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Apr 10, 2024

35 Kitchen Essentials I Don't Understand How You've Lived Without

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Cooking novices and pros alike love these things.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "If I could give this product more than 5 stars I would. It cuts through and minces garlic easily and is much easier to clean than the traditional garlic press. I bought another one for my mother-in-law and she LOVES it too. She cooks a lot and said it made her life so much easier too." —Mattix

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two colors).

BTW, it's BPA-free, heat resistant up to 450 degrees F, and dishwasher safe.

Promising review: "The Frywall works very well and I am very pleased with it. My range top is black and you can see each little spot of grease. Before now I got really tired of cleaning my range top thoroughly each time I fried anything. You have made my life much easier. Thanks." —Laurie J. Englehardt

Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (available in four colors).

Each set includes a large and medium spatula, a large and medium spoon, a medium spreader, a medium pastry brush, an egg whisk, and an egg separator.

Promising review: "Great quality!! I’ve been using them for a few months now and they are great! They clean up well with no spots and feel pretty sturdy while using for thick heavy foods. I also use some for sautéing and have had no heat issues or melting. I would definitely buy these again, but at this rate I won’t need to!" —Mizz87

Get a nine-piece set from Amazon for $13.97.

Promising review: "These are so easy to use that the knives are now always sharp. We keep it by the knife block for quick sharpening. It's constructed to be placed onto a corner so it's very easy to use." —TinaZ

Get it from Amazon for $8.26+ (available in three colors).

Promising review: "These pans are very well made and seem very durable. They seem to conduct heat very evenly which is very important, but they also have an amazing nonstick surface that makes it a breeze to clean them. I was very impressed and I think they are well worth the money even if you only occasionally bake, because they will last a very long time." —Z

Get a set of two from Amazon for $43.99 (also available in individually).

Promising review: "These are great for so many reasons. We're in a mixed gluten household (one person has celiac and is diabetic, but we are not all doing a gluten-free diet). We can portion control for carb counting and separate out gluten-free vs. noT on one pan. Plus, clean up is just throwing in the dishwasher!" —Jara Fansler

Get a set of four dividers for $29.99.

Promising review: "It is very light and compact, making it easy to store and bring around with you. The accuracy is impressive. I have another scale which caused me a lot of frustration as the grams change many times within seconds, but Escali’s scale gives a definite number up to 1g accuracy. We weigh food to get accurate amount so this is a big plus for me. I also like that the screen takes longer time to turn off as I don’t have to worry about reweighing everything again while trying to get more food to add to the scale to reach my desired mass." —Shannon Lim Hui Yu

Get it from Amazon for $24.95+ (available in 12 colors).

Promising review: "Love this knife! It cuts incredibly quickly and I've used it at least eight times in just two days. I was mincing onions and garlic like a professional chef. I have been so accustomed to using less-than-ideal knives, so switching to this incredible knife was a lifesaver. The grip is perfect and I wish I had more items that were made of this material. The knife felt very secure in my hand, and the curved edge about the handle allowed me to cut with precision and speed without any pain to my index fingers. I have found that slicing bagels in half with any knife that is not serrated can be difficult, but not with this knife! Highly recommend to both novice and professional cooks." —Jeff Parrott

Get it from Amazon for $55+ (available in four colors and three sizes).

Promising review: "This product makes cleaning knives easy. The worst thing I do to my knives is leave them in the sink because I set them aside to wash with other dishes. This specialized tool makes it easy to do a quick pass on my knife right after I use it." —cooljames

Get it from Amazon for $8.99.

This also includes a brush/scraper that fits neatly in the front pocket to easily swipe scraps and crumbs into the container.

Promising review: "Works just as described. It is so convenient to push scraps from the counter or cutting board into the Scrap Trap. Even though it is too big, place a plastic shopping bag in before you fill it and you will have the scraps bagged when you are done. It keeps things neat when doing prep work. Also bought one as a gift; everyone who cooks should have one." —SR

Get it from Amazon for $18.99.

BuzzFeed Shopping contributor Rachel Dunkel has this and raves: "This is the cast-iron I have, and it pretty much just lives on my stovetop because I use it so much. While cast-irons are most well-known for getting a good sear on meat, it's just as — if not more — amazing at crisping up veggies to perfection. To clean, simply hand wash (I usually opt for no soap, but you do you) and rub with vegetable oil to keep it nice and seasoned."

Get the 10.25-inch from Amazon for $19.90.

