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10 products Which? experts use to simplify their weekly meal prep, from glass storage containers to vegetable choppers
Meal prepping is a great way to save time and money, and it could help you stay on track with your 2026 health goals too.
By spending a quiet Sunday afternoon batch-cooking, you'll free up time in the week to tackle other chores, hit the gym or pick up the kids from their after-school clubs.
Having a fridge stocked with nutritious, delicious food takes the stress out of dinner time. It’s also a smart way to avoid pricey lunches at work and remove any temptation to order a mid-week takeaway.
To help you get started, the experts at Which? have been sharing the tools and kitchen accessories they use to simplify and speed up their weekly meal prep.
Slow cooker
Need to batch cook or meal prep like a pro? Get a slow cooker, whack whatever you've got in your fridge, meat, veggies, whatever, put it on slow and it'll get to work cooking a tasty nutritious dish while you get on with other stuff. Get a larger sized pot so you can batch cook and then freeze, curries, chillies, stews, soups, pulled pork. You can also add lentils and beans to make it super healthy.
We like: Lots of features including ladle holder
We don’t like: Expensive
For cooking healthy, warming meals, such as soups and stews, a slow cooker will be a useful gadget. You can throw the ingredients in before you start work and the dish will be ready to eat by dinner time.
The Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker 8L 8-in-1 Slow Cooker has a removable non-stick cooking pot, with the ability to slow cook on low or high.
As well as slow cooking, it will be able to steam, prove, sear, braise, bake and simmer food, as well as keep it warm.
Read our Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker 8L 8-in-1 Slow Cooker review.
Zip-lock plastic bags
Batch cooking can quickly fill your freezer drawers so make the most of the space by storing portions in zip-lock bags. Gently press out the excess air in the bag before sealing it then store them flat on top of each other in the freezer. You'll get so much more in than if you use storage boxes.
We like: Keeps food fresh and easy to store
Watch out for: Reuse them where possible
If you don’t have much space to keep food in your freezer, why not store it in zip-lock bags? You’ll be able to store everything from leftover bolognese sauce to prepped chicken and veggies.
They're also handy for dry food, such as nuts or biscuits. You’ll have a safe way to take snacks to work or for the kids' school bags. Just make sure the bags are properly sealed before you pack them away.
A big chopping board
A big chopping board makes it a lot easier and quicker to prep those veggies and herbs. Provided you've got a good sharp knife, you can chop away without worrying about mess or mucking up your worktop. A word of warning: check it fits in your cupboard before you buy.
We like: Big and looks smart
We don't like: Wooden chopping boards aren’t suitable for the dishwasher
A big chopping board is essential when you're prepping a lot of food for the week ahead. You'll be able to dice and slice all your veg and herbs in one go, saving on washing up.
Buy a wooden board like this one from Robert Welch to avoid microplastics. You can buy it in one of two sizes to suit your kitchen (30cm and 38cm).
Read our Robert Welch Oak chopping board review.
Juicer
I love fresh juice and making it at home is cheaper, tastier and often healthier, as you can control the amount of high-sugar fruits you add. I especially like using my juicer to make batches of lemon and ginger juice shots - which are quite pricey to buy pre-made. It's quick and easy and you can make enough to keep in the fridge for a few days.
We like: Quick and easy juicing
We don’t like: Could be noisy
If you're keen to make fresh juice at home and squeeze more diversity into your diet, a juicer can be handy. Centrifugal juicers such as this one are good for rapidly blitzing veg such as carrots, ginger and greens.
A compact, unobtrusive and relatively affordable juicer to consider is the Philips HR1855/70. Its chute will fit whole apples and oranges, and its components are straightforward to clean in the dishwasher.
Read our Philips HR1855/70 Spin Juicer review.
Scales
A kitchen scale is essential for making sure you weigh out the ingredients for your recipes correctly. It's also great for portioning up a big batch, ready for the freezer. I use mine to make sure I'm getting the right amount of oats for my overnight porridge.
We like: Weigh out portions identically
We don’t like: Another tool taking up valuable kitchen space
Scales can help you follow recipes more precisely so your dinner comes out looking just as good as the picture in the cookbook.
