Summer is hot. Even getting up from the couch can cause beads of sweat to form on the skin. Your clothes are sticking to your back, you’ve consumed enough water to fill a pool and the last thing you want to do is stand over a stove, heat your oven or work over a flaming-hot grill.
When that moment comes—and it will—you’ll need a collection of kitchen gadgets to make healthy meal prep easy, sans stove or oven. Think of things that chop, slice, dice, peel, spin and prep ingredients for filling summer salads, balanced bowls and more with zero cooking involved. And the best-case scenario? You barely even have to move while doing so. To help you, we gathered eight standout tools that do just that, all costing less than $20. Time to grab a margarita!
No-Cook Meal Prep Kitchen Gadgets Under $20 at Amazon
OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Assorted Prep Y-Peeler Set
Amazon
You might think you don’t need three vegetable peelers, but this isn’t your ordinary set. There’s a standard Y-shaped peeler, of course, which can peel and form wide, thick ribbons. There’s a julienne peeler that shreds ingredients like carrots and zucchini in a jiffy. And, you even get a third peeler with a delicate serrated edge to peel skins off of delicate ingredients, like those fresh garden tomatoes—perfect for a no-cook sauce!
Jofuyu Herb Scissors
Amazon
Why pull out a cutting board and dirty a knife when you can whip out these nifty scissors? They’re stacked with four evenly spaced blades to finely and quickly cut fresh herbs like green onion, parsley, cilantro and more. The tool comes with a helpful fork to make washing easy, so don’t worry about standing over the sink for ages to get these clean.
OXO Good Grips Handheld Spiralizer
Amazon
This genius spiralizer is compact and easy to use. It goes right in your hand and winds produce like a pencil sharpener. Use the pronged lid to secure your produce, then push and twist it through the spiralizing base. You’ll fill a bowl with twirly versions of your favorite produce in seconds!
Cambom Manual Food Chopper
Amazon
Fill this food chopper with tougher ingredients like garlic, onion or nuts. It’s fitted with a blade and dices ingredients with the pull of a lever on top. Keep pulling for a fine chop, or stop early if you want something with more texture.
Cuisinart Salad Spinner
Amazon
Although primarily used for washing lettuce, a salad spinner is also handy for other foods. They’re lifesavers when it comes to salad or bowl prep because you can wash and dry all of your produce quickly and effectively. Use this spinner to wash carrots, radishes, beets and zucchini. Then, fill it with greens and delicate herbs. After a couple of quick washes, all you need to do is add a protein (rotisserie chicken, perhaps?) and grain (we love pre-cooked options from the store!) and you have a fresh, balanced meal.
Kitchendao 2-in-1 Salad Dressing Shaker Bottle
Amazon
This multitasking tool makes quick work of dressing and sauce prep for the week. It features a built-in citrus juicer, so you can make the most out of your lemons or limes. Use the juice to create the best homemade salad dressing to complement your daily salads.
Checkered Chef Salad Chopper
Amazon
We’ve all had days when we wish we could throw every ingredient on a cutting board, chop it up and then chuck it in a bowl or bun to eat. Well, that’s exactly what this tool is for. Make those viral chopped Italian sandwiches with ease by rocking the mezzaluna blade across your cutting board. It’ll have that fine, deli-like texture with minimal effort.
OXO Good Grips Handheld Mandoline
Amazon
Don’t underestimate the power of a simple mandoline slicer. It gets the job done in at least half the time it’d take to slice with a knife. Carefully glide ingredients over the blade to get thin, even cuts. Use it for produce, cheese or even hard-boiled eggs for a tasty niçoise.
