This Mini Crock-Pot Is a Game Changer During Lunch Hour

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

If there is one outpost from which you can buy literally everything you’d need—food, clothes, and even a tiny house—it’s Amazon. While we have plenty of Amazon-only gift guides and shopping roundups, today, we want to focus on something we don’t discuss all that often at House Beautiful: small gadgets. Ahead, find 20 that are highly useful in everyday life, so if you’re looking to simplify your routine, you’ve come to the right place.

From a crowd-favorite air purifier that our own shopping editor is a little obsessed with to a portable phone charger no bigger than a pocket lighter, this list is jam-packed with useful goodies you won’t want to live without once you’ve tried them. Did we mention there’s a huge price range? Starting at just $10, the products ahead are worth adding to your cart. In fact, you may even want to grab more than one. Otherwise, feel free to splurge on one of the pricier pieces, including a self-heating mug, a smart hair straightener that automatically adjusts the heat setting according to your hair texture, or a portable Crock-Pot that keeps your lunch hot for hours on end. Intrigued? Keep scrolling for more high-tech masterpieces.

No matter what you end up getting, you’ll definitely spend a few minutes wondering how you went so long without it. Trust us: these nifty little finds will change your life for the better.

Temperature-Controlled Nextmug

Calling everyone who drinks their coffee at a glacial pace: This self-heating mug and saucer will change your mornings for the better. It eliminates the rush to down your coffee before it goes cold so you can now feel free to savor it.

SinglePass StyleMax Flat Iron

"I do not regularly straighten my hair, but when I visit my family in Florida, which is one of the most humid states in the country, I desperately need to," associate shopping editor Jessica Cherner says. This is no ordinary straightener, though; it's a smart one. It automatically customizes the heat setting (there are nine) to your hair texture and thickness.

Cordless Hand Massager with Heat

Anyone who spends most of their days clicking away on a keyboard could benefit from this heated hand massager. It's cordless, so you can pop it in your bag and use it at the office whenever your hands start to cramp up.

Electric Lunch Box

Hot lunches just got a lot better. Whether you fill it with queso for a delicious appetizer or pho, you'll enjoy it piping hot whenever you start to get hungry. It keeps food warm for at least three hours, is spill-free, and dishwasher-safe.

Air Purifier and Filter

"I have the famed Mila air purifier and can confirm it's worth every penny," Cherner admits. "Not only is it stylish (it kind of looks like an end table), but it really works. In fact, it pairs with an app that updates in real time according to the level of particles and humidity in your space." When levels are too high, you'll hear the purifier's fan switch on and go to work to bring the number down to a healthy amount.

Handheld Milk Frother

In the early days of the pandemic, whipped coffee was TikTok's biggest culinary trend, and these tasty beverages wouldn't be possible without a milk frother. So if you like your cappuccino with extra foam, get yourself a handheld frother that's small enough to squeeze into even the tiniest drawer in your kitchen.

Portable Charger

We're all shamelessly on our phones for what feels like the entire day, so it should come as no surprise that, every now and then (usually when you're nowhere near a power outlet), they need to be recharged. Enter this portable charger that's about the size of a pack of gum. So next time you're heading out for the day, pop this little lifesaver in your bag. We promise it will come in handy.

Screen Magnifier

Cinephiles who tend to watch their favorite flicks on their phones may experience visual fatigue after a few minutes because, let's face it, your iPhone screen is not big enough to enjoy a movie. That's where this screen magnifier, which is available in four sizes, comes in. It works like a projector, so simply prop it up on a flat surface, like a coffee table, and push play. Did we mention it doesn't need to be charged or require batteries?

WiFi Smart Plug

We've all left the house in a panic about whether or not we actually turned the straightener off, right? This smart plug lets you turn off anything plugged into it in a matter of seconds. All you need is a strong WiFi connection. You can also turn electronics on with the smart plug, so if you want to, say, wake your kids up in the morning without having to go in their room, simply turn all the lights on from your phone.

Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker

Technically, this deceptively small kitchen appliance was designed to cook rice, but you can use it as a steamer too. So if you're on a healthy kick and avoiding your air fryer and sauté pan for a little while, this nifty gadget will inspire a totally new menu. It's also easy to use, with four preset digital functions and a "keep warm" mode that automatically switches on when the cooking is finished.

Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum

"Everyone can benefit from a robotic vacuum," Cherner admits. "Especially if you're in the office, out to dinner, or too busy (or lazy like me) to spend more than a few minutes vacuuming your floors." All you have to do is register the vacuum to your app to program the location and amount of time your Roomba will clean. Yes, it's that easy. "It's worth every dollar!" Cherner adds.

Stainless Steel Butter Spreader

This may not be a gadget, but it deserves a spot on our list because it is one of the most useful products we've ever discovered on Amazon. If you're someone who enjoys a slice of fresh bread smeared in butter with dinner, this is about to change your life. When butter is refrigerated it stays fresh but becomes way too hard to spread smoothly. The solution? Simply scrape the surface with this stainless steel contraption, and you'll have super-thin strands of butter that, because they're so slim, are soft and spreadable.

Posture Corrector

Looking at a laptop all day isn't great for anyone's posture because your neck is constantly angled downward. This posture corrector, which is light enough to fit under a sweatshirt or loose-fitting sweater, does exactly what it says it does: correct your posture. It takes a bit of getting used to at first, but after about an hour, you'll hardly notice it. It's basically an adjustable vest built with lumbar-supporting bars.

Sunrise Alarm Clock

You've probably heard of sunrise alarm clocks before because they became quite popular at the end of last year. This is one of our favorites because it's pretty impossible to sleep through, but it's not so intense that you're abruptly waking up from a peaceful sleep. Its sunrise simulation light and seven natural sounds kick on gradually from 10 percent brightness to 100 percent within 30 minutes of the alarm time, so waking up in the morning isn't so terrible.

Pure Cool Air Purifier

Though Dyson's hairdryer and hair wrap tend to get all of the attention, we're partial to the Pure Cool air purifier because it's a multi-functional find. First, it purifies the air, courtesy of the HEPA filter that automatically removes 99.97 percent of allergens and pollutants. Secondly, it's a super sleek fan that cools down a space no matter how big it is. Cherner adds, "This isn't the kind of fan you need to sit directly in front of to feel it working. You can sit on the other side of the room and still feel the chill."

Key Finder

If you're someone who whispers "phone, keys, wallet" before leaving the house, you're not alone. Plenty of the House Beautiful editors also repeat "PKW" aloud before heading out. That said, misplacing the keys still happens to the best of us. This little gadget will help, though. Simply attach it to your key ring and connect to the free phone app. Similar to Find my iPhone, a free Apple feature, Tile will always remind you where you left your keys.

Nest Security Camera

It's our personal belief that opting for a security system to protect yourself, your family, and your home is never a bad idea. We're fans of the Nest Cam because it features built-in intelligence, which means it can decipher between a person, animal, and vehicle, and, depending which is approaching your home, sends alerts directly through the Google Home app. You can also check in from anywhere at any time with the 1080p HDR video.

Heated Blanket Electric Throw

Electric blankets are underrated, in our opinion. They may not have much use in the warmer months, but if you are someone who tends to get cold during the fall and winter, this heated blanket will become your new favorite piece of decor.

Breakfast Sandwich Maker

This compact breakfast sandwich maker has separate compartments and trays to perfectly cook all of the elements in your morning treat, including egg, English muffin, meat, and cheese. The best part? Whipping up such a delicacy takes only five minutes.

UV Smart Phone Sanitizer

One good thing to come out of the pandemic is our improved attention to hygiene and cleanliness in an attempt to spread fewer germs. Before the pandemic, the idea of parting with our phones for a few minutes was unheard of, but now, the idea of holding a potentially germ-infested device to our faces is pretty unappealing. This sanitizer uses UV lights to kill any germs and harmful particles living on your phone's surface so that you can use it without any worry.

You Might Also Like

• 15 Home Bar Gifts Every Cocktail Enthusiast Will Appreciate

• 32 Low Light Indoor Plants That Can Survive in the Darkest Corners of Your Home

• These Are the 50 Best Paint Colors for Your Living Room