5 Cool Kitchen USB Gadgets You Didn't Know You Needed

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We're used to kitchen devices being run by AC — think fridges, ovens, microwaves, and even smart kitchen gadgets like smart coffee makers and smart air fryers. They need to sit close to a wall outlet and stay plugged in all the time. Otherwise, they won't power on. But beyond these bulky AC-powered appliances, there's actually a whole range of other kitchen devices that you can run via USB instead. These are typically way smaller in size and not as powerful.

That isn't to say that they're not as handy, though. As a matter of fact, these kitchen USB gadgets are even more convenient since they can work wirelessly, thanks to their built-in batteries. They're also nifty space savers that can either be hung on the wall or tucked away in a cabinet, freeing your limited counter space for pots, bowls, and chopping boards. If you want to upgrade your cooking setup with some cool USB devices, here are five great additions to your kitchen.

Every time you buy more ingredients than you need or cook more than your family can finish, the extra food automatically goes straight to the fridge. This works out just fine if you can consume the food in the next day or two. But more often than not, your extra food sits in the fridge far longer than that and eventually spoils. To prevent more of your food from going to waste, a vacuum sealer like the Chef Preserve Compact Vacuum Sealer might help.

Priced at $109, and often available at discounted rates between $80 and $100, this handheld vacuum sealer preserves your food longer by removing air, which, in turn, slows down bacterial growth. It can keep refrigerated raw beef and pork fresh from 12 to 15 days instead of just a maximum of four days, and fruits and vegetables for roughly a month instead of ten days at most. You can also use it to make cooked food last from three to five days to up to 17 days in the fridge. Operation-wise, the Chef Preserve Vacuum Sealer is convenient to use. All you have to do is store your food inside the food-grade and BPA-free resealable bag included in the set. You get 15 8x10-inch bags (small) and 15 10x11-inch bags (medium). You can buy more bags and large (12x13 inches) and extra-large (12x20 inches) sizes separately, though. 

To use it, seal the bag tight and position the sealer on the valve. Then, just press the button and wait until it stops in about five seconds. Once you're done, you can store the vacuum sealer on your counter or inside a drawer. It shouldn't take up too much space due to its compact size. 

If you often entertain guests with wine, then you already know the struggle of trying to pop a bottle open. It isn't always the easiest of tasks, especially when the cork is too fragile or stuck. Instead of awkwardly fighting with the bottle and potentially injuring yourself in the process, it's better to use an electric wine opener like the Circle Joy Rechargeable Electric Wine Opener Set, priced at $39.99 from Amazon, though you can also find it at $34.99 during limited-time deals. This is one of the cheap Amazon finds that can make your life easier – just press the button, and it will automatically pull out the cork in eight seconds. Then, press the other button to remove the cork from the opener. On one full charge, it can extract up to 100 corks.

Other than the wine opener itself, you can also find a wine pourer in the set. It attaches to any standard bottle type and does the pouring for you. Press once to pour about 2.5 oz of wine, and long-press for about two seconds to pour continuously. This wine pourer doubles as an aerator as well, to give you enhanced wine flavor and aroma. Just like the wine opener, it's rechargeable but can only last for around 30 wine bottles per charge.

The other accessories in the set are a foil cutter, drip ring, vacuum pump, and wine stoppers. The foil cutter helps you remove the foil cap before using the wine opener. The drip ring fits around the bottle neck and absorbs drips before they damage the labels and tabletops. The vacuum pump and wine stoppers seal your unfinished wine again and preserve its flavor.

Manual can openers are the bane of every home cook's existence. They don't immediately work, they require lots of effort, and they can slip and lead to food splatter, or worse, cuts on your fingers. The funny thing is, opening the can is only half the struggle. The other half is removing the sharp, jagged lid the manual opener created. If you finally want to retire your manual can opener, try switching to an electric model, such as the Canslab Ultrablade PRO Auto Stop Can Opener, priced at $42.99 on Amazon.

It's a USB-C rechargeable can opener, which cuts along the outer edge of the lid. This means the opener makes zero contact with the food, and you get a clean and smooth-cut lid that's easier to take out. Compared to AAA battery-powered options, the Canslab Can Opener is faster and less noisy. It also works automatically. As soon as you place it on top of the can and press the start button, it stops on its own once it's done cutting. This only takes about 20 seconds, thanks to its powerful motor. Then, you can simply lift the can opener off the can, with the cut lid attached to the magnetic lid holder. If the lid doesn't come off with the can opener, you can use the retractable lid picker built into the device.

When it comes to runtime, the Canslab Can Opener's 2,000mAh can open up to 120 cans on a single charge. Once empty, it needs about four hours to fully charge. With the magnetic wall holder included in the set, you can mount the can opener on the wall and keep it out of the way.

Ice cream is most people's go-to stress reliever. But ironically, scooping ice cream straight out of the freezer is anything but stress-free. It's always a struggle, and by the time you dig out a serving, you're left with bent spoons and aching wrists. Thankfully, there's a more convenient alternative that doesn't involve as much effort: a heated ice cream scoop, such as the Undersary Heated Ice Cream Scoop, priced at $29.99.

One of the underrated but cheap gadgets to have in the kitchen, this heated ice cream scoop serves about 2 oz per scoop. It features three heating levels for all sorts of ice cream — 120°F for gelatos, 140°F for typical ice cream, and 160°F for solid, rock-hard ice cream. To cycle through these heating modes, press once on the power button on the handle. It should then take about 40 seconds for the scoop to reach the lowest temperature and a minute for the highest. After five minutes, it powers off automatically. If you don't want to turn the heating on, though, you can still freely use the scoop as a regular one.

In terms of material, the scoop is made out of food-grade zinc alloy. It's rust- and corrosion-resistant to prevent transferring a metal taste to the ice cream. The handle, on the other hand, is silicone and easy to hold. The handle (which houses the electronics) is also rated at IP67, meaning you can safely wash the scoop in the sink without worrying about water splashing on the handle. Runtime-wise, the scoop's built-in 2,600mAh battery can last over ten family ice cream servings and requires four hours of charging.

Modern kitchens typically have salt and pepper grinders to complete the look. Compared to manual grinders, they're faster, take less effort, and produce more even results. But just like manual grinders, they often come in a set of two. That means they also take up double the space, and the constant switching between the two grinders can take up more time. You even have to worry about recharging two separate devices all the time. For convenience's sake, consider going with a 2-in-1 model instead. You can find one on Amazon for $26.85– the Sangcon 2-in-1 Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder.

Instead of a two-piece set, this kitchen gadget combines salt and pepper into a single unit. It helps optimize your workflow as you no longer need to go back and forth between two grinders. Simply hold the Sangcon 2-in-1 grinder in one hand and press one of the two oversized buttons at the top to dispense the spice. The buttons are large enough to prevent accidental presses and are clearly labeled with "S" for salt and "P" for pepper to avoid confusion. As with any electric grinder, you can set the coarseness of the spices to your liking using the two adjustment dials at the bottom. Simply turn the dial from fine to coarse before you start grinding.

In terms of design, the Sangcon 2-in-1 grinder is pretty portable at 7.9 inches by 2.8 inches, making it nearly as big as a standard-sized grinder. But it still packs in decent-sized 75ml compartments for each spice, so you wouldn't need to refill them as often. The grinder needs less than two hours of charging time and can be used to grind roughly 2.1 oz of spices before needing another recharge.

When picking out kitchen USB gadgets to include in this list, we only went with products that are specifically USB-C. This ensures most users will already have compatible cables and chargers at home. We also narrowed down the selection to gadgets with strong ratings on Amazon — at least 4.3 stars, so you can get your money's worth.