31 Products To Make Stepping Into The Kitchen Way Less Daunting

Buzz Feed

19-04-2025

1. A meat shredder with suction cups to ensure it stays put on your counter while you twist away and prep the most delicious homemade pulled pork sammies on this side of the Mississippi 😉.
RedRoko is a small business.
Promising review: "After watching a video on this it seemed I had to buy one and try it. This makes life so much easier. No cutting board, no knife. Can make chicken salad professional style in shreds now. It does an excellent job staying suctioned to the countertop while you swirl the top to get perfect even shreds from your chicken." — Katie
Get it from Amazon for $17.99.
2. A microwave pasta cooker that'll provide you with perfectly al dente noodles with the least effort possible — add some butter and parm to those babies, plop yourself in front of the couch, tune into The Real Housewives, and dig in. 🍝
Amazon, www.youtube.com
Read our Fasta Pasta Microwave Cooker review!
Promising review:"I bought this microwave pasta cooker at a time when I did not have a stove. Even though I have a stove now, I still use this cooker for dinner for myself sometimes because it works so well and quickly! Be careful and read instructions carefully, as you must leave the top off while cooking it. There are lines to indicate how much water to put in the cooker versus the amount of pasta you intend to cook. The pasta comes out very soft and perfectly cooked when instructions are followed. When the pasta is done, the lid is used to drain the cooker of water, and it works very well. I highly recommend this to any college student or adult who needs a fast microwave pasta cooker!" — Tania
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
3. A self-adhesive SwitchBot Smart Switch Button Pusher you'll likely want to buy for every single switch in your home (including your coffee machine!) as you'll be able to use it to transform *any* device into a smart one! Once you set it up, you'll be able to use Google, Alexa, or an app on your phone to control it. Technology, man.
Reviewers love this because it doesn't require you to "smart enable" other parts of your home. I need to get one of these for my husband who drags himself out of bed every morning to turn on his espresso machine.
Promising review:" This little bot has vastly improved my quality of life! I've stickered it to my air conditioner unit in two separate apartments, and it's made controlling the room temp a breeze (no pun intended). Do note, in order to use it with Alexa, you will need a separate component. That said, you can control it within its own app as is. I highly recommend getting it set up with Alexa, though. It automatically paired with Alexa, and it works off of Bluetooth, so it's super easy to detect and set up. It's exactly what I wanted!" — Danny Conner
Get it from Amazon for $29+ (available in white and black).
4. A fancy hands-free electric juicer that'll make freshly squeezed orange juice more than just an out-to-breakfast treat but with minimal effort — it even has a pulp filter if that's *not* your thing.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I recently tried out this juicer for the first time, and was blown away at how fast and easy it juiced my fruit! I would normally get out the handheld fruit squeezer, but this takes all the effort away. It's a good-looking machine on my counter, and I plan on using it quite often!!" — Charles Dayment
Get it from Amazon for $95.99.
5. KitchenAid shears, because you should probably stop using your regular ol' crafting scissors when you're cooking. 😅 Use these to beautifully cut quesadillas or pizza into slices (a must-have for parents!) or to quickly chop herbs.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review:"These scissors do it all! From cutting poultry to removing gristle from the bottom of a tri-tip roast, and any number of other kitchen items. I'm left-handed, and the grip is comfortable. They're very easy to clean, and the plastic sheath that comes with them is a plus, preventing me from gouging myself when looking for other items in the 'sharp object' drawer. I'm thinking about getting a second pair. I highly recommend these kitchen shears!" — Suzy-Q666
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in seven colors).
6. Plus, some herb scissors so you can chop basil, chives, and parsley as fast as if you were gunning for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records as "World's Fastest Herb Cutter."
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "These are sharp and work well. I like how it cuts three pieces at a time so you can cut your herbs faster. I actually got them because we use a lot of green onion and these work well to cut that. They are easy to clean, too. They are lightweight and sturdy." — Nederland*brasil
Get it from Amazon for $7.03.
