All mixed up

Bodum 4.7l Mixer - £263.28 from qvcuk.com

A food blender can be one of those purchases you use once or twice, then sort of shove in the cupboard and forget about. Well, you won't forget about this stylish little number. Complete with attachments to mix, knead, whisk and stir at the touch of a button, it'll soon become your kitchen-based best friend.

Daily bread

Panasonic SD-ZB2502BXC Bread Maker - £139.99 from johnlewis.com

Anything better than the smell of freshly baked bread? Whether you want that smell now, or first thing in the morning, this king of breadmaking machines has a rapid bake option for a two-hour loaf, or can be set up to 13 hours in advance so you can get the waft ready for when you wake up. It also features a raisin and nut dispenser if you want to get all creative.

Sweet treats

Baking Boutique Electric Cupcake, Donut & Cake Pop Maker - £18.36 from qvcuk.com

With three interchangeable plates, you can bake three different style of treats; just make up your batter (according to the in-pack instructions) then pour in, switch on and drool a little until the timer ends. Or of course you could use this downtime to prepare your icing.

Beat up

Prepology Whisk - £10.98 from qvcuk.com

This battery powered hand whisk will make light work of smaller baking batches - and has the added bonus of a frothing attachment to add those 'barista' touches to your homemade latte.

Cashew crusher

Nut Squirrel Grinder - £19.99 from totally-funky.co.uk

Create your own toppings for cakes and other creations with ease, just flip back the rodent's head, pop in your preferred variety and set to work on its tail. Pushing up and down effortlessly produces sprinkles in moments.

Double measures

Kitchen Scales and Jug - £19.95 from prezzybox.com

No need for multiple measuring gadgets cluttering up your work surfaces; step forward this dual purpose device where you can measure both solids and liquids in one go. It also reads out the amounts on the digital display. Clever.

App of the week

Deezer - free on iTunes and Google Play

With access to more than 30 million tracks, this music service is likely to resonate with many, letting you create your own playlists and share your favourite tracks with friends. Select from one of their subscription services and get all the music you need.

Top 10 Paid Apps

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

2. Minecraft - Pocket Edition

3. The Lost Ship

4. Tipping Point

5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

6. Sumotori Dreams

7. Plants vs. Zombies

8. Forest Legends: The Call of Love

9. The Chase

10. Monsters University

Top 10 Free Apps

1. Tap Black: Avoid white tile

2. Score! World Goals

3. Toca Pet Doctor

4. Frozen Free Fall

5. The Walking Dead: Season Two

6. BBC iPlayer

7. Facebook

8. Candy Crush Saga

9. BBC Media Player

10. FarmVille 2: Country Escape