Lakeland’s digital kitchen weighing scale can measure up to 5kg in 1g increments, it’s made from brushed stainless steel, with an add-and-weigh function and a 99-minute timer.
Read our review of the Lakeland Digital Kitchen Weighing Scale.
Microwave-safe metal storage containers
Yup, you read it right, this is a set of five steel storage containers you can put directly into the microwave. No more defrosting your batch-cooked dinners in a pan of warm water, or hacking it out with a knife, this freezes, microwaves and pops in the dishwater. It's non-toxic when heated, unlike plastic, and safer than glass. I'll never go back to plastic containers that have been proven to leach chemicals into food.
We like: Dishwasher, oven and freezer-safe
Watch out for: More expensive than other storage containers
A set of food storage containers that you can stick in the freezer, oven or microwave is a must-have for meal prepping. Pack them in a work or school bag without spills and stack them in the fridge to eat their contents throughout the week.
If you want something more long-lasting than the standard plastic boxes, these Black and Blum stainless steel containers could be a more durable option.
They have a removable vent on the lids so you can prevent food from splattering onto the inside of your microwave as it reheats.
Should we be worried about microplastics? Read about what evidence there is and how we can reduce our exposure.
Air fryer
Not only do I feel like many foods taste better in an air fryer, but they also cook faster. It has become my go-to for meal prep. My favourite time-saver is tossing a protein like chicken breast in with a mix of seasonal vegetables. You get a complete, nutritious meal in less than 20 minutes.
We like: It's quick
We don't like: It takes up a lot of counter space
The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone is a large air fryer with two cooking drawers, each holding 3.8 litres (total capacity: 7.6 litres).
It has six automatic programs: max crisp, air fry, roast, reheat, dehydrate and bake. You can use it to rustle up all sorts of meals, from crispy potatoes to healthy salmon fillets.
Each drawer can run its own program and timings. There’s a useful sync function that ensures the food in both drawers is ready to serve at the same time. It does this by starting the slower program first, so both timers reach zero simultaneously.
Read our Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK review.
Microplane Zester Grater
I was given a microplane as a Christmas gift and it's such a game-changer. It makes zesting citrus fruits for baking so much quicker and easier and is also perfect for a quick dash of parmesan on your pasta. I never would have thought to ask for it but I couldn't do without it now!
We like: Perfect for adding a dash of citrus or cheese to meals
Watch out for: Not for large amounts of grating
Before you store your preprepared meals, why not add a dash of citrus, a dusting of cinnamon or a little bit of parmesan cheese for extra flavour? The Microplane Zester Grater is a handy kitchen tool to do exactly that.
It won’t take up as much space as a bulky grater and creates a fine, fluffy dust of whatever you put through it. Plus you can use it to add garlic or ginger to your food as you cook.
Once you’re done, the grater should be easy to clean under a tap or in the top rack of your dishwasher.
Measuring spoons
I am a chronic peanut butter overeater - and could easily demolish most of a jar throughout the week. These spoons are great at giving a uniform amount - plus they're handy for spices in curries and stews.
We like: Follow recipes more precisely
Watch out for: Not as precise as scales
There's no need to pull out the scale to measure out every pinch or smidgen. A set of measuring spoons is a must-have kitchen accessory for herbs, spices, oils and pastes.
This 11-piece stainless steel set comes with six rectangular spoons that will fit into slim jars to measure tablespoons and teaspoons, as well as five tiny spoons for trickier amounts like a dash or drop.
For easy storage, the entire set stacks neatly and hangs on a single ring.
Blender and food processor
My food processor is one of my most-used kitchen gadgets. It turns time-consuming chores into five-second tasks, whether I’m grating whole blocks of cheese, whipping up a fresh batch of pesto for the week, or chopping onions and carrots.
We like: All-in-one design
We don’t like: Doesn’t come with a smaller cup attachment
Designed to chop, blend, slice and shred food, the Magic Bullet Kitchen Express blender and mini food processor could help speed up your meal prep.
Whip up smoothies, homemade sauces and salads, grate cheese or purée vegetables and fruits in a matter of seconds to use later.
It comes with two attachments, both of which can be popped straight into the dishwasher for effortless cleaning.
Read our Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express MB09200 review.
