Don’t let the kitchen burn you. From oven shields to garlic peelers to no-brainer egg poachers, here are all the products you need to turn “I suck at cooking” into “I succEED at cooking!”
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Or a stainless steel soap bar to remove any odor (garlic! fish!) from your hands with a quick rub and rinse — no fancy scented soaps required.
Get it from Amazon or Walmart for $11.47.
Promising review: "Nobody likes smelly hands from working in the kitchen. And I have a volunteer job that involves working with animals that eat mouse and quail. There is nothing like the smell of mouse on your hand when you're trying to eat lunch. I originally got one of these as it is able to be used in a zoo facility since it is just steel and isn't something involving harsh chemicals that could harm animals. It has been working very well. Once I had success there, I bought three or four more as gifts for people who cook a lot and often cook with garlic, onions, meats, etc." —CamilleElise
You guys, if that review doesn't convince you, I don't think you *can* be convinced.
A 10-in-1 chopper and storage set to make quick work of onions, carrots, cheese, or any other ingredient! You can use it to chop, dice, julienne, grate, and more. And when you're done, just store the attachments inside the container! Easy peasy.
Sorry, but you're about to lose the "I was chopping onions" excuse for why you're crying.
Get it from Amazon for $25.28 or a similar 8-in-1 chopper from Walmart for $28.26.
Promising review: "I can't chop, slice, or dice to save my life, so this has been a blessing. I now no longer panic when a recipe calls for it. It slices, dices and chops everything from tomatoes to potatoes. The best part? It's easy to use and compact. It all stores within itself so I don't have to hunt around for a million pieces when I need it. Just put the appropriate plate on, press the handle down and bam. You are good to go." —C&M
A silicone Silpat liner that'll make stuck-on foods (looking at you, fish!) a thing of the past. Just pop it on your sheet pan and bake away.
These are also game-changing if you like to bake cookies tbh.
Get it from Amazon for $12.50+ (available in four sizes).
Promising review: "This thing is a game-changer. Forget greasing a baking sheet or trying to scrape burnt on cookies off your metal pan. This thing goes under meatballs, salmon, cookies...anything that goes in the oven. I clean it after each use with a quick wipe down in lightly soapy water while it's still on the pan. No issues with odor here. After a few years of near constant use, it's got a few permanent marks/discoloration on it, but doesn't seem to affect it at all. I've bought this for everyone I know who loves to cook, and I'm considering buying myself a few more, and a few other sizes, as well. Love it." —Erin L. Sheehan
An air fryer so you can reheat leftovers (no more soggy fries!!!!!!!!) and whip up your favorite crunchy foods (hello wings!) with little... or NO... added oil. It circulates hair to create a perfectly browned exterior, without the danger of a giant pot of hot oil.
This particular model comes with a rack, non-stick baking dish, and a cookbook with 52 pages of recipes to get you started.
Get it from Amazon for $89.99 (available in two colors) or Walmart for $92.99.
Promising review: "Was interested in an air fryer and after a little research I decided on this brand. I am not disappointed! Seemed like it offered the most bang for your buck. They all cook in basically the same way, so it came down to price (this one is slightly less expensive than other brands), size (didn't need to cook for more than 4-5 people at a time), and accessories (which this comes with!!). Easy to operate, just set your temperature and turn the timer to how many minutes you want to cook. The first thing I made was chicken wings — cooked for 25 minutes at 360 degrees and they were perfectly juicy, thoroughly cooked, and crispy on the outside. Did not make the house seem smoky (like frying or cooking wings in the oven can do)! Clean up was also very easy, just a little soapy hot water and all done! I can't wait to try additional foods and recipes!" —Kiki L.
A 48-blade meat tenderizer to create "heat channels" that'll reduce cooking time by up to 40% — meaning less time for your meat to get dried out in the oven.
Bonus: do it before you marinate for an extra boost of flavor and moisture!
Get it from Amazon for $21.48 or Walmart for $24.12.
