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    48 Little Kitchen Upgrades That Will Seriously Improve Your Meals

    This reviewer-beloved hybrid plate-bowl is about to change the game on your WFH lunches for good.

    1. A set of three dough presses in different sizes perfect for hand pies, dumplings, ravioli, calzones, empanadas, and truly any delicious thing you can think of that you want tucked into a pillow of warm carbs — this makes the process streamlined and easy so you don't have to sweat it. 

    An uncooked empanada in one of the dough presses after being shaped
    A row of perfectly cooked and identical empanadas

    Promising review: "This was a great purchase for the price. I was making empanadas and folding them by hand, which didn’t look too good. This set helps me cut them easily into circles and then easily presses them close. Consistent look each time! I like that there are three sizes in the set so I can make them according to my mood. Easy to wash and use. Would highly recommend for the price and functionality!" —Sox

    Get a set of three from Amazon for $9.99.

    2. A magnetic air fryer cheat sheet so you can finally experiment with juuuuust the right amount of reckless abandon, while knowing everything you stick in there will still come out safe to eat. 

    Promising review: "Bought an air fryer several months ago which I haven't used a whole lot because it came with only a few recipes but not enough info on other items to cook. The Lotteli cheat sheet gives you cooking times and temperatures for a lot of your common everyday foods in a magnetized easy-to-read, two-sheet combo that fills in where air fryer pamphlet that came with the unit leaves out. I also bought an air fryer cook book but this only comes with specific recipes, whereas the cheat sheet fills in the void for quick basic needs. Very happy with this purchase! 😁" —B. Frank Smith

    Get it from Amazon for $11.29+ (available in two colors). 

    3. A *super* compact 8-in-1 spiralizer that also grates cheese, juices fruits, and cuts ribbons, and more. All you have to do is change out one of the interlocking caps for a new function. Fresh-squeezed OJ? Zoodles in the air fryer? Grated Parmesan on your pasta? Done, done, and done. (And you never have to say "when"!!)

    BuzzFeed editor holding the transparent cup with eight black lids
    A reviewer bowl of zoodles
    Emma Lord/BuzzFeed, www.amazon.com

    I purchased this because it was my cheapest option for making zoodles, and also because my apartment was 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

    Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (also available in 4-in-1 and 6-in-1 styles).

    4. A tiny milk frother that makes rich, creamy froths in seconds, making you as powerful as the Starbucks mermaid herself. It also doesn't need to be plugged in, cleans with a quick stream of hot running water, and is teensy for storing.

    Reviewer image of white marble handheld frother on its stand
    Reviewer using the frother to frother milk in a cup

    Promising review: "A must-have for busy latte lovers! Perfect product for my morning latte!!! Easy to use and clean! Thirty seconds and my latte is fantastic!! —Joanna Grazynska-Johnson

    Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in 27 styles).

    5. A Yonanas fruit soft serve maker that magics any frozen fruit into an ice cream or sorbet texture so you can have a yummy frozen treat made to your *precise* favorite fruit combos. A lot of folks with dietary restrictions swear by this to get their ice cream kicks! 

    The black device on a table with sorbet in a bowl under it
    A close up of a reviewer's yellow and red sorbet

    Promising review: "I saw one of these in action at a friend's house like five years ago and thought it was just a made up memory, because making ice cream out of solely frozen fruit seems wild. But when I saw a TikTok about it I immediately went to Amazon and bought it. Literally this was the BEST decision of my life. I cannot believe still how amazing this thing is! It makes the creamiest, best tasting fruit ice cream ever. It’s easy to take apart and clean, and super easy to use." —DMCKAY

    Get it from Amazon for $40.81

    6. A "blue apple" freshness extender to keep your fruits and veggies fresh two to three times longer, so you're no longer in a perpetual race against the time-space-produce continuum.

    A model holding the blue apple
    A blue apple in a produce drawer
    Amazon

    Each of these works for up to three months, so they'll more than pay for themselves in produce you'll save! 

    Promising review: "Easily one of my favorite Amazon purchases this year. Has literally doubled the life of our produce and paid for itself in less than a month. This is one of those things you wish you'd learned about years ago! A real money saver." —Ryan A 

    Get a set of two from Amazon for $21.99.

    7. A delicious ground habaneros powder for any dish that could use a kick of smoky spiciness to bring out the depth of other flavors — reviewers swear by this for everything from soup to shakshuka to ramen to scrambled eggs. 

    Iya Foods is a Black woman-owned small business that specializes in sustainably produced African spices, powders, and baking mixes, and uses a portion of profits to support an orphanage in Nigeria. 

    Promising review: "You see 'habaneros' and expect a punch in the mouth. This is not that. It's a fragrant, almost fruity pepper that elevates shakshuka to a whole new level. I add a pinch of it into all sorts of different dishes instead of black pepper. You wouldn't know the difference if I didn't tell you what it was, except that the food just tastes better. A little goes a long way, so the pouch has lasted us for several months already. I am going to buy more soon, and will try some of this lady's other spices when I do." —Shayla Williams

    Get it from Amazon for $7.12.

