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We’ve been on a fantasy shopping spree and found the Best Kitchen Gadgets for 2022.  

Everyone has been spending more time at home over the past few years, focussing on food and healthy living.  

The gadgets over the last years, like bread makers and slow cookers, are all well and good, but we’ve had our fill of homemade artisanal sourdough starters and want to move on from that. 

HOMEMAKERS has done the legwork and we’re keen to share our expertise. We’ve split our aspirational purchases into two categories. “Budget buys” and “Big spends”. Both have their merits, so it’s up to you to decide what you want to spend. Happy shopping! 

Budget Kitchen Gadget Buys 

Garlic chopping roller

As the well know Foodie TikTokker, Trazia Rae so often says: “Garlic, we know her, we love her, we worship her! One clove is never enough…” 

(By the way, she’s well worth following for her quick, healthy, and thorough comfort food recipes! TikTok is not just for the Gen Z’s, we promise). 

Using freshly minced garlic will level up your kitchen game but mincing ten cloves by hand will also leave you with smelly fingers and a sore wrist. Therefore, we’ve got a tried and tested, budget garlic buddy to add flavour to your food without all the fuss. Usually costing less than R300.00, it’s a sensible buy as well as a lovely gift!! It’s also great fun to roll this little chopper around your kitchen counters like a matchbox car. 

Get yours now 

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Sink drain food trap

Blocked kitchen drains are a nightmare – no two ways about it. Luckily there’s an easy solution. 

Stop the stinky blockage by getting your hands on a drain cover that fits snugly over your sink drain and catches any food scraps before they start a party in the u-bend.  

At around R200, these are a lifesaver for any kitchen sink. 

Waffle Maker

Treat the whole family and impress your overnight guests with fluffy yet crunchy breakfast waffles, fresh from your own kitchen. A waffle iron is a game-changer and will save you countless trips to Wimpy this winter.  

At just over R400 this baby will have paid for itself after the tenth waffle! A plain waffle with syrup costs about R50.00 these days, so by making your own you’ll be positively frugal! 

Now for those dreamy aspirational “one day when I’m all grown up” appliances:

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Bean-to-cup coffee machine

Sticking with the Mediterranean theme, how’s about steaming a cup of perfectly brewed, freshly ground coffee, in the comfort of your own kitchen? 

Bean to cup machines differ from percolators or pod-coffee machines because you simply load them with the coffee beans of your choice, and water and the machine does the rest. All this without the filter coffee taste or the eco-guilt of disposable pods.  

In a time gone by, these machines were only for high-end restaurants or la-di-da coffee shops, but these days you can get a really good one for yourself with just a bit of a splurge. 

We have first-hand experience of this one, and we love it 

A good set of knives

“A kitchen without a knife is not a kitchen.” – Masaharu Morimoto 

A sharp knife is a chef’s best friend. This is a well-known fact, but most home cooks don’t really think they need or deserve a good set of knives. You don’t need a full knife block of knives, but certain knives are almost non-negotiable. A chef’s knife, a smaller utility knife and a paring knife are all you need for day-to-day cooking. Add a bread knife and you’re good to go! 

Just ensure that you keep your knives sharp and never leave a sharp knife in a sink full of dirty dishes. 

This basic set of knives is a good deal, even if it’s on the expensive side. Again, from personal experience, we know this set can last you a lifetime!  

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