dish for a chocolate dessert in mere seconds. (It generally takes longer for my guests to change out their plates and dippables.)

Guests also always love the insert that lets them hang their singularly colored forks on the side of the pot for in-between moments. Provided you turn the heat down a notch once everything is at the temperature you want, whatever you put inside will stay at the perfect temperature for hours.

When I attended a press dinner for the release of this portable pizza oven, I was shocked by how easy to use the Gozney Roccbox seemed to be. Months later, my girlfriend received one as a gift, and I finally got the chance to try my hand at pizza-making. Pizza ovens take a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, you’re rewarded with pies that rival your local woodfired spot, right in the comfort of your backyard.

Easier to transport than other pizza ovens, the Roccbox can be placed nearly anywhere outside or packed into the car and toted along for an outdoor pizza party virtually anywhere. A major complaint with new home pizzaiolos is that many ovens run incredibly hot and take pies from undercooked to burnt to a crisp in seconds. The Roccbox actually cooks pizzas a bit slower, which is a boon for cooks still getting the hang of fast-cooking ovens.