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1. A spill stopper because somehow a watched pot never boils, but always boils over. This will trap excess foam and liquid to prevent it from spilling and inevitably burning into a hard-to-clean mess.
Promising review: "Wow wow wow, I have no words to describe how great this product is. I'm a mom with a large family who cooks and bakes all the time, and there is never a time that something doesn't spill over even when standing and watching the pot. With this, life has just gotten easy. I think I'm throwing out all my pot covers after using this."—Rackel
Get it from Amazon for $20+ (available in three colors).
2. And a splatter guard to protect your stove (and arms) from all the bacon grease splatters when you're just trying to add a little ~pizzazz~ to your Brussels sprouts.
Frywall is a New York-based small business that specializes in protective kitchen accessories.
Promising review: "I was frying chicken with lard, and I put too much in the frying pan. A few minutes after putting the chicken in, the lard began to bubble up, and if I hadn't had the Frywall in place, it would have spilled all over my stove. The Frywall creates a seal around my frying pan, stopping spillovers. Splatters don't escape, it's easy to work around it (turning my chicken over), and when I'm done, I just throw it in the dishwasher. If you do any frying at all, you want the Frywall. Helpful." —Carl G Brown
Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (available in four colors).
3. Or a frying pan splatter screen so you can finally stop dodging those terrifying splatters of grease every time you wanna get a little ~fancy~ and pan-fry your dinner instead of just sautéing it.
Promising review: "Excellent product! It's actually a bit heavier than I thought it would be, not cheaply built. It sure is a lot better than our older screen. We have a glass-top stove, and this screen has tremendously cut down on the splatter from frying foods. Sure makes cleanup easier!" —Jeff Ryan
Get it from Amazon for $9.49+ (available in four sizes).
4. A Dash mandoline slicer to drastically ~cut~ down on your cooking prep time. This little guy has 30+ different cut options so whether you need to julienne, dice, or slice, it's got you covered!
Promising review: "This item is amazing for both its safety features and ease of use. I am a bit of a kitchen klutz and feel completely at ease and fearless with this device. I made my own potato chips — I sliced them with my Dash mandolin and cooked in my Dash air fryer. They tasted just like the ones I get from my favorite Portuguese restaurant but I’m hoping they are much healthier. I honestly think this is a must-have for all at-home chefs." —Dawn
Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in three colors).
5. A popular microwave pasta cooker so you can cook dinner while doing a million other things and *not* have to worry about any pots boiling over. Just put some water and dry noodles in this little gadget, push some buttons on a microwave, strain it right from the container, and before you know it you'll be eating the easiest meal of your life.
Promising review: "I don't want to get all gushy over a pasta maker, but man...I really love this gizmo! I try to limit my monthly food expenditures and the Fasta Pasta helps me work in at least one inexpensive pasta meal every week. If not more. First of all, I like spaghetti — either with normal Prego-type sauce or sometimes just with butter and Romano cheese sprinkled on. But I'm lazy and impatient and don't like things that take a long time to make, with a bunch of steps, and a big clean up afterwards. The Fasta Pasta is perfect for me. I get the exact amount of correctly-measured spaghetti; it's faster than boiling water in a big pot then having to watch and stir the pasta; the pasta comes out perfectly cooked every time; and the cleanup is a snap. No big pot; no colander; no spaghetti fork to lift out the pasta. Just the easy to clean Fasta Pasta, and a pot to heat up the sauce. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!" —Smilin Sam
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
6. A set of reusable nonstick oven liners to prevent any messes (like stuck, burnt-on cheese that oozed off your frozen pizza 😖) in the first place by protecting the bottom of the oven. When it gets messy, it can just be thrown in the dishwasher or rinsed in the sink.
Be sure to place this on the bottom rack, not the actual bottom of the oven as that would prevent proper airflow. To clean, put it on the top rack of the dishwasher only.
Promising review: "These liners are life changing! I never thought I needed them until a friend raved about them. Cleanup is so simple; no more melted cheese or sauces burnt to the bottom of my ovens. I love that I can cut down to size to fit my toaster oven also. My husband enjoys grilling with the liners now, as he doesn't have to line the grill with aluminum foil, which he found so annoying, deterring him from grilling. This product really has simplified my life in the kitchen and I love it." —Kindle Custommer
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $13.99+ (also available in a bundle with different sizes).