7. And! A set of salad scissors that'll help you whip up a fancy salad in no time at all and without the hefty price tag that, sadly, comes with ordering a lovely chopped salad.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Check out a TikTok of the salad scissors in action.
Promising review: "Love these! I hate big leafy salads so I bought these and they're perfect for chopping greens into bites. I also use them to quickly chop cherry tomatoes, onions, and other veggies. VERY nice quality." — asoon
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
8. A 2-in-1 knife and cutting board for anyone who detests cleaning full-sized cutting boards — they're so awkward to fit into my sink and I somehow always end up drenched in the process. It'll also be a great option for making custom salads for the whole fam who don't necessarily want the same thing in theirs . Cut a few pieces of cucumber into your bowl and a few slices of bell pepper into your partner's!
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Ronan is a small business that specializes in multipurpose tools for home use.
Promising review:"This is a kitchen must-have. We use it all the time — it's so easy to use that even our kids use it. Very durable blade that continues to perform and get value for your money." — Dawn R.
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
9. An Emeril Lagasse dual zone air fryer over combo with precise temperature for both sides so you can cook two very different items at once (and in two different ways). It has the capability to air fry, bake, cook pizza, reheat, dehydrate, roast, broil, grill, toast, keep items warm, slow cook, and can be used as a rotisserie. Bam! Emeril is still killin' it!
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"We purchased this oven after our 26-inch drop-in oven finally saw its last day. It is a temporary oven till we remodel the kitchen. This oven does it all. I have cooked amazing dinners, cakes, cookies, and pies. the dual-zone sync option is awesome. Very happy customer here!!!" — Steve
Get it from Amazon for $272.99.
10. An electric potato peeler to help you transform spuds into mashed potatoes at record speed. If for some bizarre reason you *don't* want potatoes with every meal, it'll also work on other fruits 'n' veggies like like apples and kiwis.
www.youtube.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Love it! It's light and easy to use. When I use a potato peeler, I am always peeling too much potato with the peel. This blade is fine and only gets the skin, in seconds. Except for the 'poles' of the potato, but I don't mind. It's easy to clean if you have a sprayer to just rinse off the spikes where you insert your potatoes. Small enough and doesn't take up much room." — yestfl
Get it from Amazon for $19.98.
11. A"Gracula" garlic crusher that'll make even the most serious of chefs let out an audible giggle. Unless that chef is, of course, a vampire. They might not find it quite as hilarious — but let them know it can crush nuts up, too!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "I love this little guy. I found him on a BuzzFeed list and had to have it as soon as I saw it! I've minced as many as five cloves in it in seconds. It's a little tricky getting all of the garlic out once minced (I use a silicone basting brush to get most of it but I always use more than the recipe calls for anyway so it's not a deal breaker). Cleanup is a breeze because he goes right in the dishwasher!" — Barbie
Get it from Amazon for $24.95.
12. An Oxo Tot grape cutter because who on earth wants to spend their precious time cutting grapes??? This lil' gadget will ensure your kiddo's favorite fruit is the perfect size without costing you an entire afternoon.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
See why one parent on TikTok loves it here! Note that Amazon currently only carries the grape cutter in blue. It's also perfect for cherry tomatoes, berries, olives, and many reviewers say it works on a variety of fruits!
Promising review: "Our 2-year-old and 10-month-old LOVE grapes and cherry tomatoes, and it was a chore to manually quarter them. This gizmo made it a breeze! Only complaint is if the grapes/tomatoes they kind of roll a bit before being cut and some of the resulting pieces are a little bigger. Otherwise 5/5 would DEFINITELY buy again and recommend to others!" — Abby K
Get it from Amazon for $11.95.
