23 Novelty Kitchen Items That, According To Reviewers, Are Actually Useful

Buzz Feed

20-04-2025

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
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Time to add pizza scissors to your utensil lineup.
1. A Dracula garlic mincer because garlic powder simply doesn't compare to freshly minced garlic when you're whipping up an Italian feast.
PS: You can also use it for ginger!
Promising review:"I purchased this as a gift for my friend who is a fantastic cook — she uses fresh ingredients almost exclusively — but pressing fresh garlic is a task usually delegated. No longer — Gracula is there for her. She uses him nearly every time she needs garlic (which is basically daily) and months later still makes a point of saying how much she enjoys the gift. Anyway, definitely recommended for people who cook with garlic and have a sense of humor." — L
Get it from Amazon for $18.95.
2. A macramé fruit hammock so your bananas, apples, and oranges can enjoy their last days on Earth in comfort. Little do they know they're about to be devoured. 😈
KnappsKnots is a San Diego–based small business from Anastasia Knapp.
Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes has to say:
"I recently picked up this macrame basket (in the Cactus shade) and *highly* recommend it if you're looking to add a cozy touch to your kitchen. As someone with a relatively small NYC kitchen, I need every bit of counter space I can get, and this lets me keep produce out without having to take up space with a fruit basket or banana stand. I'm a big fan of utilizing vertical space as storage, and this does just that; plus, it allows for ventilation to help your fruit stay fresh for longer. I'm constantly cooking with onions or grabbing an apple as a mid-day snack, and having them right there at an arm's reach is sooo nice. BTW, these come with hooks that screw directly into a cabinet, but if you (like me) want to avoid that damage, I recommend using Command hooks — I'm using four of these small toggle hooks and they've held up the basket *with* produce in it wonderfully."
Promising review:"This looks great in my kitchen and is exactly what I needed. I like keeping my fruit off the counter and this is cute and functional. It came with all the hardware needed to install. It does look a bit small when you receive it but it stretches. I love this!!" — kristinamlindman
Get it from KnappsKnots on Etsy for $28.90+ (available in two sizes and 11 colors).
3. A Thaw Claw that'll weigh down your meat in the sink and thaw it out seven times faster than if you left it on the counter.
www.amazon.com
The gadget not only keeps your meat submerged, but the manufacturer says it also thaws it seven times faster than other methods! And as a bonus: The ThawClaw is a small biz!
Promising review: "I am a stickler for properly defrosting meat after working in food service for years and this makes that process super easy and surprisingly quick! I've even convinced my father — a retired rocket scientist — that this is the best way to defrost." — Sarah
Get it from Amazon for $9.95 (available in four colors).
4. A pair of pizza scissors so you can quickly cut the best slice (you know — the one with the bubble on the crust) before your roommates/siblings get to it first.
Amazon
Promising review: "A pair of these scissors were handed to me when I ordered a calzone in an Italian restaurant. I Immediately went home that night and found them on Amazon and ordered them. I use them for serving pizza, calzones, anything that I have to cut through. I love the fact that they can be taken apart for easy cleaning. I've recommended them to family and friends." — Kindle Customer
Get them from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in three colors).
5. A flexible claw tool you can use to grab random bits and bobs out of your sink drain, things that've fallen between the gap between your stove and cabinets, or — in the case of one reviewer — to rescue toys thrown in the toilet by a toddler.
Amazon
Promising review: "This is one of those things you don't know you need until you actually get one. I have used this about a thousand times since it arrived! I used it on my bathroom sink who's stopper broke and the stuff I pulled out of there was like an archeological dig. I thought I was going to find dinosaur bones with this thing! Absolutely a must in any home. Totally worth getting." — Elaine Catherine Lombardo
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes).
6. A breakfast sandwich maker that simultaneously cooks your egg, toasts your bread, warms precooked meat, and melts cheese so you can slap together the ultimate breakfast sammie without having to wait in line at Dunkin' or Starbucks.
Promising review:"I am actually excited for my weekday breakfast now. These homemade McMuffins are so good! My favorite version uses sliced tomatoes, Swiss cheese, and precooked bacon (from Costco). So many options, so easy! My kindergartener and my teenager both love it. I may have to buy another one for our family. It's also easy to clean with a quick wipe-down." — Joolie
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in two colors).
