The most helpful gadgets that I have found are as follows:

1. A bacon press

2. A Kitchen Aide vegetable peeler

3. A pastry blender

4. A good can opener...I prefer non-electric but good ones.

5. A candy thermometer

6. A blender that will frappe ice

7. A good hand mixer

8. One of those neat slicers that do almost anything and
only cost about ten dollars.

I was thinking about relatively inexpensive items that make cooking simple. Of course a microwave oven is an essential. The vegetable peeler lasts forever and is easy to
use. If you want to get into serious money, all the Kitchen
Aide small appliances and mixers work the best for me.

You may think of more things to add to the list, if so,
let us know.
to use. It is the rock star of vegetable peelers. I can't
imagine life without a pastry blender for making fast
home made biscuits and pie crusts.