Promising review: "This tool is a must for any cook who is sick of preparing meals for their family, only to have the main meat dish turn out dry and tough. This tenderizer is SO easy to use, and with only a few criss-cross applications, I achieved the world's best, most tender, juicy pork chops ever! With only a little salt and pepper and a sprinkle of olive oil and roasted garlic cloves, my family would NOT stop raving about a dish they normally would eat in stony silence. I have since used it on EVERY cut of meat I prepare for my family and have yet to be disappointed! Just rinse it with hot water and toss it in the top rack of the dishwasher, and it is ready to go to work for you again!" —IfAmazonDoesntSellItIDontBuyIt
A double waffle iron so you and your boo can enjoy brunch at home *together* — not one sadly waiting for the other's waffle to get done while their own gets cold.
Get it from Overstock for $45.49.
Promising review: "Good quality, and it's nice to have a double iron to reduce cooking time for family breakfast. Easy to clean. Good buy; I saw a few with only one iron priced higher." —Jennifer J.
Overstock
A set of silicone egg poachers with perforated cups to mimic the traditional poaching method (aka swirling water around and around) without having to do any work — and so your egg stays perfectly round and never wisps away.
Get a set of two from Amazon or Sur La Table for $9.95.
Promising review: "Basically my favorite thing ever. Tried these for the first time after failed attempts with other poachers and being too lazy to do a normal poach. These were SO easy. Bring water to a boil, slide egg from a ramekin into the pods, and within about 3.5 minutes, the eggs are done." —Alexandra K.
A clip-on strainer made of sturdy BPA silicone so you can drain your pasta one-handed! No more overcooked pasta while you try to unearth that giant colander.
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in three colors) or Walmart for $9.69.
Promising review: "Everyone should have one! I actually bought mine AND really love this thing. Works on every pot/pan I have, from my smallest saucepan, to a large brazier. It has sturdy clips that stay in place, even on heavy duty commercial kitchen pans with a pretty good lip on them. At times I dread getting down the colander for just a small amount of something since my colander is stacked in a cupboard usually buried under bowls. (yup, probably have too much kitchen stuff lol). This is easy to store this in a drawer and just get it out in a jiffy when needed. If I had a kitchen with limited space I'd sure have one of these instead of a colander. I like the snap n strain so much, I'll be buying some for gifts, which IS the best rating I could give something. The awesome color is just an added bonus. I'll be checking out more of Kitchen Gizmo's products and if they are anything like the snap n strain I'll be buying more from them" —Farm Girl
A bowl and colander set for all your draining and straining needs. Now you can make pasta without forgetting to save some of the water to add to your sauce. 🙌
Get it from the Tasty collection for Walmart for $12.44.
Walmart
A fish spatula great for (surprise) SO MUCH more than fish! It has a beveled edge, meaning it slides right under anything (even delicate foods like eggs) for easy flipping or removing items from the pan — without scratching it.
Get it from Amazon for $12.95 or Walmart for $13.90.
Promising review: "I admit it — I purchased a fish spatula based off of a recommendation from Buzzfeed Tasty. It was listed on the 16 Truly Useful Tools For Beginner Cooks AND the 10 Most Useful Items to Have In the Kitchen Under $25, and of the many tools listed, I noticed this was one tool I didn't actually own. They said, 'A fish spatula for crispy fish AND transferring warm cookies without casualties.' Besides, in all those silly Tasty videos, the user is using a fish spatula to sauté items...for the price, I might as well give it a go. After using the spatula, I'm kinda surprised I didn't buy one earlier! The OXO Good Grips fish spatula works great for flipping over fillets of fish, burgers, pancakes, eggs...the tip of the spatula is thin enough to get under those items easily and wide enough to hold the item effectively. The blade doesn't scratch my pans, doesn't get scratched by my cast iron pans, and is long enough so that I don't need to worry about getting burned when flipping items. Overall, this is one of those kitchen items that I didn't know I needed until I actually started using it. I ended up tossing my older silicone OXO spatula which was starting to peel at the blade end, and haven't looked back." —KttyKat16
An Instant Pot for whipping up press-the-button-and-watch-the-magic-happen dishes and meals. Use it to make low-effort rice, pressure cooked dishes, slow cooked dishes, and so so so so so much more.
