I test small appliances for a living – these are the ones I guarantee will make meal prep quicker and easier

Now, as someone who tests and reviews kitchen appliances for a living, you might think I have them all. But I’m actually quite picky about which appliances deserve a place in my small cottage kitchen. They’ve got to be worth it. If something takes too much time to assemble or is too heavy to bother heaving out of the back of the cupboard, then I just won’t bother using it.

Arguably all kitchen appliances are designed to pick up the slack and make your life easier in one way or another, otherwise they’d be pointless. But to really make food prep easier I think the appliance itself should be straightforward to use, assemble, and clean.

So I’ve put together a list of five appliances to make food prep easier, all of which I’ve personally tested, from the best air fryers to the best slow cookers. Some of them I have in my own kitchen, the others are appliances that I would happily add to my collection because they offer great functionality and performance.

1. Ninja Professional Stackable Chopper

It’s been a couple of years since I tested the Ninja Professional Stackable Chopper alongside several others for our best mini chopper guide. And it’s still my go-to for making homemade hummus, salsa, and for quick chopping of small things like chillies.

There are several reasons why I love it. It’s super affordable at under £30 and yet comes with two chopping bowls with lids. This is great because I can simply remove the blade and pop the lid on my homemade dip to store it in the fridge. Then I still have the freedom to make something else in the second bowl.

The ergonomically designed power button switches it on simply by resting your hand on the top, which means you’re holding it steady as well as operating the power with just one hand. What’s more, the bowls, lids and blades are dishwasher safe. It takes up marginally more space than some other mini choppers, but for me, it’s worth it for the convenience of having two bowls.

2. Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 air fryer

I’ve reviewed so many air fryers over the last few years that sometimes it feels like I have a conveyor belt of air fryers constantly running through my kitchen. But one thing I can say without a shadow of a doubt is that an air fryer will absolutely make your life easier in the kitchen.

Quite honestly, there are several that I love, but I picked the Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 air fryer for this list because I think it combines top performance with a good capacity, and an affordable price tag.

It offers six cooking modes and in comparison to your usual oven and grill, it’ll cook foods in a fraction of the time, making meal prep quicker and easier, especially on those busy weeknights. Furthermore, it preheats in minutes and the texture and crisping it can achieve will blow the socks off an ordinary oven.

If you haven’t yet been converted to the air fryer club, believe me when I say, this isn’t just for chips. It’ll allow you to make all sorts of delicious meals much faster than you realise. Think delicious roasted broccoli in minutes, super crisp breaded fish fillets, or perfect bacon without the greasy mess all over your hob. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

3. KitchenAid Go Cordless Hand Blender

A hand blender is a kitchen appliance that I can never be without, and having recently tried the KitchenAid Go Cordless Hand Blender I’ve been won over by this battery operated version. I loved being able to use it wherever I wanted in the kitchen without worrying about where an available socket was.

I always think it’s easier to blitz up hot soups and sauces directly in the pan on the hob. This hand blender comes with a metal blade assembly so you can do just that. And the big win here is that it’s much easier and safer not to be trailing a power cord across the hob while you do it.

The downside is that you have to remember to charge the battery, having said that it lasts for several uses between charges. I tested the version that comes with lots of accessories, and it’s pretty expensive. But there’s a version that comes without accessories that’ll save you some cash.

And if you’re into the idea of cordless kitchen appliances, KitchenAid makes a whole range of them. They all use the same removable battery, so once you have one, the next one you buy can share the same battery, meaning you get to select the cheaper, no battery option.

4. Kenwood Multi-Pro Go Food Processor

More often than not, food processors are those big, bulky appliances that lurk at the back of a cupboard and rarely get used. That’s why I love the Kenwood Multi-Pro Go food processor, it’s much more practical for everyday use.

It’s compact, so getting it out and setting it up isn’t a chore. But the thing that makes it a real winner for easy food prep is the ‘express serve’ attachment. This lid with a chute means that despite its size, you can use the grating and slicing attachment for super large quantities.

All the grated and sliced food comes out of the chute, so there’s no need to open and empty the food processor, just keep going until you have enough. It’s a godsend if you have a lot of slicing or grating to do. It takes the hard work out preparing labour intensive foods like potato dauphinoise and coleslaws, or for simply grating mountains of cheese.

The processor bowl itself doesn’t have the largest capacity, but it’s functional for chopping. On the whole I was won over by this food processor, it’s also super competitively priced as well as easy to store.

5. Ninja Foodi Possible Slow Cooker

Slow cookers are notorious for making meal prep easy, just bung everything in and leave it to work its magic for hours. But the game changing Ninja Foodi Possible slow cooker offers more than your average slow cooker and can make life even easier.

It includes eight functions, so you get a bit more bang for your buck than with an ordinary run-of-the-mill slow cooker. I love that you can use the sear/ saute function to brown meat or soften onions, before switching to the slow cook mode. Then you have a keep warm setting, which is useful in busy families where someone might be eating later than everyone else.

This one is ideal for larger households. It has a huge capacity and the pot can even be transferred to the oven, which is perfect if you need to brown a topping under the grill. It can even be used to simmer sauces or prove bread dough. All-in-all it might be more expensive than your average slow cooker but it’ll earn its place in your kitchen.

If you want just five buys to liven up your kitchen, these are the ones I'd recommend first. Your mealtimes will undoubtedly run smoother with them in tow!