“As someone who enjoys a fair amount of wine, buying an electric corkscrew has changed the game for me,” says Stylist’s senior writer Amy Beecham. “It takes up little space but means I never have to faff around pretending I know how to use the little lever ones or risk bits of cork floating around in my drink where I’ve stabbed too hard (has happened more times than I care to admit). The only upkeep involves changing the batteries every six months or so. Otherwise, it’s probably the easiest and one of the most used utensils in my kitchen drawer.”

Shop rechargeable wine opener at Lakeland, £29.99

“Any kind of sauce or dressing you think a fork can mix, this mini stainless steel whisk will do it 10 times better,” explains Holly Bullock, Stylist’s features writer. “I use mine all the time – for salad dressings, eggs, pancake batter… I literally used it today to make a miso butter sesame sauce for some udon noodles. It’s little (the size of cutlery) so doesn’t feel as unwieldy as a balloon whisk, which I don’t rate and do not own. And because it’s so mini, you’re not at risk of missing any un-mixed areas. 

“My one warning: put it in the sink to soak immediately after using, otherwise you’ll end up trying to scrub off little pieces of dried-on garlic or ginger from your last stir fry sauce while internally screaming ‘why didn’t I just use a fork?’”

Shop stainless steel mini whisk at Sous Chef, £2.99

When I asked everyone I knew for their favourite genuinely-worth-it kitchen gadget, a milk frother came up again and again. I personally use one from Nespresso for foaming up oat milk for my daily matcha latte, whereas Stylist’s executive fashion director Kitty McGee rates her Lavazza frother. You can likely get away with taking your pick from any brand (perhaps based on aesthetic alone), but the consensus is that an electric milk frother is an excellent thing to spend your money on. 

“The Illy electric milk frother has changed my life – big statement but I stand by it – by saving me piles of cold hard cash and bringing me hot, frothy caffeinated joy in a matter of minutes,” says Felicity Thistlethwaite, Stylist’s digital content director. “With just one hand I can pour in an espresso shot, take the top off the milk and set the machine to froth together the most glorious latte while the other hand/arm/side of my body is occupied by a child. The blend of coffee and milk – and temperature it hits – is second to none. I’ve not bought a coffee, opting to make one in the Illy and take it with me, for months.”

Shop electric milk frother at Illy, £75

There’s a lot of love for Ikea’s silicone food covers and similar items. These function as a replacement for cling film and mean you don’t have to decant leftovers into airtight containers. “I love those silicone covers to keep food fresh,” says Soraya Gaied Chortane, Stylist’s fashion assistant. “The small size ones come in handy for a lot of veg.”

Shop Övermätt silicone food covers (set of 3) at Ikea, £4

Susanne Norris, Stylist’s deputy digital editor, shares: “When I was gifted my Oxo Good Grips kitchen chopper (yes, we opt for extremely practical presents in my family) I was pretty sceptical. Sure, it sounded like a good idea, but would it actually work? And, if it did work, would it be a nightmare to clean?

“Fast forward a few months and I use it for everything from onions to the plethora of veg I put into my soups for Friday night dinner. We have a tiny kitchen so storage is an issue, but when I’m not using it, I can slot it seamlessly into a measuring jug I keep in our kitchen cupboards – so it doesn’t take up any surplus space.

“The most innovative thing I use it for? Breadcrumbs. I simply shove some toast into it and give it a good old chop – which has saved me at least £100 (plus kitchen space I don’t have) on a food processor.” 

Shop OXO Good Grips kitchen chopper at John Lewis, £24.99

“Using my microplane grater makes me feel like I’m Gordon Ramsay bossing people around in my professional restaurant, when in reality I’m just piling an obscene amount of parmesan on the spag bol I’m about to eat on the sofa,” says Stylist’s entertainment director Helen Bownass. “Super-sharp microplanes aren’t cheap, but they’re brilliant for zesting fruit, obliterating garlic and ginger and finely grating hard cheese. Crucially, they don’t take up much space (unlike the horrible box grater) and can also cope with being thrown in the dishwasher at least twice a week. Yes chef!”

Shop microplane fine grater at John Lewis, £29.99

A garlic press, in my opinion, is a life-changer. No more endless chopping and faffing around with fingers eternally tinged with garlic fragrance. Even better is a press that rids you of the need to peel your cloves first (this one can crush unpeeled!) and has a steel bit that swings out for easier cleaning. 

Shop easy-clean garlic press at Kuhn Rikon, £19.95

“A lemon press is essential,” says writer Rebecca Reid. “It takes two seconds to wash up and means no pips in your food.” Miranda Larbi, Stylist’s health and wellbeing editor, agrees: “My life quality improved at least 20% when I got a lemon squeezer.” Sold. 