Promising review: "This is the best purchase I could’ve made. They work perfectly and the amount of money I’m saving in coffee is wild. I drink coffee every day, sometimes two pods, and 10 pods in the supermarket from the brand I like are around $6, so now if I buy a $6 coffee bean package it can last so much longer because you use very little in the reusable pod vs. a coffee filter. Oh and I love my coffee strong and with these reusable pods my coffee is strong and intense. The only con I could say is that you might get bored of drinking the same coffee every day if you like the K Pod variety flavors, but problem solved if you buy a couple of different coffee packages. It will still be more affordable and save tons of money. These work perfect with my Keurig machine and they are super easy to clean." —Maia

Get them from Amazon for $6.95+ (available in two-, four- and six-packs).

Promising review: "I love this food chopper because it comes with a stainless steel bowl and make it very easy to clean and very powerful. So happy to find one that wasn't plastic. It also very easy to use. Just push for a couple of seconds and you have beautifully chopped meat and vegetables. The price is also very reasonable. I absolutely love this and highly recommend!" —Yun

Get it from Amazon for $29.99.

The set includes: two wide drawers, two narrow drawers, one can dispenser drawer, and one egg drawer.

Promising review: "Exactly what I was looking for to clean up a cluttered fridge! My fruit and veggies normally get hidden behind bulkier items and spoil before found again, so it's also saving money by being a little more tidy! The containers are the perfect size to slide right onto each shelf and fit differently sized items nicely. I especially love the can holder, goodBYE soda boxes!!!!" —tiredbiscuit

Get a six-piece set from Amazon for $29.97.

Organise Life is a small business in Australia that focuses on pantry and home labels.

Promising review: "My fridge looks so organized. The words are clear and easy to read, and they look fantastic." —Etsy Customer

Get it from Organise Life on Etsy for $1.35+ (available in small, medium, and large with multiple labels and font size plus color options).

BuzzFeeder Hannah Loewentheil bought an air fryer during quarantine, and has zero regrets: "Friends of mine were raving about their new Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer, so after reading similar feedback on Amazon, I decided it looked like a winner. I figured I would be using this appliance primarily as air air fryer, but as an added bonus, it can also roast, broil, bake, re-heat, and dehydrate food. I've had this air fryer for about three weeks now, and I can honestly say it's become the hero of my kitchen. It preheats quickly, it's large enough to hold a good amount of food at once, it's easy to clean, and it makes food taste crispy on the outside and moist on the inside without any oil. I've been using my air fryer to make vegetables just about every night and it makes them taste so good. If you're cooking for kids, picky eaters, or you just don't get so excited about eating vegetables, the air fryer could be perfect for you. If you like chicken, the air fryer might change your life, and I don't mean that to be dramatic. The air fryer produces restaurant-quality chicken that tastes absurdly decadent, except there's no oil involved in the cooking — just air. Thanks to the air fryer, the chicken gets so crispy. I couldn't believe I made this at home!!"

To learn more, read her glowing air fryer review.

Get the 6-in-1 6-quart size from Amazon for $69.95+ (available in five colors and three sizes).

FYI: The towel absorbs 10 (!) times it's weight in grease and absorbs liquids 20 times faster than other fabrics. Plus, it comes from a woman-owned small businesses based in Denver, Colorado.

Promising review: "This is great. I don’t like using loads of paper towels in draining meat, but I didn’t know what else to use. The bacon sponge is absorbent and easy to clean. It performs as advertised and makes me feel better about eliminating another source of waste." —PamelaRenee

Get it from Green City Living on Amazon Handmade for $14.99 (available in multipacks).

Promising review: "We've been using this brand of bamboo towels for two months now. If you're interested in reducing waste, concerned about the planet and/or want to save money I highly recommend these bamboo towels. My husband and I would normally have gone through ten to 12 rolls of paper towels in two months. We have three dogs...life in general. I don't like using washcloths because you're just wiping germs across surfaces and they need to be washed often, same with sponges (more cleaning product in the water supply). After two months we're still using the first roll of bamboo towels. They can be rinsed (and washed), they're much more absorbent than paper towels or washcloths, sturdy, usable on floors, countertops, tables with water, cleaning products, for dusting, wet work and simpler projects." —Doyle

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in one-, two-, and four-packs).

This container features drain holes and a base tray to catch any drippy mess. Plus, it is dishwasher safe and attaches via Command strips, so it won't damage walls.

