In the kitchen, there are a thousand tools that could clutter your space. Tools like a strawberry huller and a corn silk remover, not all are created equal and not all are completely worth the drawer space and money. Trust me, I have owned and then cleared many over the years. There are 5 essential tools that I love and use to make meal prep and lunch on-the-go a much easier part of my day. These have earned a valuable corner in the drawer and a valuable space on my top 5.

5 Essential Kitchen Gadgets (plus, they make perfect gifts for a friend)

Avocado 3-in-1 tool

Herb shears

Lime/Lemon juicer

Zoodle spiralizer

Garlic rocker

Avocado 3-in-1 tool

The avocado 3-in-1 tool IS a game changer. You can buy it here. When I switched to eating a higher fat, lower carb lifestyle, avocado became a regular star in meals. We eat avocado at least 3x a week and this tool slices the avocado evenly and saves time. Beware the tool is hard to clean once the avocado dries so wash it right away.

Herb shears

This tool is hands down my absolute favorite. Who likes to finely chop herbs? Sage, mint, rosemary…to name a few. Don’t all speak up at once…no one likes to chop green onions or dill. These shears finely and evenly chop a variety or things from basil for pasta sauce to cilantro for tacos. Easy to use, dishwasher safe. This one is a wonderful gift for your foodie friend.

Lime/Lemon juicer

There are two different sizes of this tool: green for limes and yellow for lemons. Buy them here.

I do have to admit that the first 3 times I used this tool the wrong way, so let me spare you. Cut your lemon or lime in half and place the fruit facing down into the juicer. (see picture below) Press the squeezer down with two hands and, boom, you have juice. Great for adding citrus to drinks, sauces, guacamole, dips, lemon water. So many options for using this tool.

Zoodle spiralizer

For a long time we used the veggetti tool to make zoodles. Great option but this spiralizer has been easier to clean and you can spiralize carrots, squash, beets and zucchini. Simply cut off the ends of the vegetable and twist through the spiralizer to make “noodles.” You can top noodles with sauce, make into eggs nests for brunch, drop into soups, or create a stir-fry. Spiralized “noodles” cooked extremely fast so it makes them wonderful for quick meal prep.

Garlic rocker

This one is not hard to figure out but does save a lot of time and is very easy to clean. Peel garlic and place under rocker. Rock back and forth until garlic is finely minced. Done and done!

Joseph Joseph is at the top of my list when it comes to clever kitchen gadgets.

In summary, here are a few of my favorite things…(I hear Sound of Music in my head when I say that aloud.)

Let me know what your favorite kitchen items are in the comments below.