Drew & Cole Clever Chef Review: Is It Worth Buying? (Honest 2026 Test)
If you scroll TikTok or Amazon for quick kitchen gadgets, you have almost certainly seen the Drew & Cole 5 Minute Clever Chef. Marketed as a one-step mini kitchen, it promises full meals in minutes with zero flipping, zero fuss and barely any cleanup. For busy mornings, lazy dinners and quick snacks, that pitch sounds almost too good to be true.
I ordered one to test exactly how well it lives up to the hype. In this review, I break down what it actually is, how it performs in real use, its biggest limitations, build quality, pros and cons, and whether it’s worth your money.
What Is the Drew & Cole 5 Minute Clever Chef?
The 5 Minute Clever Chef is a compact countertop electric cooker from Drew & Cole that uses dual-sided top and bottom heating plates to cook food from both sides at the same time.
There are no dials, no temperature controls and no timer. You simply plug it in, wait for it to heat up, add your ingredients, close the lid and let the enclosed heat cook your food.
It is marketed for omelettes, toasties, pancakes, burgers, mini pizzas and even small complete meals. Its core selling points are speed, simplicity and no-fuss cleanup thanks to its non-stick coating.
Why I Decided to Test It
I was drawn in purely by the convenience factor. Like a lot of busy people, I love the idea of tossing ingredients into one device, closing a lid and walking away to a ready meal — no multiple pans, no flipping, no messy stovetop cleanup.
It felt perfect for rushed weekday breakfasts and quick late-night snacks. I went in hoping it could replace a couple of separate small appliances on my counter.
My Real-World Hands-On Experience
Right out of the box, the Clever Chef is extremely straightforward. There is zero learning curve. You plug it in, let it warm up briefly, add your food and close the lid.
Simple foods work really well
For basic items — scrambled eggs, cheese toasties, small pancakes and thin burger patties — it performs exactly as promised. Both sides cook evenly at the same time, so you never have to flip anything. Cooking is fast, and results are consistent. For quick breakfasts and snacks, it feels genuinely convenient.
Anything beyond basic falls flat
The moment I tried making anything more substantial or “full meal” style, the limitations became obvious. Everything is constrained by the shape, size and depth of the cooking wells.
Portion sizes are small. You cannot cook enough for more than one person at a time for most meals.
Food thickness matters a lot. Thicker ingredients cook unevenly or don’t cook through properly in the centre.
Many foods simply don’t fit the mould. Anything with layers, large vegetables or sauces quickly becomes messy or impractical.
That was the moment it clicked for me: this is not a universal cooker. It is a specialised small appliance that does a narrow set of things well, but is being sold as something far more versatile.
Build Quality & Design
The Clever Chef is lightweight and compact, so it stores easily in a cupboard or on a small counter. The non-stick coating works well and wipes clean quickly, which is one of its biggest strengths.
That said, it does not feel like a premium appliance. The plastic body feels like a standard budget countertop gadget — functional, but nothing special in terms of build quality.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Extremely simple to use; zero setup or learning curve
Fast, even cooking for simple foods — no flipping required
Compact and easy to store in small kitchens
Non-stick surface makes cleanup very quick
Good for single servings and quick snacks
❌ Cons
Very limited versatility despite broad marketing claims
No temperature control or timer settings
Strict portion, shape and thickness restrictions
Feels nearly identical to older generic “5-minute chef” gadgets
Not practical for real “full meals” or cooking for more than one person
Is the Clever Chef a Scam?
No, it is not an outright scam. You receive a working appliance that cooks food with dual-sided heat, and it does deliver on its basic function.
The problem is marketing overreach. Advertising frames it as a mini all-in-one kitchen that replaces your stove and pans for full meals. In reality, it is much closer to a deep-pan sandwich maker / omelette maker hybrid. It does a small number of jobs well, but nowhere near as much as the promotional material suggests.
Tips to Get the Most Out of It
You will have the best experience if you treat it as a quick snack and breakfast maker, not a full cooking replacement:
Stick to thin, flat foods that fit the wells evenly
Use it for eggs, toasties, small pancakes and thin patties
Don’t overfill the cooking wells — ingredients expand as they cook
Wipe the plates clean while they are still warm for easiest cleanup
Better Alternatives to Consider
If you are shopping for this style of quick cooker, these options are also worth comparing:
Red Copper 5 Minute Chef
Dash Mini Griddle
Breville Sandwich Toaster
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Drew & Cole Clever Chef worth the money?
A: Only if you will use it specifically for quick single-serving breakfasts and snacks. If you expect a versatile cooker that makes full meals, you will be disappointed and it is not worth the cost.
Q: Does the 5 Minute Clever Chef really cook full meals?
A: Not in any meaningful sense of the phrase. You can cook small, simple single-serving items, but it cannot replace a pan or stove for proper complete meals. The “5 minute full meal” claim is marketing hype.
Q: What is the difference between Clever Chef and a regular sandwich maker?
A: The Clever Chef has deeper cooking wells than a standard sandwich press, so you can make slightly thicker items like omelettes and small pancakes. But fundamentally it works on the same dual-sided heating principle.
Q: Is there temperature control on the Clever Chef?
A: No. It has one fixed heat setting with no adjustable temperature and no built-in timer.
Q: Can you cook burgers and pizzas in it?
A: Thin, small burger patties work well. Very small mini pizzas can work if they fit the wells, but results are very basic compared to oven or pan cooking.
Final Verdict
The Drew & Cole 5 Minute Clever Chef is not a bad gadget — it is just a very oversold one.
If you go into it with realistic expectations and you want a simple, fast way to make single-serving eggs, toasties and small snacks, it is convenient and easy to use. Cleanup is fast, storage is easy and operation is completely foolproof.
But if you are buying into the marketing idea of a 5-minute mini kitchen that cooks full meals, you will almost certainly be let down. Its capabilities are narrow, its portions are small and it offers nothing you cannot get from a good sandwich press and a small pan.
My Rating: 2.8 / 5 Stars
