Whether you’re a kitchen pro, or working to develop basic culinary skills, these cooking tools offer enhanced abilities to saute, stir, chop, brew and bake. We’ve even found a device that takes care of the food scraps.
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Professional grade
Countertop appliances are always a great cooking choice because they use less electricity and generate less unwanted heat in the kitchen than their full-sized cousins. With the Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven Elite, you get all the capabilities of a professional oven (including convection heat) so you can bake, broil, roast, toast and warm your way to great meals any time you like. $680. (877) 812-6235; williams-sonoma.com.
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Smooth sailing
The classic blender has been reimagined with millo, a compact, rechargeable smoothie maker with a touch-sensitive base and sensors that stop the device when your blended beverage reaches the perfect consistency. It combines the latest in technology with a classic minimalist design and runs whisper quiet, thanks to a patented brushless magnetic drive. $431. getmillo.com.
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Alexa brewed
What good is it having a virtual assistant at your beck and call if it can’t make you a decent cup of coffee? Problem solved with Hamilton Smart 12-Cup Coffee Maker. It’s a programmable drip-brew java machine with the added advantage of working in sync with Amazon’s Alexa. $90. (800) 851-8900; hamiltonbeach.com.
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Multi-tasker
People love their Instant Pot. Why not? It combines an electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker and yogurt maker in one handy unit. The Instant Pot Duo Nova is the latest generation, with upgrades that include a cooking status indicator, easy steam-release button and an easy-seal lid. $80. (800) 828-7280; instantpot.com.
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Big mouth
Food processors give you lots of options to make fresh and creative cuisine. The 14-Cup Hamilton Beach Professional Food Processor takes it up a notch with a variety of stack and snap accessories and cutting blade options. It can handle just about anything—from slender carrots to whole fruits—thanks to the 3-in-1 Big Mouth feed tube. Let’s start chopping! $150. (800) 851-8900; hamiltonbeach.com.
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Fry guy
Oil is out. Air is in. We're talking about air frying, of course. The Cosori Smart 5.8-Quart Air Fryer does all the thinking for you with 11 different one-touch options for cooking everything from steak and fries to vegetables and even dessert. It’s also app-enabled so you can start, stop or adjust cooking time and temperature from your mobile device. $120. (888) 402-1684; cosori.com.
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Useful scraps
This countertop recycler makes it easy to take care of yourself and the planet. Toss fruit cores, vegetable peels and other scraps (including chicken bones) into the Vitamix FoodCycler FC-30, close the lid and push the button. It heats, aerates and pulverizes food scraps, turning them into dry compost in a matter of hours—all without odor, thanks to carbon filters. $300. (440) 235-4840; vitamix.com.
Tech journalist David Novak is editor of GadgetGram.com. Prices and availability are subject to change. Inclusion in this column is not an endorsement by South Carolina Living or any S.C. electric cooperative.