A good craftsman never blames his tools, but have you ever wrestled dinner out of a blunt knife, an electric hob that barely registers warm and a scuffed Teflon pan? While the living room might be the heart of the home, it's the kitchen where life really unfolds.
But what exactly elevates a kitchen from merely functional to dream-worthy? We've spoken to the experts and curated the very best gadgets and kitchenware designed to take your cooking set-up from adequate to enviable.
The best kitchen appliances of 2025
Cordless hand blender
KitchenAid
KitchenAid's Cordless Hand Blender
For anyone who’s ever tangled themselves in a cable mid-gazpacho, KitchenAid’s cordless hand blender is a total game-changer. Freed from the
tyranny of cords, this sleek stick whizzes up soups, shakes and dips with the grace of a Spanish dancer. A rechargeable battery charged via USB-C means you can puree to your heart’s content, wherever and whenever. The removable blending arm, complete with a stainless steel four-point blade, makes light work of whatever’s in your fridge. And thanks to the variable speed trigger, you can whip or wallop your ingredients with all the precision of a caffeinated sous chef. Whirled class, indeed.
£179; kitchenaid.co.uk
Kitchen knife sharpener
Tormek T-1
Tormek T-1's Kitchen Knife Sharpener
As they say, a sharp knife is a safe knife. If you’re looking for one of the best knife sharpeners on the market, look no further than Tormek. The T-1’s fine-grained diamond wheel and patented angle guide sharpens the full bevel of the blade for razor-sharp consistency. It’s surprisingly versatile, handling knives between 12–60mm tall and up to 5mm thick. Its one-hand use is intuitive; simply run the blade through the wheel as if chopping a tomato and in less than a minute your knife will be as good as new, and your digits safe as houses. Speaking of houses, spruce yours up with this handsome, compact machine which now comes in ash green.
£335; tormek.co.uk
Cordless hand mixer
KitchenAid
KitchenAid's Cordless Hand Mixer
Much like a Rolls-Royce is a smoother drive than a Renault Twingo, this cordless hand mixer from KitchenAid puts your wooden spoon to shame. This nifty gadget comes with seven mixing speeds – perfect for everything from slow-stirring dried fruit into a Christmas cake to turbo-charged egg whites for the devout meringue lover in your life. Cordless and rechargeable, it gives you 60 glorious minutes of whisking time – enough to make enough brownies to feed the entire village fête.
£179; kitchenaid.co.uk
Compact ice cube maker
Caso
Caso's Compact Ice Cube Maker
Unless you’re in a festival field, nobody likes a warm cocktail. For civilised living, Caso’s compact ice cube maker is the difference between tepid tinctures and ice-cold coups. This sleek little box churns out fresh ice in as little as six minutes. With a punchy yet quiet compressor, it can produce up to 500g of ice an hour, or 12kg a day – enough to keep a hen party hydrated. Bonus: it cleans itself, which is more than can be said for your fridge shelf.
£199.99; casodesign.co.uk
Wine decanter
ETO
ETO's Wine Decanter
There’s nothing worse than opening a good bottle of wine and not having the time to finish it before it passes its best. That’s where ETO steps in. This sleek, space-efficient wine decanter keeps wine at its best for up to two weeks. Space-conscious enough to fit into a fridge door while still being big enough to hold an entire bottle of wine, these decanters will ensure that your wine remains unoxidised, preserving its full potential for longer.
£139; etowine.com
Glass food storage container set
Franklin Lade
Franklin Lade's Glass Food Storage Container Set
Sometimes the real heroes of the kitchen aren’t the flashy gadgets and pricey knives – it’s the humbly brilliant Tupperware lurking at the back of the cupboard. Franklin Lade’s three-piece set is a batch cooker’s dream, with 1,520mls of space for your stews, curries and leftover chillies. If you’re a low-effort cook, it’s big enough for lasagne straight to the table. The airtight lids keep things fresh, leak-proof, and safe from the hazards of transport – plus it’s all dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.
