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An Instant Pot so you won't have to dead-eyed stare into space for 10 minutes once your friend group starts talking about all the delicious meals they've been making in this 7-in-1 appliance.
So what will it do? It's a rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker and warmer. (Phew.) Unconvinced? Read a BuzzFeeder's glowing review.
Promising review: "There are so many people who say they can't cook, but I swear I'm on a whole new level of not being able to cook. This little appliance helps expand our menu and I have learned to do so much with it. I will sum up in a nutshell, I love how easy it is and how everything I throw in it comes out done. No stirring and not many messy dishes. I still don't love it for meats, (which I don't eat much of anyway), but I think that's just a matter of needing to experiment more with them. I seriously can't believe how many foods can be cooked in here!" —Aundrea
Get it from Amazon for $55.99+ (three sizes) or Walmart for $59.92+.
A family-size air fryer with a dehydrator and rotisserie to whip up something delish like the scenario pictured here.
Promising review: "I cook EVERYTHING in it. Almost anything I would cook in my oven, I can cook in the Air Fryer in half the time. I cooked biscuits this morning and tested cooking half in a pre-heated oven and half in the fryer and the fryer cooked in half the time and didn't heat up the kitchen like the oven does. I've also noticed that my electric bills have been substantially lower since my purchase of the item as I never use my oven anymore. It cooks the best chicken wings and fried chicken without the extra grease. I skin the chicken and flour with seasoned flour, mist it lightly with corn oil or olive oil and Voila! Perfect fried chicken in about 15–20 minutes. I love the trays so I can cook more at one time. It also cooks amazing artisan-like pizza that tastes like it came out of a pizza oven." —Carrie S.
Get it from Amazon for $169.99+ (available in four colors).
A pro non-stick griddle (with a splatter guard!) that'll be at least half as nice as whatever Ron Swanson owns. (Plenty of room on there for all the bacon and eggs in your fridge.)
Promising review: "The heat is dispersed evenly and food is evenly browned. I love the coating, which even though it does not stick, it is different than the usual Teflon-like surfaces. I have used the settings recommended and everything comes out like you would expect on a professional grill. Sausage patties were evenly cooked and browned perfectly along with hash browns, French toast and pancakes. Grilled cheese sandwiches were not soggy like they sometimes are when cooked in a frying pan. It is also very easy to clean. I waited several years to get this because of the price my husband thought was too much, but now he is singing its praises." —Fpaz
Get it from Amazon for $92.69.
A fancy schmancy coffee maker — it may have you pulling a Homer Simpson over using subpar $40 coffee makers over the years.
Promising review: "I wanted to not like this because I am not a coffee snob. I just got tired of spending $40+ every 18 months to buy a new coffee maker so I decided to try and find something with replaceable parts. I found this, read millions of reviews, bought it begrudgingly, and then watched in fascination as the water went through the middle tube thing and brewed my first pot of Moccamaster coffe. Then this crazy thing happened...my coffee was good. REALLY good. Is it the placebo effect of spending this much money on a coffee maker? I don't know and I don't care. Just get in my belly." —Mojo Mama
Get it from Amazon for $329+ or Walmart for $329+ (available in a variety of colors).
An 18-cup water dispenser to slide right into your fridge so you can have cold, filtered water on tap 24/7.
Promising review: "The filter dispenses water pretty quickly so you don't have to wait forever for the tap water to be ready for drinking. We have elevated levels of lead in our water and were starting to notice health impacts. Now that we use this for our water, our ill feelings and other symptoms have been diminished. (Note: Our levels of lead are only slightly elevated above safety standards and it's common for my place because we're at the bottom of a watershed, but I don't know if this would be as effective on dangerously high levels of lead.)" —JA
Get it from Amazon for $26.87 (includes one filter replacement), Jet for $26.87, or Walmart for $26.88.
A Le Creuset Dutch oven because you like nice things and it'll look lovely in your Instagram feed. Also, it's great!
Promising review: "The BEST, bar none. Don't waste your money on imitations. You get what you pay for in cookware, I've learned the hard way. This is heavy, but cleans up like a charm. Do yourself a favor and research/read about the Le Crueset brand and you'll see the difference and understand why these get passed down through families like an heirloom." —Lefebvre
Get it from Amazon for $379.95+ or Williams Sonoma for $380+ (available in several colors).
A George Foreman grill with interchangeable grill and waffle plates so you can have the best of both worlds with half the storage space!
Includes removable grill and waffle plates, and a dishwasher-safe drip tray and spatula.
Promising review: "If you're a true George Foreman appliance owner, I would recommend the Evolve. Includes removable porcelain coated standard grill plates and additional deep dish tray. Omelets and frittatas are perfect in the deep dish tray. Egg whites, avocado.... Adjustable temperature settings. Use Sear function for paninis and wraps." —Carlos B.