7. A chic, instantly downloadable freezer storage chart so you can stop questioning just how long that cake in your freezer can survive before you need to throw it out (bad news, newlyweds, it isn't *actually* supposed to stay in there for a whole year).
Alchera Designs is a Germany-based Etsy shop established in 2015 that specializes in organizational and decorative printables.
Promising review: "We purchased these for a birthday gift for our chef friend and had them printed on matte poster, they looked amazing, he loved them so much. Thank you so much for the awesome designs!" —Sarah
Get it from Alchera Designs on Etsy for $5.90.
8. A 2-in-1 lemon juicer perfect for getting every last bit of juice from lemons *and* limes while keeping the seeds away from your freshly squeezed lemonade.
Promising review: "I love this item. All these years I have been squeezing lemons and limes for recipes. I saw this one day while scrolling through kitchen gadgets on Amazon and I liked that it was going to keep the seeds from getting into my food. It is AWESOME! I wish I hadn't waited so long to get it. What I love the most is that it squeezes SO MUCH of the juice out. I had an older lime that was as hard as a rock and very difficult to cut in half. Normally I would just throw limes like this away. But, I decided to try it with this tool. I couldn't believe how much juice came out! I love this and I am going to buy some more as Christmas gifts." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $12.74+ (available in eight colors).
9. An adjustable silicone pie crust shield so you don't pull your precious dessert out of the oven just to reveal a burnt outer layer. This is wayyy easier than the old wrap-the-edges-in-tinfoil technique that almost always leads to frustration and still burnt bits.
It can adjust to fit from an 8-inch to 11.4-inch pie dish and is oven- and microwave-safe.
Promising review: "I don't bake pies or quiche every day, but wrestling with aluminum foil or a metal shield has never worked that well for me. This product surprised me. It was easy to use. It is adjustable. It protected the crust. It did everything I expected it to do. I was not disappointed and would recommend to others who are skeptical to try it." —Sandra C
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $9.99 (available in two colors)
10. A snap-on pasta strainer to stop you from having to think about dirtying another dish or making room in your overfilled sink while making your 'simple' weeknight dinner.
Promising review: "I've owned this for about six months, and I couldn't imagine cooking without it. I hate strainers. They are bulky and fill up the dishwasher, I'm lazy, whatever. This strainer is a lifesaver. Clip it on your pan, strain, and voila! And it is so easy to clean. A little hot water and it's good to go for the next round. I highly recommend this gadget — it will retire your current strainer." —Viola Evens
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in six colors).
11. A handheld garlic press so you can quickly and almost effortlessly mince up the copious amount of garlic you've decided this recipe needs. It also comes with a scraper so you don't lose even one precious piece of garlic.
12. Or a Dracula garlic mincer to add a little ~spice~ to your meal prep gadgets. Just pop a clove or two in the container, press and twist Dracula's head, and reveal your deliciously fresh garlic ready for whatever meal you have planned.
PS: You can also use it for ginger!
Promising review: "I purchased this as a gift for my friend who is a fantastic cook — she uses fresh ingredients almost exclusively — but pressing fresh garlic is a task usually delegated. No longer — Gracula is there for her. She uses him nearly every time she needs garlic (which is basically daily) and months later still makes a point of saying how much she enjoys the gift. I'm pretty sure she likes it better than other gifts I've gotten her which were more expensive/thought out, and I'm fairly certain it's what took me from 'good friend' to 'best friend,' but it be that way sometimes. Anyway, definitely recommended for people who cook with garlic and have a sense of humor." —L
Get it from Amazon for $24.95.
13. A nylon chopper perfect for breaking up ground meat, eggs, frozen veggies, and more when stabbing it repeatedly with a spatula is just not cutting it.
The tool is safe to use with nonstick cookware and you can throw it in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
Promising review: "The chopper breaks up ground beef, turkey, etc., much more efficiently than can be done with a spatula or turner. I don't normally purchase incredibly specialized utensils if I can get by without them, however, I think this chopper is worth the money because it saves time and makes cooking easier. The nylon material is heat-resistant and seems durable, but the packaging still directs not to leave on a hot surface when not in use." —Karen
Get it from Amazon for $7.83+ (available in three colors).
