Best Kitchen Tools & Appliances For Lazy Cooks — Or Anyone Who Hates Being In The Kitchen

While it’s fascinating how some people can transform raw ingredients into palatable dishes effortlessly, the kitchen can be a daunting place. There is much to fear and loathe about open fires, scalding hot oil, overcooking, undercooking and the piling heap of dirty dishes at the end of it all. 

Cooking is an endeavor reserved for those with time, passion, an unholy tolerance for the sting of onion-induced tears or a Masterchef contestant. For the rest of us – the ones who appreciate a well-cooked meal but wouldn't mind outsourcing the part where you have to julienne carrots or slow-cook beef for three hours – a compendium of kitchen tools to make the experience in the kitchen easier and enjoyable are always welcome. 

Call us lazy or efficient, here are some gadgets and appliances that cut on prep time and the amount of dishes in the sink. 

1.5L Mini Multi Cooker with Steam Tray, $29

Hate washing multiple pots and pans, especially if you’re cooking for one or two? Now you can have your one-person steamboat party – and also steam some bite-sized snacks.

1.0L Travel Multi Cooker, $39.90

Similar to the appliance above, this multi-cooker can also be used for frying, boiling, and stewing – on top of just making instant noodles. Plus, it’s portable enough to bring on travels so you can save a buck by cooking a meal in the hotel room. The non-stick surface also makes it for easy cleaning.

Cordless Electric Health Teapot, $42.90

Let’s be honest – it’s never just one cup of tea a day, and it’s such a pain having to get up from whatever you’re doing to boil some water and wait around to make a cup of tea. Having an electric teapot means you have enough hot tea for the day, plus it’s small enough for you to have it on your desk. 

4-in-1 Handheld Electric Vegetable Cutter Set, $27.99

Ah, cutting vegetables – one of the most time-consuming activities when it comes to food prep. Save some time and chuck your carrots, garlic, onions, chilli, ginger and other veggies into this cutter/dicer/chopper. 

Electric knife, $49

Think electric knives are just for carving meat? With this smaller electric knife, you never have to use any energy when cutting fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and other ingredients for cooking. Talk about tools for lazy people, eh? And if you need the bigger version for meats and carving, there are choices too. 

Watermelon slicer, $38

Gone are the days of taking forever to cut up a watermelon. The thick rind means a lot of energy is needed to cut through the fruit but with this invention, all you need is some force and then it’s all sliced up. You can also use the slicer on other fruits like rockmelons.

Electric Egg Food Multi-Function Steamer, $23.90

For some reason, steamers often come in big or clunky sizes – not ideal if you want to have a sneaky serving of dim sum for one. This cute and portable steamer is easy to use, store and wash. Plus it also specialises in eggs as well so now you never have to go out for perfect soft-boiled eggs at the kopitiam. 

Scrub Mommy (4-pack), $23.60

Months ago I bought this on a whim purely based on its virality on TikTok and its quirky name but now I can’t imagine life in the kitchen without it. The Scrub Mommy is half sponge and half scrubber and is gentle enough not to scratch surfaces but tough enough to remove annoying stains and spots. It might be a little pricey, but for how long it lasts and how effective it is, it’s worth stocking up on these babies – or mommies.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission. Prices are correct at time of publishing.