    8. A hand-powered chopper that'll make you low key feel like you're playing with a kid's wind up toy, but also save you a TON of time and effort. Also now that veggies are fun to chop, maybe in 2022 you'll actually? Wanna?? Eat some????? (Let's not get too carried away.) 

    reviewer using veggichop to chop onions
    chopped onion after chopping with veggichop

    Promising review: "This chopper is amazing!! I love cooking, but used to absolutely HATE chopping onions... until someone gave me this chopper! Now I simply have to quarter the onion, throw it in the chopper, pull the handle about 10–15 times, and they're ready to be used! No more teary eyes or spending a long time chopping onions. The cup is big enough to fit a whole onion... I think the capacity is 3 cups. There's tons of other uses to this as well... you can chop pretty much anything from herbs, veggies and fruits, to making salsa and guacamole." —Valjulia

    Get it from Amazon for $17.43+ (available in three colors).

    We've got you covered with plenty of other recommendations for useful kitchen gadgets, BTW.

    9. A set of restaurantworthy shallow pasta bowls to make you feel like you're genuinely ~plating~ all your meals like a professional — this is like a bowl and a plate had a very stylish, SUPER convenient baby for all your pasta and salad needs.

    White plate slightly curved like a bowl with food in it
    Amazon

    Promising review: "These bowls are great. I lived my entire life until now without owning shallow bowls. I’ve been eating spaghetti off of a plate like some kind of wild animal. My life is forever changed." —JessieMo

    Get a set of four from Amazon for $36.97+ (available in white or black).

    10. Or a deep, bizarrely chic salad bowl that'll make your work-from-home lunch feel like it's getting served to you at a fancy café.

    A white deeply angled bowl with soup in it
    The bowl with salad in it

    A fun fact about me is that I am a slob, and when I eat salad, I go to CLOWN TOWN on it. I recently purchased one of these bowls for my lunch salads and I could not love it more. The depth is very satisfying for tossing all my odds and ends into, I've *seriously* minimized the spills, and this is super duper easy to clean. Now if I could just stop myself from insufferably Instagramming all my lunches, I'd be set!!

    Promising review: "Love them. Use them for salads and they work really well without spilling any salad off the plate. Also use for large fruit salads. I'm sure that spaghetti would also work. Definitely worth the price." —Enjoy Coffee

    Get it from Amazon for $6.34+ (available in four sizes).

    11. A silicone baking mat for your sheet pan, so on days when you've run out of time to do anything orderly for dinner you can just slap a bunch of veggies and frozen goods down, drizzle them in olive oil and spices, and shove them in the oven. Bonus: these are super easy to clean, so you won't have to deal with a mess! 

    A reviewer's vegetable and mozzarella sticks cooking on a sheet pan
    A reviewer's croissants cooked on a sheet pan

    Promising review: "I use these mats multiple times a day. They make cleanup super easy, which is really important in my hectic life. They wipe off easily with just water." —Tasia Lung

    Get a set of two from Amazon for $13.15.

    12. The "Guac-Lock," aka the Fort Knox of guac — this airtight, specially designed container stops your guacamole from oxidizing, so when you make a big, delicious batch of it while your avocados are in their prime, you can steadily enjoy it over several meals. Reviewers mention it staying fresh for up to 10 days! 

    Promising review: "Rarely do I buy something that delivers 100% of what they claim it will. I'm happy to report that this completely lived up to my expectations. Truth be told, it works even better than I expected it to. I made a batch of guac a week ago. Two or three times during the week, I unlocked it, dipped a chip or two and then re-locked it. After a week, the guacamole is as fresh as if I made it this morning. I typically make a batch of guac each week and use it as a snack or as a spread on sandwiches. I also typically throw out one-third of the batch because it spoils before we can eat it. Not any more. I estimate the food I'm not wasting will actually pay for the Guac-Lock in about a month." —mhogan

    Get it on Amazon for $18.83.

    13. A kitchen blowtorch you might have a hankering to own if you have also been watching cooking tutorials on TikTok — this little bb is perfect for crisping up everything from fruit to the tops of meat and cheese dishes to creme brulees to at-home s'mores. 

    Reviewer using small blow torch on creme brulees
    Crystallized grapefruit

    Psst — you do need butane fuel to operate it! 

    Promising review: "This little gadget is really great for the price. It is pretty to look at and has a nice weight and hand feel without being too heavy or bulky. Easy to fill, just remember to buy your butane! Has a gauge to turn flame up or down. Lock on top is a safety lock, as well as, a continuous flame lock. Even if you have it going for a while the top doesn't seem to get overly hot; a plus with kids and pets. The best thing is the ignite button. I have one of those long Bic lighters, and it takes two hands to get the thing to light! The Kollea torch is super easy! Great for someone who doesn't have a lot of finger strength. It crystallized the sugar on my grapefruit nicely and made it super juicy, yum! Looking forward to using it with my painting projects and other culinary adventures!" —SeeksTruth101

    Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in two color). 

