20 Kitchen Products That May Cost A Little Extra But Will Be *Totally* Worth It

We know you've seen the Instant Pot in a million posts but it really is worth the splurge.

1. A high-quality Always Pan for cooking up your favorite foods and then cleaning everything up afterwards with ease.

Bek O'Connell / BuzzFeed

This features a nontoxic, nonstick ceramic coating. Plus, it's dishwasher-safe!

Promising review: "It's one of those things you can just hold in your hands and know is high-quality. This gorgeous pan isn't just all looks: It heats up quickly, comes with a cool metal strainer, and has a spot for a nesting beechwood spatula. I've never owned a pan that cleaned up so easily. Seriously, just one swipe of the sponge and it's sparkly and new again. I use it for pretty much every meal and wow, I love it so much."—Bek O'Connell, BuzzFeed Editor

Get it from Our Place for $145 (available in seven colors).

Read our review of the Always Pan.

2. An Instant Pot – it'll pretty much become your new favorite gadget: this thing is a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a rice cooker, a steamer, a sauté-r, a yogurt maker, and a warmer all in ONE.

amazon.com, amazon.com

It can prepare food up to 70% faster than other methods. It can keep food warm automatically for up to 10 hours, and there are three temperatures for sautéing and slow-cooking. The inner cooking pot, lid, and steam-rack are dishwasher-safe! Check out our write-up about the incredible Instant Pot!

Promising review: "This is quite possibly the coolest, most versatile kitchen gadget I’ve ever owned. I love it so much that I’ve purchased two more for friends and relatives. What can it do? I think the real question is 'What can’t it do?' I truly believe you could replace every cooking appliance (including your oven and stove top) and do EVERYTHING in the Instant Pot. I purchased two sizes for my own use: the 3-quart (which is my almost-every-day workhorse for two person dishes) and the 8-quart (which I bring out to handle my dinner party dishes). Everything I’ve tried has been fabulous. In the realm of kitchen appliances, there is no better investment than the Instant Pot. Highly recommended!!!" —Stereoman

Get it from Amazon for $61+ (available in three sizes).

3. A set of Mickey and Minnie kitchen canisters for storing tea, coffee, sugar, and cookies in the cutest way possible. Your kitchen is about to become the most magical place on Earth!

Glamjar / Etsy

Glamjar is a small business based in Barnsley, United Kingdom and sells a cute variety of kitchen canisters, homewares, and garden ornaments. 

Get the set of four jars from Glamjar on Etsy for $115.49.

4. A griddler so you can grill meat and veggies, or whip up a panini or grilled cheese, without having to turn on a stove or a barbecue.

amazon.com, amazon.com

This handy gadget works as a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, and half grill/half griddle! It comes with removable and reversible nonstick cooking plates that are dishwasher-safe!

Promising review: "I used it for the first time today to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, I'm so lazy I didn't want to make it on the stove and have to flip the sandwich over. It was outstanding — pepper jack cheese, bacon, and jalapeño slices — and the clean-up was simple. The cheese had bubbled out of the sandwich onto the plates and it wiped up easily. I probably won't put the plates in the dishwasher, but the fact that they're removable will make them easier to clean than my Foreman grill. I can wash them in the sink and they dry quickly and easily." —Gin Snob

Get it from Amazon for $79.

5. A sous vide cooker to help you make restaurant-worthy meals with minimal effort. So minimal you don't even have to be in the kitchen while your food is cooking. I'm not kidding.

amazon.com, amazon.com

The temperature range is 32–197 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooker can be controlled right from your phone, so you don't even have to stay in the kitchen while cooking. It also provides cooking notifications, and stays connected through Bluetooth from up to 30 feet away. Plus, you get access to over 1,000 recipes, so you'll have inspiration for yummy meals! Get the Anova app here.

