Electric Cooking Tools For Keto: The Ultimate Guide

The ketogenic diet has become increasingly popular, but convenience foods are still hard to come by. This means that those on the keto diet will likely be spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Luckily, there are plenty of electric cooking tools that can make keto cooking a breeze.

One of the most important tools for keto cooking is a good blender. Blenders are essential for making smoothies, shakes, purees, and sauces, and can even be used for keto protein shakes. The Hamilton Beach Power Elite Blender is a great affordable option, while the Ninja BL610 Professional 72 Oz Countertop Blender and the Magic Bullet Blender are also solid choices.

Another useful tool for keto cooking is an electric pressure cooker, such as the Ninja FD401 Foodi Instant Pot, which can speed up cooking times and infuse flavours into your dishes. Slow cookers, such as the Crock-Pot 7-Quart Slow Cooker, are also great for hands-free cooking, resulting in tender and flavourful meals.

For those who love their morning bulletproof coffee, a milk frother is a must-have. The Zulay Milk Frother is a great option and can also be used to make sugar-free whipped cream.

Other useful electric cooking tools for the keto diet include vegetable spiralizers, food processors, digital food scales, meat thermometers, and silicone baking mats.

Blenders and food processors for smoothies, shakes, purees, cauliflower rice, pancakes and more

Blenders and food processors are essential tools for any keto kitchen, allowing you to make smoothies, shakes, purees, cauliflower rice, and more. When choosing a blender or food processor, consider the type of blender, controls, blades, size, jar material, wattage, and accessories. Here are some of the best blenders and food processors for keto:

Cuisinart Smart Power Duet Blender/Food Processor

This popular blender/food processor combo offers a low-profile 40-ounce glass jar and seven blending and processing options. It comes with a compact food processor bowl for chopping, stirring, and shredding. While it struggled a bit with kale in our tests, it excelled at grinding ingredients and was very easy to clean. All parts except for the base are dishwasher-safe. At 500 watts, it may not be the most powerful option, but it's a great choice for small kitchens.

Ninja Master Prep Professional

The Ninja Master Prep Professional stands out for its unique design, with the motor incorporated into the lid. It includes a 6-cup blender and 2-cup and 5-cup food chopper bowls. It performs well in both blending and food processing tasks, earning strong ratings for convenience and smoothie-making. However, it lacks a vent hole, so it's not suitable for blending hot soups.

Oster Pro 1200

The Oster Pro 1200 is a versatile option, offering a 6-cup glass blending jar, a 5-cup food processing bowl, and a 3-cup blending container for to-go smoothies. It performs well in both blending and food processing tests, with particularly impressive results in grating hard cheeses. Oster blenders have received good ratings for reliability, but only a passable rating for owner satisfaction.

Vitamix Ascent 3500

The Vitamix Ascent 3500 is a high-end blender and food processor combo. The blender itself is top-rated for its performance, durability, and ability to handle icy drinks and purees. The food processor attachment chops and shreds impressively and slices capably. While it is a significant investment at around $800 for the set, Vitamix blenders are known for their reliability and owner satisfaction.

KitchenAid K400

The KitchenAid K400 is a sleek and powerful blender that claims to blend even tough ingredients like kale and almonds. It features presets for crushing ice, making smoothies, and icy drinks. It also has a self-clean cycle and comes with a tamper and a 16-ounce cup with a lid. However, the start button is a bit small and may require multiple presses to activate.

Breville The Fresh and Furious Countertop Blender

This blender from Breville offers excellent performance at a great price point. It features a green smoothie setting that yields a smooth and creamy texture, as well as a regular smoothie button. It also pureed soup to a silky smooth texture and made a restaurant-quality margarita. The jar and lid are dishwasher-safe, but it has a smaller capacity of 50 ounces and may stain from tomato sauce.

Ninja SS101 Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker & Nutrient Extractor

This personal blender from Ninja offers a variety of presets, including a smoothie bowl maker cup with a built-in tamper. It produces super smooth smoothies and creamy margaritas. It also includes two 24-ounce blender jars with travel lids, all of which are dishwasher-safe. The blender base suctions firmly to your counter, keeping it stable during use.

Slow cookers for hands-free cooking

Slow cookers are a keto dieter's best friend, offering hands-free, long, and slow cooking, resulting in tender and flavourful meals. They are perfect for batch cooking, preparing keto meals in bulk, and freezing them for later. Slow cookers are also ideal for cooking tough cuts of meat, and preparing keto-friendly soups and stews.

There are a variety of slow cookers available on the market, with different features to suit your needs. Here are some of the best options:

Crock-Pot 7-Quart Slow Cooker

The Crock-Pot 7-Quart Slow Cooker is an excellent option for beginners. With its large capacity, you can easily cook for a family or a party. It allows you to set it and forget it, coming home to a delicious, home-cooked meal. You can make a variety of keto-friendly dishes in this slow cooker, from pulled pork to chicken tortilla soup.