Promising review: "THIS is such a great invention! SO happy I found this! I was looking to purchase a flip down cabinet add-on to make the faux-front of the sink cabinet a usable tray for a sponge. This is actually not only immensely easier, but also better, since you can empty the water with the pull-out bottom tray. Beyond easy to install and made me a very happy customer!" —Sta So

Get it from Amazon for $10.98.

The kit includes a 10-ounce bottle of Cerama Bryte cooktop cleaner, one cleaning pad, and one scraper — and it works on glass, ceramic, induction, radiant, and halogen cooktop ranges.

Promising Review: "Works amazing! I hadn't thoroughly scrubbed my glass cooktop in years...only wiped down with random multicleaners, which never seemed to do much. Then a friend recommended this product...AMAZING! The included scrubbers and scrapers really make the difference. As others have said it will leave your cooktop shiny and new. Even marks that had been on there for years came almost completely off...98% better. The key is to use very little product. Let dry to a haze and wipe with a clean, dry cotton towel. (Just like waxing a car). If you aren't getting a mirrored finish it's because you've used too much product and not enough elbow grease to polish off." —B. Swartwood

Get them from Amazon for $14.98.

Promising review: "This digital meat thermometer is the best I've ever had. I own others, but they are either too bulky to fit in the drawer or too hard to read. This one is small and lightweight; it's easy to pull out the probe and very easy to read the temperature. I purchased several as stocking stuffers for Christmas. They make a gift that will be appreciated for its size and ease of use, but most importantly, it will be a gift that gets used instead of put away in the closet." —Yardleydoc

Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in two colors).

These reusable mats are heavy duty and can be cut according to where they need to be placed. They're also dishwasher safe, and safe for temperatures of up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit!

Promising review: "I love these oven liners. We moved into a house a few years ago with liners in the oven and I am amazed that I did not know about these before! They have literally saved me from EVER cleaning my stove. They protect the bottom of the stove from spills and are so easy to clean. We just replaced our stove and my first purchase was a new set of liners. They should last for years. These were so easy to trim to fit. Very thick and nice quality. I ordered two so I could also line my toaster oven." —Amazon Customer

Get a two pack from Amazon for $9.99 (available in three colors and a four-pack).

Promising review: "Product works exactly as designed. Upon unboxing, I had thought these inserts were too wide but I've been pleasantly surprised that they are an EXACT PERFECT FIT for the function. Installation is very easy. A toddler can do it. Makes dinner clean up even easier than expected. Just wipe and go. No more vacuuming and brushing out those pesky crumbs that get stuck between the stove and counter. They don't even get stuck around the sides. They are not affected by the heat either. I should've gotten these years ago. I'm very satisfied." —Madame X

Get a set of two from Amazon for $8.95.

Promising Review: "Works extremely well. We haven't done any cleaning on our dishwasher in five years, and the sliding dish trays were tough to pull out or push in, there was detergent buildup all over the inside, and there was a milky film on all our cups. I bought Affresh, ran the dishwasher with two tablets while it was empty, and the difference was astounding. There was still some buildup, and I figured it would require another cycle, so I popped another two tablets in, ran the machine a second time, and now it looks and sounds brand new. No more film on the glasses, no more dirty dishes from clogged sprayers, and no more odors or buildup around the door seals. I'm going to be buying Affresh from now on, and hopefully it will extend the life of my dishwasher." —Martoune

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $8.99.

This kitchen essential is programmable, comes with a 60-ounce removable water reservoir, adjustable warming plate (that has a two-hour auto-shutoff function), and your coffee can be brewed under different strengths: i.e. "classic" or "rich."

Promising review: "After getting up and making it in my old coffee maker this is a big upgrade. No more filling the coffee pot and spilling water on the counter also no more coffee filters plus it makes great coffee which stays warm longer so I would recommend this coffee maker." —Lawrence Anderson

Get the 12-cup carafe from Amazon for $69.99 (also available in a 14-cup carafe).

Promising review: "Easy to use. I followed directions and it works just like it says. I only use this once every month now. First use I had to do it twice (which it says if it hasn’t been cleaned in a while you may need too). Weekly I follow up with the Glisten garbage disposal freshener and that keeps my disposal working well and smelling great." —Lostbraincell

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $3.78.