13. A Magic Bullet blender you can count on to help you recreate the overpriced green juice or smoothies you usually pick up on your way to the office.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
When I was pregnant the only thing I could stomach in the morning were smoothies, so this lil' gadget became my partner-in-crime. It's the perfect size to blend a smoothie for one person and does so super quickly. I'd just toss in my ingredients, blend, twist the cup off the base, and stick a straw right into the cup. I loved that there was less to clean than if I had blended it in a full-size blender and poured it into another cup.
Promising review:"I use this almost every morning. This was my savior during the quarantine part of the pandemic when I was working from home. I was able to easily make smoothies for breakfast or a snack instead of eating junk. Blended quickly and easily, easy to clean, and came with so many cups and travel options I was able to continue my healthy habit when I went back to work!" — Marissa Vittorio
Get it from Amazon for $39.88+ (available in two colors).
14. A Nespresso Vertuo coffee and espresso maker that'll have your favorite drink ready in minutes — say goodbye to your cranky morning mood and spending all of your hard-earned dollars on mediocre lattes.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
It heats up in 15 seconds and has a 40-ounce water tank so you don't have to fill it every morning.
Promising review:"I like iced coffee with high caffeine. This fits the bill perfectly and is a joy to use and drink. My Starbucks monthly bill has come down considerably after buying this unit, and I'm ready to hit the ground running that much sooner in the morning. I especially enjoy the self-cleaning feature and the ability to run it for smaller or larger cup sizes. Truly a premium product." — David T.
Get it from Amazon for $219.95+ (available in three colors, plus in bundle options with the Aeroccino milk frother).
15. And a HyperChiller to cool your favorite drink in less than a minute. A must-have if you're like me and prefer to drink iced coffee all year. Yes, that includes when it's 25 degrees out.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"For those not fully familiar with how it works, what it's accomplishing is trying to surround your liquid with as much ice-behind-metal as possible. So, it has a center chamber of ice behind the metal, then an outer chamber of ice. The inner chamber fits inside the outer with about a cup's worth of space that's between the inner and outer chamber. This exposes your liquid to the greatest surface area of super-cold metal that they can, and since your liquid is only touching metal, and not the ice itself, it doesn't matter the temperature of the liquid poured in. You can pour in boiling water and while it may end up melting a bunch of the ice behind the metal, none of that water will mix with your drink. So, whether you're chilling a wine, dropping hot coffee to cool it off, or just wanting to rapidly drop the temp of that fresh lemonade you made without making it watery, this will get that done." — P. Ericksen
Get it from Amazon for $15.12+ (available in five colors).
16. A KitchenAid food chopper to spare you the hassle of trying to finely chop ingredients *and* make sure all of your sauces and soups will be lump-free.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review:"This is a perfect size for a small counter. It stores both blades, and the cord wraps nicely. It is large enough to chop a large onion. It has a variable speed, which is great for controlling particle size. It seems well made, very little vibration,n and is very attractive." — D Powell
Get it from Amazon for $54.99+ (available in five styles).
17. An amazing cheese grater that'll have you volunteering to bring mac and cheese for every potluck from here on out — it has the ability to grate an entire block of cheese in under a minute!!! It can also grate vegetables and nuts, in case you were wondering.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Check it out in this TikTok video to see it work its magic.
Promising review: "The one I received was sharp enough to get the job done! I shred a large head of cabbage in less than five minutes, counting clean-up! Shreds potatoes just as quick with peels on, or thin slices just as easy! Cheese I would partly freeze before shredding as it will get a little gummy the warmer it gets! Clean counter suction works great. I lightly dampened, dried, placed on counter, holds real strong! Oh, I also slice a cored apple in no time!" — Macy S.
Get it from Amazon for $24.69+ (available in 11 colors and two styles).
18. A veggie chopper because none of us have time to cry at the club anymore — and by "club," I mean your kitchen, and by "us," I mean myself (I'm reserving for my annual viewing of Titanic). Anyways, this baby will dice up anything you throw in it at record speed. Chop, chop!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Fullstar is a small business established in 2017 that specializes in kitchen gadgets.
Check out a TikTok of the veggie chopper in action.
