Just 42 Things Your Kitchen Definitely Wants You To Buy
1.An air fryer (from the makers of the INSTANT POT!!), perfect for anyone who hasn't always been a big fan of leftovers but wants to make the most of all their delicious homemade meals. Best of all? You can crisp up your fave foods without all that oil.
2.A milk frother to pack a powerful, spinning punch despite looking rather delicate. It'll help transform your hot chocolate into one out of a Hallmark Christmas movie scene. Delish.
I invested in one of these this year, and I'm so glad I did — I use it to make lattes at home and have saved a lot of dollars without having to run out to Starbucks every morning (just...once a week or so instead, hehe).
Promising review: "OMG, this milk frother makes my homemade latte taste like it was made by a barista. It was perfect. So perfect that I bought a second one for my brother who loves coffee to use. I've already recommended it to some coworkers. It has changed my coffee drinking life. This comes highly recommended." —Michelle Pirestani
Get it from Amazon for $17.74 (available in 43 colors).
3.A set of LED light saber chopsticks you'll probably misplace in your utensil drawer but then have the opportunity to exclaim, "THESE are the ones I've been looking for!" once you've finally find them.
amazon.com, Emma Lord / BuzzFeed
I know for a fact that BuzzFeed editor Emma Lord treats herself to sushi every Friday and takes her "treat yo'self" meal a step further by devouring it with these fun chopsticks.
Promising review: "I purchased these for a friend's birthday present (he is a sushi waiter), and these are flippin' AMAZING. I ordered two sets by mistake, but I am totally keeping the second pair for another gift (or for myself!). These are sure to be great conversation pieces and attention-getters. Way to go!" —T. Redwood
Get them in red and green from Amazon for $19.97.
4.An automatic pan stirrer with a timer, perfect for any aspiring chef who tends to get a little absent-minded while following a recipe.
Promising review: "My husband loves to cook. We have two very small children, so while his meals are mostly yummy, they are also sometimes burnt. :) This was perfect for him. He's able to turn it on, run into the next room to save the day with a plastic bag and a washcloth for whatever blowout-esque mess I'm dealing with, forget he's cooking, run back into the kitchen frantically when he remembers, and arrive only to find the meal practically cooking itself. Best. Gift. Ever." —Jake the ChefturnedDaddy
Get it from UncommonGoods for $25.
5.A handheld garlic press you'll be ready to *rock 'n' roll* with right out of the package — don't plan to invite any vampires over for dinner.
6.A compact eight-in-one spiralizer that'll grate cheese, juice fruits, cut ribbon, and *so* much more. This lil' gadget really does it all.
BuzzFeed editor *and* zoodle-lover Emma Lord is obsessed with this gadget:
"I recently purchased this because it was my cheapest option for making zoodles, and also because my apartment is the size of a shoebox, and there was no room for anything bigger. I LOVE how easy it is to swap out the caps to do other things too — I've started grating my own cheeses and feel very fancy. But mostly I just love that it's very safe to use (it comes with a finger guard!), super easy to figure out, very compact, and even has measurements on the inside of the cup if you're ever portioning things out for a recipe."
Promising review: "LOVE THIS. I absolutely love this. So far I've used the thicker spiralizer, two of the grater things, and then the juicer. I love how easy this makes keeping everything together. And it's sharp, so it actually cuts through things without you needing to work super hard to do it. The only thing I don't love is that the spiralizers are a bit hard to clean, but I guess that's with all of them? Not sure, this is the first I've owned. But overall I'd recommend it. :)" —Amazon Customer
7.A Magic Bullet blender you can count on to help you recreate the green juice or smoothies you used to pick up on your way to the office.
Promising review: "I use this almost every morning. This was my savior during the quarantine part of the pandemic when I was working from home. I was able to easily make smoothies for breakfast or a snack instead of eating junk. Blended quickly and easily, easy to clean, and came with so many cups and travel options that I was able to continue my healthy habit when I went back to work!" —Marissa Vittorio
Get it from Amazon for $37.67.