Get it from Amazon for $80.99+ (available in three colors),
A flexible pancake turner to achieve Leslie Knope–level breakfast goals.
Promising review: "This guy has a *really* wide blade. It is so wide that you can made a *big* pancake and still slip under it with ease from any angle. Next, this guy is heat-resistant to 600 degrees F. Who cares? Well, yesterday my wife and I were making pancakes and she thought I had oiled the griddle and I thought she had oiled the griddle and...well, needless to say, the first pancake stuck and we had a quick recovery to perform. Got that sticky little devil up and off the griddle quickly and then turned my attention to getting the oil out and...Wait! Where did I put the new clown paddle flipper? Oh, down on the stove touching the burner! Ugh. But, unlike previous utensils unintentionally sacrificed to the fire gods, this flipper was completely unharmed." —MetaphoricalOldGuy
Get it from Amazon for $10.99 or Walmart for $11.49.
An electric knife set that'll keep your dinners from looking like a total hack job.
Promising review: "I bought this because I destroyed a rib roast while trying to carve it for a dinner party of 12 guests. I was so frustrated. I went out and purchased another rib roast for another dinner party two weeks later after receiving this electric knife. It cut through this rib roast as if it were butter. The individual portions could not have been prettier. It was restaurant quality. This electric knife is definitely something worth having in your kitchen, even if you were only using out several times per year." —Bobby Deneke
Get it from Amazon for $34.99.
A 12-piece set of stainless-steel cookware for toughing it out in the dishwasher and oven for major kitchen multitasking.
3-ply bonded construction consists of durable stainless steel encapsulating an aluminum core for even heating throughout. Set includes 8.5-inch skillet, 10-inch skillet, 2-quart saucepan with glass lid, 3-quart saucepan with glass lid, 3.5-quart deep saute pan with glass lid, 8-quart stockpot, and a steamer insert.
Promising review: "I was looking for a new stainless-steel set for my kitchen and it came up on the search. I decided to give it a try and I did a quick comparison to the Cuisinart set I currently have. The handle of Lagostina set is a lot more comfortable than Cuisinart set, even the handle on the lid is actually wider and easy to grasp. And most importantly, It comes with measuring marks on all of the sauce pans and stock pot. That is a HUGE plus for me when I want to cook by following the recipe. Also the side wall of fry pan is higher than Cuisniart's fry pan that helps me to keep all ingredients in one place. The last, it comes with a lid for 8" fry pan which is rare, but I do like it when I only need to cook a small portion of foods, making the cooking time a lot faster!!! Overall, a highly recommend stainless steel set! It will last forever if you take a good care of it. 5 stars!!!" —Yi-chen Lin
Get it from Amazon for $225.79.
A pair of silicone ice cube trays flexible enough for easy release and large enough so you won't blink and have a watered-down drink.
Promising review: "I have ice ball molds for my drinks, depending on what I'm in the mood for. However, those are too big for some glasses of just water or other juices, so that was my main reason for getting these trays. The ice cubes are sometimes difficult to get out of the tray, as you have to bend the tray some and push from the back, but they're worth it; melting slowly and chilling down the drinks fast!" —Chris R.
Get them from Amazon for $9.02 or similar sets from Jet for $10.99, or Walmart for $11.99.
Or if you can't quit your normal-size cubes, a lidded ice tray will prevent cubes from being sacrificed to the kitchen floor gods and/or your dog.
Seriously, throw away your old ice cube trays.
Promising review: "These are the best ice cube trays that I have ever used. They fill easily enough and then are covered so that foreign things don't end up in your ice and more importantly so that they can be stacked. However, my favorite feature is the ease at which all of the cubes just release from the ice tray when you are ready to use them. You can remove a few or all with a small twist of the tray. The secret is the smooth surface of the tray compartments which prevent the cubes from adhering to the tray's surface (no more banging or holding the tray under hot water). The tray is easy to clean with warm water and ready to reuse again." —SherryAva
Get it from Jet for $4.99 or Amazon for $7.95.
A family of stainless-steel measuring cups you can portion heavy ingredients with and throw in the wash without the measurement going MIA.
Promising review: "I am a cook and an engineer. I have been searching for single-piece (no welds) solid stainless-steel cups that are accurate and these are the best. I measured with a gram scale and water (1g/ml) to verify the cups and all of them were within 3%. I checked the cups that I had been using and they were 10% small. The edges are nicely de-burred, no sharp edges. All six cups nest so tightly that they don't take any more space than the single 1-cup." —Contractor Greg
Get them from Amazon for $18.95 or a similar seven-piece set from Jet for $24.99.
An adjustable measuring cup to make the most of sticky ingredients so you don't end up with 1/4 cup of honey left in the cup.