    14. A jar of za'atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme, toasted sesame seeds, and sumac that you'll find yourself sprinkling on just about every meal your whip up to add a little extra savory, spicy depth to it.

    Reviewer photo of the jar, which is about the size of their hand
    Photo of the sauce on baguette slices

    Promising review: "This za'atar is the best quality I have found. I've also found that the balance of sumac and thyme to be just right. This instantly spices up my boring meal prep food and I put it on my chicken, meats, salads, yogurt, or just in olive oil — basically it makes everything taste so much better. I highly recommend it!" —TC

    Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in three sizes).

    15. A mushroom growing kit that grows right there in the packaging, so you can add some sweet, sweet umami flavors to new dishes by sautéing, roasting, or air frying them up.

    A box with mushrooms growing out of the side
    Reviewer image of mushrooms cooking in a pan

    Back To The Roots is a California-based small business founded by two college friends that specializes in indoor gardening kits with a mission to reconnect families to food.

    Psst — if you have not put mushrooms in your air fryer, my friend, you have not yet lived the full human experience. Also this growing kit comes with some recipes to get you started!

    Promising review: "This product has been so much fun to watch! I followed the directions, exactly as written, and the mushrooms began growing within 3–4 days. I will say that I did soak them for close to 10 hours before putting them back in the box to grow and I believe this helped a ton. I also kept the box inside by a window with the blinds closed in order for them to get indirect sunlight. The mushrooms grew tremendously for almost a week before they started to shrink so I clipped them to cook with and they were DELICIOUS! This was such a fun product and process to watch. I am now in the process of trying to get a second batch of shrooms from the same box. Fingers crossed!" —Steph A

    Get it from Amazon for $16.31.

    16. A microwave pasta maker to bring you the glory of your favorite carbohydrate by literally just pressing a button on the microwave and walking away, so you don't have to hover over a boiling pot listening to a podcast just to get your noodles on.

    A rectangular transparent holder for pasta with water in it getting set and strained out
    Amazon

    Promising review: "This is a fantastic product. I’ve been cooking for more than 50 years. Pasta has always been a simple go-to dinner for me. Tending to the boiling pot of pasta was just part of the process. I’ve been getting tired of cooking as I’ve aged. This simple little microwave pasta cooker has simplified cooking so much more than I could have imagined. Seems silly, but it’s kinda like a little miracle. No more toting a heavy pot to the stove. No more pouring pasta and boiling water into a colander. It’s simple, lightweight, and foolproof. You’ll never regret buying this. I suggest buying the larger size to have more portion options." —Winky

    Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

    And here are some other microwave-safe products to make your life easier. 

    17. Plus a rapid veggie steamer so you can be like, "BOOM. SIDE DISH!" without actually putting in any work beyond pressing a few buttons and waiting five minutes. 

    A model placing a green triangular steamer into a microwave
    Amazon

    Promising review: "Great purchase!!! I’ve been able to steam a whole squash, whole zucchini, handful of cauliflower, broccoli, and it comes out perfectly in three to four minutes! It makes cooking and eating healthier so quick and easy." —Ashley

    Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

    18. A trio lasagna pan designed so people with different lasagna preferences can customize their own versions without cross-contamination (sometimes you just gotta drown the whole thing in cheese, you dig me?). Also, with this gizmo, every piece is an edge piece 😋.  

    The pan with three rectangles of cooked lasagna in it
    Reviewer image of pan with babka cooked inside

    FYI, you can 6,000% use these for brownies, blondies, and bread too.

    Promising review: "As someone who has a child (now a teenager) who will not eat any form of cheese, I find that this pan is amazing! I typically avoid making any food that has cheese mixed into it but now I can make him a section without cheese and the rest of us our regular cheesy goodness. Another benefit to this pan is how well the portions slice. One cut with the spatula gives you a perfectly formed square. Each section makes four regular sized portions for our family." —TLC

    Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

    19. A bag of powdered cheddar because if you can dream it, you! can! cheese it!! The blend is designed to meld with butter, sour cream, or other sauces for ultimate cheese blends, but reviewers are also obsessed with sprinkling it on popcorn, veggies, eggs, potatoes, and chips. It'a also gluten-free and keto-friendly! 

    Promising review: "My 6-year-old son is super picky with his mac 'n' cheese (as in, would only eat Kraft) so when he had to go gluten-free it was one of the things he missed the most. We tried all of the prepackaged gluten-free ones and he hated them. We found that he liked Barilla brand gluten-free elbow pasta so I needed to find a gluten-free cheese to go with with it. This was a hit! I mixed it with a little milk and butter, and he ate two bowls. This is real cheese, all natural ingredients and they suggest keeping it refrigerated. I'm glad we finally found a replacement for his mac 'n' cheese!" —Naomi A. Dejesus Howard

    Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

    20. A weekly meal planner you can use to map out all your meals and grocery needs in advance — particularly handy if you're so busy that prioritizing yummy things falls to the wayside. This is also great for cutting costs, save time ordering groceries, and minimizing your number of trips to the store.

