The 15 Kitchen Unitaskers Worth Buying, According to Our Editors

In a brave new world of multitasking kitchen appliances (slow cookers that can pressure cook! pressure cookers that can bake brownies!), single-purpose tools don’t get a lot of love. But let’s take a moment of appreciation for the citrus juicers and popcorn makers: Without them, we’d… well, we’d have sore wrists and would be stuck snacking on potato chips. 

Whether it’s a tiny tool or space-hogging appliance, our entire staff agrees: Some kitchen unitaskers are worth the required real estate. We’ll admit that not every item on this list is necessary, but they all make cooking easier and more pleasurable. And we’d definitely repurchase them in a heartbeat if they broke. 

A Vegetable Peeler

Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler

$10 $5 at Amazon

Yes, a vegetable peeler does just one thing. But it's politely petite, and it doesn’t cost much. The winning peeler in our review has a carbon steel blade, which greatly extends its lifespan—smart! — Rochelle Bilow, editor

A Citrus Juicer

Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer

$25 $21 at Amazon $29 at Walmart View on Webstaurant Store

I am a citrus fiend. I add lemon juice to vinaigrettes, soups, pasta dishes, risottos, meat marinades, cakes, cookies, you name it! My citrus juicer is a unitasker I use just about every day, and I love it. — Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

I can't quite explain why, but juicing lemons is easily in my top five least favorite cooking tasks. Doing it with just your hands is messy, but getting out and using a juicer feels like too much work for me (call me lazy!). As someone who makes salads and dressing regularly, this citrus juicer has been a game changer. Just press and go! It's also much easier to clean than a juicer. I can happily say that I no longer dread when a recipe calls for juicing a lemon! — Yasmine Maggio, former associate editor

An Air Fryer

Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart ClearCook Air Fryer

$100 $90 at Amazon $90 at Target $140 at Home Depot

Does an air fryer count as a unitasker? If so, it's a really big unitasker and one that I use almost every day. I use it to reheat pizza and roast vegetables, and have even rendered chicken fat with it. (I put chicken skin and fat on the grate, and the fat melts and drips below. No, I do not have a guide on how to do this just yet.) — Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

A Coffee Grinder

OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

$100 $72 at Amazon $100 at Williams Sonoma $75 at Target

Coffee grinders may only grind coffee, but I literally can't imagine my morning (or life) without one. One of our top picks, from OXO, has easily adjustable settings (just twist the top) and one start/stop button. I use my burr grinder for auto-drip, French press, pour-over, and cold brew. That said, for espresso you'll need another unitasker: an espresso grinder. — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

A Shaved Ice Maker

KitchenAid Shave Ice Attachment

$100 $80 at Amazon $100 $80 at Sur La Table $100 $80 at Sur La Table

It's always a good time for shaved ice, in my humble opinion. I gifted my partner this KitchenAid shave ice attachment last Christmas and I think I benefit from it more than he does. Whether we're in the heat of summer or the depths of winter, this attachment cranks out fluffy shaved ice that we top with condensed milk, fruit juices, and a myriad of other fun flavorings. It's one of our favorite shaved ice makers. — An Uong, writer

An Ice Cream Scoop

Zeroll Original Ice Cream Scoop

$25 at Amazon $25 at Williams Sonoma View on Webstaurant Store

Some ice cream scoops are not unitaskers, since they can be used for portioning cookie dough and stuff like that, but the good ol' Zeroll Original really is an ice cream scoop and nothing else. (I mean, if you want to go dig in your garden with it, feel free, but that's on you.) And it is the best ice cream scoop, period. The Zeroll pulls balls of ice cream better than any other scoop I've used, digging into the pint—even a too-frozen one—with relative ease. It's a classic for a reason. — Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

A Pasta Extruder

Philips Viva Collection Pasta and Noodle Maker

$180 at Amazon $180 at Williams Sonoma $180 at Sur La Table

What can a pasta extruder do but, uh, extrude pasta? I'll admit that I never thought I'd own one, but after seeing our writer Ashia Aubourg's photos of perfectly smooth fresh noodles, I became a fan. The Philips Viva Collection extruder comes with three dies for spaghetti, fettuccine, and penne—and it doesn't cost a zillion dollars. — Rochelle