7. Or a super easy-to-use egg bite maker so you can make lil' egg bebes that adhere to your keto/paleo/gluten-free/vegetarian lifestyle and *don't* cost $9 (plus the gas to get you to the drive-thru).
www.amazon.com
Psst — a lot of folks also use these for pancake and protein pancake bites, too!
Promising review: "I bought this in hopes to make egg bites similar to Starbucks and I have not been disappointed. I chose this one after reading reviews on the smaller four-bite size. I have used it multiple times and have had excellent results each time. I followed the recipe in the booklet and used a tip from another reviewer that suggested to triple the cottage cheese amount. It's very easy to use and clean." — April124
Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in three colors).
8. A terra-cotta bear that, when presented with a bag of brown sugar, will bravely say "I volunteer as tribute!"
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
This adorable little guy can be used a few different ways. To keep things like brown sugar and fresh cookies nice and moist, soak it in some water and then place it in the same container. On the flip side, keep things like chips and crackers nice and crispy by using it dry.
Promising review:"Not only do I use one of these little fellows for my brown sugar, I picked up a tip from someone else. If you take one of these little guys and don't run him under water, but leave him perfectly dry, he will help keep your electronics such as cameras dry in the camera bags during humid months by absorbing the humidity. How perfect is that? A multi-tasking little fellow. Well worth getting multiples of. I'm sure I can find other uses as well." — A.B.A.
Get it from Amazon for $6.99.
9. A pair of herb scissors if you just don't have the patience to finely dice your scallions when there's chicken fried rice to be eaten.
Amazon
The scissors have five blades which do the work of 10 knives! They also come with a cleaning comb which makes it easy to get out every last bit of your herbs.
Promising review: "We use HelloFresh which has a lot of meals with scallions. My uniform knife cutting skills are sketchy at best and I just knew there had to be a gadget out there that would make things easier. These herb shears are awesome! They make my life much easier. They are just like the description says, easy to use, easy to clean, and so far seem pretty durable." — Mike Taylor
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
10. An Angry Mama microwave cleaner that, once filled with water and a dash of vinegar, will steam clean the grimiest of appliances. Hot Pocket grease, butter splatters, and burnt popcorn smells are no match for her.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "My daughter cooked ramen noodles for three minutes without any water. Needless to say, it was burnt and almost caught fire. I have scrubbed the microwave and couldn't get the horrible smell out to the point it was giving me a headache. After several days I decided to ordered this before buying a new microwave. Got it today and used it and shocked it actually pulled most of the odor out that's trapped in the upper vent. This $10 item saved me $200 to $400." — Angela D.
Get it from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in different sizes and packs of one or two).
11. An automatic spice grinder so you can top off every dish with a bit of spice and in the most ✨extra✨ fashion imaginable.
BTW — this grinder is battery-operated, so make sure to get a few AA batteries, too!
Promising reviews:"Nothing like freshly ground spices to add a little snap to your cooking. The pods snap on and off with ease and the grind size is very easy to adjust from barely ground to pulverized... The ability to group commonly used spices together in threes and carry them across the kitchen or outside to the grill just adds to the usability." — Todd Tittle
Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in eight colors, comes with grinder and two interchangeable pods).
12. A silicone crab utensil holder that'll triumphantly hold your spoon over its head so it doesn't melt on the side of your stove while you're cooking.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Probably the coolest holder I have ever seen. Bought it for my wife and she loves it and thinks it's cute. I laugh when I look at it, just cool as all! Hangs on all of our pots and pans, stays cool. Easy to clean and looks awesome. Great addition to any kitchen. Works great, does exactly what it is intended to do!" — Logan E.
Get it from Amazon for $13.95 (available in two colors).
13. A snack fork if your go-to midnight snack isn't peanut butter or Ben & Jerry's, but a crunchy, slippery lil' cornichon that's hard to wrangle with just your fingers.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Love this! Was not sure if it would end up being stuffed in a drawer or a novelty. It's one of the best things I have purchased in a while. I purchased a second as a gift." — Tammil
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
14. A set of snail-shaped silicone tea holders so you no longer have to use your finger to fish your tea bag string out of ~boiling hot water~. These guys have it from here.
