The Ingenious Kitchen Gadget That Literally Does the Stirring For You (Seriously!)

I remember emerging into the cool midnight air after a long 13-hour day of stuffy, sweaty, windowless cooking. Surrounded by other aproned bodies, clicking burners, ever-breaking lowboys, and an endless to-do list, it often wasn’t until I left the chaos of the restaurant that I could finally relax again. It sounds a little odd, but if you’ve seen The Bear (or have spent hours entrenched in any sort of adrenaline-inducing activity), then you know: sometimes it’s not until we’re able to pause that the sensations of the previous activities can settle. So, as I’d exit through the back door, chocolate mousse in my hair and caramelized onions stuck to the bottom of my clogs, I’d notice just how sore my arms were.

Since I’ve stopped working in restaurants, I’ve had more time to workout and take care of my body. But one thing hasn’t changed: After a day of cooking, my arms are still sore. The truth is, no matter how many bicep curls I do, the continuous motions of cooking just hit different. Especially when it comes to repeated motions like hand-whipping cream, or basting a steak in butter as it cooks, there are some kitchen tasks that require continual care and don’t allow any time for the arms to rest. Which is why, when I stumbled across the StirMATE Automatic Pot Stirrer, I audibly sighed in relief. Finally, we can keep the workout in the gym and outside of the kitchen!

What is this magical device, you ask? Well, it’s a simple gadget that clips onto the side of pots or pans and has a self-adjusting, automatic arm that stirs for you. The device is operated by a quiet, high-torque motor with a battery life of up to ten hours, so you can leave your cooking project to progress on its own while you go ahead and tackle other tasks. With variable speeds and a flat-edged spatula that continually scrapes the bottom of the pan, you can trust the StirMATE to handle any dish: bolognese, roux, custards . . . you know I’ll be using mine for big batches of toffee this winter and for hands-free risotto on weeknights.

I found a like-minded Amazon reviewer who has actually used the thing to whip up an effortless risotto, commenting on just how much power the machine has: “This stirrer has real muscle —the motor is geared down so that it stirs with real power. Yesterday I made risotto, and it stirred the whole thing for me. It just sat there on the pan for about a half hour, stirring away instead of my having to stir.” Sounds like a dream to me! The reviewer didn’t stop there though, “It also is cleverly designed so that it effectively rubs the bottom of the pan it’s stirring and covers the whole thing. It does a quite thorough job of stirring. Maybe even better than I do!” No scorched bottoms and no elbow grease? I’m sold.

Although this dishwasher-safe device packs a punch, it’s not bulky or hard to store. In fact at just nine by three inches, it’ll effortlessly fit in your kitchen drawer. Which means it also won’t take up too much space while you’re actually using it, if you need to utilize other burners simultaneously. AKA, you probably need more than one of these things.

The adjustable clip easily slides onto pots of any thickness and will reliably stay put. Just take it from this content reviewer who appreciated the mathematically based design: “The stirrer will reach the edges of the pot. This is accomplished by simple geometry. There are no fancy linkages that require any setup, or that will be vulnerable to failure under cooking conditions. The main body (which houses the motor) is also ridiculously easy to attach to your pot . . . This is one of those rare products that demonstrates thoughtful design. Someone clearly made a product they intended to work as advertised.” I love to hear it, there’s nothing better than a smart idea that’s executed well.

All in all, if you spend any amount of time in your kitchen, this handy gadget is a must. It’s an arm-saver that’s bound to pay itself off in no time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I going to head over to Amazon and buy mine right now.

Buy: StirMATE Automatic Pot Stirrer, $64.85