The Best Breakfast Gadgets of 2020

There's a lot to love about the Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer. We immediately noticed how easy this juicer was to use, thanks to the large, comfortable handles and a gear mechanism that helped us press into the fruit without much effort. It was one of the fastest juicers we used, and it did so without sacrificing the quality of the juice. Unlike most of the juicers (which feature tiny little holes), the Chef'n has star-shaped slits in the bottom of the hopper. Those slits worked magic, allowing the juice to pass through without any seeds and a limited amount of pulp. It was also less messy than most of the units, barely spraying any juice out the sides as you used it.

Chef'n spared no attention to detail here, including tiny feet on the bottom of the hopper that allow the juicer to sit on the counter without falling over. Not only that, but it has a small profile that easily fits into the gadget drawer and it's super simple to clean. This type of citrus juicer is a no-brainer to use, even if you only need a mere tablespoon of juice. While it wouldn't be my top choice for anyone looking to juice massive amounts of oranges (and, it's not large enough to fit a grapefruit), it performs perfectly for anyone looking to use citrus juice in cooking or cocktail recipes. All that comes together to make it our top pick for Best Overall.

See more of the best citrus juicers we tested and reviewed.

If you're a big fresh-squeezed orange juice fan, you'll love the Black & Decker CJ625 34-ounce Citrus Juicer. This motorized juicer was the second fastest we tested, making quick work of juicing our lemons, limes, and oranges. The unit has two juicing sizes–a smaller cone for lemons and limes, and a larger one for orange and grapefruit–both of which worked perfectly. We detected almost no bitterness in the orange juice, and we loved how easily the bowl clipped into the base. It also has an adjustable pulp control, and the rotating reamer's design helped prevent the pulp from clogging the basket (even on the low-pulp setting).

It takes up about the same amount of space as a small food processor, and the juicing bowl doubles as a pitcher. If you're specifically looking for a motorized citrus juicer that can handle large quantities of juice and isn't terribly loud, this is the unit for you.

See more of the best citrus juicers we tested and reviewed.

Slow, steady, and built to last, this horizontal auger masticating juicer produced consistently high juice yield with little effort on my part, and the resulting juice was always crisp and refreshingly low on pulp and foam. It’s both the best masticating model we tested, and our favorite high-speed juicer overall.

Ultimately, if you want high-quality juice that will waste the least amount of produce, we recommend the Omega Nutrition Center. The price tag isn’t something to laugh at, but you won’t find a comparable juicer at a better price.

See more of the best juicers we tested and reviewed.

With its mid-century design and an exposed reservoir, you'll want to leave the Moccamaster out on the counter even when it’s not in use. But it doesn't just look great. Indeed, the pricey Moccamaster brews a complex and smooth pot of coffee that ranked highest in our taste test. This machine also fills a full pot quickly—a necessity for the morning rush.

Only two optional settings are available: You can control the heating element under the carafe and turn down the temperature if desired. Other than that, the Moccamaster doesn't have—and doesn't need—anything else. Technivorm boasts that its heating element can get water between 196ºF and 205ºF, which specialists say is the ideal temperature for brewing coffee.

As much as we love the Moccamaster, it isn't for everyone. Handmade in the Netherlands, it costs around $300—and would never win an award for value. It lacks a programmable timer, and it was also bit more difficult to set up than the rest of the coffee makers—in fact most were ready to go right out of the box. But a quick look at the instruction diagram should clear up any confusion, and the end result is well worth the effort.

See more of the best drip coffee makers we tested and reviewed.

With the VertuoLine centrifusion brewing method, our coffee came out with foamy crema on top, a truly luxurious experience. The technology behind this dense, rich, and aromatic coffee is simple—a machine head penetrates the capsules in the center and around the edges, allowing water to enter in the center opening and push through the 20 edge holes, maximizing coffee interaction and pressure. It also brews espresso capsules so you can make espresso, double espresso, and regular coffee.

Unlike most of the other pod brewers we tested, the Nespresso VertuoPlus by Breville’s compact design makes it easy to keep on your countertop or store where space is limited. It boasts a 40-ounce water tank that can also swivel out easily. The motorized head opens with a light lift, different from traditional Keurig machines that often require a forced push and thus increase the chance of wear and tear.

See more of the best pod brewers we tested and reviewed.

