Top 15 must-have kitchen gadgets

Kitchen gadgets are notoriously in the way but can save you time and effort when preparing your food. If you have a large family, every cooking pan and dish in your house will be used when cooking a large meal. With my sisters and brother all married with children, it is not unusual to have 20 or more people to a family event. These are the gadgets that helps us:

A Magic Chef Knife Sharpener is easy to use and helps you keep your knives sharp and slicing meats and vegetables with ease. No kitchen should be without this gadget. Just insert and let this kitchen gadget do its work, sharpening your knives with ease. No technology to learn.

A Black and Decker Vegetable Steamer is a fantastic addition to your kitchen and allows you to keep your stovetop free to cook other items like gravy and mashed potatoes while preparing enough vegetables for a large family. The guide provided ensures vegetables are cooked exactly right.

 If you don't have an icemaker in your refridgerator, you're missing out on one of the pleasures of life, drinks made cold with ice.

 I thought a breadmaker would be useless until I bought an Oster Breadmaker. Now I make bread all the time. The recipes are all easy to use and cookbooks provide recipes suitable for breadmaker use. I still cook my bread in the oven so I can enjoy the smell, but leaving the stirring and controlling of the first rise is easily delegated to an Oster Breadmaker.

 A only use a mixer every now and then, but trying to make cookies, cakes or other desserts without a mixer can be a real chore. A Sunbeam mixer is light and easy to use, stores quickly and has the power to do the job.

 We use our toaster probably more than any other gadget in our kitchen. It cooks toast, english muffins, waffles, and breakfast tarts perfectly.

 If you've never used a Fry Pan, they are a handy tool that allows you to cook larger meals like veal picatta or swiss steak without having to cook the meal in batches. They are easy to clean up and hold a greater quantity of food than a frying pan for your stove.

 Tongs are one of the most used items in our house. Tongs allow you to pick up hot or messy items without burning your fingers. They are cheap but very handy.

A slow coooker crock pot is perfect for winter meals and to put food on to cook and go do something else. I love to use one to make pot roast especially.

I use a Sunbeam Blender for two purposes, one to whip up instant breakfasts and the other to stir up frozen drinks like margarita's.

 A pastry blender is an essential gadget used in making pastry or biscuits. Without one, no pie crust you ever make will turn out as well. A pastry blender is a hand sized tool with four blades that help cut in butter or lard into flour. Many people forget they need them

 We use fresh lemon juice whenever possible. A juicer allows you to turn half an orange or lemon into juice by pressing it into a raised area. A lip catches the juices. We can't cook some of our favorite recipes without one.

 Until I bought a knive set with a cleaver, I never knew I needed one. Now that I've used one, no kitchen I have will be without one. A cleaver helps you finely dice garlic and jalapeno and other vegetables or herbs with little damage to your fingertips. A cleaver will also slice meats easily too because you can bear down on the back side.

Is this silly sounding? I never had one until I got married and my husband couldn't live without one. It makes boiled or poached eggs perfectly based on how much water you add. And they are fairly easy to clean.

 A cookie press allows you to make decorative cookies. Most sets also have a tube for decorative frosting. The set will save your life at Christmas or Birthdays when you want to bake something special.

I don't have much use for a microwave but they do come in handy for popping corn, melting chocolate, heating water and to steam vegetables. I prefer the steamer listed above because the vegetables are more tender but in a pinch, a microwave will work. They are also invaluable for quick reheating leftovers.

This list is a great way to think about buying gifts for that newlywed couple. If they forgot to list one of these items, consider buying it for them. Enjoy cooking with your well-supplied kitchen.