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

It doesn't get any smarter than Our Place's Always Pan, which is specifically designed to replace eight pieces of cookware, including a steamer, skillet, saucier and saucepan. You can cook almost anything in it and its body is made of sturdy aluminum that spreads heat evenly and quickly.

Get it at Our Place for $145.

Promising review: "I love making chicken tacos in my pressure cooker, the meat ends up tender but sometimes doesn't fall apart. I'd seen this online and it worked out perfectly; not only does it smash but it chops at the same time. While the chicken is still hot in the pot I can use this to smash/shred the chicken, making perfect shredded chicken taco meat. I have also used while cooking ground beef doing the same, chopping while I smash. I even used it to smash/chop some cooked meatballs making meat sauce. I love this thing." — Eric M. Schloegel, Jr.

Get it from Amazon for $6.39+.

Promising review: "Very good foldable chopping block. We use it daily and love being able to chop a lot of different items and just fold the block and pour into a pot or container. Seems to be standing up to lots of use with little wear showing. We use the large and medium sizes daily and are very happy with them." — Nathan Bales

Get it from Amazon for $12.79.

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 $9.97.

This clever guard is BPA-free, FDA-compliant, dishwasher-safe and heat-resistant up to 450 degrees.

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 $19.95.

Promising review: "I was wary at first about how long produce would really last, but I have been impressed. Spinach and leafy greens have lasted about two weeks longer than when kept in the clam shell packaging. Berries have lasted about a week versus just a couple of days. I travel frequently for work and have always stayed away from purchasing produce because I can not go through it fast enough, but the produce savers have helped with that problem. I will say, the smaller container, is pretty small, and can barely hold a little thing of blueberries. Now that I know they make an exponential difference in the longevity of produce, I will probably purchase more in varying sizes." — Nicole

Get it from Amazon for $13.99+.

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 $14.99+.

Promising review: "This is worth every (small) penny and really is as good as the reviews say. We have noticed an immediate difference in chopping and prepping our veggies, cutting through meat, etc. It's such a small product with a small price tag, but it's made a big difference! It even fits right into the drawer below the knife block. Love it!" — AlwaysAmyBrand

Get it from Amazon for $5.99+.

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 $37.72.

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 none on one pan. Plus, clean up is just throwing in the dishwasher!" — Jara Fansler

Get a set of four dividers for $29.99 set including a pan and nine dividers for $59.99).

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.

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 $75.

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 a cakewalk 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 $20.42.

Promising review:"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." — Rachel Dunkel, BuzzFeed Shopping resident review expert

Get it from Amazon for $17.92.

Promising review: "It is absolutely fantastic to be able to grab the handle of a cast-iron pan like it's a normal pan and go about cooking without burning myself. Now that I've started using this sleeve I will never use a cast-iron pan without it and recommend everyone make this improvement in their life!" — Harper Hendrickson, Buzzfeed

Get it from Amazon for $6.99+.

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 insane, I drink coffee everyday 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 amount 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 it from Amazon for $9.95+.

Promising review: "This food processor is easy to use, I use it to chop meat and vegetables easily, just press the control button and it will be done in a few seconds. I like that this is controlled manually, when you release the control button, the food processor will stop, you can get the consistency you want. This bowl is glass and transparent, so you can observe the food status at any time. Before I purchased this processor, I used a knife to cut the meat into minced meat, which was too tiring. Now I feel much more relaxed and save time. It is easy to clean up after use, but be careful of the blade when washing it." — lihong

Get it from Amazon for $35.99+.

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 $34.90.

This towel absorbs 10 times its weight in grease and absorbs liquids 20 times faster than other fabrics. Plus, it comes from a woman-owned small business 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 Amazon Handmade for $13.50.

Promising review: "You don't realize how many paper towels you go through in a day until you run out of them and can't easily restock your supply. Using these bamboo towels (which were recommended by a coworker) changed the way I approached cleaning up household messes. These were great for taking care of the kitchen counter top throughout the day, especially while trying to feed a toddler. Didn't quite make it to the six-month mark on one roll, but that's certainly a goal!" — John Mihaly, Buzzfeed

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+.

Promising review: "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!" — Hannah Loewentheil, Buzzfeed

Get it from Amazon for $99.95.

Based in Oregon, Marley's Monsters creates eye-catching alternatives for everyday paper essentials.

Promising review: "This is my second time purchasing these sponges. Love them! I'm going on a whole year with my first two sponges and just wanted to buy a few more as gifts and to add another sponge into my rotation. Great quality." — lilflostein

Get it from Marley's Monsters on Etsy for $12+.

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 $10.39.

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 multi-cleaners, 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 $11.47.

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 $14.99+.

This non-stick ceramic coated pan has everything from a custom stainless steel steamer basket to a nesting beechwood spatula that lays on a built-in spoon rest.