8.An OXO Good Grips veggie brush that'll ensure your potatoes get a proper scrub down before you turn them into something delicious like fries or mashed potatoes (yuuuum).
Promising review: "I know — it is a little strange to love a veggie brush, but the bristles have just the right stiffness and 'give' to clean potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc. I haven't used it on corn-on-the-cob yet, but I think it will do quite well without damaging the kernels. (If not, I'll do a follow-up on this review.) As with most OXO products, it is ergonomically designed and even fits in my smaller, chunky hands — so much so, I believe it would be good tool for arthritic cooks." —D. Lofthus
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
9.An Our Place "Always Pan" that's basically eight different pieces of cookware in one. This multi-functional beauty does the job of a fry pan, sauce pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, nonstick pan, spatula, and spoon rest. Wowee!
Promising review: "Amazing how easy this purchase has made cooking! It has eased the stress of preparing meals and actually made cooking something to look forward to! You really don’t need high heat to make amazing meals, and the nonstick pan and easy cleanup are *chef’s kiss*! And the handle holder is an amazing bonus! This would make an amazing birthday, housewarming, or holiday gift for friends and family! Amazing investment for cooking at home!" —Alison S.
Get it from Our Place for $145 (available in six colors).
10.A set of flexible cutting boards, because if you're diving into cooking you'll soon likely find out you shouldn't just be chopping things up on a paper towel. Guilty.
11.An instant-read digital thermometer, so you'll never have to guess "Is my steak cooked?" again. You can grill with confidence!
Promising review: "As a working chef for over 30 years, I've gone through dozens of thermometers, and this one stands out. I actually purchased this by accident while buying several thermometers to try with the intent of buying a dozen for my crew. I was looking for thermometers that can be field-calibrated, and as far as I can tell, this one can't. But I intend to buy more of these because they are accurate, easy to read, and just more pleasant to use. They are tough, and I love the ring on the end; I keep this one hanging on a hook near our ranges so I don't have to hunt it down. It does not ride easily in my chef's coat, but that is due to the longer probe — which I LOVE. In two weeks, I have used this one thermometer over 130 times, all with pleasure." —Cetaceous Dave
Get it from Amazon for $8.49 (also available in a two-pack).
12.A steel odor absorber you can count on to rid your hands of any lingering garlic, onion, or fishy scents. All you have to do is use it like a regular bar of soap — magical.
Promising review: "Definitely get one of these if you're thinking about it. I was skeptical, but it really works. I do a lot of cooking with garlic and onion, and after one wash with this, my hands no longer smell like garlic or onions. Really worth having in the kitchen." —Nos
Get it from Amazon for $8.48+ (available in four styles and a two-pack).
13.An oil mister that'll help you perfectly cover all of your ingredients without getting your hands covered in grease.
Promising review: "This is a great item for lightly spraying salads, roasting vegetables, or adding some oil to a prepared plate of pasta. Avoids using more oil than necessary, so that’s a savings right there. I also use it to put a light coating of oil on all my cast-iron cookware to prevent rust. Best of all, it looks great on the dinner table. Lots of uses, which really makes it an asset in the kitchen. It seems that it should last a while, so I think it is worth the few bucks spent." —Clancy
Get it from Amazon for $12.74.
14.A playful egg separator you'll definitely be *egg-cited* to test out — a must-have for any home bakers or fans of egg white omelettes.
Promising review: "This is by far the best kitchen gadget I've ever owned. It actually makes me want to be in the kitchen (which is not my favorite place). It works exactly as described, is easy to clean, and is cute to boot. Just don't be tempted to stick this fish to yourself. I've had to explain to all my coworkers how I ended up with fish hickeys." —Siber
Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in three animal styles).
15.An herb stripper to help you utilize all the pieces you actually like to eat from your favorite herbs without having to painstakingly remove all the bitter stems. Yuck.
MudPotteryAndGlass is a small business based in Mendocino, California, that specializes in unique glass and ceramic gifts.
