Elevate Your Meal Prep
A meal is more than the sum of its macros. Transform home cooking into a fine art with this list of the most covetable kitchen kit
01 The Power Planter
No matter how virtuous the contents of your shopping basket, the sad reality is that plants start losing their micronutrients from the moment they’re picked. Luckily, growing your own isn’t just for the green of finger. This app-controlled indoor garden is fitted with automatic watering and nutrient delivery systems, and makes harvesting fresh basil, chillies and other healthy plants as simple as operating a vending machine.
SMART GARDEN 9 £180 EU.CLICKANDGROW.COM
02 The Culture King
A minimalist’s dream, this implausibly versatile tool is equipped to replace half of what’s in your kitchen cupboards: it whisks, blends, browns, steams, sautés and slow-cooks. But its USP is fermentation. The Thermomix creates the perfect environment in which good bacteria thrive, making gut-healthy probiotic yogurt or raising your sourdough at the touch of a button.
THERMOMIX TM6 £1,149 VORWERK.CO.UK
03 The Sous Chef
Once a technique largely employed in professional kitchens, sous vide is now an easy option for home chefs of more modest skill grades, thanks to gadgets such as this. This precision cooker enables precise temperature control; simply bag your protein or veg, attach the device to your pot and use the iPhone app to select your desired level of doneness. It’ll ensure your lean meats don’t come out tasting like rubber.
ANOVA PRECISION COOKER NANO £129 ANOVACULINARY.COM
04 The Cut Above
Ceviche, poke, sashimi, crudo, carpaccio – in recent years, restaurants have been awash with trendy raw fish dishes. But to level up your home skills, you’ll need the right tools: not every knife is up to the task. This ultra-sharp, hand-crafted Japanese knife is ideal for filleting, skinning and dicing, but it will also make light work of your veg prep. Plus, the traditional shape will signal to everyone that you’re a master.
NEW TRADITION £139 JAPANESEKNIFECOMPANY.COM
05 The Brew Gooder
Home-brewed kombucha might have been the trend a few years ago, but it’s been a rough year and you’ve earned something stronger. Studies show that the hops in beer raise levels of the brain chemical GABA, a deficiency of which can lead to anxiety. The MiniBrew’s video guides will walk you through the brewing process, with recipes from premium breweries for you to pore over. Tap your beer directly from the keg. MINIBREW CRAFT £1,099 MINIBREW.IO
06 The Liquid Asset
By ensuring that your citrus isn’t exposed to heat, cold pressing preserves more nutrients than industrial pulping processes. This one will give you an arm workout, too, and take up less space on your worktop (and in your dishwasher) than a 12-part plastic juicer. Don’t waste it on “cleansing” green juices: use it to squeeze lemons and limes for your marinades, dressings and weekend whisky sours.
CILIO CITRUS PRESS £123 AMAZON.CO.UK
07 The Cold Comfort
A KeepCup and a quick detour to Pret might have sufficed when you were on the move every day, but long stints in your home office allow for something more satisfying. This glass-and-bamboo cold brewer makes up to eight ice-cold cups with a cleaner taste and less acid than traditional coffee, while an adjustable drip lets you tweak the strength according to how much you need those jump leads.
SOULHAND COLD BREW COFFEE MAKER £44 SOULHAND.CO
08 The Tabletop Tutor
Amazon’s latest smart speaker, the Show 5, takes its name from its new 5.5in touchscreen, which allows you to stream video content – it’ll prove handy if you find yourself zoning out during a monotonous response to: “Cooking time for a 6kg turkey?” For aspirant chefs, it comes equipped with the BBC Good Food skills, so you can request recipes by ingredient or cuisine type, then benefit from hands-free guidance when your fingers are covered in food.
AMAZON ECHO SHOW 5 £80 AMAZON.CO.UK
09 The Daily Grind
Despite their long shelf life, ground spices degrade quickly. Crushing spices at home will give you more micronutrients and a punchier flavour. Blade grinders are hard to clean, risking mulled wine that tastes like Sichuan chilli, and don’t have the heft of a pestle and mortar. This doughnut-shaped design is as practical as it is ornamental and will ensure no peppercorn escapes.
TONDO MORTAR & PESTLE £124 DESIGNHOUSESTOCKHOLM.COM