Receiving top marks across the board during all of our tests, SterlingPro's double walls provide excellent insulation, meaning the coffee stays hot while the exterior unit remains cool to the touch (neither of which is guaranteed from other materials). The lid can also be spun around to seal off the pouring spot and hold in heat when not in use. The snugly fitting filter is equipped with double screens, preventing grounds from sneaking into your cup, and every part of the press is constructed from rust-free stainless steel, so it'd take an act of God for this baby to deteriorate or break.

It’s relatively lightweight for a metal model, and easy to operate too. The lid fits snugly, and the plunger pushes down smoothly without excess effort. Not only is it dishwasher safe, but you can also scrub by hand, as the filters can be removed. The canister doesn’t include any outer casings to fumble with, either. It boasts an especially large capacity (holding about six mugs where the average in this size-class is four) and is multi-use, so it's good for making anything from cold brew to hot chocolate. This machine also produces perfectly frothed milk in seconds. On top of that, it’s a great price—while stainless steel presses can flirt with the $100 range, the SterlingPro clocks in at around $30.

See more of the best french presses we tested and reviewed.

For $20 at Amazon, you can’t ask more from a French press. Kona really delivers with their multi-material model, which is composed of an easy-on-the-eye, extra-thick borosilicate glass carafe (resistant to thermal shock) which is surrounded by a BPA-free plastic outer shell. This helps insulate and protect against chips and breaks. Those two pieces are fused, meaning your hands won’t get scalded if the outer skeleton slips (this does make it slightly trickier to clean, but the whole thing is dishwasher safe).

The Kona is light, with an ergonomic handle, a tight-fitting lid, a and smooth moving plunger, so it’s comfortable to use and hold. And the reusable filters are made of food-grade stainless steel instead of plastic (not often the case with less expensive, glass/plastic presses) that won’t transmit flavors, and are considerably longer lasting. But the thing that really set the Kona apart is its ability to quickly foam milk—something we found near impossible with plastic presses, and quite time consuming with glass.

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Except for a transparent top knob (which aids in one of the understood pleasures of percolating—watching the coffee circling), the Maxi-Matic is composed mainly of stainless steel. That speaks to why it brewed one of the most balanced, flavorful cups of the bunch since plastic mechanisms can transmit chemicals and lead to off-tastes and aromas. It even has all of our preferred percolator elements such as separate power and ready-to-drink indicator lights, its comfortable-to-hold, heat-resistant handle, and a thin, curved spout that aids in pouring and prevent drips.

The Maxi-Matic also one-ups the other models we tested with a few unique advantages. The pot can be lifted off the heating element completely for seamless, cordless serving, then returned to its base, where it will be kept warm automatically. It has a boil dry safety feature, too, which, even when plugged in, ensures the pot won’t continue to heat once there’s no liquid inside.

See more of the best electric coffee percolator's we tested and reviewed.

If waffles are on the menu, the Cuisinart Vertical Waffle Maker works a treat. It turns out crispy, tender, round waffles, makes batter overflow a thing of the past, and takes up a minimal amount of counter space.

To fill the Vertical Waffle Maker, simply pour batter, using the waffle maker’s included measuring cup, into its top-mounted receptacle. The waffle maker’s design makes It easy to see when enough batter has been poured. If you accidentally pour too much, the excess batter bakes in the receptacle, making it easy to remove, without a mess, later. A green light and a beep signal when the machine is hot enough to pour in your batter and again when your waffles are ready.

And if you’re looking for inspiration, the Vertical Waffle Maker comes with a booklet that features a number of enticing recipes for waffles and toppings.

See more of the best waffle makers we tested and reviewed.

For the money, you just can’t beat the Hamilton Beach Belgian-Style Waffle Maker. It bakes up two thick, crisp, fluffy, Belgian-style waffles in record time.

You won’t find a lot of additional features here: Hamilton Beach equipped their Belgian waffle machine with a lever that slides from maximum to minimum power, and a light that indicates when it's time to add your batter or remove your freshly cooked waffles.

Once you’ve finished breakfast, the Belgian Style Waffle Maker is compact enough that it won’t take up too much room on your counter or in a cabinet.

See more of the best waffle makers we tested and reviewed.

