Whether you are a master chef or just a geek who loves to spend time in the kitchen, these cool kitchen gadgets are sure to delight. We have included everything from a WiFi coffee maker to a throwback breakfast station.
Excitement awaits as you turn your everyday kitchen into a geek cook lab with these unique kitchen gadgets. You will not believe some of the weird kitchen gadgets that some people have “cooked up.” Without draining your pocket, these amazing kitchen tools will turn you into an all-star chef as cooking, roasting, chopping and frying will soon be as easy as rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser.
Here is a list of the best kitchen tools and gadgets for geeks that you never knew existed but soon will not be able to live without. Let’s check out these cool kitchen tools!
The 10 Best Kitchen Tools and Gadgets for Geeks
1. Flat Measuring Spoon by Polygons
Have you heard about this cool kitchen gadget yet? Polygons’ measuring spoon is a one-of-a-kind flat measuring spoon that is also 4-in-1. Their slogan is “the measuring spoon reinvented” and they certainly delivered a cool reinvention.
This reimagined measuring spoon is a polygon-shaped spoon that changes its size depending on where you pick it up. At first glance though, it almost appears to be a flat piece of scrap paper. Then when you hold it, it quickly transforms like magic before your eyes into this amazing oragami-like measuring device.
And since it changes the volume depending on how you pick it up, there is no need to look around the kitchen for another measuring spoon, now all you need is one. It comes in two sizes and each has 4 different measurements. The larger size has 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 tablespoons while the smaller size has 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 teaspoons.
The 4-in-1 flat measuring spoon by Polygons is incredible. You can store it virtually anywhere since it is flat and you can make sure not to let anything you measure goes to waste, just simply flatten the spoon and scrape off the remaining contents. In fact, we are already geeking out over this amazing kitchen gadget and cannot wait to get one ourselves.
Unfortunately, the waiting list for the Polygons measuring spoon is usually long. Can’t wait? Try the Quirky Scoop flat measuring spoon instead.
2. Cosori Premium Air Fryer
There is finally a kitchen gadget for frying which will not only make your life easier but healthier as well. Enter the air fryer. The air fryer should have been invented a long time ago. Apparently the concept of using hot air to cook your food is not just a bunch of hot air. This unique kitchen gadget has helped many people to consume fewer calories without sacrificing all of that great crispiness they have come to love produced by traditional frying methods (did you say healthy chicken wings?).
So how does an air fryer work? An air fryer uses a tiny amount of oil (usually around a tablespoon) and hot air to cook. It is even claimed that this method makes food with 85% less fat compared to that cooked in a deep fryer. Some air fryers even allow multitasking so you can cook such things as steak and chips at the same time. Air fryers let you roast, fry and grill. This versatility makes them an excellent gadget to have in your kitchen.
The Cosori Premium Air Fryer is our choice because of its outstanding quality and ease of use. This air fryer was designed in the USA (but made in China) and has a sleek and stylish brushed black matte exterior. It has 11 presets including steak, chicken, shrimp, seafood, bacon, frozen, vegetables, french fries, root veggies and bread, all available via its digital touchscreen. It ranges from 170 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature and has 1500-1700 watts of power (depending on the model, 1500 watts for the 3.7 qt. and 1700 watts for the 5.8 qt. model). It is even a pre-heating air fryer (which keeps your food more crispy) which the company claims is not too common (though you could just warm up any other air fryer by starting it for a few minutes before you use it). It also has a shake reminder, auto-shutoff and a keep warm function. This air fryer also comes with a PFOA-freeand FDA-certified non-stick basket that is dishwasher safe. It even comes with a 100-page recipe book to boot.
Runner-up: NuWave Brio Black 6-Quart Digital Air Fryer (top-rated air fryer by Consumer Reports)
3. WiFi Coffee Maker
If you are anything like me your morning coffee routine is a sacred ritual. Sometimes though, you are too rushed to enjoy this sacred time and your whole morning gets ruined. This is perhaps the best reason to buy a WiFi coffee maker.
The WiFi coffee maker is a must-have for all tech geeks and coffee geeks alike. This kitchen gadget allows you to brew your coffee just by the click of your smartphone. Some models even allow you to adjust such settings as flavor strength, coffee volume, temperature and froth level. I have even seen some models that allow up to 18 different drink selections from ristretto and espresso to cappuccino and latte macchiato.
