Kitchen gadgets giving you more for your money

Appliances are meant to save time and effort – yet so many end up gathering dust. Mernie Gilmore tries out the latest multi-tasking devices to see which ones are worth buying

There’s a gadget for everything these days – whether you want to whip up a smoothie, chop veg or make waffles. But chances are you have limited space in your kitchen, and it’s not long before these whizzy gadgets end up languishing in a cupboard.

The average home contains £185 worth of unused kitchen appliances, research from Wickes found.

“Households usually stop using gadgets for one simple reason – convenience,” says Thea Whyte, small appliances expert for ao.com.

“The ones that end up gathering dust tend to be cumbersome, difficult to use or tricky to clean.

“To combat this, look at multi-tasking appliances that don’t take up too much space.”

Here, we try out 10 of the latest multi-tasking gadgets to see whether they are worth a precious place in your kitchen.

Morphy Richards Compact Soup Maker, £59.99, morphyrichards.co.uk

What is it: Makes soup from scratch in just 19 minutes and can also be used to make smoothies. Verdict: A nifty piece of kit that won’t take up much space – it’s the size of a small kettle.

Easy to use, simply add the ingredients and switch it on.

You then choose different levels of blending from chunky to smooth and hey presto, your soup is ready.

It can also be used to make smoothies, meaning you don’t need a separate blender. The 1 litre capacity means it’s too small for a family but would be perfect for couples.

Haier Series 5 Home Barista Hot Drinks Machine, £99.99, John Lewis

What is it: Whips up cafe-inspired hot drinks at home, including tea, coffee, cappuccino and hot chocolate. Verdict: This doesn’t take up much room. The tea and coffee functions work fine, but it comes into its own for hot chocolate, which is super smooth and totally delicious.

It’s easy to use and clean. However, it only makes one drink at a time, so you need to be patient if you’re catering for a group.

Breville Halo Flexi Air Fryer, £229.99, Amazon

What is it: This extra large air fryer offers 12 ways to cook in half the time of a conventional oven.

Verdict: This has some very clever features – the main cooking area can be divided into two, with the two sides synced to cook different foods in different ways and finish cooking at the same time.

It comes with accessories including trays and mesh dishes for cooking different types of food. It’s super quick for family favourites such as chips but can also be used to roast a whole chicken. It’s quite big, so needs a bit of space, but could easily replace an oven.

Greenpan Omni Cooker, £200, greenpan.co.uk

What is it: Combines 10 different cooking functions in one pan, including searing, sauteing, stir-frying, rice cooker and soup maker.

Verdict: This heats up in seconds to saute veg or meat, making it great for stir fries or stews.

It also functions as a rice cooker and produces a mountain of fluffy white rice with ease. The generous 5.6 litre size makes it a great option for families and batch cooking.

Kenwood MultiPro XL Weigh+ Food Processor, £199.99, Currys

What is it: With a host of different accessories, you’ll be able to chop, whisk, knead, beat, slice, grate and more.

Verdict: This high-tech processor is packed with clever features.

The glass jug means you can blend hot and cold liquids, and it comes with built-in weighing scales, which are useful for baking. The citrus juicer is a nice added bonus too.

It also has a compact footprint and comes with a storage bag to keep all the bits together.

Cuisinart 4-in-1 Cordless Hand Blender, £100, cuisinart.co.uk

What is it: This cordless blender comes with handy accessories for mixing, blending, whisking and chopping.

Verdict: If you have limited space then this is the gadget for you. Even as hand blenders go, it’s on the sleek side and is rechargeable, meaning you don’t need to be near a plug.

It’s great for blending soup and comes with a useful mini chopping pot, perfect for making dips or anything else in small quantities.

Aeno Multi-functional Steam Mop, £149.99, diy.com

What is it: This fast-heating steam mop promises to kill 99 per cent of bacteria with no chemicals as it cleans floors, windows, curtains, mirrors and clothes.

Verdict: The paper instructions in the box were a bit confusing, but there’s a helpful video on aeno.com.

It worked a treat on a tiled floor, easily cleaning away marks and stains. A quick change of nozzle and it left windows and bifold doors sparkling. It comes with a handy shoulder strap too.

Gastroback Design Multi Juicer Digital Plus, £199.90, gastroback.co.uk

What is it: A four-in-one juicer, blender, chopper and grinder that can do everything from making fresh juice to grinding coffee beans.

Verdict: Lots of different parts but easy to put together. You can add whole fruit and veg to the chute – no need for chopping or peeling – and it instantly produces delicious juice, while the leftover pulp is funnelled into a separate compartment.

It’s easy enough to clean too. The chopping and grinding features mean you don’t need a separate coffee grinder, and it makes terrific nut butter as well.

Ninja Creami Deluxe 10-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Drink Maker, £249.99, ninjakitchen.co.uk

What is it: Make everything from creamy ice cream and refreshing sorbet to slushie drinks and milkshakes.

Verdict: If you love desserts, this is for you. You fill a pot with ingredients, freeze, then blend to the required consistency. It’s so simple and makes the smoothest, creamiest ice cream.

The slushie feature is fun and can be used for cocktails. And it’s great for healthy options – try freezing banana, peach or pineapple and blending for an all-fruit frozen treat.

Salter RapidCook400 Digital Air Fryer Oven, £199, salter.com

What is it: Designed to mimic a restaurant-quality oven, this gadget heats up to 400C, meaning you can cook in minutes.

Verdict: Quite large but lots of fun. It can be used as an indoor pizza oven and comes with a pizza stone for the delicious charred finish you usually get with a wood-fired oven.

Getting the pizza in and out of the oven takes practice – make sure the paddle has plenty of flour on it for best results. It also cooks steak and salmon in minutes, and can be used as an air fryer.