Promising review: "Since I started cooking sous vide, my family says my cooking has gone to a new level. I started with the original Anova, and just recently picked up this Nano. The Nano is awesome because it's much smaller vs. the first Anova, making it easier to store in a drawer or something. It sounds trivial but by making it easier to grab. Set-up is so much quicker, and I can cook a beef roast for 30 hours without adding ANY water. If you're just starting out in sous vide, I recommend this cooker." —Jeff Nichols

Get it from Amazon for $99.

6. An automatic spice grinder so you can grind up herbs and spices and season your food with just the simple push of a button. Yes, it's really that easy.

Kayla Suazo / BuzzFeed

Promising review: "I just got one of these snazzy kitchen gadgets, and now every time I use it I think to myself, 'How was I living life before this thing?!' It finely grinds salt down to that nice flaky texture, and then easy pops out the pod if I want to use pepper. I even got a different type of pod ideal for more oily spices (think mustard or flax seed). Now I am looking for reasons to use this thing... Salt on cake???" —Kayla Suazo, BuzzFeed Editor

Get it from Amazon for $59.99 (available in three colors, comes with grinder and three interchangeable pods).

7. A Levo II machine that can truly do it all. Looking to make delicious salad dressings? It can do that. Want to make your own butter and honey? It can do that, too. This thing is unstoppable, bb.

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This is set to ship 6–8 weeks after ordering!

Promising review: "Although it was a little over a month wait for my Levo II to come in, it has been one of the best kitchen appliances I have ever purchased. Speedy infusions and tasty creations. I will always brag on how much I love my Levo and continue to recommend it to my friends and family members for years to come ❤️ Thank you Levo!" —Peyton M.

Get it from Levo Oil for $289.99+ (available in five colors).

8. A stainless-steel cookware set perfect to get if you're in the market for a first-time set, or looking to upgrade a current set with something better.

amazon.com, amazon.com

All of the cookware is dishwasher-safe, oven-safe in temperatures of up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and broiler-safe.

Promising review: "I've been using these for three years now, and they are as good as new. We use the frying pan every single day and the pots at least weekly. They get a lot of use but we take good care of them. We avoid using metal on these and only use soft sponges to hand wash. When junk gets stuck on them (oil stains, burnt food...) we use a little Bar Keeper's Friend and they are as good as new. Beautiful set!" —Hall Family

Get it from Amazon for $189.45.

9. A basket that makes an ideal spot for those little things things we typically end up leaving strewn around in our kitchen (like keys, cash, hair ties, and the list can go on). Or, you can use it as a fruit basket. Whatever floats your boat!

Jungalow

This fabulous Black-owned business originally started as a blog, and is now a wonderful store for buying beautiful bohemian decorative pieces. And guess what? Every time you make a purchase from Jungalow, they plant at least two trees! Be sure to check out everything Jungalow has to offer here.

Get it from Jungalow for $99.

10. An electric tea kettle you can use to boil water in a matter of seconds. Not minutes...SECONDS. Yes, you read that correctly. You can thank me later.

Kit Stone / BuzzFeed

Promising review: "I used to drink tea, once in a blue moon — pretty much only when I was sick. After getting this kettle, tea became part of my daily routine. It made making tea fun, and the water was hot enough before my "tea mood" was over. I even use it to make hot water for ramen. In a matter of seconds, literally, the water is ready. And, if you want to get really fancy, you can set it to heat to an exact degree. I haven't worked up to using that feature yet but it's nice knowing that I have the power to do so. *evil laugh*" —Kit Stone, BuzzFeed Editor

Get it from Amazon for $87.61+ (available in three colors).

11. A Dash air fryer that'll have you enjoying "fried" versions of all your favorite foods, minus all the yucky oils.

amazon.com, amazon.com

Features a six quart capacity fryer basket, and an auto-shutoff function to prevent overcooking. All nonelectric parts are dishwasher-safe!