    A person writing on the notepad stuck to the fridge
    Amazon

    The list magnetizes to the fridge, and has the meal plan on one side, and a perforated "shopping list" you can tear off and take with you on the other side.

    Promising review: "I’ve been starting to get into meal prepping and this planner really helps! I like being able to look up recipes on my phone, then write down whatever ingredients I still need on the grocery list section of this planner. Its being magnetic is cool because you can hang it on the fridge. I love how the grocery list section can be ripped off so you can take it to the store, but the daily meal plans remain on the fridge so you can stay organized. This is a very simple idea, but it’s cute and helps keep me get organized and motivated to plan out my meals." —Samantha M.

    Get it from Amazon for $10.95 (available in five styles).

    21. An olive oil spritzer so you can have all of the convenience of an easy spray *and* all of the deliciousness of deciding precisely what olive oil you want to put in it. A lot of reviewers with air fryers swear by this, since it's perfect for a ~light mist~ when you don't need much more than that. 

    This is also a much less wasteful alternative to disposable spray cans! 

    Promising review: "I had a store-bought sherry vinegar with a pump top. When the vinegar ran out, I refilled it. Eventually though, the pump top broke because it wasn't meant for repeated use. So I found this product, which just arrived. It was easy to clean, and I just filled it with sherry vinegar. Terrific misting! I'm happy I found this." —Mary Owens

    Get it from Amazon for $10.89

    22. A three-sectioned nonstick skillet so you can achieve a meal of champions without dirtying every single pan you own, plus keep all your sides from fraternizing. Bonus — it's oven- and dishwasher-safe! 

    Promising review: "There’s no words to describe how awesome this thing is. Had it for maybe a year now. It’s long lasting and still highly effective. I love making hamburgers. Takes about 5–10 minutes. Throw the meat on there and bacon, fried egg on the other side and grill up the buns. All comes together on one skillet. Superb." —Stephanie M.

    Get it on Amazon for $34.99.

    23. A beginner-friendly fermenting kit complete with everything you need to "set it and forget it," so you can serve yourself lil' sides of pickled things with your dishes like a fancy farm-to-table restaurant.

    Each kit comes with three fermenting lids with airlock valves, date setters, and an easy release tab, as well as an oxygen extractor. The lids are compatible with most wide mouth mason jars (you can snag two Ball mason jars on Amazon for $9.99).

    Promising review: "I have now been using my Easy Fermenter for several months. I continue to be delighted with the results. My favorite recipes are a cabbage/carrot sauerkraut, and a blend of fermented peppers (some sweet, some hot). I have recommended these fermenting lids to many of my friends because they make fermenting foods so incredibly easy! You will NOT be disappointed." —K. Dixon

    Get it from Amazon for $22.99.

    24. A rotary cheese grater so you add a lil' cheesy something to every one of your dishes without that bone-crushing 20 seconds of silence after the waiter at Olive Garden starts grating and says, "Say when."

    A model using the grater to put cheese on pasta
    Amazon

    Promising review: "I love it. My family loves it. We used to use a hand-held flat cheese grater. It took forever to grind enough cheese out of that thing. This little jewel cranks out grated cheese. We tried all sorts of hard cheeses just to see the thing work, then froze some soft cheeses to see how they worked. Now we mix our cheeses just because it is so easy to do. Asiago/Parmesan rock fish? Simple. Pretty neat. It works. It's cheap. Easy to clean. Handy as hell. Buy one." —Aranhas

    Get it from Amazon for $17.86.

    25. An instant read long probe meat thermometer with a handy digital readout so you can get *chef's kiss* perfectly tender meats, sauces, and fondues that will make Remy from Ratatouille drool. 

    A model putting a small silver thermometer with a digital temp readout into a burger
    Amazon

    Promising review: "A great thermometer. I can even see ambient temperature with it. The sharp point goes in easily and seeing the accurate temp fast can't be beat. You can even clip it to your shirt and with the ring I actually have it hanging in a conspicuous place in my kitchen so I don't have to keep diving into the utensil drawer. It sure exceeded my expectations." —B.C. Poppe

    Get it from Amazon for $10.99

    26. A heat-safe, durable pizza stone so you can go ham baking decadent pizzas and breads with the *chef's kiss* perfect amount of crispiness without the edges or bottom getting burnt or unevenly cooked. 

    a perfectly cooked pepperoni pizza on the stone
    Naan bread on the stone

    Promising review: "Absolutely awesome way to cook either a homemade pizza or a frozen store bought pizza! If you’re sick of your pizzas not cooking fully and/or correctly, I highly recommend this product!! It’s oversized surface makes cooking any size pizza extremely fast and easy!" —Calvin W Bulford

    Get it from Amazon for $28.99+ (available in three sizes). 

