If you love cooking but can never find enough time for it, or you’re completely terrified of cooking but you need to start, and don’t know where to start – then you’ve reached the right place. The first step towards having a streamlined and efficient cooking experience is to have an arsenal of functional kitchen appliances by your side. With the right kitchen tools and appliances, cooking can be a fun and effortless process. The right products can reduce your prep time in half, make the little cooking tasks much easier, and help you with tedious and complicated techniques. From a tiny modular tabletop griller that lets you cook in 7 different ways to a series of cooking utensils for the visually impaired – these innovative kitchen accessories are all, you need to undertake cooking and become a MasterChef in the comfort of your own home. Happy cooking!
1. The Slush Machine
This iconic-looking device is called the Slush Machine, and mimics an inverted ice cone! It shaves ice on demand and dispenses fine slush into the vessel positioned below to make delicious frozen desserts and slushies.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Slush Machine is an incredibly intuitive-looking appliance with a single-button interface on the top. The appliance stands upright on any countertop surface, with a hollow space underneath for collecting the shaved ice. Just plug it in and press the PUSH button on top for as long as you want and the Slush Machine will keep dispensing shaved ice.
What we like
- The Slush Machine’s design evokes a minimalist simplicity
What we dislike
- No complaints!
2. The +Base modular griller
When people think of cooking outdoors, they often presume it’s all about grills, mostly because it’s the most common type of cooking you can’t conveniently do indoors. Of course, that’s probably not the only kind of food you’d want to eat, but other styles of cooking would require other cookware and, consequently, a larger space. The +Base modular griller, however, supports almost any kind of cooking you’d want, from frying (teppanyaki), smoking, stewing, grilling, or even keeping wine warm.
Why is it noteworthy?
Made by a small family-owned Japanese factory that specializes in sheet metal fabrication, the All-in-One Grill is carefully designed to maximize the limited amount of space available, like small grooves on the grill’s frame that keep the skewers in place. The wooden base that protects tables from the grill’s hot bottom also acts as a lid when the griller has to be stowed away.
What we like
- Let’s you cook in seven different ways
- Simplifies outdoor cooking
What we dislike
- No complaints!
3. The Haptics of Cooking
Cooking is not for the blind because the preparation of ingredients can be difficult. But in a world where everything must be inclusive, we must think of ways to include the visually impaired. The person behind the ‘Haptics of Cooking’ believes there are kitchen tools that can help. The term “haptic” describes to us that the absence of sight can be replaced by the sense of touch and motion. With good design, anything is possible even when it comes to food preparation and cooking.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Haptics of Cooking is a special series of cooking utensils designed for the blind. Boey Wang presented this design at the Design Intelligence Award last year. The Chinese designer is a narrator at heart with his ability to tell stories. Through his creation’s visual and functional design, he aims for people to experience the world. His five cooking tools offer such an experience: Cutting Board, Knife, Tall Measuring Cap, Low Measuring Cup, and a Pan Lid.
What we like
- Makes the cooking process simple + safe for the visually impaired
What we dislike
- No complaints!
4. BKID’s Graphene Toaster
Working partially like a toaster as well as a panini press, BKID’s Graphene Toaster grills your slices of bread but also lets you watch it in action. The horizontal format of the toaster means you can even use it to make grilled sandwiches, and potentially even use the flat top to heat beverages. If there ever was a clever idea, this would clearly be it!
Why is it noteworthy?
“Graphene can reach up to 200 degrees Celsius in just 90 seconds”, says BongKyu Song, founder of BKID. This effectively allows the sheets of glass to work just as well as the coiled wire inside a toaster does, but in a manner that results in a much more evenly browned slice of toast without those burns and grill marks created by hot zones.
What we like
- The Graphene Toaster actually lets you watch the bread turn brown in real-time
What we dislike
- The toaster doesn’t ‘pop’ out the bread
5. The Range Pop
Called the Range Pop, this innovative microwave is super unique! It features a door and a microwave tray, but they open upwards, instead of being located at the front! It allows your food to descend into the microwave for heating, and ascend upwards when heated.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Range Pop’s new format presents a different experience that has its own set of pros and cons. For starters, the chances of electromagnetic waves leaking out through the chamber are reduced, and it’s easier to access your food without bending over or spilling something. On the flip side, the Range Pop requires vertical space – something that most homes and a few office canteens may not be able to provide… and unlike conventional ovens, you don’t get to see your food rotating on the turntable as it heats.
