Gadgets: Kitchen game changers

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Cosori’s NutriLens smart nutrition scale and its Iconic 6.5-quart stainless-steel smart air fryer are kitchen game changers.

Testing these over several weeks of home-cooked meals—led by my wife—delivered impressive results. For example, in the past, we’ve made chicken Parmesan in a few different air fryers, and some turned out great; we even thought they were perfect. That changed quickly once we saw and tasted what the Iconic air fryer could do.

But first the scale, since that comes first in the equation of meal prep, followed by cooking and eating. We have been eating healthier for many years now, but still often overeat. The scale is like having an assistant there telling you how much is the right amount, taking the guesswork out of measuring ingredients.

The countertop NutriLens Smart Nutrition Scale features a sleek glass top that looks nice on your counter. It measures 9.25 by 6 by 0.75 inches, is charged via USB-C, and has an auto-off function. Both the scale and the Iconic air fryer work with the veSync companion app.

If you are counting macros, this scale is great. This allows you to track the daily grams of protein, carbohydrates and fats you consume to meet specific goals for weight loss or muscle gain. It comes preloaded with five commonly weighed foods; you can add your own with the app.

When placing food on the scale, it will weigh and display 19 essential nutrients, including calories, protein, carbs and fat. I love the tare function because it lets me zero out the scale after each ingredient, so I can add the next ingredient with precise measurements without needing extra bowls, measuring cups or spoons. It weighs foods from 3 grams to 5,000 grams in 1-gram increments and 7 different measuring units.

After you have measured all your ingredients, the app syncs with the scale to calculate your daily food intake and update your progress. It tracks by day, week and month and will even offer personalized advice.

https://cosori.com/collections/accessories/products/nutrilens-smart-nutrition-scale ($49.99)

The Iconic Stainless Steel 6.5-Quart Smart Air Fryer may be the best air fryer we have used. As air fryers go, it's eye-catching with its polished stainless steel body. The inside basket and crisper plate are dishwasher safe and feature a PFAS- and BPA-free ceramic nonstick cooking surface.

The award-winning design translates into a long-lasting, corrosion-resistant air fryer with a strong, durable feel and minimal heat on the outside. All controls are on a top-side touchscreen panel for powering on, preheating, proofing, dehydrating, baking, reheating and air-frying. Inside is a DC motor, which is relatively quiet (less than 52dB) and operates over a temperature range of 90 to 450 degrees.

As mentioned, the chicken Parmesan was our first meal, and it actually turned out to be crispy fried chicken. You can use the onboard control panel or the app to set cooking functions, temperatures and times. Once the basket with the cooked food is removed, the air fryer automatically shuts off.

This air fryer is 6.5 quarts, which is a little bigger than the average, and I like that. Others we have used cooked fine, but they were just a bit too small. The app includes a helpful chart that shows the right settings, time and temperature for a wide range of foods.

Chef-created recipes in the app automatically set the cooking settings on the air fryer. This makes it easy to find precise cooking times in seconds, all tailored specifically to this air fryer. The Iconic air fryer is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

The NutriLens Smart Nutrition Scale ($49.99) and Iconic Smart Air Fryer ($249) make the perfect pair for healthy, easy cooking meals.

https://cosori.com/products/iconic-air-fryer