    27. A two-pack of TikTok-famous Dan-O's seasoning, a low-sodium, hecka-flavorful option made with dried herbs, citrus, and granulated onion and garlic that reviewers love to jazz up everything from fish to beef to eggs to veggies.

    two jars of spices
    spice jar next to homemade hash browns

    Dan O's seasoning is a small business established in 2017 that gained popularity after taking to TikTok during the pandemic, where the company now has 1.5 million followers with plenty of droolworthy food content.

    Promising review: "I became interested in this product while watching TikToks. I have been adding it to so many things. I use it in spaghetti, on fish, and one of my favorites is to add it to popcorn. My husband had to ask why my popcorn smelled like steak. I love the fact that it is low sodium as well. I am not a fan of extra salt and most foods already have plenty of salt but need some seasoning. This should be your go to seasoning." —Heartcri

    Get a pack of two (one original, one spicy) from Amazon for $21.89.

    Check out some other TikTok products that we're loving right now.

    28. A rapid egg cooker that I am warning you right now is going to become your most meaningful relationship. It can make soft-, medium-, *and* hard-boiled eggs in addition to poaching, scrambling, and making omelets out of them. This gizmo is, like, a thousand potential brunches and meal preps in one.

    The egg machine with a transparent dome lid showing six eggs cooking in it
    Reviewer images of an omelette and two poached eggs on avocado toast

    I've owned one of these babies and have faithfully used it every week for upward of two years, and especially love it while working from home — it simplifies breakfast because I know no matter what assortment of groceries I'm working with, there are precooked eggs to add some protein to it (I like mine medium-boiled 🍳). If my dinner is boring or seems like it needs a little extra "oomph" to it, I'll throw in an egg from this too. Some reviews note that the alarm on it is a little loud, but the new models have significantly decreased the volume and sing a little song instead!

    Promising review: "I saw someone on TikTok with this and gasped! Ordered it right away. I had no idea these things existed. Super easy and convenient and the hard-boiled eggs came out perfectly. I’m testing a batch now without punching a hole in the eggs to see how they come out. Because why not make an easy process even easier?!?! LOL." —Gina

    Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in seven colors).

    29. A set of "floating" kitchen knives in an acrylic case that is, frankly, so badass that even as a person who can't cook to save their life I'm like, "Do it for the vibes." That said, reviewers really *DO* rave about these professional-quality stainless-steel blades! 

    Each set comes with 13 professional chef knives, kitchen scissors, a peeler, a two-stage stage knife sharpener, and an acrylic knife stand.

    Promising review: "I love these knives! I saw them on a TikTok and decided I had to have a set of black knives and they exceeded my expectations for sure. Super durable, and very sharp. And they aren’t an eye sore in the kitchen." —Emily S. 

    Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in six sizes and styles). 

    30. Plus a two-stage knife-sharpener, because those blades you bought back in the day?? They're probably super dull by now, even if you haven't noticed since it's happened over time. But as all the pros know, sharper knives = faster, safer cooking, so you can ~refresh~ them with this.

    Hands running a knife through the small sharpener
    Amazon

    Promising review: "Wow, this little gadget is pretty amazing! I have some old (expensive) nonserrated knives that are supposed to never need sharpening but, unfortunately, lost their sharp edge long ago. I saw this gadget and decided to try it. I set the bottom of this gadget on the edge of the counter and ran one of the knives through the side labeled 'Coarse' about 10 times, then ran it through the side labeled 'Fine' another 8–10 times. Bingo! The knife was transformed back to its former high-dollar cutlery glory. I could hardly believe how effectively it had sharpened the knife, which I had been ready to throw away a week before. I've been happily sharpening all our knives and trying to add up in my head how much money I've saved by NOT having to buy another set of expensive knives. I don't know where else you can spend $6 and get this return for the money. Great score!" —Schelly L. Wagoner

    Read our full review of the KitchenIQ knife sharpener for more deets.

    Get it from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in four colors).

    31. A variety pack of grain pilaf mixes in flavors so delicious that you'll be mixing and matching them with all your favorite foods in no time. Bonus for any efficient meal preppers out there: it cooks in five minutes!

    Yolélé is a Black-owned, New York-based business established in 2017 that connects smallholder farmers in West Africa with local and global markets, and specializes in products inspired by traditional West African dishes. 

    The three flavors include Afro-Funk (dawadawa and herbs), Jollof (tomato and bell pepper, and Yassa! (onion, lime, and chili). 