Promising review:"Makes life so much easier. I can't imagine chopping onions or bell peppers by hand anymore, and it does so much more. We used to have a Prepworks chopper which was a similar idea, but you had to press so hard to chop, and it broke after not too long. This one requires very little effort to cut through the food, and it has a generous container." — Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $29.97 (available in four colors).
19. A stuffed waffle maker you can count on to make all of your brunch dreams come true — fill 'em with cream cheese, strawberries, chicken, or anything else your heart desires!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Oh my goodness. This was way better than expected. Definitely only need one waffle per person, they are huge. T hey are beyond delicious and the stuffing options are endless. It does take about seven minutes to make one waffle but totally worth it. Comes out perfect every single time. No issues at all. Buy it now!" — armywife
Get it from Amazon for $49.99.
20. A rotating whisk blender you'll praise your new I-cook-all-the-time self for buying — it can blend, froth, whisk, beat, and stir, all without taking up much storage space in your kitchen. Are you someone who casually whips up a salad dressing all on your own? You just might be now, thanks to this tool.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Check out a TikTok of the whisk in action.
Promising review:"This is one of the coolest gizmos I've purchased! And it works like a charm, especially for scrambled eggs. I've always struggled with getting the egg white and yolk blended well together. This tool does the trick. I found it most effective with liquids. Any kind of sauce or salad dressing can be well blended with this tool too." — Austin
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
21. A KitchenAid stand mixer for the laziest baker in the game — this famed appliance will do all the heavy lifting for you so you can get your snickerdoodles in the oven faster than you can sing "C is for Cookie."
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review: "I really debated on spending so much money on a mixer. Would it really be worth it?? For sure it is! I can't say enough great things about this mixer. First of all, love the color! It's a great accent piece in my kitchen. I have made cookies, bars, cakes, and mashed potatoes in the few weeks that I have had it. It mixes the batter so much better than I ever could with my hand mixer! And I think the food actually tastes better! For a busy mom, it almost seems to be saving me time, because it mixes while you can gather other ingredients, etc. It takes me less time to bake, and the cleanup is easier since it's just one bowl and a mixing paddle. Well, worth the money, I wish I would have decided to get one sooner!" — Prof. G
Get it from Amazon for $449+ (available in 22 colors).
22. An adorable mushroom kitchen timer that'll act as lovely cottagecore decor but *also* ensure you remember to take your banana bread out of the oven in time.
www.amazon.com
This winds up and times up to 60 minutes, ending in a loud buzzer. Reviewers also use it to help time themselves with work tasks and studying.
Promising review: "This is whimsical and fun. My kids love it. I tell them their dinner comes from a fairy mushroom forest. 😋 Works great, keeps my little monsters in line — 'Dad, the mushroom went off.' Love it." — Vik V
Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in four colors).
23. A meat thermometer so you'll never have to guess "is my steak cooked?" again. You can grill with confidence!
www.amazon.com
Alpha Grillers is a family-owned small business in Nevada that sells bbq and grilling tools.
Promising review: "I bought this thermometer to help me with my ever so confusing question, "is the turkey done?" I love this thermometer for a few reasons: the probe can be folded when done, the digital numbers are large and the screen is backlit, and the back of the thermometer has magnets on it so you can store it on a fridge or range hood for easy access. Overall it is a good thermometer and I think is pretty accurate." — candy
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
24. An "Adjust-A-Cup" measuring cup with a plunger dispenser attached to it you can use to accurately measure out liquids, annoyingly sticky substances (honey, peanut butter, etc) and regular ol' powders. It can be adjusted to measure between 1/8 cup–2 cups as well as teaspoon, tablespoon, ounces, and millimeter measurements.
Amazon
Check out a TikTok of the Adjust-A-Cup in action.
Promising review: "You can't beat this for measuring things like honey and molasses. No more wasting what you can't get out of a regular measuring cup and wondering what the effect of all that stuff left behind is on the accuracy of your measuring." — Herman Ross
Get it from Amazon for $14.97.
