If, like me, you’ll be spending a lot of time in front of your stove this Chanukah, these are essential bits of kit.

Sure, bigger ticket items like the air fryer are nice-to-have but if you were thinking of investing in one, just before our fried food fest is a great time to jump in. 

Even the more simple items will make life easier and a bring a little joy to your kitchen:

Grater:
Latkes start here. I love Good Grips because their gadgets are always so user friendly. The brand’s mission is to make ‘everyday life easier’. The founder was inspired when he saw his wife struggling with a vegetable peeler. This box grater has a comfy wide handle to cushion your palm while you work your way through your mountain of potatoes. It even has a handy container it can be connected to for you to grate into. Might not be big enough for all the potatoes we use but I love the concept. It’s £14.00 on Amazon. 

Photo: Etsy

Chanukah cookie cutters

Simple star cookie cutters are so 2023. These individual cutters on Etsay have so much detail you’ll be the cookie Queen. I love them so much I’ll even forgive the American spelling. They come in three different sizes but I’d advise the largest set (10cm). Use them to make Sarah Mann-Yeager’s gorgeous winter spice cookies which she packaged in these gorgeus ready-to-tie cellophane bags.

Double drawer air fryer
I think we can safely say the air fryer is here to stay and you can find recipes for most of your traditional Chanukah treats. We use ours several times a week and if I could have one wish it would be for a bigger one with two drawers. This Tower model has a 4.5 star Amazon review and those much-envied double drawers, plus it’s on offer at the moment reduced from £139.99 to £78. Almost half price. You can then make these fantastic crumpet churros and halloumi with hot honey If you prefer a more traditional treat then you can still make air fryer doughnuts in it.

Spider

If you do decide to deep fry – or if you cook a lot of vegetables or pasta in boiling water this is a go-to gadget. It’s what we used at chef school and is a favourite in many professional kitchens for its versatility. This simple spider is under £5.98 and comes in a range of colours. Perfect for fishing anything out of pans.

Splatter guard

Any form of frying — especially latkes — needs one of these. Even more important it if you have a hard-to-clean hob. It’s actually a must even if you have a wipe clean induction hob, as it takes forever to degrease shiny surfaces. And it’s a lot quicker to chuck the splatter guard in your dishwasher or even wash it yourself. This one is priced at £6.95.

Star of David cake tin

Nordicware are the Rolls Royce of baking tins. If you’ve ever admired an intricate-looking bundt cake, the chances are it was made in one of their tins. They are solid and last for years — and the cakes you make in them work. (But you do need to throroughly grease the tin.) I spotted a cake made in this Star of David tin on a Facebook group and have been obsessed with it ever since. It’s on my wish list. It’s £61 on Amazon (eek) but you’ll get so much use from it. 

Doughnut making machine

I’ve had my eye on one of these ever since I got to play with one at the children’s primary school Chanukah fair. Perfect for making mini baked doughnuts to order – they’re super delicious when fresh. And everyone will enjoy the spectacle. Or bake a batch in advance and freeze them. Makes light work of cake-style doughnuts. And this one is £24.99 or £19.99 if you go for the pale green version. 

Pink Chanukah spatula

My silicone spatulas are my most used kitchen gadgets. They’re a must for protecting non-stick pans as you fry your latkes and for making sure I can get every last blob of doughnut batter out of my cake bowls. This cute spatula is £15.00 but will add a pop of colour to your starch-covered kitchen and asmile your face as you get those latkes grated and fried.