Hamilton Beach Extra Large Slow Cooker

If you're looking for a slow cooker that's perfect for batch cooking, the Hamilton Beach Extra Large Slow Cooker is an ideal choice. Its extra-large capacity lets you prepare large quantities of food at once, making it efficient for meal prep or feeding a big group.

Elite Gourmet Electric Slow Cooker

The Elite Gourmet Electric Slow Cooker is a great affordable option. It has all the features you need for convenient slow cooking, without breaking the bank. This slow cooker will help you create tasty keto meals without spending a fortune.

Other Recommendations

In addition to the above-mentioned slow cookers, here are some other recommended models:

• Crock-Pot brand for making classics like pulled pork, beef chilli, and chicken Alfredo.
• Ninja FD401 Foodi Instant Pot, a premium multi-functional electric pressure cooker that speeds up cooking times.
• Duo Plus 9-in-1 Instant Pot, a medium-range option for quick and convenient cooking.
• Zest Instant Pot, one of the most affordable options for a budget-friendly choice.

With any of these slow cookers, you can enjoy the convenience of hands-free cooking and explore a variety of keto-friendly recipes.

Air fryers for keto-friendly chicken wings and vegetable chips

Air fryers are a great electric cooking tool for those on a ketogenic diet. They can cook keto-friendly versions of chicken wings and vegetable chips without the need for a batter, providing a low-carb, crispy texture.

Benefits of using an air fryer for keto cooking:

• Air fryers are versatile and can cook a variety of foods, including chicken wings, vegetable chips, avocado fries, steak, mushrooms, and pork tenderloin.
• They produce circulating forced hot air, achieving a crunchy skin on foods like chicken wings while locking in moisture to create juicy meat.
• Air fryers are easy to clean, minimising the number of dishes. The mess is contained to the basket, so there is no grease splatter or large trays to wash. Most air fryer baskets are also dishwasher-safe.
• They are a safe option for cooking, as there is no need to deal with hot oil.
• Air fryers are convenient and quick, with many keto-friendly chicken wing recipes taking under 30 minutes to cook.

Tips for cooking keto-friendly chicken wings in an air fryer:

• Oil the inside of the air fryer basket with avocado oil or cooking spray.
• Pat fresh chicken wings dry and season with salt and pepper, or a mixture of olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.
• Preheat the air fryer to between 350-380 °F.
• Place the wings in the air fryer basket and cook for 25-30 minutes, tossing the wings every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.
• For extra crispy wings, spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or avocado oil before adding the wings. You can also coat the wings with baking powder or cornstarch prior to air frying.
• After cooking, dip your keto chicken wings in keto-friendly sauces such as buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing, or garlic parmesan sauce.

Waffle makers for keto-friendly breakfasts

Waffles are a breakfast staple, and with a waffle maker, you can easily make keto-friendly waffles, also known as chaffles. Chaffles are usually made with a combination of eggs and cheese, but you can experiment with different ingredients to make both sweet and savoury chaffles.

To make a basic chaffle, layer 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on the bottom of a preheated waffle maker, add half a beaten egg, then layer another 1/4 cup of cheese on top. Cook until crisp, keeping in mind that the chaffle will get crispier as it cools. You can also add a teaspoon of coconut flour or almond flour, along with 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder, to give the chaffle a more bread-like texture.

If you want to make a sweet chaffle, you can add a splash of vanilla or a dash of cinnamon to the batter. For a savoury chaffle, you can use cheddar cheese or any other type of shredded cheese you prefer.

When it comes to choosing a waffle maker, a mini waffle maker is ideal for chaffles. The Dash Mini Waffle Maker is a popular option that is budget-friendly and comes in a variety of cute colours. It heats up quickly, cooks quickly, and takes up minimal space. If you're making chaffles for a family or want to make more than one mini waffle at a time, you can opt for a larger waffle maker, such as the Dash Mini Waffle Maker Express.

With a waffle maker, you can easily experiment with different chaffle recipes and enjoy keto-friendly breakfasts that are both delicious and satisfying.

Electric pressure cookers for speeding up cooking times

Electric pressure cookers are a keto dieter's best friend, speeding up cooking times and infusing flavour into your dishes. They are a versatile tool for cooking tough cuts of meat or preparing keto-friendly soups and stews.

The Ninja FD401 Foodi Instant Pot is a premium option, while the Duo Plus 9-in-1 instant pot is a more affordable, mid-range choice. The Zest instant pot is one of the most affordable options.

These modern pressure cookers are incredibly safe and can elevate your cooking without compromising on taste. They are a sealed chamber that traps steam, increasing the pressure and driving the boiling point of water past 100°C. This higher temperature shortens cooking times and extracts flavour more efficiently from foods.

There are three main methods for releasing the pressure: natural release, quick release, and cold-water release. Natural release involves taking the cooker off the heat and allowing the temperature to decrease until the spring-loaded lock disengages. Quick release involves opening the pressure valve to immediately release steam. Lastly, the cold-water release involves running the apparatus under cold water until the lock disengages.

Electric pressure cookers are a great option for those wanting convenience and safety. They build up pressure and then maintain a lower pressure during cooking, so you can simply "set it and forget it".

Frequently asked questions