It’s the season of the kitchen! After a slow spring and a “let’s just eat out” summer, it’s time to fire up the oven and throw some flour over your shoulder. And why? Because it’s the season of eating — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve snacks — and it’s all coming up in the next eight or so weeks. (Seriously, though, could we get some holiday treats in, like, August? That month has nothin’.)
So, whether you’re taking on Thanksgiving for the entire fam or are gathering your supplies for some serious holiday baking, you’re going to want to take a look at the top-rated gadgets below and throw a few in your cart. I’ve got do-it-all zesters, scrapers, holders and the absolute cutest garlic crushers and spoon holders you’ve ever seen. If you’ve got pie plans, chocolate chores, or bread needs (kneads?), this list is your new sous chef.
A Can-Do Attitude
Are you still opening cans — gasp — manually? What is this, the Stone Age? This electric can opener will save you time and aggravation as well as those tiny, painful cuts from handling the cut edge of a lid. This has a lid lift and is battery-operated. (I’ve had mine for almost two years and still haven’t had to change them out.) Nearly 75,000 reviewers can’t be wrong.
Garlic Goodness
Even if you don’t really “do” garlic, you need “Gracula” in your kitchen. This little cutie presses, crushes, and minces garlic (without getting the smell all over your hands) in a matter of seconds. Sure, you could buy a more traditional garlic press but why would you when this guy is just sitting on Amazon waiting to come to your house?
He Did The Mash
Not only is this a list of top-rated kitchen gadgets but it’s also a list of weird-looking but oddly helpful gadgets. I’ve had one of these mashers for years (from a company that rhymes with Hampered Ref) and it’s honestly one of my most versatile gadgets. It’s ideal for browning ground beef or mashing softer foods. This one has a perfect five-star rating on Amazon.
The Zest Of Life
Did you know a zester has other hidden talents? I know, you’re accustomed to testing citrus fruits with one of these but it also has uses related to things like ginger, cheese, nutmeg, and chocolate. This stainless steel version comes with both a protective cover and a brush for cleaning. Reviewers call it “the best they’ve ever had” for a “much easier and quicker process.”
Chain Gang
I love, love, love, LOVE my cast iron pan but cleaning it? No bueno. I stumbled upon this cast iron cleaner and it’s literally my new favorite kitchen thing. Sized like a small dish rag, this gem is made from stainless steel, which seems counterintuitive … until you try it. Wash off the grit and preserve the flavor with soap-less, detergent-free grit removal.
To The Core
When apple pie is on the menu, you must have this easy-to-use apple corer that cuts through the fruit and easily removes the middle for disposal. It’s great for other things, too, like bell peppers, cupcakes, and more. One reviewer said, “They work awesome & we’ve told others how great they are and so easy to use!” It comes in nearly 20 color options.
Your Best Buddy
Man’s best friend is now man’s best kitchen helper? This dog-shaped spoon holder will keep your utensils handy and close while you’re cooking. Made of food-grade silicone, this heat-resistant utensil rest can be placed on the kitchen counter, stove top or elsewhere if you need a loyal “watchdog” to assist while whipping up your favorite dishes. This comes in beige and brown versions.
Scrape Together
I know this looks like the world’s most basic, yet unexplainable kitchen gadget but give me a second here, O.K.? This is a scraper and chopper and a general cleaner-upper. Use it to cut dough, slice through veggies, transfer ingredients to a pot and so much more. This comes from OXO, too, which is one of my favorite kitchen brands of all time.
Spoon Fed
A spoon rest is kind of a necessary evil but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. (Seriously, chuck that old stainless one you’ve been using for 20 years.) This spoon rest is shaped like ravioli, which is perfect for that Italian cook in your life (or for yourself). This is made from silicone, which is food safe and dishwasher-friendly.
Put A Lid On It
I can’t be the only one who opens a jar or can and then promptly loses the lid. These silicone stretch lids are the perfect solution for covering a half-empty (or half-full?) can or jar or even pet food. This 12-pack fits a 2.6-oz. can and stretches almost an entire additional inch. A variety of colors would be great for color-coding leftovers.
