3 kitchen gadgets to improve your life

The daddy of mixers
The Vitamix is legendary. Speak to anyone who owns one and they launch into an ode that’s almost sect-like in its reverence. Having been put off by the hefty price tag, I went through several lesser blenders before finally capitulating and nabbing one when I found it in the sale. Now I too speak in odes. Because this machine is amazing. It can pretty much do everything, except the washing up (if it could do the washing up it would actually rule the world). Peanut butter, frozen drinks, hot soups, sorbets – it can chop, cream, blend, heat, grind, churn, and more, meaning you can whip up a healthy meal in minutes. On top of which it’s fairly easy to clean: add a drop of washing up liquid to warm water and run the machine for 30 seconds. There are a few drawbacks however; the jug is made from BPA-free plastic rather than glass, which makes it lightweight but obviously raises concerns about chemicals leeching into food, and it’s also pretty noisy so the cats don’t like it. But I still love it.

BONUS: Comes with a 7-year warranty!

Vitamix Total Nutrition Centre, £459, vitamix.co.uk

Chat to Joanna on twitter @joannabenecke