33 Affordable, Unexpected Kitchen Products

Buzz Feed

6 days ago

A crinkle cutter tool for veggies, fruit, potatoes, and cheese that not only makes meal prep a breeze, but makes certain foods more enticing for the picky eaters in the fam. Everyone knows a squiggly-shaped thing tastes better than a regular shape ... it's just science!
A Grim Steeper silicone tea infuser to remind you that life is, in fact, too short to skip on your delicious morning cuppa.
McCormick's Potato Topping Seasoning for anyone who's not afraid to get a little feral about their air-fried, mashed, and baked potatoes — this blend of salt, garlic, and asiago cheese is so mouthwateringly delicious that you'll be dumping it on everything from popcorn to grilled cheese to guacamole.
A shaved ice and slushie maker to relive your childhood pastime of dyeing your tongue a zillion delicious colors after taking one of these to the face. Bonus: a lot of reviewers use these for ~boozy~ slushies.
A genius 2-in-1 knife and cutting board perfect for all your quick chopping needs that don't require a whole production of cutting boards. This scissor-like contraption lets you slice against a flat surface for easier use, then slide your veggies into a bowl or on top of a dish in a flash.
And a parent-beloved, Shark Tank-featured FunBites Food Cutter designed for both adults *and* kids to use on everything from fruits to veggies to cheese to sandwiches, helping make mealtimes more fun and hands-on. (And encouraging picky eaters to broaden their horizons, one "FunBite" at a time!)
A four-pack of silicone straw soda can lids that are like, "Oh, you're obsessed with Diet Coke? Let me find you a reason to be even MORE obsessed." Reviewers love these not just for the ~thrill~ of a straw, but because the covers make the cans a whole lot more spill-proof, prevent your drink from going flat, and protect your can from bugs and debris during outdoor hangs.
A handy dandy condiment fork with a holder you can wrap right around a jar of olives or pickles so it'll always be at your disposal when you suddenly *need* a pickle but don't want to put your hands in the jar. This is also great for late-night snacking shenanigans, since you won't wake up half the house looking for a clean fork.
A "Gracula" garlic crusher, because you know what? If a 108-year-old vampire lurking moodily in the trees in the Pacific Northwest isn't going to fall in love with you and grant you immortality, one might as well make your life in the kitchen a little easier.
Oxo's compact Cold Brew Rapid Brewer to make cold brew in FIVE MINUTES (!!) with results so quick and delicious that reviewers love it more than their beloved Aeropresses (and even call it "Aeropress 2.0"). Not only is it faster than comparable models, but it's cheaper, entirely portable, and doesn't need to be charged or plugged in. 🤯 You're going to be swimming in a RIVER of delicious, affordable cold brew with this gizmo.
A container of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust so absurdly delicious that all food will just become a mere canvas for putting Cinnadust on. Reviewers use this on everything from coffee to toast to yogurt to fries to popcorn to sweet potatoes to ice cream to — you know what, I'll let you decide on your cinnajourney for yourself.
A two-slice slim toaster to fit virtually *anywhere* in your tiny kitchen, and to look gosh darn adorable doing it. Bonus — these long slots make it ideal for larger slices of bread, like your beloved sourdoughs.
A chic under-the-cabinet banana hanger so easy to install that you'll wonder why you didn't free up all your counter space *YEARS* ago. Also digging the whole "bananas as decor" vibe here.
A set of wineglass charcuterie toppers to make you the ultimate host of wine and cheese nights ... *or* just an elite experience curating your own snack-and-vino vibe at home. (Friday night cheese is the most sacred cheese of all.)
A collapsible Magic Mushroom funnel so you can feel like an enchanted forest nymph while you funnel your coffee, wine, baking ingredients, or mystical potions.
A mini donut maker to keep anyone with a sweet tooth occupied — truly, can you think of anything in this universe more delicious than a warm homemade donut?? I'll wait.
A set of spicy margarita instant cocktail tea bags — all the sophistication of tea and the 😜 of a cheeky cocktail, without the exorbitant bar price tags or the sugar crash. All you have to do is add three ounces of cold water, 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, and the tea sachet into a glass, and you'll have a delicious cocktail in one minute.