What we like
- Features an intriguing vertical popping-tray
What we dislike
- No complaints!
6. The Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven
The Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven has functions such as Steam and Steam Convection. These two promise healthier dishes since they’re able to preserve more nutrients compared to other cooking methods. That brings the number of functions to seven (hence the name), including Air Fry, Convection Bake, Slow Cook, Sanitize, and Ferment.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven is expanding its size and its features in order to also expand the number of healthy dishes one can prepare at home. Although it doesn’t completely remove the work that needs to be done to prepare these meals (not to mention the cleanup afterward), it tries to reduce the number of cooking appliances you have to juggle. It’s easy enough to downplay these conveniences, but the ease of use and reducing the friction to get started go a long way in setting people on the right track to healthier living.
What we like
- The Steam and Steam Convection functions preserve more nutrients compared to other cooking methods
What we dislike
- Calling the HomeCHEF 7-in-1 “compact” might be a bit of a stretch, at least when compared to its siblings. This newest addition to the lineup is larger to accommodate the more spacious 20L capacity and bigger 800ml water tank
7. The U1
We have plenty of home appliances these days that brew us coffee, make us homemade sodas, and more, so why can’t we have something that gives us clean drinking water, too? That’s exactly what the U1 delivers in a more compact box that you can carry and position anywhere in your home or kitchen. It looks almost like a large, boxy coffee maker, but one that dispenses water instead. Yes, you do have to fill a water tank every time it gets empty, but that work is a very small price to pay for what you’re getting in return.
Why is it noteworthy?
Despite its size, the U1 actually makes water go through a five-stage filtration system. Like most water filters, it starts with a sediment filter for larger particles and then passes the water on to an active carbon filter and a reverse osmosis membrane filter to remove almost all kinds of contaminants.
What we like
- An alkaline post-filter adds back minerals, calcium, and magnesium
- An optional hydrogen infusion stage creates antioxidant water
What we dislike
- No complaints!
8. The Folding Kettle
The Folding Kettle comes with a flat-pack design that opens up rather cleverly, expanding its volume while creating a kettle that’s stable enough to stand vertically on any surface.
Why is it noteworthy?
“Due to its unique storage structure, the capacity of this travel-friendly folding kettle after unfolding is approximately 1.2 liters”, says C60 Design’s team lead Chu Wenbao. “It has three main characteristics: simple operation, easy storage, and a minimal aesthetic.” The kettle’s travel-friendly design borrows a lot from a travel iron. It’s compact when you need it to be, and functional when opened. It also has a detachable cable that allows you to connect it to a power outlet to heat water wherever you are.
What we like
- Features a flat-pack design making it completely travel-friendly
What we dislike
- No complaints!
9. The Utensil Disinfection Cabinet
The Utensil Disinfection Cabinet is a handy countertop appliance that not only organizes but protects your cutlery. It features an innovative anti-bacterial chamber.
Why is it noteworthy?
Designed to be used once your utensils come out of the dishwasher or after washing them in the kitchen sink, the appliance organizes your plates and bowls while also giving you the option to dry and disinfect them. A pop-down hood conceals your tableware, and a simple interface on the bottom gives you the ability to access the Utensil Disinfection Cabinet’s multiple features.
What we like
- Multifunctional design
- Simple intuitive appearance
What we dislike
- No complaints!
10. Minepot
Millennials, today, usually live alone. As great as living alone can be at times, it can also be quite a hassle in some ways. For example – cooking for one is almost always an issue. You need to cook the perfect amount so that you don’t end up wasting food or eating the same damn dish for three days in a row, which is no better a fate (according to me). However, we are seeing products in the market that are being made for this specific niche of people!
Why is it noteworthy?
One such example is this latest product concept from Yifeeling which is all about making cooking for yourself a part of your daily “ritual” and not just a chore you have to get through. Minepot looks like a food processor at first glance but it actually seems to be an air fryer or food fryer type of appliance. It is noticeably smaller than other similar kitchen tools and it is designed that way so that you not only cook for one but you are also able to have food intake that’s just right for you.
What we like
- Opaque or semi-transparent upper section which allows you to keep an eye on your food as it is being cooked
- Helps include cooking in your daily ritual
What we dislike
- It’s still a concept!