Promising review: "I was very glad to join the air fry bandwagon with this Dash Air Fryer. I have mostly used it for frozen foods such as egg rolls, chicken tenders, and fish fillets so far. I use parchment paper to help with the clean-up. In some cases it comes out better with no oil at all. Definitely a more nutritious cooking alternative!" —Michael from San Diego

Get it from Amazon for $73.12+ (available in five colors).

12. A roasting pan for a gadget that ensures your food is evenly cooked throughout because we all know how annoying it is to take roasted veggies out of the oven to find some are perfectly cooked while others are over- and undercooked.

Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

Promising review: "I'm not a chef by any means, so naturally I had my seasoned professional cook of a dad try this bad boy out for me. After whipping up some roasted veggies in it to go along with a steak dinner, we declared this roasting pan a winner. It's sturdy, everything cooked evenly, and will easily become a staple in the kitchen." —Heather Braga, BuzzFeed Editor

Get it from 360 Cookware for $159.

13. An espresso machine that'll help you say goodbye to the days of waiting on the drive-through line for an overpriced coffee drink. Yes, this machine comes with a big price tag, but it'll pay for itself over time. You'll finally be making drinks you enjoy right from the comfort of home.

Brittany Gibson / BuzzFeed

Let's just say you were buying speciality coffee drinks every. single. day. from a coffee shop for $2/cup (which, let's be real, you most likely spend more than that). In a matter of a year, you would be paying more for those coffee drinks (plus the price of gas to/from) than you would for this machine. So this is an investment that will definitely pay off in the long run.

Promising review: "IMHO, the Breville Barista Express is phenomenal. I was a barista for a few years and I was used to working with a top-notch machine, and this is pretty darn close to being just as good. As someone who drinks lattes daily, I've saved SO much money by investing in this. I use these espresso beans from a small upstate New York business called SPoT Coffee and get delectably rich and smooth shots of espresso every time." —Brittany Gibson, BuzzFeed Editor

Get it from Amazon for $699.95+ (available in two colors).

14. An automatic bread maker to churn out delectable breads, cakes, and jams so yummy, the little cafe in town might come to your house for a treat.

amazon.com, amazon.com

This machine has 12 settings: French, quick bread (no yeast), sweet, 1.5-pound express, 2-pound express, dough, jam, cake, whole grain, and bake. It allows you to select your loaf size and between a light, medium, or dark crust setting. Includes an interior pan and two kneading paddles that are all dishwasher-safe!

Promising review: "The machine is perfect!!!!. I already made two loaves of bread yesterday and am getting ready to make another loaf today. If you are lazy like me and would rather put all the ingredients into a machine and let it do all the work, this is the bread maker for you." —Pam Charmley

Get it from Amazon for $74.99.

15. A personalized charcuterie board that'll make a welcome addition at your next wine-and-cheese night. I'm willing to bet the first topic of conversation will be everyone asking where you got this board.

Left Coast Original

Left Coast Original is a small business based in Largo, Florida that sells a variety of personalized heirloom pieces like leather passport covers, dog collars, convertible leather backpacks, brunch boards, and more! 

Promising review: "This charcuterie board is perfect! Such nice personalization, and the seller took into account the revisions/requests I made that were a little bit different than the standard options. Highly recommend!" —Paige Della Badia

Get it from Left Coast Original on Etsy for $54.10+ (available in three finishes and various sizes).

16. A storage cabinet you can hang behind your door so you efficiently use every open space in your home.

Amazon

It features eight shelves and is super easy to mount on door hinges.

Promising review: "This is a must-have for any small space. My bathroom has no medicine cabinet, just a mirror, and is pretty small, so storage is a huge deal. My girlfriend came across this item so I figured I would give it a shot being Prime eligible. The finish was flawless. I know it states it needs a two-person install but I put this together and hung it in about an hour by myself with very minimal effort and I'm sure if I did it again it would be significantly less time. This fits soo much stuff — it really is amazing and it does not impede any operation of the door. I can't fully explain how much I recommend this. I'm about to order the mirror version for my bedroom for colognes and little knickknacks to de-clutter the countertops." —happy shaver

Get it from Amazon for $189.99.