Promising review: "Thank you for the herb stripper. I used it to make my mother's recipe for parsley potatoes, and it worked wonderfully. I will order again!" —Cynthia Huddleston
Get it from MudPotteryAndGlass on Etsy for $19.50+ (available in eight colors).
16.A pizza oven the entire family can enjoy — from rolling out the dough and adding toppings to watching it cook over the flame, this is one gift you'll get praised for.
Promising review: "We've wanted a pizza oven for a long time. The regular oven only gets to about 550oF, and the BBQ doesn't cook the top of the pizza well enough. Then this amazing thing comes along. It delivers as promised. Ready-to-launch pizzas in 20 minutes. In fact I found that lower than max temp worked perfectly and avoided the over-charred crust. The 16-inch size is nice to allow room to maneuver 12- to 13-inch pies around to cook them evenly. I used the provided dough recipe with success so far. I look forward to trying some other crust types. If you are on the fence about this, listen: Buy it! Nothing easier than gas. Pizzas on my second try came as good as the best restaurant pizzas I've had. Keep the toppings light, and you will love it too." —matthekman
Get it from Williams Sonoma for $599.95.
17.A handheld soap dispensing brush that might just make you want to clean your dishes — it looks kinda fun, doesn't it?
Promising review: "I'm loving this little brush. I had purchased another dish brush a while back from the grocery store, and the bristles were so stiff that it often splattered soap everywhere. This one isn't like that. The bristles are stiff, but soft enough that they tend to cling to what you're brushing, so they don't cause that splatter effect. I also like that you can open the whole thing up by taking its top off to refill it, giving you plenty of room to pour in the dish soap. The ability to easily remove and replace the brush is another very handy feature. Both are easy to do, and it's well made, so they're not likely to come open or undone unexpectedly." —Elliria
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
18.A Nespresso Vertuo coffee and espresso maker that'll have your favorite drink ready in minutes — say goodbye to your cranky morning mood.
It heats up in 15 seconds and has a 40-ounce water tank so you don't have to fill it every morning.
Promising review: "I like iced coffee with high caffeine. This fits the bill perfectly and is a joy to use and drink. My Starbucks monthly bill has come down considerably after buying this unit, and I'm ready to hit the ground running that much sooner in the morning. I especially enjoy the self-cleaning feature and the ability to run it for smaller or larger cup sizes. Truly a premium product." —David T.
Get it from Amazon for $143.55+ (available in five colors, plus in bundle options with the Aeroccino milk frother).
19.A cookie scoop, so all of your precious balls of dough will come out *exactly* the same size and look simply stunning before everyone in the house gobbles 'em up.
I have one of these, and it has been a game changer when making cookies. I love that each one comes out the same size, making it easier than ever to know precisely how many will fit on my baking sheet.
Promising review: "Why didn't I have one of these in my kitchen drawer before?! I bought the medium-sized scoop originally to make a large batch of cookies for Christmas, but today it came handy when I had leftover batter from my banana bread recipe, and it made the perfect scoop to fill a regular-sized cupcake liner! Now I'm thinking about getting the small size for my mini-cupcakes! Super easy, and they came out perfectly uniform, and it totally beats trying to use a spoon! The handles have a nice silicone grip, too, and help with hand fatigue. :-)" —Michi K
Get it from Amazon for $16.95+ (available in sizes S–L).
20.A Cuisinart Griddler, so you can make mouthwatering burgers all year long whether it's 20 or 90 degrees outside.
Using this lil' grill is so simple! Throw your meat on, close the top, and BOOM — dinner is served. I've been using one for years, and it's wonderful for making grilled chicken, burgers, grilled veggies, and paninis.
Promising review: "Excellent addition to our kitchen. Good build quality. You can use this for a lot of different food, but it is great for grilled cheese sandwiches. The griddle works well on pancakes and has plenty of heat to do the job. Easy and quick to clean." —Jazzperk
Get it from Amazon for $95.
21.A KitchenAid food chopper to spare you the hassle of trying to finely chop ingredients *and* make sure all of your sauces and soups will be lump-free.