    Promising review: "We ordered the variety pack and love all of them! This stuff is seriously good, and so quick and easy to make. Excellent quick and healthy meal...just throw in some chopped veggies and meat/tofu, and dinner is done in minutes. It’s also good cold, as a salad. Will definitely make this a staple in our house." —Kate in the Northwest 

    Get three-pack variety pack from Amazon for $18.95

    32. A salt and pepper grinder for ridiculously fresh, delicious seasoning on everything you make — a nice bonus is that these are an *excellent* dupe for other grinders that can get upwards of $100 with the same functionality and look.

    These each hold about 6 ounces to minimize refills, and the knob at the top lets you adjust your coarseness settings so you can get your desired pepper and salt thickness juuuuust right.

    Promising review: "This set fit the bill for me — it has an easy to use adjustable grind setting and I like the top feature where you can grind into the lid for larger spice needs. My pepper (purchased separately) gives off a nice scent and peppery bite to foods that was missing from prior grinders. I guess you could spend three times as much for a grinder, but at this point, I don't see an advantage. All that and the (family-owned) company reaches out for any assistance needed and even has a 'Chief Happiness Officer.' You gotta love that title. I am pleased to own the set and would not hesitate to give as a gift."Jane Doe

    Get a set of two from Amazon for $16.99.

    33. A sandwich "decruster" set so you can live your best knockoff Uncrustables life — a lot of parents swear by this for cheap meal preps by making sandwiches in batches at the beginning of the week and freezing them! Plus you can freeze the leftover crusts to use in bread puddings or turn into French toast 😋.  

    Reviewer holding up round crustless sandwich with peanut butter and jelly inside
    A set of round sandwiches on a plate

    Each set comes with three square, three round, and three triangle cutters in different sizes. Psst — people also use these to make hand pies and toss 'em in the oven or the air fryer! 

    Promising review: "I like to make a bunch of sandwiches and put them in the freezer for easy school lunches. I had the Pampered Chef sandwich sealer for several years, but it was always hard to get the sandwiches back out again. So when it finally broke I went on the hunt for a replacement. This one has been great so far. It has circle, square, or triangle choices, which is great. Depending on the shape of the bread, one shape may work better than the others. It is easy to pop the sandwich right out after you seal it. Even when part of the crust gets sealed, it holds up better than the ones I used to make. It cleans up easy right in the top of the dishwasher (no more hand washing if you don't want to). My kids made ham and cheese and they liked the smaller cutting piece. I made 20 sandwiches (Nutella, PB and honey and PB and jelly) for the freezer in less than 15 minutes. These are so much better than what I had before. Much easier to use than I was expecting." —K Pearson

    Get a set of nine from Amazon for $17.96

    34. A Bentgo stackable lunch container that salad eaters absolutely *rave* about — this bowl is nice and deep for mixing salads and has an upper compartment to keep your other ingredients separate, *plus* a container for dressing and a reusable fork. 

    A purple container with a bottom full of salad and a top with four sections dividing ingredients
    The components of the container laid out in a graphic

    Promising review: "I absolutely love these salad containers. My fiancé and I have big appetites, but try to eat healthy. These containers fit a ton of salad greens and all sizes of toppings — nuts, beans, cheese, fruits, meats, pasta, etc. They make packing lunch easy. Just throw in some greens, a protein, a dressing, and toppings that make salad fun for you! We use ours several times per week and they make it to both our jobs without spilling or leaking. I walk and ride public transit, so mine gets tossed around a bit. We have blue and purple and want the other two as well. The bright colors are fun! I also like that having everything separate forces me to take a minute to put my lunch together and eat mindfully rather than just devouring it on my break. Several of my friends and coworkers have bought them after seeing mine! The only thing I wish this bowl had is a knife, but I keep one at work to chop up the greens before tossing!" —izzo

    Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in eight colors). 

    Or check out our picks for the best bento boxes for kids!

    35. A handy pancake batter dispenser and mixer to guarantee you'll get mess-free, beautifully blended, perfectly portioned pancakes every time. The silicone tip is even heat-resistant, so you can get up close and personal with the pan if you wanna flex some pancake art skills. Plus? Cleanup is as easy as shaking soap and water into it. 

    Model pouring pancakes out with handheld bottle-shaped dispenser
    Reviewer pic of small round pancakes on a griddle

    Promising review: "I LOVE this thing! Breakfast has never been faster or easier! And it doesn't make noise that will wake everyone up while I am mixing. The silicone tip is real silicone (for those wondering about the pinch test) and does well against cast iron. I have never been able to get my pancakes this fluffy until now! So great! Planning on buying more from this brand! It is also super easy to clean. The bottom comes off to fill it up and it turns into a holder for the bottle by setting the top into the bottom setting. It suggests putting in your liquid first them your mix but if making a large amount you might have to gently tap it a bit." —KC Hunter

    Get it from Amazon for $15.42

    36. A bottle of avocado hot sauce to both delight and emotionally confuse your tastebuds with the combo of creamy avo + HEAT so delicious you'll be like, "Welp, time to open my own taco truck."

