20 Useful Kitchen Gadgets For People Who Don't Cook

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We found useful kitchen gadgets to gift the non-cook in your life. (Photo: HuffPost)
We found useful kitchen gadgets to gift the non-cook in your life. (Photo: HuffPost)

Many of us got into cooking during quarantine, whether it was recreating dishes from our favorite restaurant cookbooks or making our own sourdough starter.

But for a lot of people, cooking can be kind of intimidating. If you know someone whose culinary skills stop at popping ramen noodles into the microwave or burning most of their meals despite their best efforts, a cooking gadget or accessory can go a long way and fill in some of those gaps.

It can be as simple as a strainer that sticks to your pot to avoid spilling pasta into the sink or this apron with built in pot-holders. There’s also this vegetable chopper with different blades to julienne, chop and slice vegetables without ever having to pick up a knife.

Of course, there are also cookbooks that make good gifts, including everything from “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” to “The Complete One Pot,” which includes more than 400 meals you can make in a single skillet, sheet pan or Instant Pot.

We’ve rounded up some of the most useful kitchen gadgets for the non-cook in your life.

Take a look below:

A strainer that fits on all pots and pans

Find this <a href="https://amzn.to/376afg5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kitchen Gizmo Snap N Strain Strainer for $17</a> with clips to fit different sized pots and pans at Amazon.
Find this Kitchen Gizmo Snap N Strain Strainer for $17 with clips to fit different sized pots and pans at Amazon.

A cookbook for one-pan recipes

Find <a href="https://fave.co/373H0um" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Complete One Pot: 400 Meals for Your Skillet, Sheet Pan, Instant Pot(r), Dutch Oven, and More for $32</a> at Bookshop. 

A spoon with the rest built in

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/3oL6Vgp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lazy Wood Spoon for $26</a> which has a groove on the handle for resting on pots and pans at Uncommon Goods.
Find this Lazy Wood Spoon for $26 which has a groove on the handle for resting on pots and pans at Uncommon Goods.

A cutting board with juice groove and phone stand

Find <a href="https://fave.co/35kDSrZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Five Two Bamboo Cutting Board for $49 </a>at Food52.

A dish towel to keep conversions handy

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/2KawlVN" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kitchen Conversions Dish Towel for $12</a> at Always Fits.
Find this Kitchen Conversions Dish Towel for $12 at Always Fits.

A microwave pasta maker

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/3gzn05T" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Microwave Pasta Pot for $25</a> which has everything you need to boil, strain and eat pasta at Uncommon Goods.
Find this Microwave Pasta Pot for $25 which has everything you need to boil, strain and eat pasta at Uncommon Goods.

An apron that does it all

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/34h28f6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Five Two Ultimate Apron for $45</a> with built-in pot holders and a conversion chart at Food52.
Find this Five Two Ultimate Apron for $45 with built-in pot holders and a conversion chart at Food52.

An easy way to chop veggies

Find <a href="https://amzn.to/376940c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fullstar Vegetable Chopper for $25</a> which has four interchangeable blades to julienne, chop and slice vegetables at Amazon.
Find Fullstar Vegetable Chopper for $25 which has four interchangeable blades to julienne, chop and slice vegetables at Amazon.

A pan that does it all

Find <a href="https://fave.co/3nkmtHL" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Always Pan for $145 </a>which replace eight traditional pieces of cookware at Our Place.
Find The Always Pan for $145 which replace eight traditional pieces of cookware at Our Place.

A smart meat thermometer

Find this <a href="Yummly&reg; Smart Bluetooth Meat Thermometer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yummly Smart Bluetooth Meat Thermometer for $90</a> that helps you cook to your preferred doneness, adjust cooking settings and track your cooking remotely with your smartphone at KitchenAid.
Find this Yummly Smart Bluetooth Meat Thermometer for $90 that helps you cook to your preferred doneness, adjust cooking settings and track your cooking remotely with your smartphone at KitchenAid.

A book on the basic elements of cooking

Find <a href="https://fave.co/2KdZrDo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking for $35</a> at Bookshop.

An adjustable rolling pin for perfect dough

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/3dKmEYA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Five Two Adjustable Rolling Pin for $39</a> with adjustable sizes and measurements at Food52.
Find this Five Two Adjustable Rolling Pin for $39 with adjustable sizes and measurements at Food52.

An automatic stirrer

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/3lWGxOC" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Automatic Pan Stirrer with Timer for $25</a> which will stir for a set amount of time at Uncommon Goods.
Find this Automatic Pan Stirrer with Timer for $25 which will stir for a set amount of time at Uncommon Goods.

An egg cooker

Find this <a href="https://amzn.to/2W29H4t" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dash Rapid Egg Cooker for $17</a> at Amazon.
Find this Dash Rapid Egg Cooker for $17 at Amazon.

A way to make clean up easier

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/2EKrgkm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Five Two Over-the-Sink Drying Rack for $45</a> with slots for utensils, plates and more at Food52.
Find this Five Two Over-the-Sink Drying Rack for $45 with slots for utensils, plates and more at Food52.

A book on the science of cooking

Find <a href="https://fave.co/3m8H0gG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science for $46</a> at Bookshop.

A place to read Pinterest recipes

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/37NGkIC" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kitchen Utensil and Tablet Holder for $60</a> at Uncommon Goods.
Find this Kitchen Utensil and Tablet Holder for $60 at Uncommon Goods.

A way to avoid egg shells

Find this <a href="https://fave.co/2KaplrY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Easy Egg Peeler for $15</a> at Uncommon Goods.
Find this Easy Egg Peeler for $15 at Uncommon Goods.

An easy way to clean the microwave

Find <a href="https://amzn.to/37Peko8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner for $16</a> which steams the microwave to wipe away gunk at Amazon.
Find Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner for $16 which steams the microwave to wipe away gunk at Amazon.

A great cookbook for beginners

Find <a href="https://fave.co/2W5eyBQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to Cook Everything--Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition: Simple Recipes for Great Food for $34</a> at Bookshop.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.