Food processors, microwaves, air fryers, stand mixers – the list of kitchen gadgets that help cooks save valuable time when whipping up a snack or meal are well known.
However, there is also an array of smaller culinary game-changers that can cut additional cooking corners, from superfast egg cookers to handy food prep bag holders. Here are 10 time-saving gadgets to whip up your next meal, for the family or larger gatherings.
Breakfast maker
This all-in-one gizmo lets you load up your morning favourites to cook everything in one place. Perfect for those lacking both time and countertop space, the GreenLife Breakfast Maker features two upper griddle compartments so you can keep your egg separate from sausages, vegetables, pancakes and more, as well as a toast drawer that holds two pieces of bread. The adjustable timer means you can keep track of your cooking and it’s non-stick to make washing super-quick too.
Dh363, www.amazon.ae
Herb scissors
There’s nothing like adding a handful of fresh herbs to a dish to enhance the flavours (and it’s even better if you’ve grown them yourself). Chopping herbs, however, can be time -consuming, involving stripping leaves and trying to hold fiddly stalks and stems together as you chop them down into small, seasoning-sized pieces. Investing in a pair of Mastard’s 5-Blade Herb Scissors to take the hassle out of herb cutting. It even allows you to cut directly off the plant rather than having to pick the leaves.
Dh37, www.crateandbarrel.me
Automatic pot stirrer
Say goodbye to hours spent standing at the stove stirring pots by investing in the Stirmate Automatic Pot Stirrer GEN 3. Attach to the side of the pot, and soups, sauces and risottos that require constant movement can take care of themselves while you get on with other things.
Adjustable to fit different pot sizes from six to nine inches, it has different speed controls to keep your food from sticking and different attachments to handle different sauce thicknesses. Plus, it’s super-quiet and lasts for up to 10 hours per charge.
Dh380, desertcart.ae
Microwave pasta cooker
The Italians in your life might be aghast, but if you’re short on time, what’s a little pasta shortcut between friends? The Nalacal Microwave Pasta Cooker drastically cuts down on the time you spend stirring, making up to four servings in under 10 minutes. Follow the measurement and water guidelines, set the timer on the microwave and get on with chopping tomatoes and mincing garlic as the pasta cooks. It comes with a built-in drainer for easy straining, and can also be used to cook ramen noodles and steam vegetables.
Dh60, www.amazon.ae
Rapid egg cooker
Fancy eggs for breakfast but don’t have the time to stand around and wait for them to boil? There’s a gadget for that. Simply put up to six eggs into the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker and set the timer for hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached or scrambled eggs, and let them cook while you get busy chopping the avocado and buttering the toast. This non-electric, dishwasher-safe egg cooker weighs less than half a kilogram and features an auto-shut to prevent overcooking.
Dh109, www.mumzworld.com
Vegetable chopper
Vegetable prep can be time consuming, especially when different veg needs to be chopped in different shapes and sizes. Enter the Fullstar Vegetable Chopper, which lets you slice and dice all manner of veg with one swift push. Cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms and more can be grated, julienned and shredded, while the chopper also makes light work of harder veggies such as onions and potatoes. It comes with six stainless steel blades and a 1.2 litre container, as well as a finger guard and scraper.
Dh117, www.amazon.ae
Ziploc bag holder
Food preppers will love this neat little A Department 4-piece Baggy Rack Holder that helps eliminate the mess that can come from filling food bags for lunches and freezing. Whether cooking for the week ahead, or needing to store leftovers, simply clip a Ziploc bag into the holder and spoon or pour in your ingredients. Perfect for storing sauces, liquids, batters and more, the rack is adjustable for bigger and smaller bags. These can then be frozen flat, taking up less space than traditional storage boxes.
Dh24, www.temu.com
Spice carousel
If you regularly cook with spices, you’ll know that having a cupboard or drawer full of different seasonings can get messy and confusing. That’s where the KitchenArt Select-A-Spice Auto-Measure Carousel comes in. With 12 removable spice compartments, the carousel turns easily to make finding your flavouring easy. The canister can also measure out spices at the flick of a switch, negating the need for measuring spoons to deliver ¼ teaspoon of spice each time until you’ve achieved your preferred level. It comes with 55 labels and is stackable to add more carousels on top.
Dh115, www.amazon.ae
Batter dispenser
Whether baking cakes or cooking up a batch of pancakes, waffles or Yorkshire puddings, getting the batter into the cake holders or pan can be a messy job involving bowls, spoons and spatulas. The 1-litre Oxo Good Grip Precision Batter Dispenser cuts not only the time, but also the clear up in two, by allowing for easy measuring and pouring with zero spills. Simply fill the clear jug with batter and squeeze the handle until your preferred amount has been released. The lid doubles as a drip tray between uses.
Dh113, www.homesmiths.ae
Meat shredder claws
You’ve roasted, barbecued or air-fried the perfect cut of meat, but when it comes to shredding the chicken, beef or lamb, regular knives simply won’t cut it. Investing in a pair of Gentlemen's Hardware BBQ Meat Claws is a good way to pull apart meat to create bite-size portions that are ideal for tacos and burritos, salads, pie fillings and more. The stainless steel blades have easy grip, sturdy wooden handles to tear into even the toughest cuts, and they serve double duty as claws to pick up and carry the meat from grill to platter.
Dh139, www.virginmegastore.ae
More on animal trafficking
The five pillars of Islam
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More on animal trafficking
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
Zayed Sustainability Prize
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
More on animal trafficking
More on Quran memorisation:
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2017%20RESULTS%3A%20FRENCH%20VOTERS%20IN%20UK
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20round%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EEmmanuel%20Macron%3A%2051.1%25%3Cbr%3EFrancois%20Fillon%3A%2024.2%25%3Cbr%3EJean-Luc%20Melenchon%3A%2011.8%25%3Cbr%3EBenoit%20Hamon%3A%207.0%25%3Cbr%3EMarine%20Le%20Pen%3A%202.9%25%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESecond%20round%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EEmmanuel%20Macron%3A%2095.1%25%3Cbr%3EMarine%20Le%20Pen%3A%204.9%25%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