Promising review: "This is a perfect size for a small counter. It stores both blades, and the cord wraps nicely. It is large enough to chop a large onion. It has a variable speed, which is great for controlling particle size. It seems well made, very little vibration, and is very attractive." —D Powell
Get it from Amazon for $54.99+ (available in seven styles).
22.A culinary blow torch so you can *finally* make your own baked Alaska after watching various chefs do it on TV for years.
Promising review: "This mini torch is easy to use with an adjustable flame. It's not too fancy shmancy, but it's not expensive either. It does everything I need it to do including lighting candles that have burned too far down to reach with a match. (although I know that's not its intent at all). Unfortunately, it doesn't arrive with butane; but once you fill it, it lasts a pretty long time!" —Vero
Get it from Amazon for $22.99.
23.A Home Chef meal kit so you can easily cook up delicious dinners in just 30 minutes, no matter what your dietary preferences may be. Pretty soon, you won't remember how you ever lived without this mega time-saver!
Each week, you'll get to choose from over 20 different recipes, and if you can't decide, they'll even give you customized recommendations! Then, the box will come delivered to your door with everything you need to easily cook up your scrumptious meals for the week in 30 minutes (or less)!
Start a weekly subscription to Home Chef for $6.99/serving (available in multiple dietary options).
24.A batter dispenser that'll help you create perfectly round, fluffy pancakes that honestly could be featured on the cover of a magazine.
Promising review: "Finally a kitchen utensil that saves time, mess, and frustration! I ordered this because my 10-year-old daughter loves to make pancakes, but she also leaves an incredible mess. She also loves to make cupcakes, and that's even a double mess. Upon receiving the batter dispenser, my daughter took it out of the package and started making pancakes right away without my instructions. She loved the ease of making the pancakes in the container and then applying one click on the pan with no mess." —Jim Hudson
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
25.A coffee and spice grinder you can use to make your go-to morning beverage that much easier to whip up (especially when you're still feeling super sleepy).
BuzzFeed editor Melanie Aman has been using this while in quarantine this year and is a fan!
Promising review: "Been using this for my morning French press beans, and it is so straightforward and easy to use to one's needs. I haven't done any super deep cleaning of it yet, but the design makes me think that'll be easy — all the surfaces inside are easy to access and clean out as needed." —Erin B.
Get it from Sur La Table for $19.95.
26.A mandolin with 30 different cut options you can use to create one of those Pinterest-worthy vegetable platters shaped like a flower or a rainbow — so fun!
Promising review: "This item is amazing for both its safety features and ease of use. I am a bit of a kitchen klutz and feel completely at ease and fearless with this device. I made my own potato chips — I sliced with my Dash mandolin and cooked in my Dash air fryer. The tasted just like the ones I get from my favorite Portuguese restaurant, but I’m hoping they are much healthier. I honestly think this is a must-have for all at-home chefs." —Dawn
Get it from Amazon for $42.99+ (available in seven colors).
27.A breakfast sandwich maker for those rainy Sunday mornings where all you want is a cure to your hangover, but you can't physically venture farther than the kitchen.
Promising review: "FAM. I need you to lissssssten. I would give this product 87 stars if I could. You'd think it would be one of those gimmicky kitchen appliances that barely even works. EXCEPT you're wrong. It's amazing. It's quick. Look. Lissssten. You put the ingredients in, and about two minutes later your tummy is all like, 'Oh yesssss.' Basically. Just buy it. Purchase the sammich maker. You're welcome." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in four colors).
28.A handheld knife sharpener you can use to bring your most-used kitchen utensils back to life in a flash without destroying your countertop or cutting boards. Bobby Flay would be proud.
Promising review: "Buying this knife sharpener has changed my life! I used to burn water, but now I'm on par with chefs like Gordon Ramsay! My knives are so sharp that I could cut off a finger and would not even notice. Paper-thin tomatoes and onions for a tuna fish sandwich? Not a problem! Thank you, KitchenIQ — my life will never be the same." —J.W.