17. A personalized recipe binder so you can start an awesome project of compiling your delicious recipes into your very own cookbook. Eventually you can pass the binder down to future generations or share it with loved ones who would enjoy re-creating the delicious things you've learned to concoct over the years.

Design By Nay / Etsy

Design By Nay is a small business that sells that sells personalized recipe binders, recipe cards, and more!

Promising review: "I just received my binders. I am so impressed with them. What a great idea. It’s a really great personal touch for a kitchen for yourself or to give as a gift. The quality of the binders are excellent. I’m excited about starting this project. I would order from this company again." —Jennifer Badgley

Get it from Design By Nay on Etsy for $50 (available in 11 colors).

18. A cocktail machine that'll turn your living space into the best bar in town. All you have to do is insert a cocktail pod of your choice, fill a bottle with the liquor to match, choose your cocktail strength, push a button, and enjoy!

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

Promising review: "When I first caught wind of the Bartesian premium cocktail machine ($349.99 on Amazon), my first thought was does anyone actually need this gadget? But after trying it for myself, I can say the answer is a firm YES, and here's why. I love making cocktails at home, and while I'm no bartender, I feel very comfortable shaking a spicy margarita, stirring a negroni, or whipping up a Pisco sour. But making craft cocktails at home requires many (often expensive) ingredients, bar tools, time and effort. With the Bartesian though, you can make fancy drinks with the click of a button — literally. Once you turn the Bartesian on, it prompts you to insert a cocktail capsule. The smart gadget recognizes the cocktail you're trying to make and will ensure you've placed the proper spirit in the bottle (I know, it's mind-blowing). Next, it prompts you to choose your cocktail strength (there's even a mocktail option), and to place a glass with ice underneath the spout. Next, the Bartesian will start pouring your craft cocktail. The whole process takes about 20 seconds and it's all very exciting. With many bars closed and people quarantining or feeling hesitant about going out to eat, this gadget allows you to make professional-quality cocktails at home." —Hannah Loewentheil, BuzzFeed Editor

Get it from Amazon for $349.85.

19. A personalized cutting board you can get customized with a recipe of your choosing! It's the perfect way to meal prep, add a special touch to your kitchen, and have a cheat sheet at your disposal!

Morning Joy Co. / Etsy

To place your order, take a photo of your recipe (or whatever it is you may want to get engraved, be sure to follow the instructions on the product page for more info!), and send your photo via Etsy Conversations or e-mail to the provided address on the product listing page with your name and order # as the subject line. Morning Joy Co. is a Black-owned Etsy shop that specializes in custom laser-cut and engraved home decor. Currently, their shop has just these cutting boards listed, but be sure to follow and turn on their Instagram notifications for future shop updates!

Promising review: "This shop has wonderful customer service. They sent a proof and photos showing each step of my order and they were able to lay out the custom engraving exactly how I wanted it. The cutting board is perfect and it made a wonderful gift! I highly recommend this shop." —Ashton

Get it from Morning Joy Co. on Etsy for $69+ (available as either one-sided or two-sided).

20. A coffee grinder that's truly worth its hefty price tag. Sure, you could buy one that's cheaper, but reviewers say you'll really get your money's worth with this bb. It'll grind your favorite beans effortlessly so you can spend less time making coffee and more time drinking it.

Chelsea Stuart / BuzzFeed, amazon.com

Promising review: I bought this for my BF a year or two ago and honestly, I think I'm the third wheel now. He uses it every morning and it's like a religious experience. He weighs his beans, pours them in, grinds, and still oohs and awws over his coffee. He is the literal human embodiment of those T-shirts that say 'Don't talk to me before I've had my morning coffee!' so I don't take his review lightly." —Chelsea Stuart, BuzzFeed Editor

Get it from Amazon for $169.95.

Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!

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Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.