And they’re all under $25.
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Cooking is hard work — and that's why kitchen gadgets that promise to make life easier can come in handy.
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But it can be difficult to figure out whether these ~miracle tools~ are actually worth it. So we decided to put five of the most popular ones to the test.
Kayla, a self-proclaimed ~rookie cook~ would be in charge of testing the gadgets. Jesse, a culinary school grad, would stick to old fashioned (or gadget-free) way — using kitchen essentials — like a basic knife or pot of water. Both would do the same cooking tasks at the same time, for the most accurate comparison.
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Here was our gadget lineup:
1. Microwave Pasta Boat ($14.99 on Amazon): This is supposed to portion and cook perfect pasta in the microwave in about 20 minutes — and is ideal if you don't have access to a stove (or if you're just ~feelin' lazy~).
2. OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer ( $9.89 on Amazon): This thing has a knife edge to cut, a circle that lets you twist out the pit, and slicer to lift out the avocado in neat, even pieces.
3. Jenaluca Stainless Steel Herb Scissors ($14.97 on Amazon): These scissors have 5 blades on each side, and they're supposed to be way faster than a knife when it comes to quickly chopping herbs.
4. Dash Rapid Egg Cooker ($21.92 on Amazon): This says it can make 6 hard-, medium-, or soft-boiled eggs — with just the touch of a button. ~Set it and forget it~, you guys.
5. OXO Good Grips Corn Stripper ($13.95 on Amazon): The bottom of this gadget is a stainless steel blade that you run down a corn cob. It can apparently slice kernels right off and collect them in the attached compartment.
Amazon
And here's how everything stacked up!
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THE CHALLENGE: Cook two servings of pasta as fast as possible.
The competitors: The microwave pasta boat vs. a pot of boiling water.
Amazon / Getty Images
TBH, we were ~skeptical~ of the boat at first...
You put uncooked pasta in the boat, cover it with water (the boat is labeled to show you exactly how much to use), and microwave for 20 minutes. Drain the pasta through the lid and serve it right out of the boat.
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But it won!
The results: We weren't expecting to love this thing as much as we did — but it was legit genius. For starters, you don't have to wait for water to boil (which we ALL know is the worst part of making pasta), and you don't have to use nearly as much. Sure, 20 minutes in the microwave sounds like a long time, but when you compare that to the 20 minutes it takes to even boil pasta water, it really does save you time. (Surprisingly, it also cooked the pasta perfectly.)
Bottom line: The microwave pasta boat actually made perfect pasta in 20 minutes. Don't @ us, Italians. 🍝
Get the microwave pasta boat from Amazon for $14.99
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THE CHALLENGE: Halve, pit, and slice three avocados as fast as possible.
The competitors: The 3-in-1 avocado slicer vs. a chef's knife.
Amazon / Getty Images
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THE CHALLENGE: Chop one bunch of parsley and one bunch of green onions as fast as possible.
The competitors: The herb scissors vs. a chef's knife.
Amazon / Getty Images
So, how do these scissors work?
The five blades of the scissors are used to chop through fresh herbs in just a few snips. The product claims that "two snips with the sharp, finely balanced five blades equals 10 knife chops."
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THE CHALLENGE: Cook and peel six hard-boiled eggs as fast as possible.
The competitors: The Dash Rapid Egg Cooker vs. a pot of boiling water.
Amazon / Getty Images
So, how do you use the little egg robot?
To make hard-boiled eggs, poke a hole in each egg using the included tool, pour water into the base, and plug it in to start the cooking process. After about 12 minutes, the device will turn off and the eggs ~should be~ perfectly cooked.
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And the egg cooker totally delivered.
The results: The Rapid Egg Cooker really did make perfectly cooked eggs. Sure, the timer on this baby was horrifying (it was pretty much louder than a fire alarm 👀), but the eggs came out perfect and were easy to peel. Compared to your standard boil-and-peel method, this gizmo really did save time.
Bottom line: If you cook eggs often enough, the Rapid Egg Cooker is totally worth the investment. 🥚
Get the egg cooker from Amazon for $21.92.
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THE CHALLENGE: Strip three ears of corn as fast as possible.
The competitors: The corn stripper vs. a chef's knife.
Amazon / Getty Images
So what's this corn stripper all about?
You just glide the tool against each ear of corn to strip the kernels off. A rounded blade contours the corn and collects the kernels in a small container so they don't fly everywhere.
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The knife came out on top, though.
The results: The tiny blade on the corn stripper could only strip a few kernels at a time, and the ones it did strip — which weren't many — were pretty beat up. It does have pretty decent reviews on Amazon though, so it miiight have been user error? Not sure. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Bottom line: Knives save lives. 🌽
Get the corn stripper from Amazon for $13.95.
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