We live in a world of technology, where every single gadget you could imagine is ready and waiting for us to use. In fact, there is so much out there to choose from that it can be hard to know which gadgets are the time-saving, life-enhancing ones we’ve been waiting for and which are a waste of time and cupboard space. If you don’t consider yourself up to date with all the latest tech or aren’t especially handy at knowing how to work things, it can be easy to miss just how much time the best home appliances can save you when used correctly. What is worth the spend to make your life easier?
InstaPot
Mealtimes can be the bane of family life. If you’re having to work or look after the kids all day, sometimes the hardest part of it all can be thinking what to cook and trying to find recipes that are healthy and delicious, fit everyone’s taste and don’t take hours to prepare. A kitchen gadget like InstaPot can really help with this. It replaces a whole host of other items as it can cover so many functions – pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer- even yoghurt maker! So your kitchen shelves will be much less cluttered. It speeds up cooking by up to six times, meaning a gourmet dinner after a day at work is a real possibility, and by using up to 70% less energy than other kitchen gadgets it can also help you to save on your electricity bills. There’s a 24 hour timer as well, so you really can just set and forget.
Robot Vacuums
When you live in a family environment with kids and perhaps pets, keeping it clean involves a lot of vacuuming. Make light work of this constant chore by using a robot vacuum to keep your surfaces sparkling. The best Roomba can make short work of your daily jog around by cleaning automatically at certain times of the day. Many models can be controlled remotely using an app, so you can set them to tidy up while you’re at work and get home to a cleaner house.
Clothes Steamer
Sick of being stuck behind a huge ironing pile? Then getting a garment steamer could be a great option. A lot more handy and quick to use, a steamer allows you to be more selective about what you iron. Most modern fabrics don’t hold creases so much, so you no longer need to iron everything, as long as you hang those items correctly to air dry or use the anti-wrinkle setting on a tumble drier. For those items that just need a little touch up to look presentable, a clothes steamer is ideal, as you can just tackle pieces on an as-needed basis. If you need a quick way to keep you and the family looking smart, it’s the ideal helper to have around.
RFID Tracking Tags
How often have you put down your keys, purse or phone for a moment, only to have it seemingly vanish? Or how much time do you spend hunting around in the morning for something that has been misplaced? Solve all of those problems at a single stroke by using a handy device like Tile. You can attach this to anything you like and it emits a single that you can track via your smartphone or computer to locate the missing item. It can be an absolute saviour for the absent-minded or for people who have a lot of items to keep track of.
Stand Mixer
Are you a bit of a whiz in the kitchen, or do you want to be better at homemade treats? If so, then a stand mixer has rapidly become the most desirable – and useful – kitchen accessory you can get. The gold standard is a KitchenAid, but many other brands have their own very popular versions, such as Breville and Kenwood. With a powerful motor and heavy duty steel body, this kitchen accessory – popularly available in a range of bright colours – is an indispensable tool for amateur cooks and wannabe bakers. It cuts down drastically on prep time, provides an extra helping pair of ‘hands’ to mix cake batter or pizza dough while you carry out other tasks, and it’s definitely built to last. You can also use it for tasks like shredding pulled pork, making meatballs, mashing potato, and even making homemade butter. With additional attachments, you can even make ice-cream, pasta and spiralise vegetables! It’s a highly desirable accessory for a reason – because it combines good looks with great functionality.
eBook Reader
From the Kobo to the Kindle Paperwhite, ebook readers are an ideal addition to the home and help us to be kinder to the planet. Instead of leaving a trail of paperbacks everywhere, you can access an unlimited library from these compact devices which are easy to take with you. Nothing could be better when you’re going away on holiday, as you don’t have to take a stack of reading material, and if you’re a fan of decluttering, you’ll appreciate it cutting down on crowded bookshelves. A single charge lasts for absolutely ages, and with the unique screen you won’t suffer any glare while you read.
A Smart Stove Assistant
Here’s an amazing gadget which seems to have flown under the radar – a smart stove assistant. Small mishaps in the kitchen can easily escalate and ruin a meal, or worse endanger safety. What could be better than an extra monitor that prevents all these worst case scenarios from happening? Inirv is a set which helps you to keep safe when you’re busy in the kitchen. It uses sensors to let you monitor your stove and change temperatures remotely, and it works with voice control, which is a godsend if your hands are full. You can also set it to alert you about cooking times, which is ideal when you’re preparing a big meal with lots of different elements. But perhaps the most useful of all its features is the ability to recognise when your cooker has been left unattended for too long and automatically shut it off – a feature which may not only save your dinner, but also your life!