The coolest kitchen products on the planet

Kitchen wizardry has come a long way since the Breville Toasted Sandwich Maker first hit the shelves in 1974.

The electric jaffle machine was one of those “a-ha!” moments in domestic appliance invention, so simple in its design and use that it became an instant bestseller.

Four decades later, it takes more than a few slices of bread and a mouthful of tongue-searing cheese to gain cult status in the kitchen.

Today’s whiz-bang domestic gadgets are marvels of technological innovation, many with astounding price tags to match. Devotees await new releases with excitement akin to religious fervour and defend their favourite brand against competitors’ products.

And so, without further ado, here are five of the coolest kitchen products in the world right now.

Thermomix

The Rambo of kitchen machines, this bench-top behemoth is basically a culinary supercomputer that invites you to chuck in all manner of ingredients and – hey presto! – it produces stuff you probably couldn’t be bothered cooking if you were to do it all by hand. The German-designed touchscreen-display unit weighs, mixes, chops, mills, kneads, blends, steams, cooks, stirs, beats, emulsifies and melts. And costs about $2000, which possibly goes some way towards explaining the passion it arouses in owners. That, and the fact it’s not sold in shops but via consultants who host parties, conduct cooking classes and do home visits. Fans network through online communities and face-to-face love-ins.

Photo: Thermomix

NutriBullet

“The world’s most powerful nutrient extractor” is how this compact blender is described on its website. The veracity of such a bold marketing statement is unclear, but users agree it does a bang-up job of pulverising most things they put in it, from vegetables and nuts to seeds – even fruit stalks. It costs about $90 for the basic model, and in all models a blade twists onto a cup so you can mix and drink from the same container. The Duchess of Cambridge is reportedly a devotee, and the device has found a sweet spot in a market thirsty for juice cleanses and so-called superfood smoothies. Anyone for a “banana kale bonanza”?

Photo: Nutribullet

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Clear some bench space, the KitchenAid Stand Mixer is one plus-sized beauty. Weighing in at more than 10kg, with a 35 centimetre by 22 centimetre footprint for the Artisan model (RRP $829), the mixer makes no claims to compactness. It is, however, one of the few cult kitchen products to have stood the test of time – albeit in an updated form. The Hobart Corporation released the KitchenAid home mixer in 1919 after finding success in the US with the first electric mixers for commercial kitchens. Nearly a century later, owners can add accessories for making pasta, stuffing sausages, churning ice cream, milling grains, juicing citrus and so on. What do users love? The consensus seems to be that its hefty weight means it doesn’t shuffle across the bench-top when in use, it’s strong enough to knead thick dough, and with its colourful retro style it’s drop-dead gorgeous.

Photo: KitchenAid

Zojirushi Rice Cooker

There are rice cookers, and there’s the Zojirushi Rice Cooker. A bestseller in its native Japan and collecting a cult following overseas, this high-end rice cooker is said to produce perfect fluffy rice every time – without the crusty bits. If you add too much water, the whip-smart machine will adjust the cooking for you, and a warming setting can keep the rice in pristine condition for hours. The downsides? It is slower than traditional rice cookers, taking more than an hour on a typical long grain rice program. It’s not cheap, at close to $400 for the NS0ZCC10 model with “Neuro Fuzzy Logic” technology. And – here’s the worst bit – though it’s hitting the big-time overseas, it’s not readily available in Australia. Some large Asian supermarkets in capital cities stock basic models but for now, at least, the top models are only available from overseas suppliers.

Photo: Zojirushi

Chux Magic Eraser

Beloved of professional cleaners, parents of toddlers and anyone wanting to get their rental bond back, the Magic Eraser (about $6 for two) is a cleaning sponge with a difference. That difference isn’t magic but melamine foam, which works like super-fine sandpaper to take off the top layer of whatever surface has been defaced. It promises to remove most marks, including ink, crayon and grime, though it’s best to spot-test first in case it removes more than you bargained for. In the words of one recent five-star online review, “These little water activated sponges are DA BOMB!”

Photo: Stay At Home Mum