14. A vented microwave food cover which is a BPA-free perforated lid to help prevent spills and splatters when you make another dinner in the microwave. It even allows steam to escape so you don't end up with soggy leftovers from condensation. AND it collapses down to less than an inch tall so you can easily store it when you aren't using it.
Promising review: "This is my third one. One was melted on the stove burner recently by someone I seem to have married who doesn't know fire is hot yet. The other lasted through five years of heavy use. It did get pitted along the inside here and there; I don't know from what, but I suspect the aforementioned person. This folds absolutely flat and can be used as is or partially opened for a thinner cover to put over a bowl, say. Not difficult to clean since things don't really stick to it but if you have a mess it just takes a small second to make sure the folds end holes are all clean. This is also great for making microwave popcorn, putting corn in bowl and using this to allow air flow. It will raise up as popcorn pops and fills bowl. Another neat gift to give someone since it's a handy gadget that saves space and something you'd use a lot." —Ms. Windermere
Get it from Amazon for $8.59+ (available in three sizes, three colors, and a three-pack).
15. A pair of herb scissors perfect for anyone who doesn't have the patience or fine motor skills to finely chop a bunch of scallions to garnish their dish.
The scissors have five blades which do the work of 10 knives! They also come with a cleaning comb which makes it easy to get out every last bit of your herbs.
Promising review: "We use HelloFresh which has a lot of meals with scallions. My uniform knife cutting skills are sketchy at best and I just knew there had to be a gadget out there that would make things easier. These herb shears are awesome! They make my life much easier. They are just like the description says, easy to use, easy to clean, and so far seem pretty durable." —Mike Taylor
Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in three colors).
16. A veggie chopper, because why would you want to hand chop onions just to get uneven pieces while also crying?! With this gadget you can julienne, chop, spiralize, and slice vegetables in seconds.
Check out a TikTok of the veggie chopper in action.
Promising review: "I recently decided to cook more at home. After a chaotic 'finely chop onions' session (tears were shed), I ordered this little veggie chopper. It works like a dream. An entire onion chopped within seconds, no tears involved. Everyone needs one of these." —Sunny
Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in three colors and four styles).
17. An Our Place oven pan that isn't just for your oven. This is gonna be your new go-to for roasting, baking, and even using on the stove as a griddle. Now you can make more than one pancake at a time!! Cute and efficient, we love it 👏🏼👏🏼.
It's oven-safe up to 450º. It is unfortunately not compatible with induction stove tops, so be aware of that if you're buying it in hopes of using it as a griddle.
Promising review: "A solid pan, and the silicone sheet is one of the best I have ever used. Easy to clean, and everything in the oven is baked to perfection. Love the color as well. It is a versatile pan that can be used on the stove. Cooked an entire breakfast, eggs, sausage, and potatoes all in one pan." —Mary N.
Get it from Our Place (available in two sizes and eight colors) or from Amazon (available in two colors) for $125.
18. An adorable microwave rice and quinoa cooker because does anyone actually know how to cook rice on the stove without ending up with a squishy mess or half of it burnt to the bottom?! Plus the built-in colander is great for quinoa and other grains that need to be drained. Once it's done cooking you can just take it to the table and use it as a serving dish, which means…fewer dishes!!!
It's dishwasher-safe! And specifically designed to prevent water from overflowing while it's being microwaved so you don't have to dread the cleanup.
Promising review: "We love this rice maker! Prep time in just minutes. This has saved us so much time, especially when we need dinner done quick! The rice comes out fully cooked. In the beginning, it may take a few tries, since all microwaves are different, (setting at 800) as recommended, you'll eventually know what amount of rice goes with what amount of water, etc. I add salt to taste and a teaspoon of olive oil and it comes out delish! When done, just turn it over on your serving plate or just serve it directly from the container; afterward, just pop in dishwasher...no hard rice scraping to do." —Ani
Get it from Amazon for $27.70.
19. A silicone baking mat so you can cook any food on your baking sheet without dreading the horrible sticky mess you'll have to scrub off when it comes out of the oven.
Reviewers say it works just as well as the more expensive Silpat version!
Promising review: "I use these mats multiple times a day. They make cleanup super easy, which is really important in my hectic life. They wipe off easily with just water." —Tasia Lung
Get a set of two from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in two styles and three- and four-packs).