Promising review: "This pan is EVERYTHING! I went from making pasta in the basket to steaming broccoli in it and then finishing my meal in there. Then I forgot about cleaning it because I’m lazy — and the nonstick cleaned up so easily. The sponge they include is incredible, I do all my dishes with it now. Also it looks really cute sitting on my stove all day." — Darby S.

Get it from Our Place for $145.

Promising review: "Save money by preserving your wine! I really enjoy a glass of wine some evenings, but just one glass (okay maybe two) is plenty. The problem always is that if you re-cork you might get one more day out the bottle....What if I don't want another glass the next day? By the day after that, you would be really lucky if that re-corked wine was any good. With this product, you will never toss unused wine again. The vacuum seal really works at keeping out the air and preserving your wine so it remains as fresh as when you first opened it. Another feature is that the seal works so well that if you put your bottle back on its side in a rack or wine fridge, it will not leak. I am making this product my go-to hostess gift!" — T.K. Nagy

Get it from Amazon for $13.95.

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

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 $11.99.

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 it from Amazon for $9.88+.

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 it from Amazon for $5.99.

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 it from Amazon for $79.99 (originally $99.99).

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 to). 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 $6.99.

This cupboard on wheels has five shelves, so you'll have ample storage space and you can pull it out and push it back in with ease.

Promising review: "Very pleased with the quality of this. I was afraid it would be flimsy, but it has feels nice and sturdy even when completely loaded with canned and boxed food. Wheels roll great. Perfect size between fridge and wall. My family has been using this daily for six months with no issues. Very happy with this purchase." —Wally

Get it from Amazon for $39.99.

Promising review: "This stuff is like magic! Straight-up wizardry. I love it! I initially bought it to clean my sink, which is porcelain. I'd say it took less than a minute after making a paste with Bar Keepers Friend to clean the sink up to a nearly new shine. It's easy to find bunches of ways to use this stuff, and each application is better than the last. Stainless steel, porcelain, ceramic, copper, brass, fiberglass, Corian, chrome and aluminum. See? Magic! Anyhow, I've used it in the bathroom, to clean stainless steel pots and pans, and on a 17-year-old Revere Ware tea kettle (which I thought would never be restored to its former loveliness, BTW). This is a product that I will buy again and again and will happily recommend to anyone." — Nicci Stephenson

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $7.99.

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 $56.99+.

Promising review: "I love the way this Dutch oven cooks. This product keeps the heat in so well I can cook at a lower temp. It saves time and money. The food you prepare will be delicious the meat will be tender. The flavors in your food will be enhanced. I used to love using my slow cooker. Since I got my Dutch oven, I have not used the slow cooker. The Dutch oven will make you look like a pro. I am an experienced cook, but this baby makes me look like a galloping gourmet. Le Creuset is perfect — well worth the money." — D. Cederquist

Get it from Amazon for $439.95+.

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 $18.97+.

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 $9.56.

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 $5.74.

Every piece (one large roasting pan, 8-inch square cake tin, small oven tray, two muffin pans, two 8-inch round cake tins and one large oven tray) is dishwasher-safe, too.

Promising review: "Love this set! Great variety to suit your baking needs. The stacking storage fits very nicely in the oven bottom drawer. And the stacking, closure feature keeps everything together and saves space. Baked goods come out nicely cooked and all the pieces are really easy to clean. Great value for the money and certainly recommend the set!" — Dennis

Get it from Amazon for $59.99.

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 NobelEgg 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 $6.98.

Material is an Asian-owned small business that creates tasteful and sustainable kitchenware built for the home. This storage solving knife holder is available in two colors.

Promising review: "Love my new magnetic knife holder. It makes for keeping the blades sharp by not have to insert them into a block as I previously did. It's sleek and looks great on my countertop!" — Material customer

Get it from Material for $90.

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 $11.95.

Simply fill with water, pop it in the freezer, remove and then pour in your coffee to quickly chill before pouring it into your cup. This dishwasher-safe container can also be used to cool chill tea, juice, wine, or whatever else you feel like drinking. No water comes into contact with your beverage, so you don't have to worry about dilution, either.

Promising review: "I am an avid (i.e. daily) iced coffee drinker, but I have been extremely hesitant to make my own iced coffee at home because I didn’t want the bitter flavor from two-day old coffee or the watered-down nature of just adding ice to coffee. Thanks to the HyperChiller, I have now found a solution!!! The HyperChilller worked like a CHARM today!!! I was able to create my own iced coffee directly from my coffee maker in the comfort of my own home. I guarantee this item will be used frequently! Great job!" — Chelsea

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+.

The naturally derived ingredients include:eucalyptus, lemon, and peppermint oils, as well as pumice stone and baking soda. Cleaning Studio is a Fairfield, Connecticut-based all-natural cleaning shop from Claudia and Angelo Zimmermann. Their oven cleaner comes with a professional-grade 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 Cleaning Studio on Etsy for $19.99+.

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 n 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 $99.95+.