Meeting (and in some cases exceeding) our basic expectations for an electric griddle, the Hamilton Beach has a series of notable special features, which catapulted it right to the top of our list. It’s equipped with two reversible, easy to snap in, non-stick plates (which are PFOA-free, too) with flat griddles on one side and ridged grills on the other. And while the tradeoff here is usually surface area (you often lose a significant amount of cooking real estate where the plates connect), the transition is nearly seamless. Its 180 square inches allowed us to fit four big pancakes, three pieces of bacon, and two eggs on our griddle without a hitch. Cleanup was also easier since you can remove and wash the plates without having to stick the entire unit in the sink (bonus: the plates—and the grease tray included with the griddle—are also dishwasher safe).

Another savvy addition to this griddle is that each side of the unit has its own heating control, so you can adjust the temperature under each plate. That’s highly useful when cooking a variety of items at once. Unsurprisingly, the heating consistency of the Hamilton Beach 3-n-1 griddle also rated highly in our tests. In addition to uniformly griddling our breakfast items, the Hamilton Beach executed a perfect grilled cheese—evenly browned outsides and fully melted interiors. And it did it in less time than the other models we tested.

See more of the best electric griddles we tested and reviewed.

If you’re really not interested in bells and whistles, the Black & Decker scored top marks for a standard flat top griddle. This family-sized unit is all about its cooking surface, offering 200 square inches of room to griddle and groove. Temperature can be easily adjusted with a click and lock thermostat, and all the items we tested cooked through evenly and quickly (it produced wonderfully crispy bacon and a mean grilled cheese). And although you can’t remove and wash the surface separately, the entire unit can be submerged in water, and since it’s so light and streamlined—also a plus for storage—washing it by hand isn’t a pain. It helps that a bare minimum of grease is needed on the ultra-slick, nonstick surface and that it cools down quickly after unplugging. The only real downside to the Black & Decker is that the cord for the plug is extremely short, which—unless you get an extension cord—will determine where you can use it in your kitchen.

See more of the best electric griddles we tested and reviewed.

It’s more than top-notch toasting of bread and bagels. The Breville Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster might actually make you say “I love my toaster” in casual conversation. Taking it out of the box, the first thing you’ll notice is its weight, due to the solid metal housing. Making a product heavier to connote “quality” is an old trick, but in this case it's accurate.

It’s the little things that make this toaster stand out. You push a button to start toasting rather than pushing down on a lever. The bread lowers and rises in theatrically paced movement. You select your setting by sliding a button on an LED-lighted control.

See more of the best toasters we tested and reviewed.

The stainless steel Breville Smart Oven Pro doesn’t just handle toast—it also acts as an energy-efficient second oven.

Aside from the stripes left by the wire rack, the toast the Smart Oven Pro makes is consistent, crisp, and golden brown. If you’re heating up a frozen pizza, baking biscuits, or broiling chicken breasts, you’ll get the same (or better) results as if you used a regular oven. To help you in these tasks, the toaster oven comes with a heavy porcelain broiling/baking pan, a pizza pan, and, of course, a crumb tray.

The Smart Oven Pro’s LCD display presents choices for toast, bagel, bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, reheat, warm, and slow cook options. Turn the dial to select the function, temperature, and time. During operation, the display counts down the seconds until your meal is ready. An interior light makes it easy to keep tabs on your food.

Read our full review here.

If I’m being completely honest, I used to laugh at line cooks who bought the Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife. “You spent how much money on a knife that you can’t sharpen?” As it turns out, the joke’s on me: This knife was a joy to use, absolutely acing our tests and earning an unprecedented perfect score. It sliced through crusty baguette like butter and the soft bread fell into perfect slices on the cutting board. The blade moved effortlessly through the tomatoes, barely requiring any sawing motion at all. In addition to a high-performing, ultra-sharp blade, this knife is also completely gorgeous with a Damascus finish and an ebony PakkaWood handle. It might cost a pretty penny, but Shun also has a reputation for creating blades with super-sharp edges that stay that way for years.

See more of the best serrated bread knives we tested and reviewed.

The Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife is proof that good things don't always come in fancy packages. This brand is a major supplier of culinary school knife kits (I had a set of these knives back in the day). While you'll find the design to be a bit boring, its performance completely impresses. In fact, this budget-priced knife almost outperformed our top pick! I was pleasantly surprised by perfectly clean slices of the soft sandwich bread, a task most of the knives could not do. It certainly won't be a showpiece, but if you’re looking for a knife that can perform without breaking the bank, this is the one for you.

See more of the best serrated bread knives we tested and reviewed.