Promising review: "You need a spatula to get the nut butter or sticky stuff into the measuring cup, but then you turn the outside, and the material spirals into your mixing bowl. Easy to use, your hands stay clean. When you done, you can soak it or toss it into the dishwasher and let the machinery do the dirty work." —QuinnCreative
Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in one- or two-cup) or Walmart for $12.99 (two-cup).
A motion-sensor trashcan that'll help you dispose of stuff when your hands are covered in raw meat germs and other icky substances that could dirty up a regular trash can lid.
Promising review: "This trash can is PERFECT! I really bought it for the large capacity. But the motion sensor has become my kids' favorite feature, so much so that we bought giant googly eyes for it, and call it the Trash Monster." —ikandi
Get it from Amazon for $64.98, Jet for $71.83, or Walmart for $71.83.
A recycler/trash can combo so no one in your family can claim ignorance when it comes to where they're supposed to throw their plastic bottles.
Promising review: "I feel so strongly for this trash can. It is disconcerting. The sides are equal sizes. Stays closed, closes quietly, contains odors. I like the liner pocket. I'm a chump who just bought custom-sized garbage bags. What kind of monster has this can made me?" —Lauren
Get it from Amazon for $199.99+ (available in three finishes).
A glass pitcher with an easy-pour spout and comfy handle that'll ~handle~ itself with temps up to 300 ℉ so pouring boiling water into it will be NBD.
Lead- and BPA-free, stove-top safe, and dishwasher-safe, though hand-washing is recommended.
Promising review: "I am a person who breaks everything. You don't know how many glass made French presses I've gone through. I've owned this pitcher for over six months now and it's not broken. I boil water on it directly on top of electric stove pretty regularly. I hand wash this pitcher and I do let it bang here and there (not on purpose, of course) on the sink and it's still in one piece. I love this pitcher!" —Michey
Get it from Amazon for $20.89.
And a cast-iron skillet so versatile, you'll be dizzy with all the possibilities.
Promising review: "For me, a purchase like this is about an investment, and I want my investment to last a long time. I also really like that this is made in the USA. American-made products are just not easy to find anymore. But really, the proof in the quality of this cast iron was obvious when I made sweet potato corn bread and baked it in the oven in this skillet. It came out so nice and brown and moist." —Jan
Get it from Amazon for $14.88+ (available in nine sizes), Walmart for $14.88, or Jet for $14.90.
BTW, here's everything you need to know about cooking with cast-iron pans.
A rocker pizza cutter to feed your (already healthy) pizza habit because you'll just want to use it every dang day.
Promising review: "This is a serious kitchen tool. It is extremely well-made and includes a safety blade shield. I make pizza at home and slicing it was a problem. When I made a pizza yesterday I used this pizza cutter and it worked perfectly. It took little effort to cleanly cut my 12"×18" thick pizza with loads of toppings and cheese. Cleaning the cutter was so easy even after the toppings dried on the blade. I love to buy kitchen tools made with stainless steel because they last forever. Quality tools make cooking so much easier." —Lindy
Get it from Amazon for $12.95 or similar ones from Walmart for $13.65 or Jet for $15.09.
An electric can opener because you should be doing better things with your time than fooling with a hand-crank model or sharp edges.
Promising review: "I'm 72 years young and this is the BEST can opener I've ever owned or operated!" —James
Get it from Walmart for $29.92 or Jet for $29.92.
And a dishwasher-safe ice cream scoop with a no-slip handle to serve up that ice cream STAT.
Promising review: "This scoop is just like the one I used at my uncle's ice cream parlor, (I used to work for him as a teenager). Even if you've never worked at an ice cream parlor, the SUMO scoop will help you scoop like a pro. It's a weighty scoop, which helps scoop up ice cream with ease." —Dan
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in four colors).
A smart toaster oven with an LCD display that may cause you to leave your regular oven sitting cold and lonely.
Promising review: "I love this oven. We bought this as a stopgap after our full-size range went out and we decided to delay its replacement until after our kitchen was remodeled. That was a year ago. We haven't yet replaced the range, partly because this oven is so roomy and capable! No, it can't do Thanksgiving turkey, but it can fit a 9×13 and, with some creativity, has held nearly everything we've needed to cook." —D. Gerrity
Get it from Amazon for $249.95.
A ~premium~ sparkling water maker so you can drink even more of the bubbly stuff.
Kit includes one carbonator (sparkling water maker) and one PET bottle.
