5 countertop appliances that will make you a kitchen whiz

1. All-Clad Prep & Cook ($1,000)

Think of this ambitious gadget as a food processor that cooks. It's adept at making risotto and tricky sauces like hollandaise, and it can also dice, stir, knead, and slow cook. A warning, though: It's bulky, expensive, and not entirely reliable with all tasks. Buy it at Amazon.

2. Hurom H-AA Slow Juicer ($459)

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For juice hounds who'll use it daily, this "super-pretty" cold-press juicer is worth its cost. Though carrots cause clogging, it extracts a lot of juice from veggies and fruits, and comes with several useful add-ons. Buy it at Amazon.

3. June Intelligent Oven ($1,495)

The smartest convection oven ever uses a built-in camera to recognize food and cook it accordingly. On "tricky proteins" like chicken, a digital thermometer checks doneness, and the oven learns over time. Now if only June, a startup, could keep up with demand. Buy it at June Oven.

4. The Alchema ($500)

Why should beer be the only beverage that can be brewed at home on a countertop? With minimal ingredients and the push of a button, the Alchema can make hard cider in one to two weeks, mead in less than a week, and wine in about four months. Buy it at Alchema.

5. Philips Airfryer ($200)

Popular but unnecessary, air fryers promise to "fry" food using little or no oil. A convection oven will do the same job better, but if you want a slightly quicker way to bake french fries, choose the Philips HD9641. It at least cooks fairly evenly. Buy it at Amazon.

Editor's note: Every week The Week's editors survey product reviews and articles in websites, newspapers, and magazines, to find cool and useful new items we think you'll like. We're now making it easier to purchase these selections through affiliate partnerships with certain retailers. The Week may get a share of the revenue from these purchases.