Get it from Amazon for $7+ (available in four colors).
Check out our full review of the KitchenIQ 50009 Edge Grip 2-Stage Knife Sharpener.
29.A nonstick microwave pasta cooker you'll pat yourself on the back for ordering when you're starving and don't want to wait for water to boil before diving into your favorite pasta.
Promising review: "One of those 'why didn't I think of this?' kind of things. It makes cooking pasta so easy and foolproof! No trying to bend/break pasta to get it to fit into a round pan. The instructions tell you exactly how long to microwave it for the different size proportions." —EQUUS
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
30.A handy corn butterer to ensure each kernel is coated in that golden goodness without much of a hassle or mess.
Promising review: "I purchased the corn butter knife early in the summer — just in time for corn season. Since it comes in a set of two, I gave one to my daughter and son-in-law; their comment was, 'Why hasn't anyone ever thought of this before?!' It's a MUCH better solution than rolling the cob in a slab of butter!" —Anne
Get a two-pack from the Grommet for $13.95.
31.A SinkShroom strainer you won't know how you lived without because it'll keep your kitchen sink unclogged no matter how much gunk you fill it with.
Heather Braga / BuzzFeed, Amazon
I bought this for myself (since I'm clearly a REAL adult) and OMG. This thing REALLY works. Usually when my husband makes sauce from scratch, I'm left with chunks of tomatoes throughout my sink and water that WILL NOT drain — that was, until I bought the SinkShroom. My mom was so impressed that she bought one too. It's a serious game changer.
Promising review: "I’ve been a fan of the SinkShroom and TubShroom, and this is the best product from the line so far. My kitchen sinks simply do not clog any more, so there’s no more reaching into a bunch of water to unclog anything with my hand." —Brady Amerson
Get it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available with or without a stopper and in a pack of two).
32.A rapid egg cooker you can use to make your breakfast faster than you can say, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
33.A HyperChiller to cool your favorite drink in less than a minute. A must-have if you're like me and prefer to drink iced coffee all year. Yes, that includes when it's 25 degrees out in the middle of January.
Promising review: "For those not fully familiar with how it works, what it's accomplishing is trying to surround your liquid with as much ice-behind-metal as possible. So, it has a center chamber of ice behind the metal, then an outer chamber of ice. The inner chamber fits inside the outer with about a cup's worth of space that's between the inner and outer chamber. This exposes your liquid to the greatest surface area of super-cold metal that they can, and since your liquid is only touching metal, and not the ice itself, it doesn't matter the temperature of the liquid poured in. You can pour in boiling water, and while it may end up melting a bunch of the ice behind the metal, none of that water will mix with your drink. So, whether you're chilling a wine, dropping hot coffee to cool it off, or just wanting to rapidly drop the temp of that fresh lemonade you made without making it watery, this will get that done." —P. Ericksen
Get it from Amazon for $23.74+ (available in four colors).
34.A silicone grease container with a built-in strainer to catch leftover bacon bits — you can pop it in the freezer and use it for future cooking endeavors.
This reusable, silicone design is safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, resists stains and odors, and holds one cup of cooled grease.
Promising review: "After using just about anything that wouldn't melt, this is the best bacon grease container ever. Easy to use, easy to clean...love the piggy!" —Michael
Get it from the Grommet for $15.
35.A cutting board and strainer combo, because who wouldn't appreciate a two-in-one item that'll save 'em room in their kitchen?
Promising review: "This is one of my favorite things I have purchased for our tiny apartment! It's a pretty good-size cutting board, and I can see it fitting over most sinks. I LOVE the bowl inside that can let wet ingredients drain liquid directly into the sink. It's seriously SO nice to have this when you're limited on counter space!" —Atara
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in two colors).
36.A pasta machine that'll help you create the Sunday Funday of your carb-loving dreams — seriously, you can actually successfully get this done even on your first try!
