All the kitchen appliances used by the contestants on MasterChef
Whether it’s getting the perfect finish on a steak or whipping up homemade ice cream, here’s all the gadgets your kitchen needs.
Calling all MasterChef fans.
Whether you watch it for a heady dose of foodie inspiration or just love the drama, you’ve probably noticed a familiar rotation of appliances and tools used by the contestants.
From everyday kitchen tools like food processors and stand mixers to the fancy extras (yes, we’re talking about the infamous hibachi grills and sous vide machines), thanks to the show we’re a little more educated in the techniques that go into good cooking.
So, if you want to up your kitchen game, take a look at these MasterChef inspired kitchen must-haves.
1. ICE CREAM MACHINE
Despite its humble origins, ice cream is a big favourite in the MasterChef kitchen. From concoctions using duck feet caramel to classic favourites, the contestants use ice cream makers to transform crème anglaise and custard mixes into perfect quenelles of ice cream.
We recommend:
Cuisinart, Fruit Scoop Frozen Dessert Maker, $199
Davis & Waddell, Electric Ice Cream Maker, $74.99 (from $119.95)
Smeg, Ice Cream Maker & Accessories, $169
2. MEAT THERMOMETER
You probably saw one of these gadgets during Sunday night’s fish elimination when Laura, Kahn, Tracey, Emelia and Reece used these thermometers while they were cooking their fish. That’s because chefs use the internal temperature of meat and fish in order to decide whether it’s raw, rare, medium or well done.
We recommend:
Avanti, Tempwiz Meat Thermometer, $6.50
Soffritto, Digital Meat Thermometer II, $27.99 (from $34.99)
Weber, iGrill 2 B/Tooth Thermometer 7203, $149
3. PASTA MAKER
While there have been many jokes made about Laura love of pasta, there’s a reason why we’re obsessed with the carb. There’s nothing quite like a bowl of delicate, homemade pasta and while it takes a while to make, the process is quite therapeutic.
However, if all that kneading and rolling sounds like a nightmare, there are also all-inclusive machines where you just add the flour, water and eggs and watch the machine do it for you.
We recommend:
Soffritto, Pasta Drying Rack, $24.99
Baccarat, Pasta Machine 150mm II in Red, $89.99 (from $49.99)
Philips, Pasta & Noodle Maker Black, $349
4. BLENDER
It’s not just an appliance for cocktails and smoothies, a good high-powered blender can help you whiz up dips, soups and sauces too. Some high-powered models – like a Vitamix – will also pulverise ice and frozen fruit in seconds to create dishes like ice creams and frozen treats too.
We recommend:
Kambrook, 600W Blender, $49.95
Vitamix, ASCENT Series A2300i High-Performance Blender, $699.99 (from $895)
Nutri Bullet 1000W, $129.99 ($169.99)
5. STAND MIXER
Despite the extra real estate on your counter, stand mixers are unparalleled in power and versatility.
If you love to whip up tasty baked goods, a good-quality stand mixer will pay dividends in the long-run. You can use them to make cookies, cakes, ice creams, bread, pavlovas, icing, as well as savoury sauces and doughs. Some even come with attachments that turn your mixer into a pasta maker, meat mincer, vegetable chopper and more.
We recommend:
Kenwood, 4.6L Chef Classic Mixer, $329
Smith & Nobel, 1000W Planetary Stand Mixer, $119.95 (from $149.95)
KitchenAid, Classic Stand Mixer in Onyx Black, $499 (from $849)
6. FOOD PROCESSOR
From making pastry dough to blitzing sauces and chopping up vegetables, the food processor is considered to be an essential in a lot of kitchens. Despite taking up relatively little counter space, they offer bang for your buck and you can use it on an array of savoury and sweet dishes.
We recommend:
Breville, Kitchen Wizz Pro 2000W Food Processor, $549
Kambrook, Kitchen Wizz Pro 550W Food Processor, $84
Smith & Nobel, Multi-Function Food Processor 8 In 1, $79.95 (from $99.95)
7. SOUS VIDE COOKER
You might have seen a few of the contestant refer to a cooking method called ‘sous vide,’ but don’t let the fancy French term intimidate you. The term refers to cooking food in a precise temperature-controlled water bath, and normally in a vacuum sealed or zip locked bag. It let's you control exactly how you want to cook your food and the resulting texture.
While you can get the machines that come with a temperature-controlled water bath, the more cost-effective models look more like a clunky thermometer which you put in a pot of boiling water.
We recommend:
Sunbeam, Duos Vide & Slow Cooker, $219
MasterPro, Stainless Steel Sous Vide Precision Cooker, $179.99
Russell Hobbs, Master Slow Cooker & Sous Vide in Matte Black, $129
8. PRESSURE COOKER
With all their timed challenges, the MasterChef contestants wouldn’t be able to make a lot of their flavour-packed reductions, sauces and standout protein dishes without a pressure cooker. The machine uses pressure and steam which quickens up the cooking process by as much as ten times compared to conventional methods.
They’re great for families and home cooks too. From melt-in-your-mouth lamb shanks to easy curries and pasta sauces, it’ll make cooking your meals so much easier.
We recommend:
Breville, The Fast Slow Cooker, $199.95
Baccarat, Gourmet Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker 6L, $99.95 (from $199.99)
Tefal, Cook4me-plus Pressure & Multicooker, $349
9. DEEP FRYER
It might not be the healthiest cooking method there is but nothing compares to the ‘crunch’ of deep fried food. If you’re conscious about the amount of oil they use, air fryers are a great option too. They only require a light layer of cooking oil while still giving you texture and bite.
We recommend:
Sunbeam, 5L Multicooker Deep Fryer, $79.95
Tefal, Filtra Pro Premium 4L Deep Fryer, $111.96 (from $139.95)
MasterPro, The Ultimate Digital Air Fryer 5.5L Black, $189.99 (from $299.95)
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