Majjie's Blog

Everybody loves a kitchen gadget for Christmas, and you'll find various lists around - of the best gadgets to give as gifts - some of which, quite frankly, I wouldn't give house room. Here's my top ten list of inexpensive gadgets ... which includes items for those who don't cook so much:

1. Kenwood Triblade Blender £59.99

A hand held blender is included on most people's top ten list of kitchen gadgets. This one's pretty special, though. It has three blades, instead of the more normal two - making it speedy and efficient - and it has special attachments designed for the hand held blender's most useful purposes ... blending soups, and mashing potato, directly in the saucepan. It has a handy beaker too, for using with the standard attachment, to make smoothies.

2. Microwave Saucepan £3.99

If you're like most people I know, you use china dishes with a plate over them, or sometimes a sheet of clingfilm ... to heat up food in the microwave. Or sometimes you don't bother and leave the dish open ... and that's when it inevitably spits and spatters all over the inside of the oven. This little saucepan stops all that and, unlike most plastic microwave dishes, it's stain resistant. It also has a handle, to stop you burning your fingers and a spout to drain water from vegetables. Great idea. Great present for students.

3. Jar Opener £4.95

I've had one of these for years and I use it quite frequently. It can get the lids off of most sizes of jar, including those big jars of gherkins which we tend to buy at this time of year. This is quite a smart stainless steel version.

4. Kenwood Mini Chopper £16.45

This gadget is good for both those who cook a lot and those who just want to chop a few herbs or finely chop an onion. It'll do breadcrumbs and chop nuts too ... and it's great for pureeing a single meal portion for a baby. It's small enough to sit on the worktop permanently (unlike some of the much more sophisticated gadgets that can do the same thing) ... and it's easy to clean

5. Electric Knife £27

This looks like the perfect electric knife to me. It's from John Lewis and they call it a bread knife ... but it's equally suitable for slicing meat and vegetables. It comes - with two blades - in a solid wood container with a safety lock, which can be stood up and kept on the worktop, or laid down as a tray within a drawer. The knife is suitable for both left and right handed use.

6. Scoop N Drain Coil Spoon £3.99

Especially useful at this time of year, when most of us get some pickles in. This nifty coil spoon means that you can avoid trying to spear those elusive last pickled onions with a fork ... or dragging them - and a trickle of vinegar - out with a normal spoon.

7. Microplane Rotary Grater £34

I used one of these for years - in my younger days - when I cooked a lot more! It's really good for grating chocolate or for large amounts of hard cheese ... for a macaroni cheese, for instance ... and your fingers are quite safe. This Microplane version looks far superior to the model I had. It comes with two grades of drum, for a start, so can be used for softer cheeses or for more coarse grating of hard cheese. It can also go into the dishwasher.

8. Salad Dressing Bottle £6

I find these really useful. You can use the recipes printed on the side - with graduated marks for adding the ingredients - shake up the dressing to mix - and serve straight from the bottle. You can then cork the bottles firmly (I have two for different dressings) and store any leftover mix in the fridge. 

9. John Lewis Value Casserole £10

This would make a great gift for those who don't yet cook a lot - but would like to learn - or anyone who values a very versatile dish. It's oven safe up to 260 degrees C (I don't think my oven actually gets that hot!) - it can be used in the microwave - you can put it in the freezer with any leftovers - it's smart enough to use at the table - and it can be washed in the dishwasher.

10. Ice Crusher £25

Last, but not least, is this Barcraft acrylic ice crusher. This one's for the boys - or whoever looks after the drinks at parties - and for all those who didn't manage to squeeze a big American fridge-freezer into their kitchen. Just freeze some ice cubes, pop them into the top of your ice crusher, and turn the handle. Who needs expensive electronic gadgets?  It holds about a litre of ice and even comes with a handy little scoop ...

Clicking on the pictures will take you to Majjie's Shop - for further details - and from there you can click on the "Learn More & Buy" button to go straight to the supplier. As always, if you do buy after clicking through from here, we get a small commission which goes towards the upkeep of this website.