Promising review: "OK, this is the first review I’ve ever written because I just enjoyed this product so much! It’s exactly as described in my opinion, really great for the price. I bought it for my boyfriend who has wanted one forever. It arrived the next day. We made fettuccine that night, and it came out great! Highly recommended for those looking for a pasta maker and don’t want to spend a fortune on a brand-name [item]." —Holly B.
Get it from Amazon for $30.99 (available in two colors).
37.A pack of oven liners to protect the bottom of your oven from the river of cheese that sometimes escapes from that one casserole you actually know how to make.
Promising review: "These liners are life changing! I never thought I needed them until a friend raved about them. Clean up is so simple, no more melted cheese or sauces burnt to the bottom of my ovens. I love that I can cut them down to size to fit my toaster oven. My husband enjoys grilling with the liners now; he doesn't have to line the grill with aluminum foil, which he found so annoying, deterring him from grilling. This product really has simplified my life in the kitchen, and I love it." —Kindle Custommer
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $12.99.
38.A bottle of Truff truffle-infused hot sauce you'll probably want to start planning your meals around — it's THAT good.
Promising review: "If you are new to hot sauce in general, or looking for a safe thing to try or gift to an enthusiast in your life, give the original bottle a try. If you handle heat well and are looking to venture into flavor country, the Red Bottle is life changing. Truff is an experience that all hot sauce enthusiasts need to try at least once." —Spacemonkey
Get Truff from Amazon: the black truffle hot sauce for $14, the "hotter" sauce for $14.99, and the white truffle hot sauce for $31.50.
39.Cut-resistant gloves — a must-have for anyone who isn't super confident in their knife skills and would like to keep all of their digits.
You can even pop these in the washing machine for a thorough cleaning.
Promising review: "Not sure how these gloves would work with a buzz saw, but wearing them has changed my life as an oyster shucker (which is why I bought them). Absolutely perfect! I can hold the oyster in my hand and go for it without fear of the shell slicing my hands. The knife has slipped a few times to stab me, and it stopped that as well. Super easy wash-up as well." —Footsie
Get them from Amazon for $11.49+ (available in sizes S—XL, and three styles).
40.A grape, strawberry, and tomato cutter so you can flawlessly slice 'em in half the way chefs do on all of those fancy cooking shows.
You can also use this to safely cut bagels and slices of meats that you're trying to cut through the middle of!
Promising review: "This item is the best kitchen helper. First time using it, I was apprehensive about it really working, but it works like a charm. Put my tomatoes in first, literally slicing them immediately, then my green olives...perfect. I know I will be making more salads and healthy veggie trays with this food cutter." —Cynthia
Get it from Amazon for $12.95 (available in seven colors).
41.A carbon steel wok, because the regular ol' frying pans you have simply won't cut it when you want to attempt to make an outrageously delicious stir-fry.
Food52
I have this wok, and it's fantastic! My husband is the main chef in our house, and he was super excited to try this pan out — it did not disappoint. We made stir-fry vegetables and chicken in it. It was so much easier to combine everything into one deep pan, and we served the meal directly out of it. Honestly, the GIF (as seen above) from the site has inspired me to make pasta in it next!
Promising review: "I love this carbon steel wok! Not only did it arrive perfectly pre-seasoned, it cooks food evenly and deliciously! I really love it, and I am so glad I decided to get one." —Jade D.
Get it from Food52 for $99.
42.A kitchen gadget you can use to dice onions in a flash — save your uncontrollable crying for the next time you watch The Notebook.
Promising review: "I had another chopper that worked perfectly fine, but when I saw OXO had come out with one, I ordered it. As expected, I liked it much better than the first, which I gave to a friend. I particularly like that it is deeper and not as long, so stuff doesn't pile up under the chopping surface, and the best feature is that it has a hole in one end so you can simply dump it over a bowl when it's full. The little plastic grid is a nuisance, though, so I just don't use it. As long as you rinse it immediately, food doesn't usually stick too badly. OXO has the best-designed products in my kitchen. I wish they'd design a self-cooking and self-cleaning stovetop." —Springlering
Get it from Amazon for $22.95.
Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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