Get a six-quart Instant Pot from Amazon or Walmart for $79. (also available in three-quart and eight-quart sizes).
Promising review: "I can't believe that I love this thing. All my friends were getting them and raving about it. But I absolutely hate my slow cooker, and I figured this device would be much the same. I finally decided to get one when my friend posted that she had made amazing carnitas in it. My husband is Mexican and carnitas are his favorite food, so I thought I'd get one to try it out and hope everyone was right. The first thing I made (after the water test) was the carnitas and they KNOCKED OUR SOCKS OFF. Then I made rice and it came out better than my old rice cooker. Tonight I made ribs and the entire family went wild. I've had this Instant Pot for roughly 48 hours and I'm already using it for a fourth time right now to make oatmeal. Get one. You will not be sorry." —Regina Croskey-Corcoran
Still wondering if this is right for you? Check out I Tried The Instant Pot That Everyone's Obsessed With for an in-depth look.
A three-sectioned splatter guard so you can make bacon, stir fries, and any other stovetop dish without getting grease and grime all over your counter and walls.
Get it from Amazon or Walmart for $5.94.
Promising review: "This is my new favorite kitchen 'gadget.' I loved it so much, I bought a second one. I bought it to wrap around pans while cooking so that grease splatter does not travel to walls, counter tops, other burners and so on. I also use it outside on my stainless table when I am cooking outside; it protects the siding of my house from any splatter. The product is nonstick, as advertised, and hinged. It is flexible, so I can adjust it as needed around my pan or griddle. It stands well around cookware, just as the picture displays. Clean up is a breeze with the nonstick coating. It lays flat when not in use. My home stays much cleaner thanks to this handy splatter guard! Love it!" —Lisa A.
A spice rack with refillable jars so you can buy spices in bulk rather than having to get a new container every time. These come with labels you can pop right on the lid so you can identify which spice is which at a glance.
Get the stand, 18 bottles, and 48 labels from Amazon for $24.97.
Promising review: "Wow what a relief it is having my spices organized and accessible without digging! Before, I was actually buying duplicates of spices, which aren't cheap, just to insure I had what I needed on a rush trip to the grocery store. Digging through the cabinet before was driving me nuts; even if digging I'd end up not seeing that I did have more in the cupboard. I still have about 10 jars of spices that don't fit on the rack, but they fit easily in a Tupperware bowl next to this rack. Love this! One less source of stress in life is always marvelous!" —Deborah Winslow
If you already have a spice rack you love, you can also just get a set of 14 refillable jars with 126! labels from Amazon for $23.99.
A two-stage knife sharpener with one channel for coarse sharpening (like on those extremely dull 20-year-old knives in your drawer) and one channel for polishing and regular touch-ups, because chopping with dull knives isn't only tedious, it's also very dangerous!
Get it from Amazon for $5.99. You can also get a set that comes *with* a paring knife from Walmart for $13.29.
Promising review: "Wow was I surprised. I have a professional knife set that is probably 20 years old and has never been sharpened. Recently I started trying to eat a little bit healthier, so I've been doing a lot of stir-frying. Trying to cut chicken into small stir fry–size bits was a struggle. I was going to take my knives in for professional sharpening and then decided to try this $6 kitchen sharpener first. After running my knives through the course sharpener approximately 10 times and then through the fine setting approximately 10 times I cut some chicken today for the first time and it was like cutting through butter. It took no time at all to make my stir fry chicken." —Alan Marvin
A hanging trash bag holder that'll attach to the outside of your cabinets for easy disposal as you chop and cook. It's like the garbage bowl idea for disposing scraps and trimmings as you go, but even EASIER.
Get it from Amazon for $7.39 or a similar version from Walmart for $7.78.
