7 buys that will help you cook a better breakfast

Magimix Blender Power 4

“It’s my go-to for whisking up pancake batter or big batches of eggs for frittatas”

Essential info: Magimix’s top-of-the-range blender has a generous 1.8-litre capacity and, like its renowned mixers, a powerful motor (with 30-year guarantee). The jug is made from tough borosilicate glass, to cope with hot or cold food, and its square shape encourages a double vortex effect that assists with thorough blending. Magimix promises its ColdMix® technology means the blender’s energetic action won’t warm up your morning frappés, too.

Why deputy editor (audiences) Mia Rodriguez recommends it:

• Breakfast all-rounder: I got this Magimix blender for my birthday last year and love using it for smoothies and juices (by simply pouring blended fruits and veggies through a sieve or muslin cloth). It’s my go-to for quickly whisking up frothy waffle and pancake batter or big batches of eggs if I’m doing frittatas for a crowd, too.
• Useful attachments: I also use the mill attachments to grind larger spices for cakes and oats to make oat flour and plant milk.
• Faster prep time: I love prepping ingredients in advance (so I can easily make meals from what’s in my fridge and freezer) and this blender massively helps to speed that process up. I can prep everything from super-smooth sauces  (it does a particularly satisfying with tomato-based sauces) to soups in minutes.
• Simple to store and maintain: It doesn’t take up a huge amount of space in a cupboard or on a kitchen surface too, which I appreciate. It’s also easy to clean (with a clean function and dishwasher-friendly jug).
• Good customer service: There is an element of risk with the jug being made of glass (I once dropped and smashed it), but Magimix replaced it really quickly – bonus points for that!

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MasterClass Ceramic Non-Stick Crepe pan

“It gives an even toasting to anything from potato farls and Welsh cakes to a hot cross bun, more reliably than my toaster”

Essential info: This slim-line pan’s ceramic ‘non-slip’ surface is designed to cook pancakes and crepes efficiently, with a soft-grip riveted steel handle for confident flipping.

Why editorial director Laura Rowe recommends it:

• Multipurpose pan: Call me a maverick but I don’t solely use the MasterClass crepe pan for pancakes. Being lightweight and suitable for all hobs (including induction), it’s great for flipping but you’ll also find me using it for quickly toasting frozen parathas – a swab of butter and a few minutes each side results in flaky, crisp and golden pastry.
• Superior toasting: It’s also a much more reliable friend than my toaster, giving an even reheat or toasting to anything from potato farls and Welsh cakes to a hot cross bun or tuna melt; and it’s great for a quick dry fry for thin meats like parma ham instead of grilling (great with eggs).
• Smart, wipe-clean design: It’s an incredibly versatile, non-stick and (importantly for already crammed cupboards) slimline piece of kit. It’s super easy to clean too: I always give it a speedy wipe in the washing-up bowl, even though it’s dishwasher safe and has a 15-year guarantee.
• Budget buy: Best of all, it’s under twenty quid!

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Jura Automatic Hot & Cold Milk Frother

“I’ve used this milk frother constantly – the foam is longer-lasting than with handheld frothers”

Essential info: Jura’s compact one-button frother can prepare milk to three temperatures, for making toasty hot chocolates or trendy cold flat whites, and includes a recipe leaflet with speciality drinks inspiration.

Why deputy editor (audiences) Mia Rodriguez recommends it:

• Quality, consistent results: My Jura milk frother is used daily for cappuccinos, matcha, chai lattes or hot chocolates and makes milk that’s almost fluffy in texture, with lots of aerated froth. It works a treat with dairy and oat milks. It saves the hassle of needing to wash an entire pot after using it to warm milk and the foam is longer-lasting than the foam created by some of the handheld frothers I’ve tried.
• Neat and convenient design: It’s simple to use, with only one button and two attachments (for hot, warm or cold milk). It’s small and lightweight enough to earn its place in my cupboards too. There’s a space underneath the frother where the spare parts are stored magnetically, which is a mysterious but useful easter egg to discover. It’s also very quiet, which makes early mornings calmer!
• Good investment: It’s not the cheapest option out there, but I’ve used this milk frother constantly over the past year or so and would be happy to repurchase it. It’d make a classy housewarming gift too, I reckon.

AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON

AVAILABLE FROM ALCHEMY COFFEE

Cast iron double burner griddle

“The material makes bacon and sausages sizzle beautifully and gives pancakes ripples of bronzing”

Essential info: A large cast iron griddle isn’t just for outdoor cooking – it can be placed over two rings of a gas hob to create a wider surface area to cook on.