    Avocado hot sauce drenched on a sandwich
    Amazon

    The question is less what can you put it on and more what *can't* you put it on. Reviewers mention salads, burritos, eggs, burgers, sandwiches, and steak.

    Promising review: "Please start keeping this in stock! I'm stockpiling when you do carry it — just in case! So good. Favorable and just a mild level of hot, it's really good on anything that needs a little something — eggs, beans, rice, etc. Not a 'hot sauce' as much as a flavor enhancer. And, name aside, not really avocado in flavor; the avocado base just provides a little creamier, smoother, richer base for the spiciness. I can see people who don't like avocados still liking this sauce." —Jennifer

    Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in three flavors).

    37. A 10-inch specialty wavy bread knife you are legally required to own if you are a Person Who Loves Bread — this is designed to easily slice through your crustiest of breads *without* smushing them or reducing them to crumbly bits, and can slice so thin that your bread-to-butter ratios are going to be more lawlessly delicious than EVER. 

    Reviewer image of sliced up bread boule
    Reviewer image of very thinly sliced piece of bread

    Promising review: "I needed a better bread knife and chose this one based on a recommendation from America's Test Kitchen. It has rubber grips and just feels good in your hand. It is very sharp and produces smooth cuts with almost no crumbs. I decided to test the sharpness and control of the knife by slicing bread very thinly. The pictures show the result of a slice of bread about 1/8" thick that you could practically see through. With a little more practice I can probably get it thinner because I think the knife is capable of doing it." —Tammy Edgington

    Get it from Amazon for $12.49+ (available in 12 other knife styles). 

    38. A ceramic "Grate Plate" that comes complete with a silicone garlic peeler and a wooden handle gathering brush. You can use this to properly grate garlic for your toasty bread, ginger for your hot tea, lemon zest for your baked goods, and more. Pro tip from the seller: add olive oil for the perfect garlic dip 😋.

    A blue hexagon-shaped plate with a grated surface with grated garlic on top
    The plate used to crush ginger
    The Grate Plate/Etsy

    The Grate Plate is an Oregon-based, mother and daughter–owned Etsy shop established in 2016 that specializes in colorful, handmade graters.

    Bonus — these are dishwasher safe!

    Promising review: "I love this Grate Plate. We were replacing one that we (unfortunately) broke. The shop of this plate is attractive, easier to hold onto than my old round one and it works really well! And the color is lovely, too." —Sandy

    Get it from The Grate Plate on Etsy for $29.99 (available in 14 colors; this item ships for free!).

    39. A breakfast sandwich maker that simultaneously cooks an egg, toasts bread, warms precooked meat, and melts cheese into the perfect sammie in less than five minutes. Dunkin' whomst??? 

    The sandwich maker
    reviewer holding egg sandwich

    Promising review: "Single best appliance I own. My boyfriend sent me this sort of as a joke; we both thought it was both ridiculous and brilliant to have a McMuffin maker in your house. And then I tried cooking with it for the first time. Holy crap, it's AMAZING. I ended up using frozen waffles for the bread; you have to trim them just a tad, but they are the perfect amount of crispy. I love experimenting with this, and have built some truly amazing sandwiches. Waffles, eggs, avocado, Swiss, and ham. Waffles, egg, corn salsa, jack cheese. If you can fit it into the rounds, you can make a sandwich with it. The panel under the egg slides out easily and cleanly when the egg is cooked (I find four minutes is perfect for cooked eggs with runny yolks), and the whole middle section can simply be tossed in the dishwasher." —Elizabeth Joy Weaver

    Get it from Amazon for $26.99 (available in five colors).

    40. A silicone donut pan that can also be used for homemade bagels, essentially covering the only two essential food groups — perfect for anyone who wants to experiment with different seasonings and flavors. 

    The silicone pan full of six fully baked everything bagels
    A bunch of chocolate frosted donuts

    Psst — here's an extremely easy-to-follow Greek yogurt bagel recipe (plus a lot of reviewers mention using this for keto bagels, if that lights your fire).

    Promising review: "This silicone pan is great! I had been wanting to try making baked donuts and didn’t realize how easy it is! Pan is easy to use, clean and the donuts came out of pan easily and without breaking/sticking to the pan." —Tyler

    Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

    41. A waffle bowl maker that doubles as a burrito bowl maker, so basically every meal and dessert is taken care of for the rest of your life.

    Reviewer image of a waffle bowl with chicken salad in it
    Reviewer image of ice cream bowl

    Promising review: "This is the ninth Dash mini appliance I've bought and I love it. It's small; enough for one person. Easy to use. Easy to clean. Heats up pretty quickly. Doesn't take too long to cook my waffle bowl. I've only done it using shredded cheese and a couple of minutes was all it needed. Need to try it with other stuff, but so far, I'm happy with it." —Geovanny and Doris

    Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in four colors).

