Contributed by Cindi Pearce, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Are you trying to feed a family of six something nutritious, yet easy to prepare, every night, and it has become a grind? Incorporating these great kitchen gadgets into your food preparation arsenal will make life easier for you and also introduce some fun and flair into something that has become mundane and a chore rather than something enjoyable.

There are some remarkably inventive kitchen gadgets out there. You need to investigate them. You’ll find versions of these in any of the “kitchen gadget” stores. My top ten great kitchen gadgets are ….

10. Baggy Rack

The baggy rack is a wonderful invention. The scene: You’re trying to pour a liquid into a baggy while also trying to hold the baggy open. You know what happens. Most of the liquid ends up on the counter or on the floor, and you find yourself cursing. These racks tell the storage bags to open wide, and your hands are left free to deal with the pouring or scooping process. The bags will not fall over or collapse.

9. Egg Shaper

Yeah, yeah, frying eggs, once again, ho-hum. Why don’t you change it up and use an egg shaper that creates flower-shaped eggs? Your kids (and even your spouse and certainly your guests) will get a charge out of these cute-shaped eggs. The egg shapers are constructed of stainless steel. You get four egg shapers in a kit. Eggs are no longer humdrum.

8. Knife-fork

This is such a smart idea: The knork is a knife and fork combined, which means you can cut using one hand. All you do is rock the knork back and forth, and it cuts whatever needs cutting. Instead of requiring two eating utensils you only need one. This is especially good for those who don’t have the handgrip that they once had and find it hard to use a knife.

7. Fat Magnet

If you are seriously watching your weight and are concerned about how much fat you are consuming, purchase a fat magnet. This gadget absorbs the fat in the food that you are cooking, which creates much healthier food for you and your family. Removing the fat lowers the cholesterol content and reduces calories. The magnet works by absorbing the fat that floats on the surface of many foods.

6. Carrot Curler

If you get a kick out of making your food pretty, you will love the carrot curler. You can create swirls in curls in no time at all. You put the carrot inside the curler and rotate the carrot clockwise. Presto! You are going to have beautifully curled carrots that will enhance salads or any other food item that you want to adorn with curly carrots.

5. Jar Gripper

Another very helpful invention is the jar gripper that allows you to grip any size jar and open it with ease. You can also use it to open those pesky prescription bottles which can be a real pain. This is a wonderful gadget for an older person who may have arthritic hands and no grip.

4. Cereal Dispenser

If you have children who love cereal, invest in a single cereal dispenser which makes serving easy and fast. There isn’t going to be cereal strewn around your kitchen, and the cereal won’t be wasted because the dispenser dispenses portion-controlled amounts of cereal. The dispenser keeps the cereal fresh and the dispenser looks pretty cool, too, sitting on your countertop or in your pantry, filled with colorful bits of cereal.

3. Motorized Can Opener

One of the best kitchen gadgets invented in a long time is the hands-free motorized can opener. All you do is latch the can opener to the top of the can, press a button, and voila! The can opener opens the can with virtually no effort on your part. When it’s finished opening the can, it stops on its own. This is a great gadget for someone who has a heck of a time using a conventional can opener.

2. Automatic Trash Can

This is pretty fabulous: A trash can lid that opens automatically! You don’t have to lift, tug, pull, remove the lid or do anything at all. The trash can has a motion-activated sensor and senses your approach from 10 inches away and opens. How cool is that? It closes automatically as well. You don’t have to shut the lid physically or press down on a pedal. This is a very sanitary way to dispose of trash. You don’t have to have physical contact with the trash can. The trash can also comes equipped with a stay-on button. The lid stays open until the close button is pressed.

1. Cook

Hire a cook. Sit back, relax, read a book, or take a walk and let him do the cooking. Only show up when the dinner bell rings! Now you can’t beat that, can you? A cook is a wonderful “gadget” to have at your disposal.