I love baking. There’s nothing I find more relaxing than spending my Sunday afternoon whipping up a batch of cookies or a slab of brownies for everyone in the house to share. But when it comes to actually cooking meals? Not so much.
In all honesty, what puts me off is the preparation work that goes into everything. It’s all the chopping. It’s not so much that I find it boring, I’m just not very good at it. I also have no desire to get better at it, which makes me pretty lazy, right?
Luckily, here at Tom’s Guide, I get to test out some of the best blenders, air fryers, and everything in between. And because of this, I’ve been able to construct the perfect lazy-food-prep kitchen.
Beast Mighty 850 Plus
This is the fastest blender I have ever used. The Beast Mighty 850 Plus blender houses a powerful 850-watt motor, making it formidable against any ingredient. It completely speeds up the cooking process for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I use it for super quick smoothies before heading out the door in the morning, at lunch time to make a quick dip, and at dinner to make my favorite soup. Tomato soup is a staple in my dinner repertoire, and having a decent blender is half the battle.
It can blend up my soup unbelievably fast, and thanks to the hand storage caps that come with the blender, any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for the next day. It’s all about convenience, which helps to minimize the washing up of containers.
KitchenAid Top Down Chopper
The KitchenAid Top Down Chopper is the ultimate gadget for chopping-haters. Just a few presses of the button on top of the device will have you chopping whole onions and creating simple salad dips in seconds. It has quickly become a go-to device of mine, as I can quickly get all of my ingredients ready if I’m making a pasta sauce or getting some mix-ins ready.
While it can only do one thing — yes, chop — it does it well. During my testing, it diced an entire carrot in less than 10 seconds, making it ideal for making a quick soffritto.
And as a girl who loves a good chip and dip combo, this is ideal for a Friday night when I have friends over and need to make a super speedy guac or salsa. It’s also cordless, so if you need to take it with you on a quick getaway, you totally can!
KitchenAid Citrus Juicer
The KitchenAid Citrus Juicer has become far more of a daily staple than I anticipated. I use it most days to keep the orange juice in my fridge fully stocked, but it also makes cooking easier.
What could a juicer possibly be used for in cooking? Lemons.
They are tedious and have a tendency to sting my hands when I squeeze them. I used to avoid recipes that required freshly squeezed lemon juice, but that is no more. I no longer stand over the saucepan trying to squeeze the lemon while trying to catch the seeds in my other hand.
It is also a great gadget for prepping ingredients before cocktail night, and gets a lot of use around the holiday season when everyone wants a signature cocktail.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1
The Instant Pot Plus is one of my favorite gadgets. It is a pressure cooker that does it all. It can has eight preset functions to choose from so it can slow cook your favorite dish or cook rice with complete ease.
When testing the cooker, I was able to make my dinner with only 10 minutes off effort. Sure the cooker then went on to do its thing for another four hours, btu I was free. I could get on with house work or just sit and watch television.
While the Instant Pot Plus is the one I have, you can grab a smaller version on sale right now. The Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 is currently on sale at Amazon for $44.
Philips Airfryer 3000
The Rapid Air Plus technology of the Philips Air Fryer 3000 Series mean every time I used it, whether it was for tater tots or chicken, I was ensured an even cook.
The air flow design means there is no need to flip the food halfway through cooking as the heat is directed all around the drawer. It makes food crispy without drying it out, and is big enough to fit a small chicken if you're making a roast dinner.
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