11 Kitchen Appliances and Accessories for People Who Hate Cooking

Does the very idea of prepping, cooking, and cleaning make you dread going into the kitchen? For anyone looking to make the cooking process easier on themselves, there are plenty of appliances and gadgets that can practically do those jobs for you. Here are 11 of our favorites.

1. Cosori Air Fryer Max XL; $119

Chances are you know someone who always finds a way to squeeze some air-fryer talk into every conversation. But unlike other trendy kitchen appliances, the hype is actually warranted here. Air fryers essentially function as extremely powerful convection ovens, making them ideal for cooking and reheating quickly. And they're designed to make food nice and crispy without using unhealthy fats and oils. In short, you get all the taste without all that guilt. This 4.7-star-rated model from Cosori is the perfect air fryer to give as a gift (or to keep for yourself). It's designed to handle a range of dishes—from chicken wings and salmon to veggies and desserts—without being a hassle to operate.

Buy it: Amazon

2. Microwave Bacon Cooker; $14

For the bacon lovers who can't stomach all the splattering grease and dirty pans, this kitchen accessory lets you hang individual strips for easy cooking in the microwave. Not only does it cut down on the mess, but it also has a built-in tray at the bottom to catch all that fatty runoff. And the whole thing is dishwasher-safe, making cleanup an afterthought.

Buy it: Amazon

3. Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker; $25

This is the quick and easy breakfast sandwich maker of your dreams. Instead of toasting bread, frying eggs, and heating ham separately (and using a billion pans in the process), this gadget takes care of everything in one go. All you really have to do is layer the ingredients, press down, and click a few buttons. The entire thing cooks in under five minutes, and you can experiment with different combinations of bread, eggs, meats, veggies, and spreads.

Buy it: Amazon

4. Non-Stick Reusable Toaster Bags; $8

Cut down on crumbs and cleanup with these reusable toaster bags. For a hassle-free grilled cheese, just slap some Kraft singles in between two slices of bread, throw it all in the bag, and toss the sandwich into a slotted toaster. It's easier and cleaner than doing it all on a stovetop, and the bags can also be used to heat up pastries, pizza, chicken nuggets, and even sausage. In addition to the toaster, these bags are tough enough to withstand ovens and grills, and they can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

Buy it: Amazon

5. Dash Mini Waffle Maker; $18

Don't be fooled by the name: A waffle maker can be a great, quick, and convenient cooking tool for all kinds of foods, including paninis and hashbrowns. This model from Dash has dual non-stick surfaces and heats in mere minutes. One five-star reviewer said, “If you like waffles, but don't want to eat gigantic ones and/or don't have a ton of counter space to spare for a full-size waffle maker, this little thing is well worth the price.”

Buy it: Amazon

6. NoCry Cut-Resistant Gloves; $11

Whether you're a rookie around knives or just someone who loves shucking their own oysters, these 4.5-star-rated gloves are the best way to guard your hands while chopping in the kitchen. Made from food-safe polyethylene, nylon, polyester, glass fibre, and spandex, they're said to be four times stronger than leather and can protect you from cuts, nicks, and other potential injuries you could get while using sharp tools.

Buy it: Amazon

7. Dezin Electric Hot Pot; $36

This appliance is similar to an electric kettle, but it has the functionality of a hot pot, making it convenient for cooking soups, ramen, oats, and more. There's not a lot of fuss here; you basically just have to set it to the right temperature and throw your ingredients in. But since it's electric, you can easily set it onto a countertop anywhere in the house (or RV, if that's your thing.) It's not the biggest pot—it holds around 1.6 liters of liquid—but it's compact enough to be perfect for college kids and anyone living on their own for the first time.

Buy it: Amazon

8. Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart; $89

This multi-functional Instant Pot does pretty much all the cooking work on its own, leaving you free to catch up on all that reading you've wanted to do (or, let's face it, Instagram browsing). There are one-touch settings to cook rice, soup, meat, chili, and more. You just have to dump ingredients into the pot, press a few buttons, and wait for the device to work its magic. This appliance has earned a 4.7-star rating from customers on Amazon; even more impressive than that, more than 112,000 reviewers gave it a full five stars. It's available in 3-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart models, and the company has a free app full of recipes to try.

Buy it: Amazon

9. Microwave Pasta Cooker; $17

This might just be the easiest and quickest way to make pasta at home. Just add your favorite noodles, throw in some water, and microwave. The result is perfectly cooked pasta at home without needing to wait for a big pot of water to boil. According to the company, one serving of spaghetti takes around 13 minutes, so it'll probably take a little trial and error to figure out the perfect time for every type of pasta. But once you get the hang of it, you'll never look back.

Buy it: Amazon

10. Cuisinart Stainless Steel Chopper; $21

This 4.1-star-rated gizmo is designed for anyone looking to do away with the tears and smelly fingers you get from chopping onions and garlic by hand. It's all pretty simple: Just put your veggie of choice in the vessel and push the top down until it's chopped to the right size. One reviewer, who gave it five stars, said, “This one works really well just chopping on a board. Cuts are even and it makes quite quick work of onions, garlic, even celery. As for cleaning—easy peasy. I disassemble and put it in the dishwasher.”

Buy it: Amazon

11. 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food by Jamie Oliver; $19

Bestselling cookbook author and renowned chef Jamie Oliver has the solution to your cooking woes. This cookbook is filled with 130 five-ingredient recipes, including fish, pasta, salads, and vegetarian dishes. These streamlined meals are a breeze to make and are perfect for anyone who's either just learning the ropes or is perpetually crunched for time (and low on patience.)

Buy it: Amazon

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