Why deputy digital editor (traffic) Phoebe Stone recommends one:

• Increased capacity: My gas hob has a cast iron griddle across it on a permanent basis, like a flat-top grill. There’s only two of us at home, but having the increased cooking space is useful almost every day and comes into its own for weekend breakfasts. The flat surface is brilliant for cooking bacon, fried eggs and mushrooms/tomatoes/hash browns together (everything getting nicely licked with bacon fat) or multiple American-style pancakes simultaneously.
• Cast iron benefits: This material retains heat well, making bacon and sausages sizzle beautifully and giving pancakes good ripples of bronzing.
• Customisable heat control: Gas hob rings are often different sizes; adjust to attain uniform heat or create hotter and cooler zones to keep food warm while finishing off your fry-up. I use a temperature gun (bought for the pizza oven!) and now know I’m looking for approximately 180°C before I ladle pancake batter onto the surface.
• Surprisingly simple maintenance: Cast iron gets a bad rap for needing prompt cleaning and seasoning. However, since the griddle has become part of the kitchen furniture, giving it a wipe down and oil feels less troublesome than heaving it in and out of the cupboards – or washing up multiple frying pans.

SEE LODGE BLACKLOCK DOUBLE BURNER GRILL

Salter Coffee and Spice Grinder

“Takes the faff out of grinding coffee and spices – step aside pestle and mortar!”

Essential info: Salter’s grinder is equipped with a stainless steel blade and durable metal body. The grinding bowl holds 60g and is topped with a transparent lid for keeping an eye on consistency – whether you want a finely ground coffee beans for intense espresso or coarser for cafetière.

Why senior food stylist Pollyanna Coupland recommends it:

• Versatile gadget: From freshly grinding coffee beans to making homemade garam masala and blends for cured sides of salmon, this machine gets surprisingly regular use at breakfast time.
• Straightforward and effective design: The Salter Spice Grinder takes the faff out of grinding spices down to a nice even, fine blend – step aside mini chopper and pestle and mortar! Just press the button to grind in seconds: the longer you press, the finer the grind.
• Value for money: I resisted the lure of a spice grinder for years, fearing it would end up in the back of the cupboard with the ice cream machine and the waffle maker. However I finally parted with the very reasonable amount of £29.99 and haven’t looked back.
• Easy to clean: The design is simple, compact and – most importantly – very quick and easy to clean. No need to worry about tainting my ground coffee with exotic spice flavours either: a 30-second wipe-out with a touch of white vinegar takes it back to good as new.

AVAILABLE FROM SALTER

Le Creuset Butter Dish

“The proper handle means you can hook greasy breakfast-time fingers around it”

Essential info: Le Creuset’s fired stoneware cloche with base is designed to stay cool and is dishwasher-safe for cleaning. It’s also fridge and microwave-friendly (if you need soft butter in a hurry) and guaranteed for 10 years.

Why deputy digital editor (traffic) Phoebe Stone recommends it:

• Kitchen essential: I’ve destroyed too many pieces of toast by smashing lumps of fridge-hard butter into them to not know that a butter dish – and the ready-to-spread butter within – are breakfast saviours.
• Thoughtful, attractive design: Why Le Creuset? Like the French brand’s casseroles, this butter dish is functional as well as good-looking. The proper handle means you can hook your fingers around it; a surprising number of butter dishes out there have a knob that’s no match for greasy breakfast-time hands. The flared base holds the lid snugly – no sliding around – and its ample height and width means it houses standard butter blocks or fancier farm shop-style rolls.
• Sound investment: It’s somewhat of a splurge for a small tech-free object, but looks timeless, is available in a range of colours and works a treat.

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Exxcel Creation Non-Stick 30cm Aluminium Tawa Pan

“The concave shape means fried eggs don’t run or spread out”

Essential info: This gently curved non-stick pan, made from die-cast aluminium, is suitable for gas, electric, halogen and ceramic hobs and comes in under £20.

Why head of food Tom Shingler recommends it:

• Unique shape: A tawa – a subtly bowl-shaped concave pan usually used to cook flatbreads in India and beyond – might sound like an unlikely inclusion in a ‘best breakfast gear’ round-up, but it genuinely has upped my weekend fry-up game. The concave shape means fried eggs don’t run or spread out like they do on a flat surface; they naturally run into the centre to create a neat white circle around the yolk that’s so perfect it’s almost cartoon-like.
• Heat zones: Anything else you’d want to fry – bacon, sausages, tomatoes – will happily sizzle away around the edges, where it’s a little cooler.
• All-in-one breakfast solution: It is of course also perfect for cooking frozen parathas and the like, which, if you ask me, is the best way to start a morning (especially if they’re wrapped around the elements of a full English).

AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON

Read more

• 10 steps to the perfect cooked breakfast
• How to cook a fry-up in the air fryer
• 10 exciting breakfast ideas for weekdays
• The pros & cons of eating breakfast
• More kitchen appliance reviews, from air fryers to pizza ovens