Shop lemon squeezer at M&S, £7.50

“Anyone who enjoys a chicken taco will understand the tedious pain of shredding a chicken breast with two forks,” says Stylist writer Georgia Green. “These ‘meat claws’ might look scary but compared to using forks, they make pulling meat a doddle. They cut the time spent on pulling meat in half (at least), as you can be less precise. The chunky teeth also tear meat apart into perfect bitesize pieces, whereas forks often get stuck in the meat or shred it into oblivion. They’re a less than ideal shape item to store away, but even in our utensil drawer where space is at a premium I would never get rid of these, as I use them most weeks.” 

Shop Bar-B-King BBQ Meat Claws (pack of 2) at Tesco, £5.79

For many years I relied on cheap stick food processors, replacing them each time I tried to blend something too rough and got scared by the smoke coming from the device. This year I finally invested in a proper food processor by Ninja and am so, so glad I did. I use it not only for blending but also any chopping and slicing I can’t be bothered to do by hand. It’s pricey and takes up a decent amount of counter space, but for me it’s entirely worth it. I use it at least once a day, most often for chopping onions. 

Shop Ninja Foodi ​3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-iQ BN800UK at Lakeland, £199.99

“Silicone ice cube trays are a must,” says Stylist’s acting social media lead Abbi Henderson. “It’s so much easier to actually get ice out and if I were organised enough I’d put soup portions in the larger ones to freeze (but I am not right now).”

Shop Uberstar giant silicone ice cube tray at John Lewis, £12

“My colleague [Stylist fashion director] Lucy Reber and I were on a shoot together and she was singing the praises of her Aeropress so vividly, and how it made every morning a little bit more joyful, so as soon as I got home I ordered one,” says Bownass. “I’m not a coffee snob – Pret filter till I die! – but quite simply it makes coffee that tastes so rich and delicious. You don’t have to faff around for hours with a cafetiere, because who can be arsed with that? You stir it for 30 seconds and it’s ready. It’s also very easy to clean and you don’t get coffee grounds clogging up your drain, which isn’t sexy, but it is appealing. Now every time I use my Aeropress I message Lucy to tell her how grateful I am.”

Shop AeroPress Original Coffee Maker, £39.99

In the market for some mixing bowls? Get a set like this, advises Bullock. “I love them because they all stack inside each other (so are very easy to store and only take up the space of the largest bowl), they’re really lightweight (much easier to handle than a big ceramic bowl) and won’t break when I, inevitably, drop one. I use them for pretty much everything, from baking to making big salads, and have at least one involved in my meals most days. They also make me feel chef-y, which shouldn’t matter but absolutely does. Who doesn’t want to pretend they’re doing a MasterChef invention test on a random Wednesday night? The only thing you can’t do is microwave them, obviously. But if that’s not a bother for you, I say ditch every clunky ceramic or glass mixing bowl and get a set of these.”

Shop Garuet premium 5-piece stainless steel mixing bowl set at Amazon, £14.99

I thought that any old scissors were fine and never even considered that a particular brand might be superior. Researching this article has involved many people telling me how wrong I am. Apparently to be a proper grownup, Fiskars scissors are the only option. “Fiskars scissors will change your life,” Reid tells me, recommending them for chopping up everything from pizza to tricky packages. 

Shop Fiskars classic universal scissors at John Lewis, £21

“This velvetiser is probably the best thing in my kitchen,” says friend of Stylist Claire. “Who needs an oven? Who cares about a toaster? Cutlery? Ditch it. This luxury hot chocolate-making machine is the one thing everybody should own. Yes, it’s pricey, but it honestly makes the greatest, frothiest, silkiest, smoothest, hottest hot chocolate you could want. It looks nice on the kitchen worktop. And I’ve had mine for four years now and it’s showing no signs of slowing down or sounding clunky. It’s from Hotel Chocolat, and if you don’t want to buy and use their own-brand sachets you can use any hot chocolate powder. Trust me, lives will be changed.”

Shop The Velvetiser at Hotel Chocolat, £99.95

“When I first brought my Nutribullet 900 home, my girlfriend said it was a waste of money that would be gathering dust within a few months,” says Stylist’s senior full stack developer Rob Foxx. “However, that was over 10 years ago and I still use it several times a week to make my protein shakes or a ‘proper’ banana milkshake for my son. In the summer, I’ll make iced coffees and give them a quick whizz in the Nutribullet to break up the ice, too. I like that it has a small footprint and just sits on the counter ready to use so I don’t have to drag it out of a cupboard. I also love that I can drink straight out of the container it’s made in and only have to clean the blade attachment immediately after use.

“For gadgets in general, I assess their value by asking myself whether I’d buy another one if it broke and I think the Nutribullet meets that criteria easily – if it died I’d be hastily off to Argos to get another one.”

Shop Nutribullet 900 at Argos, £90

If you’re after a non-stick pan that’s genuinely non-stick, go for a Scoville, which came highly recommended by multiple people I quizzed. “We swear by it,” said Lindsay. “You can pry it from my cold, dead hands.” An intense energy about a frying pan, but hey, I hate trying to scrub and scrape food gunk off a pan, too. 

