I’m a lazy cook — but these are my top 3 kitchen gadgets that make meal prepping a breeze

KitchenAid Cordless Top Down Food Chopper photographed in front of a blue background.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

I love baking. There’s nothing I find more relaxing than spending my Sunday afternoon whipping up a batch of cookies or a slab of brownies for everyone in the house to share. But when it comes to actually cooking meals? Not so much.

In all honesty, what puts me off is the preparation work that goes into everything. It’s all the chopping. It’s not so much that I find it boring, I’m just not very good at it. I also have no desire to get better at it, which makes me pretty lazy, right?

Luckily, here at Tom’s Guide, I get to test out some of the best blenders, air fryers, and everything in between. And because of this, I’ve been able to construct the perfect lazy-food-prep kitchen.

Beast Mighty 850 Plus

Beast Mighty 850 Plus personal blender in cloud white colorway with attachments.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

This is the fastest blender I have ever used. The Beast Mighty 850 Plus blender houses a powerful 850-watt motor, making it formidable against any ingredient. It completely speeds up the cooking process for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I use it for super quick smoothies before heading out the door in the morning, at lunch time to make a quick dip, and at dinner to make my favorite soup. Tomato soup is a staple in my dinner repertoire, and having a decent blender is half the battle.

It can blend up my soup unbelievably fast, and thanks to the hand storage caps that come with the blender, any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for the next day. It’s all about convenience, which helps to minimize the washing up of containers.

Beast Mighty 850 Plus
Beast Mighty 850 Plus: $147 at Amazon

The Beast Mighty 850 Plus blender has taken over my kitchen. Its sleek design looks good on the countertop, and the powerful performance delivers smooth, chunk-free blends every time. Its multiple cup sizes, speed, and ability to blend tough ingredients smoothly make it ideal for daily meal prep. And not to mention, it’s dishwasher safe, so clean-up is super simple.

KitchenAid Top Down Chopper

KitchenAid Cordless Top Down Food Chopper photographed in front of a blue background.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The KitchenAid Top Down Chopper is the ultimate gadget for chopping-haters. Just a few presses of the button on top of the device will have you chopping whole onions and creating simple salad dips in seconds. It has quickly become a go-to device of mine, as I can quickly get all of my ingredients ready if I’m making a pasta sauce or getting some mix-ins ready.

While it can only do one thing — yes, chop — it does it well. During my testing, it diced an entire carrot in less than 10 seconds, making it ideal for making a quick soffritto.

And as a girl who loves a good chip and dip combo, this is ideal for a Friday night when I have friends over and need to make a super speedy guac or salsa. It’s also cordless, so if you need to take it with you on a quick getaway, you totally can!

KitchenAid Cordless Top Down Chopper
KitchenAid Cordless Top Down Chopper: $99 at Amazon

The KitchenAid Cordless Top Down Chopper is a fast and effective way to finely chop ingredients for food prep or making quick dips. The compact size means I can easily store it, and it’s battery powered, so it can be used anywhere. For a fast and easy solution to time-consuming chopping, it works well.

KitchenAid Citrus Juicer

KitchenAid Go Cordless Citrus Juicer in matte black photographed in front of a blue background.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The KitchenAid Citrus Juicer has become far more of a daily staple than I anticipated. I use it most days to keep the orange juice in my fridge fully stocked, but it also makes cooking easier.

What could a juicer possibly be used for in cooking? Lemons.

They are tedious and have a tendency to sting my hands when I squeeze them. I used to avoid recipes that required freshly squeezed lemon juice, but that is no more. I no longer stand over the saucepan trying to squeeze the lemon while trying to catch the seeds in my other hand.

It is also a great gadget for prepping ingredients before cocktail night, and gets a lot of use around the holiday season when everyone wants a signature cocktail.

KitchenAid Cordless Citrus Juicer
KitchenAid Cordless Citrus Juicer: $99 at Amazon

The KitchenAid Go Cordless Citrus Juicer makes it so simple to have fresh juice every morning with minimal mess. If you hate pulp in your juice, this won’t be for you. But if you’re looking for the fastest way to juice your citrus, this is the answer. It’s simple to clean too, since the top half of the appliance is dishwasher-friendly.

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Ashley Thieme
Staff writer, Reviews

Ashley is a staff writer on the the Reviews team at Tom’s Guide. She has a master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and a BA in Journalism, Media and Sociology. She has written for titles including Women’s Health UK, writing health and wellness stories, and Virgin Radio UK, specializing in entertainment news and celebrity interviews. She has reported on a variety of topics including music, literature, motorsport, entertainment and health, and has her own bookish newsletter, Ashley’s Reading Nook.She has previously reviewed live music events, books, and wellness products but finding the best way to listen to new music releases is essential for Ashley, so discovering the top audio equipment on the market is what she does best.When she is not testing out the latest tech, you can find her either curled up with a cup of tea and a good fantasy novel or out hiking.

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