Now, as much as I love the idea of the WiFi coffee maker, I hate to break it to you that there are no great models out there. Yes, it is true, this amazing idea has yet to be properly executed. However, if you are frothing at the mouth for one of these bad boys I think a good cost-conservative model is the Gourmia GCMW4750 WiFi Coffee Maker. This model comes with a built-in grinder (saving you the hassle of grinding your beans the night before) and brews just by saying “brew” (using Google Assistant) or pressing a button on your smart phone. It comes in a nice stainless steel finish and has a 10-cup glass carafe (which I personally prefer). It even claims to keep your coffee warm for 30 minutes after brewing (in case you decide to hit snooze before you roll out of bed or want to jump in the shower).
All that said, some people say the coffee is cold by the time they poor it. Others have complained that they have had problems with the app and that the software is buggy. Some people say if you have a weak WiFi signal it will just stop brewing. Even others have said it is a pain to clean. For around $75 I figure it is worth a gamble. If you like it and it works well for you, keep it. If you do not like it or it does not work then just send it back.
Runner-Up: Behmore Connected Coffee Brew System: This WiFi coffee machine can be integrated with Amazon Alexa as well as operated via the company’s app (for both Apple and Android devices). The downside is that it does not have a coffee grinder. It also only connects with 2.4ghz WiFi connections and has the same problems as the above coffee machine, if it loses signal it does not brew. However, users have noted it does make an excellent cup of coffee and you can adjust parameters such as temperature and pre-soak time. Our main gripes were the $200 price tag and the lack of a coffee grinder. Note: This is not a bluetooth coffee maker despite claims you may have seen elsewhere.
4. Nostalgia 3-in-1 Breakfast Station
Some of you are already probably wondering, “Really, something for a camper in my kitchen?” Wait though, hear us out. This bad boy is actually a space-saving dynamo and extremely versatile. It also takes the nostalgia factor and turns it up to 11. It even has the words “Nostalgia” written right on it, literally.
The Nostalgia BSET100BC 3-in-1 Breakfast Station is about as retro as it gets. It even looks like it came straight out of the 1950s. It comes equipped with a griddle, toaster oven and even a coffee maker. You can make eggs, toast and coffee all at the same time. It is even great for reheating food and comes with a nice lid on top to keep food warm.
Now, while this genius kitchen gadget was made for campers we see no reason why it is not great for anyone’s kitchen, especially if you live in a small apartment. Think of how much room you will save by eliminating your coffee maker, griddle and toaster over and replacing it with one appliance. And even though it is small, you can still fit a 6″ pizza in it if you want. The best part though, it looks extremely cool and nothing says “geek kitchen gadget” quite like a retro breakfast station.
At around $55, the Nostalgia Breakfast Station is an amazing deal and if you decide you do not want it in your kitchen, just go back to using it as a camping breakfast station.
5. Instant Pot Duo
In this fast-paced day and age, getting something to cook your food faster is a welcome relief. The Instant Pot is one of the best-selling kitchen appliances and for good reason, it is absolutely everything you want it to be in a kitchen gadget. The fact that it was invented by a Canadian engineer (and his buddies) who was laid off from his job even gives it some more great geek appeal. The man, Robert Wang, is even has a PhD in computer science with a speciality in artificial intelligence.
The Instant Pot was invented for two reasons, to make healthy food and to make it quickly. This kitchen appliance doubles as a pressure-cooker and a slow-cooker. It even cooks food 70% faster. Along with your pressure-cooker and slow-cooker, it is also said to replace your rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker and food warmer. It has 14 cooking options on the menu (soup, stew, rice, porridge, etc.) and 10 safety mechanisms to ensure it will not blow up in your kitchen.
It comes in many models but the standard Instant Pot Duo 60 is a great fit for most people. It is a 6 quart, stainless steel cooker with adjustable temperature and pressure settings. It is not as geek as the Smart WiFi version of the cooker but due to the WiFi version’s flaws we cannot recommend it based on the geek-factor alone. Also, the standard Instant Pot is $50 less and the WiFi is sort of unnecessary.
Most people do not understand why the Instant Pot is so amazing but until you cook your own yogurt or make rice in 13 minutes, you will not understand either. So get one, try it, love it.
Also be sure to check out the best Instant Pot meatloaf recipe.
6. USB George Foreman Grill
Looking for a George Foreman Grill that connects to your USB port? Well, so are we actually. The George Foreman USB iGrill was a great prank by ThinkGeek for April Fool’s Day (try putting it in your cart at ThinkGeek) but that does not mean we cannot dream. Probably the closest thing you are going to find is the BioLite Campstove 2 which charges via USB and comes with a portable grill attachment. That said, we are pretty sure people out there still think it is a real product.