    42. A simple silicone bread maker that proves you don't need any expensive equipment or complicated instructions to make delicious bread at home — in fact, you can mix the ingredients right into the silicone maker and pop it right into the oven.

    raw bread dough in a black silicone folded holder
    A freshly baked loaf of bread

    Promising review: "This mixing bowl invention is genius. Bread making always makes such a mess, but with the Lekue Silicone Bread Maker, I can mix, proof, and bake all in one bowl. It was a big advantage for proofing wetter dough like crusty artisan or sourdough because transferring that wetter dough out of the proofing container without degassing it was always a challenge. Being able to do everything in one container is extremely helpful. Also, by having the Lekue wrap around the bread during baking helps to trap some steam for those desirable holes in artisan bread." —Keek

    Get it from Amazon for $29.95.

    43. A collection of teensy fruit and vegetable cutouts, so you can live inside a Pinterest post and eat it, too. Plus, you use the cut-out bits from one fruit to wedge another fruit into it, like fruit-ception!

    Small fruit and veggies cut from stamps in the shapes of flowers, hearts, and animals
    Amazon

    Promising review: "Perfect for lunchbox fun!! We use them to cut cute shapes for cheese and fruit. Our daughter loves opening up her box to see what shapes she got that day! Definitely recommend." —Wade

    Get them from Amazon for $9.99.

    44. Plus a set of cat bento molds so you can eat your rice balls in their absolute puurrrrrfect form. It even comes with a nori press you can use on seaweed or thinly sliced meats and veggies to create the cute lil' face shapes 🐱.  

    Rice balls in the shapes of cat heads with three different expressions on their faces
    Amazon

    Promising review: "This product is simple and fun! My kids loved the cute rice balls we made, and it is simple enough they can use it with very little help (ages 5, 7, and 9). I am so glad we purchased this item and we will surely be using it a lot in the future." —Hope

    Get it from Amazon for $11.87

    45. A set of foodie dice you can use to challenge yourself to expand your culinary horizons (and low key pretend you're in a cooking reality show). Also a great cure for those nights everyone in the house is like, "I dunno, what do you wanna eat?" like a bunch of Libras (yeah, I said it).

    A set of wooden dice with different foods engraved in the wood of each side
    Two Tumbleweeds/Etsy

    Two Tumbleweeds is an Arizona-based, sister owned Etsy shop established in 2014 that specializes in products for foodies and people who like to cook.

    Each set includes five main dice (protein, cooking method, grain/carb, herb, bonus ingredient) and four seasonal veggie dice. All you gotta do is roll 'em up and send them scattering and they will decide what kind of meal you should try to prep. Bonus — these are all naturally gluten-free, if you or a foodie you love has any dietary restrictions!

    Promising review: "Such a fun gift! My husband loved the idea and we already successfully made a dish!" —Kasia

    Get it from Two Tumbleweeds on Etsy for $24.

    46. A pair of bear claws so you can stop paying up for pre-shredded meat but still keep your hands clean from any pulled pork or rotisserie chicken grease!

    reviewer photo of the black bear claws stuck into a roast of meat
    reviewer photo of the same roast completely shredded because of the bear claws

    Promising review: "We’ve been on a shredded chicken breast kick and have been using table forks to do the shredding. It was a miserable task and we dreaded it but prefer the taste of shredded chicken over other cooking methods. I saw these in a newsfeed article on inexpensive things that will save you time. It seemed too good to be true but after quickly shredding 4 chicken breasts we have to say it definitely saves a lot of time and effort. I think they are actually intended for larger cuts of meat like roasts so are kind of bulky but worked really well on the chicken breasts. Life-changing." –Michele

    Get them from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in four colors).

    47. Or some stainless steel herb scissors that'll ~cut~ your meal prep time in half! No more painstakingly chopping up herby garnishes!

    Promising review: "I don’t know why I have waited so long to get a pair of these scissors. They are fantastic. Makes using fresh herbs so easy! It takes a few minutes to cut up any herb you need to use. It used to take me many minutes to cut up herbs with a pair of kitchen shears. I used to dread when a recipe called for a fresh herb chopped. Now it’s so easy with these scissors that I enjoy making recipes with fresh herbs. They clean up nicely and they provide you with a tool that helps you remove any excess herbs that may be stuck in the blades." —susan darrow

    Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in two colors).

    48. tortilla press kit made in Mexico (out of Singer sewing machines!) to both revolutionize your Taco Tuesdays and look darn beautiful in your kitchen.

    Bright red tortilla maker with balls of dough beside flat, finished pieces
    Verve Culture

    Verve Culture is a woman-owned small business based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was founded by a mother and daughter, and they curate products that are "made in the country of origin using traditional practices."

    Promising review: "This tortilla press is SO cute and lets you make delicious tortillas super easily. I love the pop of red on my counter and guests always give me compliments when I take it out for Taco Tuesday!" —Carly

    Get it from Verve Culture for $48.

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