There are days when cooking can be done leisurely, spending hours chopping, stirring and simmering. But most days are not like that and more often than not, most of the meals you make you just want to get on the table ASAP. For everyday cooking, it helps to have some time-saving tools on hand that can make the prep work a lot less tedious.
If you want to save time in the kitchen, the tools rounded up here are a must. They will literally save you hours of cooking time each week. That way, you can get to the most fun part of mealtime sooner: eating!
This vegetable chopper
The downside to making a healthy, veggie-filled meal? All the chopping that’s required. Having a vegetable chopper on hand will save you tons of time. This one has seven interchangeable blades and not only does it chop, it spiralizes, slices and peels too. Bonus: It’s dishwasher safe.
Promising review: “I have bought four vegetable choppers to find the best one I have ever purchased! Not only does it outperform the other four I feel I wasted my money on, but it also states it’s VERY sharp. That is no joke! I have three cuts on my fingers just from the initial washing I did as recommended by the care booklet. I highly recommend this chopper as no other chopper compares to the ease of use nor its easy clean-up. A kitchen must have in every kitchen.” — Jeanne
This air fryer
If you don’t have an air fryer yet, now is the time to bite the bullet — especially if you want to eat healthier. This one by Ninja is a best-seller at Target, beloved because of its sleek design, how easy it is to use and that it’s dishwasher-safe.
Promising review: “I’ve had this air fryer for about six to seven years. Never had an issue with it. It works great. I’m thinking of replacing it only because I want something a little bigger. I’m hesitant to do so because it’s been such a great appliance!!! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an air fryer.” — MalM
A meal kit delivery service subscription
If you hate grocery shopping and meal prep, having a subscription to HelloFresh will make a world of difference for you. Most of the recipes that are part of the rotating menu take less than 30 minutes to make. Pressed for time? Stash your freezer with their ready-made meals.
This multitasking Instant Pot
Using an Instant Pot instead of a slow cooker can cut cooking time down by hours. This one doesn’t just pressure cook; you can also use it as a rice cooker, yogurt maker, sauté pan and steamer.
Promising review: “I didn't know what an InstaPot even was until my brother told me. I used to spend half the day slow cooking chicken for meal prep. Now it’s 30 minutes tops! And I’ve started to cook rice and pasta in this bad boy too. It's honestly worth the money.” — Cruz
This rice cooker
If you make a lot of rice-based meals, having a rice cooker will be a game-changer for you — especially if you cook for a lot of people. Besides rice, you can also use it to make oatmeal, steam vegetables and boil eggs.
Promising review: “The Aroma 6-Cup Max Rice Cooker is incredibly easy to use — just add rice and water, press a button and let it cook. The rice comes out fluffy and delicious, with no guesswork involved. The automatic keep-warm function ensures it stays ready to eat without overcooking. Cleanup is effortless thanks to the nonstick inner pot. With a 6-cup cooked capacity, it’s great for small families or meal prep and it can also handle quinoa, oatmeal and steaming. For a simple, reliable and affordable rice cooker that delivers great results, this is a solid choice.” — Mike
This food processor
Grinding, shredding and pureeing are infinitely easier with a food processor. You can use it to make sauces, salad dressings, dips and even dough. This Black+Decker one is a best-seller at Walmart, with over 2,000 customer ratings, the vast majority of which are a perfect five-star rating.
Promising review: “Great for the price. Gets the job done with grating, chopping, grinding and shredding. (Vegetables, Spices, even Smoothies) PULSE would be the recommended [setting] for chopping so you don't overchop the food. And always CLEAN after use. As long as you take care of the machine, you won’t have issues.” — Dorian
This all-in-one measuring cup
With this all-in-one measuring cup on hand, you’ll only have to wash one measuring cup instead of a whole bunch when you’re done cooking, cutting down on clean-up time. It can be used for both solid and liquid ingredients.
Promising review: “One of my baker friends uses this in cooking videos and I loved it, ordered it and think it’s awesome, easy to use with sticky ingredients, fits easily in my cabinet, easy to clean, lightweight, used a lot during holiday baking.” — Melissa Frost
This time-saving garlic press
A garlic press minces garlic in mere seconds, making it a must if you cook with the herb a lot. You’ll notice your meals will be more flavorful with fresh, minced garlic versus when you just grab the herb from the spice rack.
Promising review: “This garlic press is sturdy and easy to use. It can handle large cloves without breaking. No need to peel garlic beforehand, just press and remove skin easily. Better than other garlic shredding devices market.” — -
This microwave vegetable steamer
This microwave vegetable steamer will have your veggies tender and ready to eat in less than five minutes — way faster than cooking them on the stove. The non-stick material makes it easy to clean too.
Promising review: “I steamed fresh cauliflower and carrots for four minutes. It worked! Then I steamed zucchini, yellow squash and carrots for 3.5 minutes. It worked! Hand-washed the steamer. Piece of cake. Fresh vegetables: tasty, fast and easy.” — flwindsurf
This bread slicer
Nothing beats fresh bread for sandwiches, toast or to enjoy on its own, but typically it’s not pre-sliced. Instead of wrestling with a bread knife, using a bread slicer gets the job done instantly. With this one, you can choose how thick you want your slices to be.
Promising review: “I was impressed by how quickly this adjustable bread slicer became a kitchen favorite. The multiple slice thickness options and consistent slicing guide deliver even, precise cuts. Plus, its foldable design is great for storage, and the durable construction ensures a long-lasting tool.” — Juan38
This quick herb stripper
Cooking with fresh herbs adds amazing flavor to meals, but stripping them from their stems can be tedious. This herb stripper not only works for herbs like thyme, parsley and oregano, but it can handle bigger, leafy greens, like kale and Swiss chard, too.
Promising review: “I love this. I had very large kale leaves to cut and a lot of them.. this made it so quick and easy! I can’t wait to use it on some of the other foods we eat regularly. A must have!” — Doreen
These silicone baking mats
Never waste time scrubbing metal baking trays again. With these silicone baking mats, cleanup is a breeze. You can also use them for food prep, chopping veggies or rolling out dough right on the mat. More than 94,000 Amazon shoppers have bought and rated them, giving them a collective rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Promising review: “I love to use these when I’m baking. They make cleaning up the kitchen a breeze afterward. These are super easy to clean and dry quickly. They don’t leave a taste or impact the baking in any way. Perfect addition to the kitchen! I’ve used them several times now and they still look and work like new. Great buy!” — Mel Torres