Promising review: "I love this product because Im always chopping vegetables and cutting up meat. I would be making several trips to the trash. Now I'm able to make meal prep quicker and easier and cleaner! A good way to use up some of those plastic bags from the grocery store too!" —Ellen Holcomb
An acrylic cookbook stand to hold your favorite volume open to the right page (no accidentally flipping to the wrong recipe) and protect it from stains and splatters.
IDK about you, but you can totally tell which cake recipe is my favorite based on how much batter is smeared all over the page.
Get it from Amazon for $10.67 or Jet for $12.39.
Promising review: "Life-changing. I don't know how I lived without this for so long, it's made cooking while trying to follow a recipe MUCH easier. Even my larger cook books fit easily in it and it's very simple to wipe down after splashing flour, melted butter, and all other sorts of delicious ingredients all over its face, which I do regularly. If you're debating getting this product, don't, it's inexpensive, lightweight, durable, easy-to-use, and will make your life so much easier in the kitchen." —Chris
A perforated crisping pan, because you deserve reheated, frozen, and homemade pizza with an actually CRUNCHY (never soggy) crust. And it works on anything that needs to be crisped up in the oven!
Get it from Amazon or Walmart for $15.45.
Promising review: "This saves the pizza crust from getting burned and delivers a better texture to the crust. It allows the heat to fully penetrate the underside of the pizza and make it a delectable, mouth-watering experience!!!! Restaurant quality!!!!" —Lee
A Tasty One Top, an all-in-one cooktop that'll pair with your phone (and the Tasty app) so you can take each recipe step by step — it even adjusts the temperature according to each step of the recipe. NO MORE BURNT FOOD!
Get it from Tasty One Top for $149 (currently on sale from $175). Available in blue and black.
PSST!...BuzzFeed makes money if you buy this!
A set of silicone oven rack shields so you can reach in and grab your piping hot dish without burning your wrist on the rack above. Making chicken nuggets shouldn't be this dangerous.
Get a pack of four guards from Amazon for $14.45 or a similar pack of two from Walmart for $9.49.
Promising review: "I have been an avid baker for years and have a lot of burns on my hands and arms to prove it. I was so excited to purchase these shelf rack guards and have been very pleased with the results. They are easy to apply and work just as described. The seller even sends an easy to read installation guide after purchase. Well worth the $$$$!!!!" —Arlene Popa
A clip-on spoon rest so all the good stuff drips back *into* your pot rather than onto your sparkling countertop — and so you don't get ~crabby~ having to scrub your surfaces down later.
Crabby? Get it? Cuz it's shaped like li'l claws.
Get it from Amazon for $6.97 or Jet for $7.55.
Promising review: "This is pretty much the best invention since, well, since spoon rests — only a whole lot better!!! I've always hated transferring a dripping spoon to a separate spoon rest or plate. I've often left my utensils in the pot with the food only to burn my hand. This pot clip works so well. It clips easily to the side of my pots and fits the handles of all of my utensils. The little rubbery projections firmly grip, keeping the utensil from sliding. My daughters are fortunate to have husbands that love to cook and both of the guys got these handy pot clips as stocking stuffers. And I bought a second one for myself! Great invention!!!" —Yeah-Nah
A cutting board with measurements etched right on it so you always chop evenly, because when you read a recipe and see "julienned carrots" "minced garlic" and "cubed onions," you need to know WTF that means.
Get it from Amazon for $22.99.
Promising review: "My husband IS the obsessive chef! He is always very precise and careful in his cutting. If a recipe calls for dicing potatoes into one-inch chunks...that is what he will do. I really bought this for him as a joke because of how precise he is, but he LOVED it. He truly uses the gridlines and the measurements to accurately dice his food. Additionally, its a nice light weight cutting board. If you know a perfectionist chef, this is a GREAT gift idea." —TJ Callahan
A microwave rice steamer to make burnt stovetop rice a thing of the past. Just add your grain, water, and pop in the micro!
