Many of us have taken a greater interest in cooking over the last year and a half. Whether you’ve just started spending more time in the kitchen or you’ve always been a passionate home cook, the kitchen is, without a doubt, an important space for homeowners. There are a number of terrific, technique improving, time-saving kitchen gadgets that can improve your kitchen time. Here are a few of our favorites:

Knife Sharpener

Dull knives are frustrating, and more concerningly, most accidents occur from using dull knives rather than sharp knives. If you like to cook, you already know how important a good knife is. A top-of-the-line knife isn’t necessary, but it will last you a lifetime. If you invest in a good knife along with a well-reviewed knife sharpener, you’ll be sure to always have a sharp blade for slicing, dicing, and chopping.

Vacuum Sealer

If you want to make the most of your leftovers or if you cook in bulk to freeze for later, a vacuum sealer is a terrific option. It removes the air from the packages you refrigerate or freeze and extends their life. Also, if you’re someone who likes to get creative in the kitchen, this helpful gadget can give you exciting options when it comes to things like marinades, salad dressings, and salad mixes.

Electric Kettle

Electric kettles are great — they boil water in minutes and will speed up your morning cup of coffee or tea. They have other benefits outside of beverages, too. For instance, you can use your kettle to boil water when you’re cooking pasta, which will speed up the cooking time. There are also some really attractive kettle options,  and who couldn’t use a little more flair in their kitchen?

Cold Brew Maker

Many of these gadgets give homeowners an opportunity to save money. One of our favorite cost-saving devices is a cold brew maker. If you’re spending money regularly on fancy iced coffee or cold brew, this will help you get the same results at home for a fraction of what you’d pay in a coffee shop or at the grocery store. Maybe a better purchase when the weather starts to warm again, but it will allow you to make your favorite cold drinks in the comfort of your own home.

Immersion Blender

Immersion blenders are tremendous workhorses. If you’re short on space or you want to reduce clean-up work, this is an indispensable tool. Sauces, salsas, salad dressings, pestos, soups, smoothies — the list goes on. It’s a great gadget for creativity and you can find new ways to experiment with it all the time.

Some kitchen gadgets take up valuable space and never get used. This list, however, is full of our favorite space-saving tools that you might find yourself using on a daily basis.