potato gadgets

Testing the BEST (and worst) potato gadgets 

As the internet’s Potato Queen, I feel it’s my duty to hunt down the best potato gadgets the world has to offer…whilst sniffing out the absolute shockers along the way.

We don’t want to waste our money on broken promises and shattered potato dreams. We want easier cooking, crispier potatoes and gadgets that actually deserve precious cupboard space. 

So, come with me as I put the internet’s weirdest and most wonderful potato gadgets to the test to find out which ones are actually worth buying.

This adventure actually starts over on my YouTube channel, where you’ll find me vigorously rubbing potatoes, making tornado potatoes and testing all sorts of questionable kitchen inventions. It’s an ongoing expedition, so keep checking back because there are plenty more gadgets waiting to be judged.

GADGET ONE – VEGETABLE PEELING GLOVES

First up was the vegetable peeling gloves, and aside from looking like a latex torture accessory (whether medieval or Ann Summers, I’m still undecided), they were equally torturous to use.

The idea is simple enough. The rough rubber nodules are supposed to scrape away potato peel as you rub the potato between your hands. But the reality was that I broke out a sweat and peeled approximately zero potatoes. Truly awful. And a bit disconcerting in all honesty. 

Maybe they’d be more efficient when used on other veg, but it’s not looking promising, so I absolutely could not recommend these. Well I may recommend them if you’re heading to some kind of alternative, kinky gardening-themed party or as a kind of back scratcher. But if you’re not interested in either of those uses, then I’d steer clear.

Genuinely one of the most pointless kitchen gadgets I’ve ever used.

To make this even worse, it cost a whopping £12.60!! Am I missing something? Did I use them wrong? Please let me know in the comments if so. 

Ranking: 1/10 (it would have been zero tbh)

GADGET TWO – POTATO SPIRAL CUTTER

The mini spiraliser or potato spiral cutter, to be more precise. And I can tell you now, I loved it. If you’ve seen those tornado potato vans knocking about, then this is basically what it recreates. It was easy to use, and the device itself was really diddy, so not something you need to make a load of space for.

Basically, if you’re into novelty potatoes or LOVE a curly fry, then this baby needs to be in your kitchen. 

To test the gadget properly, I placed my spiralised potato through a chop stick and deep fried to recreate the popular street-food snack (with an added sprinkle of peri peri salt). Not sure using a chopstick in the fryer was wise, but it was absolutely delicious. I’m already working out how many recipes I can develop with this spiraliser…

And what tipped this into top scoring terriority was that it only cost £5, and I think that’s shockingly good value. 

Ranking: 10/10 

GADGET THREE – MICROWAVE POTATO BAKER

So my next gadget was a microwave potato baker, which kinda does what it says on the tin. Stamp the spuds on, pop in the microwave and enjoy your jacket potato around 7-8 mins later. 

I was a bit meh with this one, because yes you got a soft jacket potato at the end, but it didn’t feel dramatically different to just plopping your spud on a plate and placing in the microwave. But for £3.50, it’s not toooo bad. You do still have to turn the potato halfway through, as otherwise it will dehydrate in areas. So although it’s not necessarily saving much effort, I’m not totally against it.

Ideal for those who love a lunchtime jacket and want minimal involvement and maximum speed in the cooking process. 

Ranking: 4/10

WHAT SHALL I TRY NEXT? 

Let me know in the comments below!