Unlike traditional plug-in rice cookers, you can throw this whole thing in the wash, so there's no potential for mold or other grossness.
Get it from Amazon for $22.59.
Promising review: "I've had this for seven months now, and I think it's still my favorite tool in my entire kitchen. I eat a ton of rice, and I love how easy this is to use and how easy it is to clean. I put in one cup of white rice and two cups of water, and microwave it for 15 minutes. It comes out consistent every time. In the past, I've cooked rice on the stove and used an electronic rice cooker, and I prefer this microwave one to both. I hated how messy cooking on the stove is, and my electric cooker got mold down inside the part that you can't wash. With this, there's no mess, and there's nowhere you can't clean or that can trap mold or bacteria. I can throw every part of it into the dishwasher after I'm done with it. It's awesome! I wish I'd had this back in college." —C. Stone
A carbon steel wok with a "helper handle" to make stir frying (even when piled high with heavy ingredients) so much easer. Plus, those high walls mean you can include toooooons of veggies and protein!
Get it from Tasty's collection for Walmart for $19.98.
Walmart
A pair of herb scissors, because chopping scallions, basil, and other flavorful ingredients is tedious, but you deserve better than bland AF food.
Get them from Amazon for $14.97 or a similar product from Walmart for $11.24.
Promising review: "I'm an avid grower of herbs and vegetables, but when it comes to using the resulting harvests in the kitchen, I'm admittedly lazy and my knife skills are weak at best. The tedium of prep-work/chopping sometimes sends me to the spice cabinet to find something dried and ready to use. With the addition of these scissors to my kitchen gadget arsenal, I believe these lazy habits will change. The scissors appear to be of great quality and solid construction and made VERY quick work of my first test herbs: oregano, chives and rosemary. Best of all, clean-up was super quick and easy. I'm already pondering all of the other great uses for these scissors...AND...will likely be buying more of these as they are a perfect inexpensive gift idea for gardeners and cooks." —Redwood
A set of five ~unconventional~ measuring spoons, including options for a "tad," "pinch," and "dash." Now your family heirloom recipes will actually be consistent across the generations.
Get a set of five from Amazon or Walmart for $3.93.
Promising review: "These are absolutely the best thing ever. First they are heavy duty. If these ever fail, you've been dragging them on concrete. My serious use is to be able to do repeated exact measurements of inks and liquid additives for art. For strong flavorings like liquid mint or clove, these are perfect for small batches. We all have a friend who gives us 'that look' when you say add a tad more....Now they can know exactly what a TAD is. I have a friend who is new to cooking and has family recipes. She was delighted when I sent her a set. She's looking forward to adjusting Grammie's recipes." —Linda T.
An antibacterial and knife-resistant (aka it won't get all gouged up when chopping) cutting board you can bend into a funnel shape for easy ingredient adding.
Some reviewers report warping in the dishwasher, so it'll probably be best to give this a quick hand wash. You'll probably need to use it again sooner rather than later anyway!
Get it from Amazon or Jet for $14.99 (available in red and green).
Promising review: "I love these cutting mats. First of all, they are easy on my knives, they don’t curl because they are thicker and heavier than other mats. They don’t move around the counter, and are a breeze to clean. I have wooden cutting boards for some applications, but, if I am chopping vegetables, this is my preferred cutting surface. Actually, the Gizmo is my go-to cutting surface for most things. I have gotten rid of all my other plastic mats and boards, this is all I need." —RDL
A set of glass prep bowls to help actually commit to doing the whole mise en place thing. You won't ever forget an ingredient when they're all set out before you start cooking.
Get a set of six bowls from Tasty's collection for Walmart for $24.41. You can also get individual sets of the three small ones (for $6.97) and three large ones (for $17.44).
A foolproof timer you can toss in with your boiling eggs — as it heats up, it'll glow to show when your eggs are soft, medium, hard, and even the little stages in-between.
It calculates by temperature rather than by time, so your eggs will be cooked just the way you like them every single time.