A cult-favorite Flairisol Olivia, a continuous oil sprayer with built-in portion control that has won the allegiance of reviewers from professional chefs to at-home bakers. The ultra-fine spray makes it ridiculously easy to work with, especially for people tracking nutrition stats for their own sake or for a restaurant's — each spray is equivalent to one gram of oil for easy measuring.
A "shark bites" mini hot dog mold sure to make ~waves~ when you show up to the next neighborhood cookout with the coolest snack of all. Sorry, pigs in a blanket; your time in the spotlight is over.
A double-sided cutting board *and* defrosting board with enough capabilities to make your lil' brain spin. One side of the board is made with food-grade stainless steel for cutting meat while the other is made with wheat straw for cutting fruits and veggies, helping save cutting board space and preventing cross-contamination. But reviewers also note that the stainless-steel side is *excellent* for defrosting meat faster, and the built-in garlic grinder on the wheat straw side is also a handy little time saver!
A electric potato peeler worthy of a permanent spot on your counter. Not only does it effortlessly peel potatoes, but it can handle pretty much any peeled produce you throw at it, from apples to kiwis to oranges to tomatoes. (To be clear, though, your highest priority should *always* be mashed potato-ing.)
A bottle of truffle seasoning for an instant upgrade on homemade meals that honestly has become one of my only personality traits, to the point where I'm just like, begging you to try it. I should gatekeep this stuff so I can have it all to myself but it is such a delicious and satisfying and ridiculously affordable alternative to real truffles that I'm throwing the gates WIDE OPEN.
A "Slice'n Store" butter dish that will stop you from dirtying a bunch of butter knives and leaving them on the counter. All you do is pop this out of the fridge, slice of a lil' (or large) slab with the built-in blade, and be on your merry, buttery way.
A nonstick heart-shaped egg and pancake pan so precious that if breakfast wasn't already your favorite meal of the day, it's about to steal your literal *and* figurative heart now.
A penguin-shaped egg cooker and holder that makes it ridiculously easy to make easy-, medium-, and hard-boiled eggs on the stove, *plus* keep them safe afterward. No more sticking your eggs back in the fridge and confusing them for the raw ones anymore — you can just pop the little penguins in there for storage.
A set of convenient suctioning "Food Cubby" dividers to portion out plates so food, sauces, and dressings don't co-mingle — perfect for picky eaters young *and* old who would rather pretend that we don't live in a world where broccoli and mac 'n' cheese are occasionally allowed to touch.
A set of silicone teacup cupcake liners so you can have your cake and "drink" it, too. Reviewers loved these for tea parties and cupcake decorating parties!
A PopLite personal popcorn maker with a built-in serving bowl that will give you eight cups of movie theater-quality popcorn in two mere mortal minutes. Reviewers especially love that the popcorn doesn't burn, and the machine doesn't leave unpopped kernels like the usual microwave brands.
A set of airtight Oui yogurt jar lids (with labels included!) so instead of recycling your gorgeous little yogurt jars, you can repurpose them to store food, spices, supplies, and all kinds of other handy options. As someone whose main aesthetic is "yogurt," I approve. Reviewers say these worked with La Fermière jars, too!
A magnetic air fryer cheat sheet to help minimize effort and maximize deliciousness, no googling, overthinking, or confusing cooking methods required.
A rapid ramen cooker that gets the job done in the microwave in just three minutes so you don't have to waste any time babysitting the stove or measuring out the water just right — just fill to the line, pop it in, and let the magic happen.
A little snack dispenser to keep your fingers clean if you're typing or gaming — with this gizmo, you can just deposit nuts, Goldfish, M&M's, and other delicious small things right into your mouth, like a tiny snack butler. Pet owners also love it for distributing treats!
A color-coded Cuisinart knife set so not only will you have the perfect blade for each task like a true profesh, but you'll be able to avoid cross-contamination without having to pause and wipe everything down every time you transition to a new food. 🌈