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1. A silicone utensil rest that’s big enough to hold up to four cooking tools at once. It's heat-resistant and also comes in a rainbow of colors, because what’s a kitchen these days without a pop of color to brighten things up?
2. A strainer that clips directly to your pot, because who wants to dirty up a whole colander every time they make just one bowl of pasta? No one. That’s who. This silicone pick is amazingly versatile by the way. Reviewers say they use it not just for pasta, but also for things like draining meat. Plus it fits on pots and bowls in various sizes.
3. Or, a sturdy over-the-sink strainer, in case you have an inherent distrust of clip-on things. This silicone strainer’s telescoping handles mean it’ll fit over sinks of all sizes, from the cute and compact to the expansively vast.
4. An “All Out Of” memo pad that’ll help you plan out your next grocery shopping trip like a pro. This notepad comes equipped with tons of staples; you can just check off the box next to them when you realize you're out. Plus, there’s extra room to write in any additional items you might need. And with everything organized into a whopping 22 categories–well, let’s just say that you’ll probably never forget anything again. Ever.
5. A Vegebox indoor hydroponic garden set, so you can enjoy all the fresh herbs you could ever want all year long. The full-spectrum LED grow lights help your favorite greens spring up in no time at all. And unlike a few other similar tabletop hydroponic gardens, you don’t need to buy specialized pods for this option—you can use whatever seeds you like.
6. A pack of five silicone food covers in various sizes that are great for storing and heating up leftovers. Just pop one of these lids on top of your bowl full of whatever and they’ll seal right up, thanks to the magic of suction.
7. And a set of silicone food huggers that’ll keep everything from loose fruits and veggies to open cans fresh for ages. Didn’t use that entire onion? Only needed the juice from half a lemon? Made something that called for a tablespoon of tomato paste, not the whole can? Stretch one of these li’l guys over the cut edge of your veggie or your can’s open mouth and they’ll keep for much, much longer – no plastic wrap required.
8. A 6-quart Instant Pot that can handle the work of seven–count 'em–different appliances. It’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and food warmer, all in one handy package. Not only is it a boon for making tons of set-it-and-forget-it meals, it also frees up a huge amount of space in tiny kitchens.
9. Or, a sous vide cooker to help you whip up the tenderest, most melt-in-your-mouth meals ever. This option even comes with 20 recipes built right into the program, making it almost impossible to mess up.
10. A garlic twist that’ll make mincing garlic the breeziest of breezes. Reviewers say this little contraption works best with two or three cloves at a time – but once you’ve popped them into the chamber, all you have to do is twist the halves back and forth a few times, and voila! Perfectly minced garlic.
11. A Bluapple produce freshness extender, because nothing is worse than coming home from the market with a bunch of beautiful produce, only for it to wither into grossness just a few days later. Stick one of these activated carbon doohickies into your fridge or crisper drawer with your fresh fruits and veggies right when you put ‘em away and that tragedy will be a thing of the past.
12. A handy knife sharpener, so you can make sure you’ve always got a perfect edge on your most-used kitchen tools. If you’re not regularly sharpening your knives, it’s a habit that’s worth getting into. This hand-held sharpener includes three different slots meant for different types of blades, so you've got all your bases covered.
13. A set of mixing bowls with airtight lids, because multitasking kitchen gear is the best kitchen gear. This set of five includes bowls of a variety of sizes, all of which nest together for easy storage. Plus if you, say, mix up a batch of waffle batter and end up not using all of it in one go, you can just stick a lid on the bowl and pop in the fridge for later.
14. A pair of Clever Cutter kitchen scissors that’ll basically eliminate your need for a cutting board. Just snip through your potato or zucchini or whatever and let the slices fall into a bowl. Easy peasy!
15. A bamboo cookbook stand, because if you’ve ever had a cookbook literally fall on you while you were in the middle of sautéing something, you will do everything in your power not to let it happen again. (Not that I’m, uh, speaking from experience or anything). This sturdy stand has page clips to keep everything in place and if you tend to use more digital cooking resources than paper ones these days, it’s great for tablets too.
16. A Shark Tank-famous Frywall splatter guard that’ll keep screaming hot oil at bay while still allowing you access to your food for, y’know, cooking purposes. FYI, this particular one is for 10-inch pans, but Frywall also makes larger and smaller versions to suit different pan sizes.
17. A touchless automatic trash can, because once you try one of these futuristic refuse receptacles, you will never look back. I’ve had a touchless can for years and it is honestly one of my favorite things. It opens with the wave of a hand so if said hand is covered in chicken guts or something equally gross, you won’t have to clean up an additional mess later. Bonus: reviewers say this pick from Simplehuman is pet-proof too.
18. A trio of bamboo cutting boards that look so good, you can use them for meal prep and serving. This set comes with a small board, a medium-sized one, and a large one — who doesn't appreciate options? Each is double-sided too, with one side equipped with a deep juice groove to catch any liquids that might spill out while you’re slicing.
19. An expandable container lid organizer, because you’re going to have to conquer that mountain of Gladware and Snapware looming ominously in your cabinet one of these days. This space-saving organizer keeps all your lids categorized by size and you adjust the length based on how many lids you have and the size of your shelf. Genius!
20. A hand-operated vegetable chopper that slices! Dices! And does it all in one fell swoop! It comes with four blades–a small dicing blade, a larger chopping blade, and two spiralizers–so all you need to do is fit the device with the blade that best suits your needs, sandwich your onion or potato in the middle of it, and bring the top down firmly. It cuts your prep time down to mere seconds, according to reviewers.
21. An anti-fatigue kitchen mat made of memory foam, because making your favorite meals or treats shouldn’t be a painful experience. The memory foam on this mat is a whopping 3/4-inch thick, cushioning your feet and reducing the stress and pressure your knees, legs, and back have to bear. It’s not quite cooking on a cloud, but it’s close.
22. A pair of wall-mounted pot lid organizers that’ll free up so. Much. Space in your cabinets. Each organizer holds up to three lids, so between the two that come with the set, you can stash the lids for six different pots or pans somewhere safely out of the way. Not wild about having your pot lids attached to your walls and on display? No problem! Tons of reviewers have installed them inside their cabinets – either on the outside or inside – and they work beautifully there, as well.
23. An over-the-sink dish drying rack that’s so useful, you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life. Available in a bunch of sizes and with tons of different racks and organizer baskets, this highly-rated pick holds a lot more than it looks. And what could be more efficient than letting your dishes drip dry over the one part of your kitchen that’s actually intended to get wet all the time?
24. A cake slice marker, so you can cut perfectly equal slices from your most masterful creations every time. Note: this little gadget is NOT for slicing. When you lay it on top of your treat, it just marks where the slices should go. Then cut with a knife, following the guidelines. Keep a steady hand and you’ll have Instagram-worthy slice action down to a science.
25. And a roll or two of washable, reusable bamboo towels that’ll replace your roll of regular paper towels and help you cut down on single-use products. The sheets on this roll are oversized (11” by 12”) but you can always cut them down if you prefer something a little more compact. Oh, and did I mention that they’re sweeper mop-compatible? They’re just good for everything.
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The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.