Key Takeaways
Many trendy kitchen appliances—like sous vide machines and popcorn poppers—often create more setup and cleanup than they’re worth for everyday home cooking.Chefs say single-use or bulky gadgets, such as rice cookers and some food processors, frequently duplicate tasks that a simple pot, pan, or sharp knife can handle just as well.Instead of investing in niche appliances, pros recommend relying on versatile basics like a good oven, sturdy pots and pans, and solid knife skills to get better, faster results.
In a world with seemingly endless product launches and must-have kitchen trends, it’s easy to believe all of your cooking problems could be solved with just one more gadget or appliance. Most of them promise faster cooking or less prep, but many of these tools end up collecting dust instead of making your life any easier.
We asked professional cooks to weigh in on the most overrated kitchen appliances they see people buying, and their answers may surprise you. They explain why these gadgets often disappoint and tend to be a waste of money, and what simple tools or techniques they recommend using instead.
David Davidov, recipe developer, food blogger, and founder of The Cooking Foodie
Rachel Farnsworth, food creator, cookbook author, and founder of The Stay at Home Chef
Chuck Hayworth, private chef, medical meal specialist, and founder of Thankfully Local Private Chefs
Jamie Saechao, baker, recipe creator, and founder of Ginger Homemaking
Sous Vide Machines
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The biggest drawback of sous vide machine is not the technique itself, but how long it takes. “I always inform my clients that the amount of time wasted to set the machines up to temperature and seal all bags, I could have several dinners already prepared,” says Chuck Hayworth, a private chef and founder of Thankfully Local Private Chefs. “I advise my clients to stick to a slow cooker for quicker sears and cooking.”
That same logic applies to steak, where Hayworth believes in keeping things simple. “When it comes to steak, simply knowing your preference and cooking on a grill is how you finish the steak anyway,” he adds. “Why not start and finish on the grill, and leave the sous vide to the fine dining pros?” For most home cooks, skipping this extra setup often leads to faster, just-as-good results.
Convection Toaster Ovens
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Air fryers and toaster ovens are undeniably popular, but if they have a built-in convection setting, they may be redundant. “Although they may be convenient, I have found these air fryers and convection toaster ovens have tons of issues with properly cooking different dishes on a convection setting,” says Hayworth. “If you have an oven in your home with a convection setting, it is a far more efficient way to reach better results.”
In general, small appliances cannot achieve the same results as your home oven, Hayworth explains. “Sometimes they even take the same amount of time to reach temperature.” Instead, use your household oven for best results on dishes like sheet-pan veggies, roasted chicken, or baked casseroles.
Instant Pots
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Small kitchen appliances that promise to do everything can actually make cooking feel more overwhelming, not less. “This one is slightly controversial because Instant Pots are pretty popular, but many people buy one and end up using only one or two functions, or stop using it altogether because it feels complicated,” says David Davidov, a recipe developer and founder of The Cooking Foodie. “For everyday cooking, it often doesn’t save much time compared to normal cooking.”
So what does Davidov do instead? “For most recipes, I just use a regular pot, pan, or oven, which gives more control and doesn’t require another bulky appliance on the counter.” Keep one versatile pot and one nonstick skillet near the stove to make weeknight cooking feel more accessible.
Rice Cookers
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Unlike multi-cookers that promise flexibility, rice cookers are designed to do just one thing, but that doesn’t mean they deserve a spot on the counter, either. “Rice cookers take up a lot of space for something a pot and a lid already do well,” says Rachel Farnsworth, a food creator and founder of The Stay at Home Chef. “I cook rice on the stovetop, which is just as reliable. If it only cooks rice, it doesn’t earn permanent counter space.” So unless rice is something you make every single day, using a pot on the stove can work just as well.
Food Processors
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Food processors tend to save a lot of time for large-batch cooking or meal prep, but they are not always necessary for smaller meals. “For small households, a food processor is often more machine than you need,” Farnsworth says. “I rely on a sharp knife or a blender for most tasks and skip hauling out something that takes longer to clean than to use.” The rule she lives by: If the cleanup takes longer than the chopping, it’s not saving time.
Bread Makers
Two chefs we spoke to aren’t fans of bread machines for homemade loaves. “Bread machines sound convenient, but the quality of the bread is only so-so,” says Farnsworth. “Good bread doesn’t require a machine that only makes bread. There are plenty of simple bread recipes out there that are easy to make and give far superior results.”
Jamie Saechao, a baker and founder of Ginger Homemaking, recommends making homemade bread with either yeast or an active sourdough starter and baking it in a Dutch oven, aluminum pan, or even a roasting pan.
“A loaf of homemade bread is made from yeast, flour, salt, and water—it truly could not be easier,” she explains. “Bread making is therapeutic process that takes just a few minutes, so skip the bread machine and reap the feel-good process of kneading dough by hand!”
Popcorn Poppers
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Melissa Ross / Getty Images
Saechao’s most overrated kitchen appliance is her family’s popcorn popper. “Though the kids love it, it is awkward to store, takes up a ton of space, and lacks multi-purpose functionality,” she says. “Before getting the popcorn maker, we would simply load up a heavy pot with a few tablespoons of coconut oil, and pot the kernels over medium heat on the stovetop. This simple, old fashioned popping method saves a lot of room and yields delicious popcorn!” Novelty kitchen appliances like this tend to feel exciting at first, but usually get used less and less over time. Not a must-have!
Dining and Cooking