Promising review: "I used the NutriChef Vacuum Sealer for the first time this week on several occasions. It is simple to use for vacuum-packing leftovers and uncooked food items for the freezer or for cooking immediately using my sous vide. The roll of vacuum bags allows the bags to be tailored to the amount you want to store, so there is no wasted bagging material or space in my freezer. The vacuum function can also be used with the provided stopper to remove air from bottles — e.g., opened bottles of wine. I am very pleased with this product as well as the accompanying bags." —MJG

Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in four styles).

It has a hole and comes with hardware to allow you to screw it into one place to keep it secure if you want!

Promising review: "This organizer works beautifully! No more cluttered cabinets! When I need a skillet, I pull one out in a matter of seconds versus digging through hazardously piled pans that my family carelessly threw back in after they were clean. I did not have any issues with any of my pans fitting in the slot, and even my extra large pan (used for sautéing large quantities of veggies) fit into the slot, but does stick out ever so slightly. The ONLY pan that does not fit into an actual slot is my deep pan skillet, the one I use for making stews. I was entirely expecting that and instead use the very top rack for it to sit on top of. So counting the top space, this rack fits UP to five skillets."—Ally

Get it from Amazon for $14.87+ (available in three colors).

One tray fits up to 24 pieces of cutlery.

Promising review: "THE BEST silverware storage organizer compartments I’ve EVER had in my entire life! We have a large family and therefore have the need for a lot of silverware. Unfortunately we have a small shallow and narrow drawer in our house but it was always full! Constantly disorganized before, and now amazingly organized. The only reason I would hesitate would be if your drawer is not adequately deep, but from reading reviews people said if they had 3.5 inches of depth it would be just fine which is exactly what I have and there’s adequate drawer depth for me. I measured my skinny drawer and realized I still had space for two units and took the plunge and am so glad I did! Silverware goes quickly from the dishwasher straight into the drawer and you don’t have to stack perfectly to put a lot in!!! ADD IT TO YOUR CART NOW, you’ll be glad you did if you have the same problem as we did!" —oceantiff

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

Promising review: "Serves its purpose and now my roommate and I never have to text each other asking if the dishes are clean or not." —Maggie Claire

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

Every piece (air fry rack, an XL cookie sheet, a jumbo muffin pan, a full-sized square baking pan, full-sized loaf pan, and a roaster pan) is dishwasher safe, too!

Promising review: "Love these. Very sturdy, no warping. Easy to clean, no sticking. These pans brought back my love for baking." —Jody Hunter

Get it from Amazon for $44.99+ (available in two colors).

Promising review: "Is this 100% necessary? No...however, it does make one thing a little easier for me in the morning. Instead of watching the pot and waiting for the water to boil to start the timer, you can just put the NobleEgg in the pot with your eggs, start the heat and just wait for your eggs to be done. Can't wait to give some as gifts!" —BaileyBoo

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

Promising review: "Bought this for my 85-year-old mother, who has a bit of arthritis in her hands. She loves this jar opener. She commented on the ease of use and likes the fact that it can be used on smaller bottles. Made a daily task much easier for her." —Christine

Get it from Amazon for $10.99. And check out this similar bottle opener that can mount underneath your kitchen cabinets.

The naturally derived ingredients include: eucalyptus, lemon, and peppermint oils, as well as pumice stone and baking soda.

Everneat is a Fairfield, Connecticut-based all-natural cleaning shop from Claudia and Angelo Zimmermann. Their oven cleaner comes with a metallic scrubber you can use to scrub your appliance before wiping it down with a microfiber cloth.

Promising review: "I was skeptical because I had tried so many products to clean the glass on my oven doors with no luck. The auto-clean cycle just baked it on the glass. THIS STUFF IS AMAZING! It took me about 15 minutes to get the glass on both my oven doors clean. Very minimal scrubbing effort required. I will be telling all of my friends." —Teresa Casner

Get it from Everneat on Etsy for $19.99+ (available in three scents).

Promising review: "This is my first ice cream maker. I had been looking into getting one for a while and was suckered into getting this one from all of the positive reviews. I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed. The machine is a little noisy, but that's the only drawback that I can really think of. The first ice cream we tried to make was a twist on Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream made from real cherries and dark chocolate chips. The ice cream froze well and was absolutely delicious. Since then we've also made blueberry cheesecake with a graham cracker twist running through it and a chocolate brownie that didn't last two nights! Either way, it makes fantastic ice cream that you can make as healthy (or unhealthy!) as you want, and overall it's much cheaper than constantly buying pints of ice cream in the store. Definitely worth the price and I would definitely recommend it." —Krasava M.

Get it from Amazon for $77.69.

The reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.