Promising review: "I drink much more water if it's carbonated. I never add flavors — just carbonated water. But the Sodastream carbonator I have used emits a loud and rude honking noise during the carbonation process of pumping. I'm not talking about a somewhat annoying noise. I'm talking about one that makes older people jump out of their skins, and young boys giggle in a fit of bathroom humor ecstasy. AARKE has put an end to all that. This machine makes a hissing noise to release some of the gas during the carbonation process. It occasionally makes a greater growly-grumbling noise when I pump the lever, but it probably wouldn't do anything more than make the dog open a sleepy eye. I'm happy with this new machine, but I do need to pump the lever four times to achieve the level of carbonation I desire. My only other comment is that it is made mostly of plastic. It looks like stainless steel, but in fact, it's the canister of gas that gives the device its heft, not the device itself." —BosMA
Get it from Amazon for $199 (available in two finishes).
A 26-piece knife set so you can put your money where your mouth is on the reg. Or something along those lines.
Promising review: "This is like the coolest needless waste of money purchase on Amazon I've ever made. I would do it again though. I love these in my kitchen and my wife likes them too. It has a few too many of the special situation knives I'll probably never use, but I wanted a big block with the eight identical ones on the bottom row. Including us, this is by far the sexiest thing in my kitchen now. I'm not a chef or anything and we don't use them to their potential, but I can tell you they are extremely sharp. My mother has always cooked a lot, comes over often, and has made good comments on the set." —J. Istre
Get it from Amazon for $2,299.95 (available in two colors).
A holy grail breadmaker with a gluten-free setting to help GF babes fulfill their doughy dreams.
Promising review: "I've made homemade bread for years and this is my first bread machine. I took two weeks researching and decided on Zojirushi. The secret is using a scale to weigh all of the dry ingredients including sugar and salt. Exact measurement is the key. One other secret is before the rise process is finished, open the lid and make sure your loaf is evenly spread, touching all sides of pan. If not, then gently spread the dough out." —Suzanne Andrew
Get it from Amazon for $274.95+ (available in two types) or Jet for $299.95.
In case you need some inspo, here are some GF bread recipes and tips.
A chef's mandoline slicer you can make sweet, sweet music with in the kitchen. (Yes, I know the difference between this and the instrument.)
Promising review: "You will never have to buy another one ever. Cuts through raw potatoes like butter. Blades change really easily. Cleanup is a breeze, just rinse off and let dry. You can run over this thing with a truck. It's that tough." —Jerry Wirth
Get it from Amazon for $97 or Jet for $97.
A self-cleaning Vitamix blender that'll make you the envy of the neighborhood thanks to its super powerful — but very quiet! — motor.
Promising review: "Anyone buying a Vitamix knows what they're in for in terms of quality. But when I read that this model was 40% quieter than earlier ones I was not prepared for the noticeable difference. A former roommate let me use his for a year, so when I got this one (finally!) I was shocked at how much less noise it made. I also love the pulse feature. I use this all the time. It's easy to use, easy to clean, and totally worth it if you want to be able to make a whole slew of things that other blenders just can't manage." —Kate Allen
Get it from Amazon for $479.99 (available in three colors).
A reversible maple carving board with grooves to catch any juices.
Promising review: "I used it to carve a 14 lbs. NY Strip roast and it worked perfectly. The juices flowed into the grooves as designed, which was a wonderful improvement over using a flat cutting board. I have not used the other side of the board yet, but I will the next time I need to carve poultry. This board soaked up a lot of mineral oil when I treated it for the first time, and it has maintained a lovely patina since then." —Big D
Get it from Walmart for $76, or Jet for $79.
A Wi-FI enabled Crock-Pot — it'll make using a slow cooker even easier! And you thought that was impossible!
Promising review: "I was a little skeptical at first, but after setting it up, (which was somewhat difficult), it is easy to use and I love it! I am a HUGE fan of slow cookers and this is by far my favorite. This device uses the Wemo app and Wi-Fi at home. It cooks even. Great for anything you put in there AND my favorite part is it can be controlled from your mobile device." —leah w peacock
Get it from Amazon for $85, Jet for $85, or Walmart for $99.99.
A *legit* coffee grinder to help you brew up the perfect cup without waiting in line.
Promising review: "I'm a barista of 5+ years and I'm confident this is the best value you can get. Sure, there's some grind retention in the collar, but that just happens in a lot of conical burr grinders — even high-end options like a Robur do that all the time. Just tilt the grinder and thump the sides to get it out. Fortunately, the chamber is really easy to clean. The upper burr set just lifts out, and from there you can brush out the grinds." —Zac
Get it from Amazon for $79.99+ (available in three colors).
A glorious KitchenAid stand mixer you won't regret buying. Seriously, it's worth it.
Promising review: "Everyone should have a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer. It's durable, multi-purpose and attractive. I bought this as a wedding gift for myself and my husband. Everything I've made has come out perfectly. I bought the Artisan over the regular stand mixer because the Artisan came with a splash guard. The best part are the attachments. Don't hesitate to buy this. You won't be disappointed." —Dee
Get it from Amazon for $259+ (available in a variety of colors) or Walmart for $259.
Need further convincing? Read our story on why you need one.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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