25. A set of gravity-activated grinders to make you feel like you're living alongside The Jetsons each time you season something. No twisting or turning needed — these automatically release freshly ground salt or pepper whenever you tip it over.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Watch this TikToker use these automatic grinders while cooking here!
Promising review:"These are really beautiful and add the exact touch of copper I was looking for in my space. When using, the end lights up blue which is very cool gives them a modern feel. They feel heavy and solid, including the clear receptacle that holds the salt/pepper." — Pink Dragon
Get the set of two from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in three colors as well as a single grinder).
26. A meat tenderizer that'll transform your cheap cut of steak from drab to fab — it'll take you no time at all to use this tool and make your meat that much more delectable.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Jaccard is a small business!
Promising review:"This thing really works great. Takes only seconds to tenderize any kind of meat. I've used on pork, beef, and chicken and the results are these meats cook and taste so much better after being tenderized with this. Many people ask about dishwasher-safe. I have used it for a while and always put it in the dishwasher and it's fine. It's plastic and stainless-steel so I don't think the dishwasher can hurt it." — 5280
Get it from Amazon for $29.97+ (available in two styles and four colors).
27. A perfect egg timer to take all of the guesswork out of your egg-cooking process. The face on the timer will change colors to indicate how cooked your egg is, so if you're forever dreaming of a runny middle you'll be able to make them perfectly every time.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"This thing is the bomb.com Seriously, buy one. You won't regret it. Works the first time and every time after that. I was slightly concerned when I first got it out the package. The lines that tell you how hard or soft the egg will be cooked were really hard to see. Nothing like the videos I had seen. Never fear, toss it in the pot of water and voila! Easy to see the lines!" — gunmetalgreen
Get it from Amazon for $8.78.
28. A rapid egg cooker with the ability to make hard-boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, and omelets — which is about two more kinds than I know how to make on my own. Shh, don't tell anyone I'm about to rely on this gadget to make it seem like I know how to cook. With over 102,000 5-star reviews, you certainly can't go wrong.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising reviews:"We bought this in 2020. Used it almost every day without any issues, and finally, after three years, it's time to replace it. Such an amazing product to last so long." — Shal
Check out our deep dive into the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker here.
Get it from Amazon for $18.99 (available in two sizes and 10 colors).
29. An oil mister that'll help you perfectly cover your ingredients without getting your hands covered in grease so you can promptly get back to aimlessly scrolling your phone while your veggies cook.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "What a nice set for spraying oil and vinegar. I love that the containers are glass and very durable. The set comes with two little funnels for filling the bottles and a brush for cleaning the bottles. The bottles are not too big, so they don't take up too much room on my counter. The set is so nice that I might get another set for a second type of oil and soy sauce." — LB
Get a set of two from Amazon for $13.99.
30. A cookie scoop, so all of your precious balls of dough will come out *exactly* the same size and look simply stunning before everyone in the house gobbles 'em up.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
One reviewer notes also using it to perfectly scoop meatballs!
I have one of these and it has been a game changer when making cookies. I love that each one comes out the same size, making it easier than ever to know precisely how many will fit on my baking sheet.
Promising review:"Why didn't I have one of these in my kitchen drawer before?! I bought the medium-sized scoop originally to make a large batch of cookies for Christmas, but today it came handy when I had leftover batter from my banana bread recipe and it made the perfect scoop to fill a regular-sized cupcake liner! Now I'm thinking about getting the small size for my mini-cupcakes! Super easy and they came out perfectly uniform and totally beats trying to use a spoon! Handles have a nice silicone grip too and help with hand fatigue. :-)" — Michi K
Get it from Amazon for $11.88.
31. And a Zojirushi Bread Maker that'll do all the hard work for you (kneading, timing, etc) and leave you with an absolutely divine loaf of bread you'd expect to pick up at a farmers market.
www.amazon.com