Off The Hook
The worst part of cooking, in my opinion, isn’t the actual cooking. It’s the grocery shopping and the schlepping of bags from the car to the door. These bag handles let you make fewer trips since they can hold up to 80 pounds each. Sturdy, lightweight and durable with a soft-grip handle, carry literally anything and everything with these with ease.
Like Two Peas In A Pod
Is it bad that I want a tiny army of these herb savor pods lined up on my kitchen counter? These BPA-free containers triple the life of your herbs and fit easily on a shelf inside your refrigerator. Rinse and dry herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, and chives then place them in the pod. Add a little water through the filter and watch your herbs thrive.
Wine Not?
We’ve all had those moments — you know the ones — those “I need in this bottle of wine five minutes ago” moments. This wine opener with foil cutter makes light work of cracking into your favorite whites and reds with a simple insert, spin and rotate counterclockwise motion. Because it’s not electric, there’s no worry about your unit dying or running out of batteries.
Strain Away
This one is a space-saving hack that works just as well as its oversized counterparts. A clip-on pot strainer, this adjustable silicone gadget keeps you from dirtying multiple pans by letting you strain fluids right from the pan you’re using. Choose from six different colors, all of which have the same great functionality. This is a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon.
Shot To Ribbons
Why do vegetables taste different when they’re consumed in different shapes? This vegetable spiralizer has four different blades for different sizes in a mess-free design where the spirals fall naturally into the attached container. One of the nearly 25,000 reviews on this gadget is telling: It “changed the way we eat.” The finger guard keeps you from accidentally spiralizing your thumb. Yowch.
Seal Of Approval
I know, I know, these look like tiny flat irons but they aren’t. What they are is genius, though. These are mini heat sealers. What’s that you ask? When you open that bag of chips and don’t finish them (stay with me here), you can seal them just like they’re brand new. Genius, right? You’ll get a pack of two here so you can keep one and gift one … or use on to seal bags and the other to smooth flyaways. You do you, boo.
Suds Up
I’ve been on this earth for more than four decades now and I still don’t have a dish-cleaning gadget that I’m satisfied with. This dish soap dispenser and sponge holder might be the options I was waiting on. One-handed in design, this stores the soap on the bottom and a sponge on the top for easy-access sudsing and your cleanest dishes ever.
A Mist-Have
Get ahead of the New Year’s resolutions and develop healthier eating habits with this oil mister. This not only helps you save money but it also creates a better way of eating without the chemicals present in store-bought sprays. Made of stainless steel and glass, this comes with a funnel for easy filling and works well with all types of oils from olive oil to coconut oil.
Put The “Fun” In Funnel
Every kitchen needs a funnel but every kitchen doesn’t need a plain, boring funnel when it can have this adorable magic mushroom funnel. With its quirky design and wide-mouth flexible silicon funnel, you’ll have fun transferring liquids without worrying about spills. This funnel is BPA-free, too, so your food is safe. One reviewer said, “You need this,” and I couldn’t agree more. <Adds to cart>
Shear Perfection
If you don’t believe that different scissors are for different things, stop reading right now and proceed on to No. 21. If, however, you’ve run someone out of your craft room for eyeing your craft scissors, you are my people. These kitchen shears are made to cut fruits, vegetables, seafood and even herbs. The quality is good, too: “I use the shears almost daily, and they are still razor sharp,” one reviewer said.
Blender Family
Stop what you’re doing and go throw out that handheld blender you’ve had since your wedding. An immersion blender is where it’s at. Small, portable and tidy, it can tackle any job from frothing milk to whisking eggs to pureeing ingredients for soups or baby food. The best part? Everything pictured runs less than $50 and includes multiple attachments and containers.
Cutting Up
Something as simple as cutting tomatoes or grapes shouldn’t seem like it requires its own cutter … until you have roughly 1,724 to cut. This grape cutter from OXO quarters both grapes and tomatoes quickly, safely and easily while eliminating a potential choking hazard for little ones. This comes apart for cleaning and has a cover that snaps on for on-the-go use.