20. A game-changing electric can opener designed to eliminate *all* the struggle associated with using a traditional can opener. This one is magnetized to attach itself to the rim of any can, then you press the button and it'll rotate 360 degrees and pop the whole top right off. No more jagged edges to cut yourself on or giant appliances taking up your whole counter.
Psst – a lot of cat owners swear by this for opening cat food cans!
Promising review: "I just recently bought this can opener and I really loved it. It's convenient, hassle free, and not complicated to use. You just simply push the button and let it do its magic. I am really satisfied and would recommend this to my friends and family." —Erica
Get it from Amazon for $32.99+ (available in six colors).
21. A hand-powered chopper so you can stop risking your fingers and crying every time you need to chop up veggies for your recipes. Bonus, you may be able to finally get your kids interested in cooking cause this is basically like playing with a fun wind up toy.
Promising review: "This chopper is amazing!! I love cooking, but used to absolutely HATE chopping onions... until someone gave me this chopper! Now I simply have to quarter the onion, throw it in the chopper, pull the handle about 10–15 times, and they're ready to be used! No more teary eyes or spending a long time chopping onions. The cup is big enough to fit a whole onion...I think the capacity is three cups. There's tons of other uses to this as well...you can chop pretty much anything from herbs, veggies and fruits, to making salsa and guacamole." —Valjulia
Get it from Amazon for $17.13+ (available in three colors).
22. A set of collapsible silicone microwave to-go containers you can use to store leftovers at home or if you're feeling a little extra, you could even take them to restaurants so you don't have to use their wasteful to-go boxes. Plus these are sooo much better since you can just pop 'em in the microwave *and* they are designed to not leak all the precious sauce from your meal into your lap. And when you're done, just squish them down and they'll take up minimal storage space.
Promising review: "I keep one of these in my bag at all times, and now I can bring home leftovers from restaurants and not have to deal with single use plastic or Styrofoam to go containers that will just be floating around the planet a thousand years from now. They have never leaked or spilled. They are well made, easy to open and close, and take up little space in my bag." —Kristen Nicoletti
Get a set of four from Amazon for $24.95.
23. A see-through toaster because there's nothing worse than remembering how delicious buttered toast is, making some, and getting it out of the toaster only to realize it burnt to a crisp. Now you can watch it the whole time and pull it out as soon as it hits the perfect level of toastiness.
Promising review: "I LOVE THIS TOASTER! It makes great toast. I can’t believe that I’ve gotten so excited over a toaster. I haven’t been able to find a durable, reasonably priced toaster that could accommodate long slices or bagels, etc. Additionally, I have had to be gluten-free for the last 10 years and gluten-free bread has to be carefully toasted in order to be good. All the toasters I have ever owned had those fragile, thin wires that heat up and glow to toast the bread. And when they broke, which they inevitably did, the bread toasted unevenly. THIS TOASTER has unique coils in the bottom, so that you would expect unevenly toasted bread. BUT NO! It’s the most perfectly toasted bread I’ve had in 30 years." —Byron Trist
Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in five colors).
24. A Ninja air fryer so you can bring your leftovers back to life or make super crunchy and crispy foods with little or *no* added oil! You'll get all the benefits of deep frying without the treacherous pot full of burning hot oil.
Promising review: "I never wanted an air fryer but my kids wanted me to try one. The Ninja Air Fryer is the best investment I ever made. It's easy to cook in, easy to clean, and best of all, the food is actually crisper than I thought it would be. One of the best things about the air fryer is no deep frying." —Kathy Jolly
Get it from Amazon for $89.95.
25. And a magnetic air fryer cheat sheet because let's be honest, we've all just been throwing food in for a random amount of time and cutting through it like four times to check if it's done (please tell me I'm not the only one who does this...). Now you can finally know the actual timing to create perfectly cooked masterpieces.
Promising review: "Bought an air fryer several months ago, which I haven't used a whole lot because it came with only a few recipes but not enough info on other items to cook. The Lotteli cheat sheet gives you cooking times and temperatures for a lot of your common everyday foods in a magnetized easy-to-read, two-sheet combo that fills in where air fryer pamphlet that came with the unit leaves out. I also bought an air fryer cookbook but this only comes with specific recipes, whereas the cheat sheet fills in the void for quick basic needs. Very happy with this purchase! 😁" —B. Frank Smith
Get it from Amazon for $7.87+ (available in two colors and bundles).
