Looking for something really unusual that will make your kitchen stand out? Do you want to wow your friends with the latest gadgets or just make life easier for yourself? There’s some fantastically innovative stuff out there for the kitchen, and much of it at very affordable prices, so why not give it a try? You might end up wondering how you ever managed without it.

Preparing food

These useful gadgets are designed to make chopping, shaping, and mixing food easier:

• A mandoline – slice vegetables with ease and without the need for a knife. Today’s mandolines are available in adjustable form, so you can decide exactly how thick you want each piece to be, create wedge-shaped pieces, or even slice along a curve.

• A spiralizer – shape fruits and vegetables in wonderful three-dimensional ways as you cut them. Thin spirals mean extra flavor, and they’re a great way to decorate the dishes that you create. You can even get children to eat their greens this way.

• A corn zipper – simply squeeze one of these around a cob and slide it down to neatly remove all the corn. It’s quick, easy, and much safer than using knives. Even people without much strength can use their weight to make it work.

• Squeezable mixing bowls – made from an innovative form of plastic, these bowls look like any other, but when you’re ready to pour what you’ve been mixing out of them, you can squeeze them into the perfect shape. It’s a much less messy way to work.

Cooking food

These handy little gadgets simplify the cooking stage:

• Egg separators – made from plastic with handles that stay cool to the touch yet are capable of withstanding the intense heat of a skillet, these handy devices keep eggs from running into one another as you fry them.

• Standing ladles – these simple heatproof plastic ladles stand upright in a pan when you’re not actively stirring so that the handles won’t get charred. They’re available in some very cute designs, including dinosaurs and the Loch Ness Monster.

• A copper chef pan – the professional’s choice, copper is good at not sticking to food, and the surface won’t flake as non-stick preparations eventually do. You can get it very hot, and it’s easy to keep at an even heat for cooking things such as sauces.

• An infrared thermometer – when you want to check the temperature of what you’re cooking with no mess, these are ideal. Simply point them at the food and they’ll take its temperature for you – no direct contact is necessary.

• A pancake pen – cooking pancakes should be fun. If you can’t impress your kids with a perfect flip, there are other ways to wow them – use one of these squeezy containers to create letters, numbers, or even complex pictures made out of pancake.

Presenting food

Eating food should be as satisfying as creating it, and these gadgets can help:

• Bento boxes – these Japanese-style boxes allow you to keep each item sealed in its own separate compartment. They’re not just good for sushi and dumplings but also work well for packed lunches of all kinds – for people of all ages.

• A two-part cereal bowl – keep the milk and the cereal separate with one of these innovative bowls, and say goodbye to days that start with soggy cereal. It’s one of those little changes that makes life a lot better.

• A spaghetti-twirling fork – if you’ve never been any good at twirling spaghetti, or if you’re getting older and finding it hard work, why not get one of these battery-powered forks to do it for you? They’re really easy to use.

• A condiment gun – kids will love this entertaining way of firing on the ketchup, mayo, or mustard. They could get messy, however, so while it’s fun in the kitchen, it’s one gadget that might be better saved for outdoor barbecues.

Multi-taskers and all-in-ones

These gadgets can come to your aid when you just want something to do the hard work for you:

• A s’mores maker – all you need is graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows – no bonfire required. Simply fit them into place and this amazing little machine will do the toasting for you so that they taste just the way they should.

• A breakfast maker – make toast, grill bacon, and sausages, and fry eggs all in one gadget. Everything will be timed for you, so you just need to push a button and you can sit back and wait for breakfast.

• A Thermomix – only just on the market, this amazing device can cook all sorts of meals for you. All you need to do is select your choice and then add the raw ingredients as instructed. Making dinner couldn’t be easier.

With so many great gadgets to choose from, it’s time to get cooking!