25 Essential Kitchen Tools That Won Over the Most Doubtful Reviewers

1. A vegetable chopper so you can chop onions without the risk of losing a finger. Sure, I've seen Gordon Ramsay's YouTube tutorials on how to do it with a knife, but my brain and hands just don’t sync up, alright??

2. A Dracula garlic crusher because nothing beats freshly minced garlic when preparing an Italian spread, especially compared to garlic powder.

3. A nylon meat chopper ideal for breaking up ground meat, frozen veggies, eggs, and more. Whether you're making tacos, Philly cheesesteaks, or smash burgers (~chef's kiss to Shake Shack~), this tool is a game changer.

4. An air fryer if you're prone to undercooking or overcooking your meals every single time you use your oven. If you thought air fryers were just for French fries or chicken nuggets, think again. You can crisp up fresh asparagus, cook salmon to tender perfection, and even bake a glorious lemon Bundt cake if you're in the mood!

5. A snap-on silicone strainer that easily clips to the side of your pot, eliminating the need for a colander in the sink and sparing you from scalding yourself with ~boiling~ water when you carelessly dump your cavatappi.

6. A compact 8-in-1 spiralizer for spiralizing (obviously), juicing, grating, shredding, and more. No need to dig through your kitchen for different tools when all you need is this one versatile gadget.

7. A dishwasher-safe silicone soup cube tray because you're a Soup Lover at heart, but you live solo and can't possibly finish a whole batch at once.

8. An aluminized steel sheet pan you can use to bake or roast virtually anything you can dream up. Chefs swear by them, not just for their even cooking, but also for how incredibly easy they are to clean.

9. A breakfast sandwich maker that simultaneously cooks your egg, toasts your bread, heats up precooked meat, and melts cheese, so you can throw together the perfect breakfast sandwich without waiting in line at Dunkin' and risking being late to work (...again).  

10. Or a super simple egg bite maker so you can whip up little egg bites that fit your keto/paleo/gluten-free/vegetarian lifestyle and *don’t* cost $9 (plus the gas to get to the drive-thru). 

11. A 3-in-1 avocado slicer for those still riding the avocado toast wave. Grab one of these gadgets — it will split, pit, and slice your avocado — so you can recreate a $15 dish right at home from your favorite café.

12. A Caraway cookware set that not only provides every pot and pan you’ll ever need, but also includes handy storage solutions like magnetic racks and a canvas lid holder — because let’s face it, finding the right pan and putting it away afterward is half the cooking-at-home challenge.

13. A versatile electric pasta maker if you’ve watched Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and now feel inspired to make the regional dishes yourself.

14. A bench scraper that’s perfect for when you’re preparing bread dough, collecting chopped onions to toss in a pan, or simply tidying up your counter after experimenting with a particularly messy recipe.

15. A Thaw Claw because now that you’re an adult with a 9-to-5, you finally understand why your mom was SO mad when you forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer after school... (sorry, mom!). This tool helps you thaw your meat seven times faster than just leaving it on the counter.

16. An oil mister so you can evenly spritz your one-pan meals without the mess. No more tossing everything by hand and getting covered in expensive, hard-to-clean EVOO.

17. An Anova sous vide cooker to help you create restaurant-quality dishes with minimal effort. So minimal, in fact, that you don’t even need to be present in the kitchen while your food cooks!

18. A rapid egg cooker that makes it easy to cook soft, medium, and hard-boiled eggs quickly and consistently. Honestly, if I had to make eggs the traditional way, I'd probably just grab a Toaster Strudel instead.

19. A set of toaster oven bags if you're always in the mood for grilled cheese but don't feel like pulling out a pan. Simply assemble your ingredients, pop them in the bag, and let the toaster do the work for you.

20. Some FryAway—a miraculous powder you sprinkle on used cooking oil, turning it into a solid so you can easily dispose of it. No more clogging up your neighborhood’s pipes after a fried chicken feast!

21. A 3-in-1 Cuisinart burger press for making the ultimate Juicy Lucy 🍔 (thanks to Top Chef: Kentucky) in the comfort of your own kitchen.

22. A vented microwave food cover designed to stop spills, splatters, and those unfortunate tiny explosions (we've all been there). The BPA-free lid features perforations to let steam escape (which means no unsightly condensation), and when you're finished, it folds down to less than an inch for easy storage.

23. A microwave potato cooker for when you're craving a loaded baked potato but simply can't wait for the oven to preheat and cook it for 45 minutes. With this handy tool, you just pop it in the microwave, set it for three minutes, and — voilà — a perfectly cooked potato.

24. A sandwich bag holder that's incredibly convenient, you'll wonder why you didn't think of it first. Keep it in your drawer, and transferring food into sandwich bags will no longer be a messy, frustrating ordeal.

25. A pair of pizza scissors for effortlessly slicing the perfect piece (you know, the one with the bubble on the crust) before anyone else has a chance to grab it.