26. A two-pack of TikTok-famous Dan-O's seasoning to help transform even the most boring dish into something deeeeelicious. Not only is it incredibly tasty, but it's low sodium and made of dried herbs, citrus, and granulated onion and garlic to spice up everything from fish to beef to eggs to veggies.
Dan O's Seasoning is a small business established in 2017 that gained popularity after taking to TikTok during the pandemic, where the company now has millions of followers with plenty of delicious food content.
Promising review: "The best seasoning I've ever had. I literally put it on everything. I love to cook and I put this on just about anything I grill or make on the stove too. Amazing stuff, and the guy who created this seems like a hell of a dude. Has a fun YouTube channel and his personality is real solid. He's passionate about his product and I bought some and it did not disappoint." —Kevin L Kemper
Get a pack of two (one original, one spicy) from Amazon for $13.98+ (available in two quantities and a three-pack with a chipotle version).
27. A measuring cup that holds up to two cups and makes measuring *so* much easier with the angled surface. You can see how much you're pouring from the top instead of awkwardly bending down to try to get level with it.
Promising review: "Exactly what I needed. The angled measurements are the best. No more holding it up to see how much is in there. Super lightweight. The large grip handle is perfect for those days when my arthritis acts up. Can't use it in the microwave due it being made out of plastic but I've got a four-cup Pyrex for that. I totally recommend this measuring cup." —David Horner
Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (also available in a one- or four-cup).
28. A digital thermometer to give you a precise and FAST temperature reading so you don't have to worry about cutting your chicken open like three times only to never be fully confident that it's actually cooked all the way.
This doesn't have to just be used for meat — you can use it for making candy, frying, and so much more!
Promising review: "This thing really upped my game cooking all kinds of meat from fish to red meat to poultry. So helpful to not have to cut open meats to check their status as someone who always plays it safe. Really a must have if you cook meat on a regular basis." —Tony T
Get it from Amazon for $12.49.
29. And a meat cooking temperature magnet since just getting the fancy thermometer doesn't mean you actually know what temperature you are waiting for it to be. Now you won't have to keep googling it every 10 minutes because you forgot the answer.
Moonshine & Glitter is a small business based in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina creating beautiful wood signs and decor.
Promising review: "I got this for my mom since I'm a chef and she's always asking me what temps to cook things to! Great quality and my mom smiled when I opened it! We put it on the side of the fridge for her to see and it's been a good laugh for her whenever she needs to know a temperature. THANK YOU!" —Eliza Schane
Get it from Moonshine & Glitter on Etsy for $8+ (available in four sizes).
30. A pair of cut-resistant gloves made to be four times stronger (!) than leather to help keep allllll your fingers safe, even if you have somewhat questionable knife skills.
Promising review: "I bought the gloves because I had two nasty cuts in quick succession from a cheese grater. Anyone who has had injuries to their fingers knows how difficult it is to continue to do everyday activities and meal preparation while still protecting your wound. I received the gloves quickly after my order and pressed them into use immediately that evening. I am most impressed. My fingers/hands were protected from my very sharp grater and knife while I prepared dinner. I bought two pairs, one to keep and one to give as a gift. I am now going to buy a third pair in a larger size for a friend who also likes to cook but suffers from occasional run-ins with mandolines, graters, and knives. Great product!" —O'Hare
Get them from Amazon for $13.49+ (available in sizes XS–XL, two colors, two styles, and multipacks).
Check out BuzzFeed's full write-up of NoCry Cut Resistant Gloves for more deets.
31. An Instant Pot for making perfectly cooked rice without the stress and confusion that comes with making it in a traditional pot. You can also make pressure cooked (aka *fast*) dishes, slow cooked meals, and so much more.
This one gizmo has 7-in-1 functionality, aka it's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan, and food warmer all in one. Which means you can create full meals all in this one pot, which is amazing for saving time and not making a huge mess of used pots and pans.
Promising review: "I’ve had this thing for years. I even bought a second one since this one in a different size. Instant Pot is a game changer and can turn the laziest ramen-noodle-and-boxed-mac-'n'-cheese-eating horrible cook into somebody in the kitchen. I can cook now!!!" —Turd Ferguson
Get it from Amazon for $69.99.
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.
The reviews used in this post have been edited for length and clarity.