Shop Xtra Neverstick 30cm frying pan at Scoville, £22

Lots of people sang the praises of an air fryer. Lots of other people said air fryers are overhyped. Here’s my view: if you have an oven and also aren’t scared of spitting oil when you fry stuff in a pan, you don’t need an air fryer. However, if, like me, you moved into a house with an oven that doesn’t work, a multifunctional air fryer is a worthwhile investment. It does take up a lot of space, however. It’s also expensive. Think carefully about how often you’d really use it and if you have the countertop area to accomodate one before buying. 

Shop Ninja Foodi MAX 9-in-1 Multi-Cooker 7.5L OP500UK, £249.99

Has there ever been a kitchen device as contentious as a mandoline? I received tens of messages alternately exalting and demolishing the very concept of a sharp blade for chopping things very finely. 

“I thought a mandoline would be a total game-changer for my questionable chopping skills,” says Chortane. “I had this naff idea I’d be prepping picture-perfect crudités but instead I ended up just wearing plasters after the blade cut my fingers more than my veg. I have quickly realised that a slightly wonky carrot stick is fine, actually and perfection isn’t everything.”

“Not worth it: a mandoline,” agrees Stylist’s membership manager Heidi Wilkins. “I got sucked in by those videos you see of people happily chopping their veg and whipping up a salad within minutes on their lunch break. The reality is it sits in a drawer most of the time, I am so scared of slicing my fingers when I do use it and honestly I think using a knife is just as quick. Plus there’s the anxiety when washing it that I’m going to slice my fingers on it then. My heart is racing just thinking about it.”

But then there were the diehard mandoline fans. The Stylist Group’s general manager Alun Williams says that if you hate your mandoline, you simply bought the wrong one. “[A mandoline is] invaluable for speedy boulanger potatoes, homemade coleslaw and celeriac remoulade,” he told me. “God this is making me sound middle class. Also there is something immensely satisfying about the sweeping motion you make, which results in slices of potatoes that are identically thick every time.” 

Is it worth buying? Perhaps, if you genuinely need identically sliced vegetables on a regular basis. If not, ditch. 

Shop OXO Good Grips chef’s mandoline at John Lewis, £75

Another thing I saw on TikTok and immediately dismissed as unnecessary. I assumed everyone would agree with this view. I was wrong. Stylist editor Alix Walker says this has been life-saving – since she broke her shoulder, she’s been prepping food one-handed and found that bagels were near impossible to slice. Enter the bagel guillotine. She says she’ll never go back. Two friends echoed the bagel slicer’s necessity. “It’s the only way to get an evenly sliced bagel,” teacher Chloe shares. “It saves you so much energy and you don’t get crumbs everywhere.”

Worth it? Only if you eat a lot of bagels and struggle with the slicing. Walker is a mum of four children who all really love bagels, so this tool makes sense for her. Chloe has a daily bagel. If you’re an occasional bagel eater, you don’t need this. 

Shop bagel slicer at Amazon, £8.99

I bought one of these when I was in salad mode. I used it a couple of times and then never again. That’s not because it’s ineffective – you do indeed get a lovely dice on your veg – but it’s so annoying to clean it’s simply not worth the time saved. Even the satisfaction of slamming it down didn’t make up for that. Plus, some veg just seems to slide around and get stuck rather than neatly going through the grid. A food processor like the Ninja one we mentioned above is a better option for easy chopping.

“I was influenced from TikTok to buy one of those 15-in-1 vegetable cutters with different components to cut your veg into various sizes by just slamming the top down,” says Sarah Best, product manager at Stylist. “I really thought it was going to change my life, but I used it once and never again. It was fine to use, but the clean-up often made me feel like it was taking more time than just chopping with a knife. I still have it, I still consider trying to use it again but in reality I get annoyed every time I look at it.”

Shop vegetable chopper at Amazon, £22.99

“I bought a salad spinner in my short-lived vegan phase, convinced it would be the secret to restaurant-level crisp lettuce,” explains Chortane. “In reality, all it did was vacuum-pack my leaves instead of actually drying them. They were still soggy, just weirdly compressed. It’s been gathering dust in the corner of my kitchen ever since, much like my former commitment to kale and butter bean stews.”

Many people fed back the exact same, along with regrets about buying a tool that only does one thing but takes up a lot of space in your drawer. How often are you making salads that need perfectly dry lettuce, anyway? Aren’t you just smothering it in dressing?

Shop Uppfylld salad spinner at Ikea, £4

If you have a disability that makes chopping an apple with a knife tricky, and you also eat a lot of sliced apples, this might be worth it. But for the majority of people, it’s not a must-have. I’m wary of any tool that only does one specific thing, and the apple corer is a great example of that. Again, you’re better off with a chopper that can chop multiple things. Or if you’ve got strong teeth (sadly I am not blessed), just bite right in. 

Shop apple corer at Pro Cook, £9

Remember when everyone was gripped by the courgetti craze? What a moment. Now we have wisely returned to proper pasta. “No one needs a spiraliser,” says Williams. A correct opinion. 

Shop Lurch spiralizer at UK Juicers, £39.95