Best kitchen gadgets under £10

This reasonably-priced gadget looks like your average vegetable peeler, but in fact it serves to create thin, evenly-sized julienne strips, bypassing the need for fiddly chopping. The ribbon effect also means you can skip splashing out on a bulky spiralizer. The blades are super-sharp to allow for the precise finish, so it should be used with care, but for thrifty, time-saving vegetable prep, it can't be beaten.

Handy kitchen scales

Zing kitchen scale

Easy to use, great value for money and, true to the name, a bright citrus colour – these reliable scales can't be beaten on the price front. They're slimline and easy to store, making them a great option for students or those pressed for space.

Available from Harbour Living (£8.99)

Innovative grater

IKEA Värdefull grater

This is one clever design for the price. It allows you to grate in both directions, has a handy area for catching food and has a really good fine grate function. It also sits flat on the work surface and doesn’t wobble about, avoiding mess and mishaps. What's not to love?

Available from IKEA (£7)

Cheap chopping board

Wilko bamboo chopping board

This simple board has no bells or whistles, but it comes in at under a fiver so we’re not complaining. The bamboo is strong as an oak and compared to alternatives of a similar price, it’s attractive enough to double as a breadboard or serving platter. If you’re buying a board for somebody going off to university, this one should be your first choice.

Available at Wilko (£4.50)

Versatile roasting tin

Lakeland square roasting tin

This diminutive roaster could double as a brownie tin and is great for cooking solo or for a plus-one. It can’t be used over a flame, so this isn’t one to buy if you like making gravy from pan juices, but you can always decant them into a saucepan. It's available in larger sizes and the non-stick coating is excellent.

Super smart knife sharpener

AnySharp knife sharpener

With its compact size and suction pad base, this little gadget is one seriously clever invention. It takes up barely any kitchen space and the lever secures the suction base to the surface incredibly firmly – so much so, you could sharpen one-handed. It feels safe, intuitive to use and after three pulls our blunt knife was very sharp.

Budget blade

Kitchen Devils large cook’s knife

Not the weightiest knife in the block but it's sharp and really comfortable to use. Our testers particularly liked the finger stop at the end of the handle that fits the first finger almost like a trigger. Sharp enough to carry out all our tasks and flexible enough to make it multi-purpose, we thought this a great first-time knife for a rookie cook.

Available from Robert Dyas (£8.99)

For all of the products mentioned in this review, various retailers have been suggested by our affiliate partner Monetizer 101 and are not suggested or chosen by BBC Good Food. For more information on how these retailers are selected and the nature of our partnership, please read the Monetizer101 FAQ page.

More product reviews

10 gadgets to save you money in the kitchen
Best knives under £40
Best electronic scales
Best spiralizers
Best knife sharpeners
Best chopping boards
Visit our review section
Best salad spinners

This review was last updated in October 2018. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

Do you have a thrifty piece of foodie kit you can't live without? We'd love to hear your product suggestions in the comments below...