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We all use gadgets in a variety of different ways, to accomplish a range of tasks and nowhere more so than in the kitchen. The reality is there are some gadgets that you simply cannot manage without when cooking, like potato peelers and knives.

Technology and developments in materials like plastic and silicone have pushed the limits blissfully further and given us silicone pastry mats that are a joy to use and non-stick cake pans in a wonderful array of characters, shapes and colors. These are the tools we need daily and frankly they do a lot more than just save you some time.

However, there are a few larger appliances out there like deli style food slicers, rotisserie ovens and deep fryers which have made the transition from large commercial to smaller domestic, very successfully. So what do they offer the average family cook?

Well, if you are one or two persons, you might think less than they offer a big family, and to some extent that may be true. But modern rotisserie ovens are now extremely compact, with the Baby George Foreman bordering on too small for many with the limit of a 4lb chicken - it says a 5lb bird on the advertising, but boy is that optimistic.

It doesn't take a genius to work out the cost of getting rotisserie chicken from a deli or eating out, is a lot more than cooking it yourself and eating in - nicer too! Yep, this is one kitchen gadget that definitely qualifies as a hardworking helper and is every bit as useful for those cooking just for themselves.

Small home food slicers are so inexpensive and easy to clean, even people living alone will save money slicing their own cooked ham or cheese slices over buying pre-sliced and packed food, it makes a great job of bread, raw meat, roasted meat joints and veggies, though to be honest slicing veggies is quicker if not safer, with a kitchen mandoline.

To make a meat and food slicer worth having, you'll need to use it, and to do that good advice is to leave it set up on the counter permanently or you won't bother at all - but if you get one and use it, your knives will likely stay in the block forever.

In fact most of the kitchen gadgets that clutter up cupboards and draws don't get used for a reason, either they don't work properly, maybe they do work but not very well, or worst of all, they work brilliantly and save acres of time, but are totally impossible to clean! If anything takes longer to clean than set up and use, you may as well put it in the trash now - you might use it once, but not twice.

One other cooking gadget worth its weight in gold especially for seasonal celebrations is a deep fat fryer big enough to fry a whole turkey or at least a large chicken. There is nothing like deep fried turkey for taste or speed of cooking, especially when you've got guests to entertain as well as feed. With deep fryers it pays to know the basic safety rules and to buy bigger than you need - if you never try to overfill a fryer, it will never catch fire!

The majority of gadgets aimed at helping you in the kitchen will save you time and effort, though you do need to exercise some quality control when choosing your tools. Sticking to brands you trust and reading plenty of reviews is always a good place to start, keep in mind that kitchen gadgets are no different to most things in life, you generally get what you pay for making it smart to buy the best you can afford.

Meggy is frequently asked which gadgets for the kitchen are worth the bother and which to leave well alone, so if you want to refresh deep fryer hints and tips checkout this post on butterball turkey fryers or to find out more about any of the kitchen gadgets mentioned, visit Gadgets For The Kitchen where you can always be sure of a gourmet welcome.