While the George Foreman USB Grill would have made a great kitchen gadget for geeks that does not mean the original George Foreman Grill does not. First of all, it is already a throwback. Secondly, it is simple to use. Throw some meat in it, shut the lid, wait a few minutes, done. It is also healthier; it “knocks out the fat,” remember? It’s also super easy to clean and at a $15 price point it is also a great bargain.
7. Rollie Eggmaster
Do you get bored easily from the food you usually prepare in the morning? Need another way to cook eggs? Add a twist to your breakfast with this incredibly weird kitchen gadget, the Rollie Eggmaster Vertical Grill.
First of all, it looks like a digital coffee cup. Secondly, it makes omelets, eggs, and frittatas. Third, it’s simple and easy to use. Toss in some eggs, wait 7-9 minutes, turn it over and bam, breakfast is served. You will never look at your eggs the same again, especially when they look exactly like a standard egg roll you get at a Chinese restaurant.
While the Rollie Eggmaster is a super geeky kitchen gadget it’s pretty much hit-or-miss as far as product reviews go. Some people love it and some people hate it. Concerns include the long cooking time, quality of the product, lack of an on/off switch, and difficulty cleaning. Feel free to geek out over this but caveat emptor.
8. Drop Kitchen Scale
The Drop Kitchen Scale is a cool kitchen gadget that will take your baking skills from 0 to 100. This high tech kitchen gadget connects directly to your smartphone (via an app) and will put over 300 recipes at your fingertips.
At this point you are probably thinking, “So what? An app and a scale, big deal.” Well, when you use a kitchen scale to bake you are going to save ingredients. Also, having the scale connected to your smartphone means any time you flub up the amount of ingredients you are using the recipe automatically adjusts.
Drop also shows you substitutes for any ingredients you do not have, instead of wasting time surfing the web for ideas. It even gives you a complete illustration and step-by-step cooking instructions. There is also a large database of recipes that you can browse through and pick whatever you are craving.
Last but not least, Drop can even connect to certain types of smart appliances. Through Drop you can control your appliances from virtually anywhere. You also get a notification on your smartphone when your food is done cooking if you connect the app to any GE WiFi cooking oven.
While Drop may seem like an unnecessary kitchen gadget it is at the forefront of future kitchen technology. As more and more appliances become equipped with WiFi Drop will become more and more valuable. Our advice is to wait and see what else becomes integrated with the app. Unless you bake a lot or just curious about the product, Drop is most likely something that will just sit somewhere in the kitchen collecting dust.
9. The Selfie Toaster
This device is self-explanatory. The Selfie Toaster allows you to take a picture and put it on a piece of toast. This weird kitchen gadget is a great novelty item for geeks. Have an urge to put Darth Vader on some toast and serve it to your buddies? Do it. Want your toast to have the bat symbol? Done.
The Selfie Toaster works by using special rail mechanisms that hold custom-made steel stencils based on whatever images you choose. You upload the image you want at the time of purchase and then you will also have the opportunity to get five more pictures for a discount. You can also get one of your images plastered on the front of the toaster in color as well.
This is a super geeky kitchen gadget and definitely worth it (even at around $75). At the time of this writing though the Selfie Toaster is currently sold out. Be sure to put it in the comments if it comes back in stock.
Some other cool options for geeks include the Bob Ross Toaster, Batman Toaster, R2D2 Toaster and the Darth Vader Toaster.
10. Brix Jar Key (Jar Opener)
While the Brix Jar Key was probably invented for older people with arthritis who can’t open a jar, one thing everyone knows about us geeks is that we are not usually built like The Incredible Hulk. This unique kitchen gadget might not be the coolest gadget you have in your kitchen but it will for sure come in handy, and as Red Green says, “If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.”
The jar key is for anyone who needs to figure out how to open a jar that is stubborn. Instead of looking up tips to open a jar online or scouring your kitchen for something slip-resistant to turn a stubborn jar with, just buy this handy kitchen gadget and be done with it. All you have to do is place it against the lid of the jar and pull up gently on the handle. This releases the vacuum seal and makes the lid easy to turn.
While this handy little kitchen gadget will not win you any friends (or girlfriends for that matter) but it might save your hands and wrists. Plus, you will never worry about how to open a jar again. With almost a 5-star rating and selling for around $12 on Amazon for a 2-pack, it’s a no-brainer buy.