After being on vacation and staying in a few hotels with kitchens recently, I came home and wanted to give my own kitchen a big old hug. There’s nothing like being away from a well-stocked kitchen to truly appreciate how great it is to have your favourite kitchen gadgets close at hand. I found trying to cook without them really difficult and definitely not as fun.

What makes up a well-stocked kitchen? I’d have to say it depends the person cooking in it. Although we all have our favourite must-use kitchen gadgets, some people like to use kitchen tools every day that other people may never have heard of.

Out of the plethora of cool kitchen gadgets available, there are a few gadgets I think we can all universally agree are absolutely essential to a happy, well-run kitchen.

In no particular order, these are the kitchen gadgets we can’t live without.

The Can Opener

Yes, some cans have pop-tops now and all you have to do is pull to open, but there are so many that don’t. I’ve struggled with an old, barely working can opener and I can’t imagine not having an easy to use version like the OXO Smooth Edge Can Opener in my kitchen. It cuts through the side edge and leaves no metal snags so you won’t cut your finger on the tin, and it’s also easy to turn and has a great non-slip grip when your hands are wet.

The Veggie Peeler

Not everyone likes skin on their fruit, and when you’re cooking with vegetables like potatoes, you don’t want to leave any bits behind. The Vacu Vin Peeler and Holder will remove the skin from any fruit or vegetable, plus it has a plug to remove any soft or rotten spots.

 

The Colander

I cannot imagine life without a colander. When I try to cook spaghetti without one, I end up using the pot lid and dumping half of the noodles in the sink. Colanders like the Joseph Joseph Square Colander are great for everything from pasta to washing fruit. My colander has saved more than few grapes from the depths of the garbage disposal.

The Pizza Cutter

If you’re only cutting pizza with your pizza cutter, you haven’t even scratched the surface of what this little gadget can do. Try the OXO Good Grips Pizza Cutter to cut up brownies, sheet cakes, quesadillas, fruit, and more.

The Tong

Trust me when I saw you don’t want to live without a good set of tongs in your kitchen. The OXO Good Grips Tong can be used for everything from flipping meat and veggies on the BBQ, picking up ice chunks, and passing out food at the kitchen table.

No two kitchens are alike, and that’s why if you were to rifle through the drawers of a strange kitchen you’d probably be surprised at all of the cool kitchen gadgets you’d find but had never heard of. But the odds are all of the must-have kitchen gadgets I’ve just mentioned would definitely appear during your search, and these are the tools you’ll go back to again and again.

Fall is a great time to stock up your kitchen, so check out all of the great kitchen tools and accessories on Best Buy right now.

Shelly Wutke
Editor TV & Home Theatre
I'm a Vancouver freelancer and tech enthusiast. When I'm not writing you'll find me on my farm with my alpacas, chickens, and honeybees. Visit my website Survivemag