POWER UP

The kids are heading back to school, the days are getting shorter, and soon the trees will shed their leaves, bringing a bite to our boot-clad step. It’s not the end of the year, but it is the end of another summer, and the beginning of autumn - the season that of all four, feels the most robustly symbolic of change. Just like the first month of the year, it comes after a period of indulgence. In this case, it’s the summer, with its beer gardens, beach trips and staycations. But unlike the post-Christmas spiral of guilt, you’re hopefully not feeling as run down, because there isn’t as much of an emphasis on mince pie and cheese consumption.

Thus comes the urge to make resolutions like finally completing that DIY bathroom renovation you started during the very first lockdown or the commitment to start eating healthier. The latter being the most daunting of all.

But it doesn't have to be if you have the right kitchen tools to help you prep good meals. So if you need some encouragement to get back in the kitchen this new season, we're here to help. We've rounded up several kitchen gadgets that admittedly you could live without, but you probably won't want to. Each one helps to make your food prep or cooking time a little easier, a little faster, a little healthier, or a little bit more fun. Best of all, they’ll each inspire you to eat more fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruit, while others help you prep meals with fewer oils and carbs.

Giving up chips, fried fish or any other food that contains “fried” in the name is hard to do. Instead of going cold turkey, an air fryer allows you to enjoy the same dishes without the unnecessary grease, and with 85% less fat. The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone has two independent cooking zones meaning you cook two of your favourite dishes at once. What’s more, this air fryer functions as a multi-purpose kitchen appliance with the ability to roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate and of course, air fry.

If you want to start eating more healthily, a health grill is a great place to start. There’s no need to compromise what you eat; it’s more of a case of altering your cooking technique. This large grill from Tefal can handle up to five portions at a time. It also has three automatic cooking programmes ideal for meat eaters: red meat, burgers, and chicken, plus it has a manual cooking mode that heats the plates between 120°C - 270°C for greater control.

Combining fruit, veg and ice with sometimes juice or water, smoothies are an easy and affordable way to get your five-a-day and top up on health-enriching nutrients. Smoothie makers have come a long way in terms of technological advancements with many now able to do more than blend ice and fruit. Take The Ascent Series A3500i from Vitamix for example. This clever gadget offers five program settings (smoothies, hot soups, dips & spreads, frozen desserts and self-cleaning) to automatically process healthy whole-food dishes, of a consistent restaurant-quality, at home.

How does juicing differ from smoothie-making, you ask? Simply put, most machines extract juice from fruit and veg, then separate the juice from the pulp. Smoothie makers, on the other hand, cannot extract any juice, and merely blend the chosen ingredients together, meaning the results are often thicker. The Braun J300 uses a powerful 800W motor to quickly break up fruit and vegetables so you can create smooth or textured juices depending on your own specification. But the best part? It is capable of making a fresh glass of cold juice in just 15 seconds.