We recognise that buying gadgets for the sake of it isn’t sustainable, so have collated some tried-and-tested top picks that offer maximum value for money as well as fun, and are built to last. When your existing kit reaches the end of its life, our guide on how to recycle your electricals and appliances is a good place to start for finding guidance and options for repairs and replacements, donations and avoiding e-waste.
Discover our top picks of the coolest new gadgets, tools and kit to get your hands on this summer below.
For more unbiased expert buyer’s guides, visit our reviews section to find 400+ round-ups of everything from the best cool boxes and best fridge freezers to the best picnic hampers.
Cool kitchen gadgets for summer at a glance
- Ninja Creami Ice Cream & Dessert Maker, £199.99
- Slush Puppie Slushie Machine, £34.99
- BlendJet 2 portable blender, £40.95
- YETI Rambler 3.8L Jug, £129
- Watermelon cutter, £12.99
- Multi-layer silicone ice tray box, £10
- Ice bead trays, £13.99
- Uashmama insulated wine bottle cool bag, £32
- Microplane ginger tool, £16.99
- Starry G Utensil rest, £8.99
Cool kitchen gadgets to buy 2023
Ninja Creami Ice Cream & Dessert Maker
The Ninja Creami has turned the traditional pour and churn process of ice cream making on its head. This gadget comes with tubs in which you first freeze your ice cream recipe solid. Then you load the tub into the maker where it uses a blade system to slice down through the block at speed, blitzing your ice cream until smooth. The whole process takes under three minutes and the perk of this is as long as you have tubs ready frozen in the freezer, you’ve got fresh ice cream on demand. It scored 4.5/5 stars during testing and offers presets for milkshakes, smoothies and sorbet in addition to gelato and ice cream. Read our full Ninja Creami Dessert maker review.
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Slush Puppie Slushie Machine
If icy drinks spark nostalgic memories of birthday parties, the cinema, seaside days out or more, this Slush Puppie machine recreates the iconic summer classic in your kitchen. It shaves pre-frozen ice into the familiar slushie texture ready for adding your favourite syrups and flavours. There are two grind settings depending on your preference, coarse or fine, plus it makes one litre of slushie at a time. Perfect for kids, family gatherings or, if you’re over 18, for making frozen cocktails.
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BlendJet 2 portable blender
By merit of the fact that they’re cordless, this USB chargeable blender is a compact and convenient gadget for taking on the go, even from a tent. It’s a great way to blitz up a banana smoothie from your festival tent, make a protein shake after your workout at the gym or even an instant wild garlic pesto for snacks while foraging. Just plug it into your power bank to recharge.
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YETI Rambler 3.8L Jug
Travelling, camping and days out with a practical quantity of water is one thing, but keeping it cool or hot is another. This XXL 3.8L insulated jug by Yeti is an investment buy that kept cold liquids cool for 56 hours (longer than the brand even claims) and boiled water hot for 36 hours during testing. It even kept ice cubes frozen for 14 hours. The carry handle is padded with a grippy foam making it easier to carry, and a magnet in the lid means you’ll never lose the cap while it’s unscrewed. Plus, every part is dishwasher safe. It’s the perfect solution for keeping a weekend’s worth of water stashed in the tent for drinking, or taking down to the beach for the whole family.
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Watermelon cutter
This stainless steel tool curves around the edges of the melon and slices the fruit into cubed chunks while you drag it back towards you. Perfect for quickly preparing a cooling watermelon and feta cheese salad or healthy snack bowl for dipping into.
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Multi-layer silicone ice tray box
For icy drinks, it’s really useful to have a tray or two of ice cubes in the freezer and will save you money in the long run. Particularly if space is at a premium in your freezer and you can’t fit those large bags of cubes from the shops. This box will hold two food-grade silicone ice cube trays within and, once frozen, the useful lid press prods the cubes out of the mould for you. Multiple summery colours are also available.
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Round ice bead trays
Available from Temu (£7.48)
For a bit of variety, it’s fun to have different shaped ice in the freezer for jazzing up summer mocktails and drinks. Thanks to its lid, this box will keep your ice beads clear even when buried in a busy freezer.
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Uashmama wine bag cooler
Within the robust and washable paper outer is a bottle-shaped ice pack that can live in the freezer until you have a bottle to keep chilled. The leather strap and contemporary collection of colours including gold and silver make this an incredibly stylish and practical bit of kit for al fresco dates and picnics.
Microplane ginger tool
This 3-in-1 tool is as clever as it is simple. Fibrous in nature and awkwardly shaped, ginger is one of those ingredients that can be frustrating to prep. The fine grater teeth on one end of this tool will mince the root while the sharp blade at the other thinly peels and slices, perfect for creating pickled ginger slithers as an accompaniment to sushi or even using with spring onions for topping salads. Its non-slip handle and carry loop make it simple to use and store out of the way of fingers.
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Starry G Utensil Rest
Drippy pan lids and mucky spoons – messy evidence of the makings of something delicious. This utensil stand catches all the evidence so you can stay focused on tasting and creating without needing a damp cloth to hand.
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