£38; franklinlade.com
ONE Thermometer
Thermapen
Thermapen's ONE Thermometer
When you’ve dropped a wedge of cash on a wodge of meat, you really don’t want to have to throw it back on the barbecue after you’ve sliced it open for a temp check or, God forbid, overcook it to the point where it’s gone from deliquescent to dreary. So, it’s worth investing in an accurate digital kitchen thermometer. The current valedictorian of its class is the Thermapen ONE, with lightning-fast one-second reading, accuracy of plus or minus 0.3°C, a durable waterproof design and a five-year guarantee. Hot stuff.
£78; thermapen.co.uk
Premium food waste disposal
InSinkErator
InSinkErator's Premium Food Waste Disposal
Food waste – it’s the inevitable, less glamorous aftermath of cooking. Peelings, crusts, leftovers piling up faster than you can clear them away. Composting is ideal for some, but not always practical or possible for most households. That’s exactly why the InSinkErator is becoming a staple in kitchens. InSinkErator’s advanced grind technology breaks down food scraps quickly and efficiently, so instead of wrestling with rubbish bags or worrying about smelly bins, you simply flush your waste away.
£249; insinkerator.com
Hatsukokoro Hayabusa Gyuto knife
Kitchen Provisions
Kitchen Provisions Hatsukokoro Hayabusa Gyuto Knife
The Hatsukokoro Hayabusa Gyuto Knife from Kitchen Provisions is handcrafted with precision in Sanjo, Japan. The Gyuto knife – often described as Japan’s answer to the classic chef’s knife – sports a slender, elegant profile perfect for everything from slicing steaks to finely dicing vegetables. In Japanese, ‘Gyuto’ translates to ‘cow sword,’ which is exactly the kind of rugged-yet-refined detail dads tend to appreciate. This blade boasts VG10 steel, renowned for its exceptional hardness and superior edge, and features a mesmerising Damascus (Suminagashi) finish created through a meticulous layering and folding process of contrasting steels. It’s crowned with an octagonal ebony mono wood handle, a tactile and timeless touch that balances perfectly in the hand, providing comfort and precision during use.
£150; kitchenprovisions.co.uk
Stemware starter set
Josephinen Hütte
Josephinen Hütte Stemware starter set
Meet the Josephinen Hütte Stemware Starter Set, the wine lover’s equivalent of a velvet rope at the party of good taste. Designed by Kurt Josef Zalto – a man of the several-hundred-prototype persuasion – these glasses have a signature bend that lets wine swirl, breathe, and taste its best. The set includes two each of white wine, red wine, and champagne glasses, along with a linen polishing cloth. It’s the kind of glassware that looks good on the table and feels even better in your hand – a starter set that’s anything but basic.
£390; josephinen.com
Foundry pan
Ollis
Ollis' Foundry Pan
Say goodbye to wobbly non-stick nonsense – the Ollis Foundry Pan is here to sort your kitchen out. Forged in Hackney, its cast iron with all the modern trimmings: no synthetic coatings, no chemicals, just pure pan perfection. Heavy enough to mean business but stylish enough to park on your table, this one’s built to last – like your granny’s roast dinners. With a contemporary design that’ll make your other cookware blush, it’s a proper grown-up piece that rewards you every time you use it. Finally, a pan that’s as serious about cooking as you are.
£200; ollishome.com
Built-under wine conditioning unit
Miele
Miele's Wine Conditioning Unit
For anyone serious about their grog, this sleek built-under fridge from Miele keeps your reds and whites at their perfect temps thanks to dual cooling zones. Its black glass finish looks sharp and modern, while FlexiFrame shelves handle everything from standard bottles to magnums with ease. The sleek black glass door keeps pesky UV rays out, and mood lighting means your wine looks as good as it tastes. Stylish, smart and whisper-quiet, it’s the kind of wine fridge that deserves a toast.
£3,799; miele.co.uk
