As the holidays approach, cooking becomes more common in most homes, but preparing large meals can be intimidating for novice home cooks or those who don't have much time. However, plenty of gadgets readily available online will make cooking easier and safer for those inexperienced with dangerous and sharp kitchen tools.

With storage and functionality at the forefront of modern technology, many kitchen appliances are made to fit in small spaces or be stored away while not in use. Most kitchen gadgets will make it seem like a lot of effort went into a meal when the devices were doing all the work, leaving more time to spend with friends and family.

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Screen with buttons showing foods and temperatures

Air fryers have become popular in recent years with their ability to make the best deep-fried foods healthier while still providing the crunchy crust that makes people love them in the first place. An air fryer can come in handy when baking multiple things that need to be cooked at different temperatures as a countertop alternative to an oven.

It can eliminate the need to set different cook times and ensure meals come together faster, making it the ultimate gadget for large holiday meals with many dishes.

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Cordless Hand Mixer

Cropped Cordless Hand Mixer Kitchen Aid

When mixing, there is nothing worse than a cord dipping into a mixture or getting wrapped around the beaters, inhibiting the ability to mix the ingredients properly. A cordless hand mixer fixes this issue with the lack of a cord and the ability to recharge between recipes.

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By not having to be connected to a wall socket, the cordless mixer can take cooking anywhere, which is great for busy holiday kitchens full of people making different things that require various pull-in tools. Some models come with multiple attachments, making them versatile kitchen tools.

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Cutting Board with Built-In Storage Containers

Wood cutting board with plastic containers holding cut vegetables

Cutting boards are simple kitchen items but aren't very functional when it comes to chopping and cutting multiple things at a time since each item needs its own container, creating more dishes and more space being taken up.

A cutting board with storage containers is a great way to save space in the kitchen when cutting many ingredients, especially since the storage acts as a base for the cutting board. These boards are made of wood with plastic containers, so they are easy to clean and use again when more cutting needs to be done. For those using the best free nutrition apps, this is an easy way to prep healthy meals with less effort.

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Breakfast Sandwich Maker

Cropped Breakfast Sandwich Maker with ingredients

Even though holiday dinners are the cornerstone of most celebrations, breakfast is also an essential part, with most people having more time off work and children off from school.

A breakfast sandwich maker is a perfect addition to any kitchen, as it cooks all parts of the sandwich at once, in one appliance, rather than using a cooktop, a toaster, and possibly more. There are many models and prices, from lower-end machines that make one sandwich at a time to higher-end models making up to four at once.

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Jar Opener

Cropped Under The Cabneit Jar Opener holding a jar

Jars can be a struggle to open for people with arthritis or conditions that affect their grip strength, making holiday cooking a struggle, at times. But a device like a jar opener eases that burden by gripping onto the lid and turning from the bottom, which is easier to hold onto.

Related: 10 Tech Gadgets You Can Attach To Your Pets To Keep Them SaferAnother benefit of this device comes from the size and storage options, as the gadget can be mounted under an upper cabinet. Hence, it is never far from reach. This also helps when opening multiple jars for a recipe by alleviating the strain being put on the cook's hands.

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Chicken Shredder Tool

Cropped Red Chicken Shredder Kitchen Tool filled with Kitchen

Shredded chicken is a staple in soups, salads, and casserole recipes found on the best free cooking apps, but for those who haven't mastered the fork method of shredding chicken, there are chicken shredders that make the process easier. The long teeth hold the chicken in place and, with a few twists, perfectly deconstruct the meat into small pieces that can be added to any recipe.

Most of these tools are affordable and save time, especially when shredding large amounts of meat for big holiday meals. While they are marketed for chicken, this device can be used with many meat and vegetables.

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Electric Egg Cooker

Black Electric Egg Cooker, with clear top

Hard-boiled eggs are great for salads, holiday recipes, or snacking, but cooking them can be a hassle as it is hard to tell if the perfect egg texture has been achieved. An electric egg cooker removes the guesswork, as most models come with a timer that automatically shuts off when the eggs have reached the cook's desired texture.

Electric egg cookers don't require a stovetop freeing up space when making large meals, and they also can make any egg texture despite primarily being used to make hard-boiled eggs.

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Multiple Tier Food Steamer

Cropped Multiple Tier Food Steamer with seafood and rice

While many electronics will clean a house without supervision, food gadgets still require some human labor. But they are getting closer with devices like multiple-tier food steamers. A food steamer is great for making healthy meals when many elements of the meal need to be steamed.

This all-in-one steamer allows every piece of a meal to be cooked at the same time, even if different cook times are required, which is excellent for big family meals or meal prepping for a busy week. In most models, the steam baskets separate for easy cleanup, and the price is low for the amount of use this appliance could bring to a home chef.

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Guarded Mandolin Slicer

Guarded Mandolin Slicer with sliced vegatbles

A mandolin slicer is a perfect tool for quickly slicing large amounts of vegetables, but it can be intimidating since the blade is so sharp and can easily cause injury. But a guarded mandolin slicer protects the fingers while allowing the chef to slice ingredients quickly.

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This device is perfect for big meals or meal prepping since it can cut anything that has a stiff texture, like vegetables and fruits, but not meats, as they are too flexible. The guard allows for total confidence making a meal come together quickly but also look nice since all the ingredients will have a uniform thickness.

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Ice Cream Maker

Red Ice Cream Maker Stirring Ice Cream

Any grand meal requires a dessert that will leave guests feeling satisfied and impressed, and while ice cream is a simple dessert, homemade ice cream provides a sense of simpler times and an extra level of effort put into the end of the meal.

An ice cream maker can be used any time of year, with most models fitting on a countertop, and can be started before the meal is done cooking, so it is ready by the end of the meal with no stress. This device is an excellent way to get the whole family involved in cooking, including teens and tweens who love tech products, as they can choose the flavors and inclusions for their ice cream.

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