Get it from Amazon or Jet for $5.28.
Promising review: "This kitchen device is a no-brainer for the money and simple convenience. You simply put it in the pot of water with the eggs, and as the eggs cook, a thin layer of heat-sensitive material sandwiched in the middle changes color (darkening) from the outside perimeter inward, indicating how much the egg is done. This has to be in the top 20 great gadgets/tools to have in the kitchen. I have recommended this and purchased this as a gift for others and the consensus is a unanimous thumbs-up. I never boil eggs without it." —SS
A citrus juicer with a built-in storage container and measuring cup lid so you never have to waste a whole lemon to get a tablespoon of juice. Or try to squeeze it straight into a measuring spoon. OR squeeze it into a bowl and THEN pour it into a measuring spoon. Basically all of that's over.
Get it from Amazon for $6.75.
Promising review: "This is a very well made, convenient, and handy juicer for the kitchen. Sometimes, I just need a little citrus juice while cooking and I don't want to have to break out my monster juice press. This one has a handy removable measuring cup which allows me to collect the exact amount of juice I need. The juice extractor has a nice edge to the ribs which allows me to get the most juice possible in just a few rotations. The slotted base allows just the right consistency of liquid to pass through while holding back the pulp (you still might need to press the pulp a little just to get all that valuable juice). Easy to wash and assembles conveniently for storage. This is a must-have for home chefs." —Kona408
A handy dandy jar opener, because making a delicious lasagna using store-bought sauce shouldn't be more strenuous than actually making sauce from scratch.
Bonus: it comes with a silicone pad you put the jar on (like a little mat) to keep it in place while you twist the lid off.
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
Promising review: "I have arthritis in my thumbs and little strength in my hands. The combination silicone mat that you set the jar on and the teeth on the opener made it easy to open a large mouth (mason jar–size) jar of peaches I got at Costco. There is no way I was able to open it myself...I tried and it didn't budge. The bonus of this opener is that you can also use it to tighten a lid. The opener is flat and takes up little room in a drawer. I already had an electric opener and pretty much hated it (now I can give to Goodwill). I'm a big fan of OXO products, and this jar opener is no exception...great product!" —Hopidopi
A box of slow cooker liners, because the whole *point* of using a slow cooker is that it's supposed to be easy. And not having to scrub yours? That's ~truly~ easy.
Get a box of six from Amazon for $2.49 or a box of eight from Walmart for $4.92.
Promising review: "What was I doing before these bags?! I was probably avoiding the work horse of my kitchen, the slow cooker...because I knew I would have to clean that darn thing after. Even if I screw up and rip the bag while stirring, the mess is NOWHERE near the kind of labor it takes to get that porcelain pot sparkling clean after using the slow cooker bare. It's so good that if I don't have slow cooker bags...then I just won't use the slow cooker. And I'm really glad I found them here on Amazon. My local grocery store is hit or miss with these bags. So, I can't rely on being able to walk into the store to find them. I just buy quite a few at a time, and then watch my stash like a hawk!" —Alicia K.
A nonstick grill pan with grooves for getting those lovely charred lines on veggies, burgers, and more. Grilling shouldn't just be for the summertime!!
Aaaaaand the grooves also help channel away excess grease, if you're into that sort of thing, too.
Get it from Tasty's collection for Walmart for $24.88.
Walmart
And a defrosting tray to save you from emergencies where you were planning on having sheet pan chicken thighs for dinner.... but TOTALLY forgot to take the chick out of the freezer before leaving for work.
Get it from Amazon for $32.99.
Promising review: "It works very well just like magic.I have NO idea how these thawing plates work but they DO!Thaws my meat out in half the time. The tray seems to absorb the cold. Thaws the food quickly from the deep freeze. Great product at a great price." —Amazon Customer
Now open a bottle of wine, and let's get cooking!
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
BBC
Check out the entire collection of Tasty kitchenware at Walmart!
Tasty
via BuzzFeed/Food
