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There is one thing we all get the exact same amount of: hours in a day. However, some people seem able to get so much more done during their 86,400 seconds than others. The good news? There are productivity-boosting products that can help you save time and move through your day with ease.
If you feel like you can never scratch everything off your to-do list, these clever devices could make life just a little bit easier.
1. Zulay 8-Blade Apple Slicer and Corer
Cutting apples can take some time — unless you have an apple corer like this one, featuring stainless-steel blades and a comfortable handle. This item is easy to clean and will divide your apples into eight perfectly shaped slices with a single press. Whether you want a quick snack while working from home or you need to pack kids’ lunches, this can help.
2. Instant Pot Duo 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
An energy-efficient, electric cooker such as the Instant Pot can reduce cooking time by as much as 70%. If you’re someone who is constantly getting home late from work or has kids’ after-school activities to attend, this is your answer for easy weeknight meals. Plus, they’re easy to clean, so it’s a win all around.
3. 1 Step Kitchen Salad Cutter Bowl
Prepare a healthy salad in no time by tossing your greens and veggies whole into this bowl and then chopping them all at once. You can rinse, chop and serve in just a few minutes. This method is also safer than just cutting the regular way, since your fingers won’t be in the way of the knife.
4. Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker
Hook one of these tags to your keys, your phone, your remote or anything else you would tear the house apart to find if you lost it. You can see where you last used the item or even make it ring. Tile trackers are water resistant and work with both iPhones and Androids, and they also come in different shapes, sizes and sets.
5. Zulay Kitchen Cast-Iron Orange Juice Squeezer
If you love fresh-squeezed juice but don’t love how long it takes you to make, you’ll want this juicer on your kitchen counter. It’s sturdy and durable and lets you get every drop of citrusy goodness out of lemons, oranges, pineapples and other fruits with the simple use of a comfortable grip handle.
6. HyperChiller HC1 Iced Coffee Cooler
Waiting for coffee to cool down enough to have a refreshing iced coffee can get really time consuming. This device will cool down your coffee in less than 60 seconds without ice — and it works with your coffee maker. Simply freeze it, then use it in place of a coffee mug under your Keurig. Or, pour coffee straight into it from a carafe.
7. Zulay Kitchen Silicone Utensil Rest
If you’re tired of cleaning your kitchen counters after putting food-covered utensils down on them during the cooking process, this machine-washable utensil rest will save you some aggravation as well as time. Four slots let you keep spoons, spatulas, tongs, brushes and more conveniently close, yet separated. A built-in drip pad keeps the mess contained.
8. eufy L60 Robot Vacuum
$230 with coupon (was $280) at Amazon
Get a Wi-Fi-enabled robot vacuum to clean your floors, and you’ll free up extra time to spend on the important things. The eufy robot vacuum offers precision mapping, the ability to overcome obstacles without getting stuck, and intelligent suction control. It’s also easy to set up and use.
9. HP Sprocket Portable 2×3 Instant Color Photo Printer
No need to rush home or head to a print shop to print an important photo on the go. Carry this Bluetooth printer with you and print pics on demand. This cute little item uses Zink paper, which has an adhesive back and draws from embedded colors so you don’t need to change out ink.
10. Urpower Steamer for Clothes
Ironing can take ages. Skip standing over the ironing board and simply steam wrinkled clothing instead. The Urpower steamer is a compact, handheld tool that heats quickly and has a nozzle design that distributes steam consistently to remove wrinkles. It’s perfect for travel, too.
11. Cuisinart WAF-B50 Breakfast Express
If you think there’s no time for a hearty, wholesome breakfast on a busy weekday morning, think again. This gadget lets you make perfectly cooked omelets and waffles at the same time. It also grills sandwiches, frittatas, sausages, muffins and more.
12. Amazon Echo Dot
Don’t stop what you’re doing to look something up or turn on some music. Let a hands-free, smart device such as the Echo Dot do the work for you. The 2022 version lets you control smart devices and access your media with a simple voice command, and also has better sound and privacy protection than previous models.
13. Duracell M150 Power Station
If you’re on the go and need to power more than one device quickly, be as efficient as possible with this power station, which can provide full charging for one laptop or six cellphones. It has a tilt-able lid to hold your phone while you watch its screen and a ring light so you can have all the illumination you need. It offers wireless charging and even has a compartment for cords.
14. Zulay 2-in-1 Jalapeño Corer Tool
When it comes to cutting peppers for dishes like jalapeño poppers, you’ll want to whip out this corer instead of a knife. It has a serrated edge slicer to pierce the pepper’s top and a spiral blade to scoop and twist to get ribs and seeds out easily. It can be used with other long or hard veggies and helps minimize skin contact with peppers.
15. Dania & Dean 16X6 Extra Thick Silicone Baking Mat
Scrubbing baked-on gunk or gummy cooking spray is a tiresome and time-consuming duty. Reusable nonstick baking mats let you skip this unpleasant job. And this version, which is totally oven-safe, won’t slip. It also helps keep worktops clean. Best of all, it lists measurements, so you know exactly how big what size your pie crust will be and you can convert easily from metric to U.S. units.
MORE: The best ways to clean a baking sheet
16. RotoScrub 7-Piece Multi-Purpose Drill Brush Kit
Work smarter, not harder! Soap scum and hard water don’t stand a chance against this bathroom accessory kit, which attaches to your own drill to save you from scrubbing the tile for hours. Use these accessories with any cleaning agent you prefer and clean your bathroom fixtures five times faster.
17. Grill Magic BBQ Grill Mat
Scraping drippings and charred meat off a barbecue grill is no picnic. Prevent the mess in the first place with reusable, dishwasher-safe nonstick mats. Because they are nonstick, they allow you to cook without oil and butter. These mats also prevent food from falling between the grates and are easier to take with you camping or to picnic spots. They’re also dishwasher safe.
18. Paderno World Cuisine 4-Blade Folding Veggie Slicer
Adding more veggies to your diet can be fast and easy with a countertop-mounted slicer. This one features four different blade options for slicing, shredding, chipping or creating “angel hair” vegetable slices. It has a smart, foldable design and a suction base. It’s also dishwasher safe on the top shelf.
With these gadgets, you’ll still have the same amount of minutes in a day, but it might seem like you’re gaining hours.
Helen is a Chicago-area freelance writer, editor, and social media manager. She has two degrees, in journalism and biology. In her spare time, she loves volunteering, doing Zumba and watching MCU and "Star Wars" movies. She is a single mom. More.
