Smart home products have extended to every room of the home, even the kitchen. There are cool gadgets that can help you cook faster, better, more efficiently, and even remotely. And while there's a ton of cool innovation in terms of smart large appliances, there are also some seriously useful smart small appliances and kitchen gadgets that might make sense for your kitchen. They might not all be "smart" in the traditional sense, but they can help you cook delicious meals at the touch of a button or tap of your phone.
The most versatile cooking gadget
Instant Pot Programmable Pressure Cooker
Staff pick
As a long-time owner and fan of these multicookers, the Instant Pot is a truly remarkable kitchen gadget that you can use for so many recipe ideas. It's an all-in-one pressure cooker, slow cooker, sauté/searing, steamer, sanitizer, and has pre-programmed settings for cooking soups, stews, rice — even yogurt. The best part is that you can set it to cook your food, walk away, and it will be hot and ready whenever you are.
Great for following along with recipes
Google Nest Hub
The Google Nest Hub is a perfect alternative if you tend to rely on your phone for following recipes in the kitchen. Keep your phone off the counter (and your grubby fingers away from its screen) and follow along with your videos and recipes using a bigger screen that can find a new home on your kitchen counter. It's also perfect for checking your Google calendars, using Google Assistant for smart home controls, or just listening to music or watching videos while you cook.
Make any kitchen gadget smart
TP-Link Kasa Smart WiFi Plug Mini
You don't have to get smart gadgets for the kitchen necessarily. With this smart plug, you can make virtually any existing device you own smart. Plug it into the wall outlet and plug in a lamp, fan, coffeemaker, or multicooker, for example, then use the app to turn the device on or off remotely, or your voice with a compatible smart speaker (Alexa or Google). You can also put it on a schedule or add it to scenes, so a fresh pot of coffee automatically brews every morning, for example, just as your lights come on and soothing music plays.
No more overcooked meals
Breville Joule Sous Vide
Sous vide is a method of immersion cooking that requires you to keep water heated to specific temperatures for very long times. The results are typically perfectly cooked food that just needs a quick sauté or broil for finishing. The Breville sous vide is about the sleekest you'll find with 1100 watts of power makes it one of the fastest for getting up to temperature, and you can control everything by connecting it to your phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Promote healthy eating
Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale
Ideal if you're on a diet, you can use this smart kitchen scale to ensure you are getting the right portion sizes. But whether you're on a diet or not, it's handy to measure out ingredients for recipes as well. You can weigh anything from 3-5,000 grams in 1-gram increments, convert units, and scan items via barcode, with a database of more than 270,000 USDA foods. Sync it with fitness apps, like Apple Health, and connect it to your Android or iOS phone via Bluetooth.
Best kit for getting started
SousVideArt Sous Vide Starter Kit
One of the things I didn't touch on much with the other sous vide machine on this list that you'll also need to seal your food before tossing it into the bath. SousVideArt offers a great starter kit that includes 15 reusable vacuum bags, a handy pump for sealing, clips, and a cookbook to help you get started. Because it includes everything you need to start cooking (outside of a cooking pot), this kit makes a pretty great housewarming gift.
Fry in a pinch
Instant Pot Air Fryer
I have been having loads of fun with this accessory for almost any 6-quart Instant Pot model (check compatibility first), which is the hottest thing since, well, the Instant Pot. Place the included multi-level air fryer basket inside the stainless steel inner pot (it doesn't work with the ceramic ones), layer everything from French fries to chicken wings or pork chops inside, pop the lid on top, press a button, and voila! It can not only air fry but also reheat, bake, dehydrate, and more.
A classy way to brew
Goat Story GINA Smart Coffe Brewing Instrument
Every morning starts with a piping hot cup of coffee, but what brewing method makes the best cup? With this scientific-looking brewing instrument, you'll be able to choose how you brew: pour-over, cold drip, or french press immersion. You get a grinder with a built-in scale that connects to your phone to let you finely tune the flavor strength in every cup. It sure beats boring single-cup makers!
"Alexa, make some popcorn"
AmazonBasics Microwave
Anyone in college, on a budget, or living in a small apartment or shared housing might love this Alexa-powered microwave. Once again, AmazonBasics has delivered an affordable product that goes above and beyond what you'd expect. You get quick-cook voice presets that you can use with Alexa through an Echo speaker in your home, or you can press the Alexa button to dictate the desired cook time. It also comes with a popcorn re-ordering discount via Amazon Dash.
What makes a great smart home kitchen gadget?
There are thousands of kitchen gadgets and cooking tools that always claim to "make life easier," but not when they're only for very limited uses. The best kitchen tools are as versatile as a knife and universally useful for all types of cooking methods and cuisine styles. Or, in the case of gadgets like the Google Nest Hub and TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Mini Plus for helping you in the kitchen whether via entertainment, guided instruction, or transforming a boring old kitchen gadget into a smart, remotely-controllable one.
When it comes to gadgets that let me cook more while spending less time in the kitchen, my top pick is the Instant Pot. I love that I can set it to start cooking and come back hours later to a perfectly cooked rack of ribs, a delicious stew or chili, or do some meal planning for the week and cook my meat and veggies in the same pot. It still manages to surprise me with its performance and versatility two years on. Add the Air Fryer lid to the equation, and it has been a breeze to warm up lunch while I work from home or cook a couple of pork chops with a delicious dry rub to perfection.
I haven't yet totally gotten into sous vide cooking, but given how many people rave about it, and the amazing reviews that products like the Breville Joule Sous Vide get, I'll probably be investing in one very soon. And the SousVideArt starter kit seems like the perfect package to grab for someone ready to experiment with this type of cooking.
You really can't go wrong by adding any of these kitchen gadgets to your cooking and kitchen arsenal.
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