A Variable Gooseneck Kettle

Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle

$165 at Amazon $165 at Williams Sonoma $165 at Sur La Table

In the winter, I drink tons of tea, but that really isn’t the reason why I love my gooseneck kettle. The ability to boil water in under two minutes is like magic. Is it technically a unitasker because you can use boiled water for so many things? I’m unsure. But it helps me make pasta, potatoes, and a whole lot of other recipes so much faster. It’s even useful for cleaning! — Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

Or a Regular Electric Kettle

OXO Brew Adjustable Temperature Kettle

$105 at Amazon $105 at Kohls.com $105 at Crate & Barrel

Electric kettles boil water faster than stovetop models and can make enough hot water for a dinner party's worth of tea drinkers at once. I use mine every day—there's no good substitute for it. — Riddley

A Bread Machine

Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Bread Maker

$400 at Amazon View on Zojirushi.com

While you can technically make yogurt in a bread machine, most people use it to, well, make bread. I'd call it a unitasker! And a great one at that. If you're like me and kill every sourdough starter you've ever had, sometimes you just want a warm loaf of bread. No hydration level calculation, no hand-milled spelt flour, no fuss. Just follow the recipe, throw the ingredients into the machine, and you're on your way to a fantastic loaf without further ado. — Grace Kelly, editor

A Milk Frother

Instant MagicFroth Milk Frother

$60 $54 at Amazon $54 at Target $60 at Farmandfleet.com

A milk frother might only heat and froth milk (and hot chocolate!), but what a job it does. I love pouring milk in, pressing a button, and knowing that it's going to come out at a perfectly hot, drinkable temperature without me needing to do anything. — Riddley

A Wine Rack

J.K. Adams Wooden Ash Modular Wine Rack, 12-Bottle

$64 at Amazon $52 at Food52 $39 at The Container Store

After testing nonalcoholic wines, I've finally broken down and bought a wine rack. (This one, which won our review, is customizable, and doesn't require tools for assembly.) Sure, the only thing it will ever do is hold wine—but there are no longer two dozen bottles in my cookware cabinet, so I'm at peace with the purchase. — Rochelle

A Cocktail Shaker

Piña Barware Stainless Steel Commercial Bar Boston Shaker Tin Set

$25 at Amazon

This Boston shaker gets more use than I want to admit. Whether I'm grabbing it for a cocktail I'm shooting for work (like our new White Russian) or just a casual brunch martini before a Saturday matinee, it gets plenty of use and I'm happy to give up some of my limited cabinet space for it. — Amanda Suarez, associate director, visuals

A Popcorn Maker

Whirley Pop Popper Kit

$42 $39 at Amazon $37 at Sur La Table $35 at Home Depot

Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks, even when it's just okay popcorn—but why settle for okay when I can have great? I hemmed and hawed about getting a Whirley Pop popcorn maker since I have a small NYC kitchen, but it really does make the best popcorn I have ever had. It keeps the kernels moving constantly and releases steam, so you get fluffy popcorn that's not soggy or burnt. — Megan Steintrager, associate editorial director

A Can Opener

OXO Good Grip Soft Handle Manual Can Opener

$17 $14 at Amazon $24 $23 at Walmart $17 at Sur La Table

You try to open a can of tuna without a can opener. — Rochelle

FAQs

Are there any worthwhile kitchen gadgets?

First things first! Not all single-purpose kitchen tools are gimmicks. As you’ll see from our list above, we use and love plenty of cooking unitaskers. But we’ve also got to admit, some kitchen gadgets are pretty cool—for example, garlic presses and sous vide machines.

What’s the best multiuse kitchen appliance?

It’s in the name: Multi-cookers take the cake. These appliances can pressure cook, slow cook, roast, bake, sauté, make yogurt—you name it. The most popular multi-cooker is made by Instant Pot, which we’ve reviewed here.

Why We’re the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats. Previously, she worked at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines. 
• For this story, our team of culinary professionals and editors brainstormed our favorite, most-used unitaskers.
• At Serious Eats, we rigorously review kitchen gear. We regularly revisit reviews and re-test products to make sure our recommendations are current.