Amazon
Promising review: "Soooo adorable! I have a morning cup of tea, a 'calming' nighttime cup of tea... tea throughout the day! These are so great to hold that tea bag without tying it around the handle or spoon so I don't have to fish the tea bag from the bottom of the cup. Adorable!" — Terri Sanders
Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $8.48.
15. Some sandwich-cutting tools if you live off of Uncrustables but you're sick of spending a boatload on them and have always wondered what a banana Nutella one would taste like...
Each of the three included shapes has three pieces: a small cutter to cut meat, cheese, and other fillings into the right size, a sandwich cutter, and a sealing tool. The package even comes with cute joke cards to pack in your kiddo's lunch box!
Check it out on TikTok here.
Promising review:"I had to try this because I saw it on TikTok, and I spend way too much on Uncrustables for my picky kids! And my kids (ages 3 and 6) love the different shapes they can choose from." — Rachel
Get them from Amazon for $15.96
16. A hard-boiled egg holder that's poised to turn your morning meal into a knight in shining armor. Even if this Humpty Dumpty takes a fall, his protective helmet will keep him safe and sound.
Amazon
Promising review: "Sir Arthur is our beloved knight of fridgeland. Wish we had a dozen of them. They are so sturdy and fun for kids. Our toddler loves him and it always makes us smile. It's the little things, ya know? Quality hard plastic and has a little hinge feature. Easy to clean. Worth every ridiculous penny spent." — Amanda Marceaux
Get it from Amazon for $13.90.
17. A set of silicone stove counter gap covers so you won't attract unwanted critters after flinging pasta into the half-inch crevice for the third time this week. We all know nobody is actually cleaning it out (don't try to lie to me), so go ahead and do yourself a favor.
www.amazon.com
The covers just slip right into the gap — there's no adhesive involved — so you can easily remove and clean them whenever necessary.
Promising review: "I've been using these for about a week on my new freestanding range. When they removed my old range, I was really surprised to see how much stuff had slipped through! Now, when I cook, I can see the splatters and seasonings left on the silicone that would have fallen between the stove and the counter. These gap fillers really do clean up easily, too. Although they are that extra thing to clean, I prefer that to knowing there's a mess hiding in the cracks." — JMom
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes and three colors).
18. A set of toaster oven bags if you're always craving a grilled cheese but don't want to pull out a pan. Just put together all your fixins, drop 'em in the bag, and let your toaster do the work for you.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
You can also heat up pizza slices, chicken nuggets, and more with it, meaning you'll have dinner ready in a matter of minutes. Reviewers say these are also great for anyone with a gluten allergy who needs to keep their bread separate in the toaster. Check 'em out on TikTok here!
Promising review:"This item is so cool and it real works. Makes a great sandwich and supper easy too use and clean up." — Flecia Young
Get them from Amazon for $4.50+ (available in packs of 4, 6, and 10).
19. A sandwich bag holder so you can move leftover spaghetti from your stove to a ziplock without creating a Jackson Pollock masterpiece on your countertop.
Amazon
Promising review:" As a single person, one of my biggest challenges is cooking. I prefer to make larger quantities — usually in my Instant Pot — and then separate them into servings and freeze them. Trying to freeze a lot of containers took too much space, so I decided to try freezer bags. Since it was a mess to put servings into bags, I ordered these bag clips to help, and they do. I mostly use sandwich-size baggies, which fit well, and the stands hold the bag open so I can add the food. Then it is easy to freeze the bags flat for future use." — cymart
Get them from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in packs of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12).
20. A rolling egg dispenser that not only saves room in your fridge, but is reminiscent of Survivor 's Simmotion immunity challenge. (My fellow geeks will get it.)
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
YouCopia is a woman-owned small business that specializes in home storage solutions.
Promising review: " Here it is! The best egg container on Amazon! How can I say that? Easy! Engineering! The slight tilt angle on the bottom of the container that the egg drawer sits on forces eggs to lightly roll forward, keeping all your eggs in the front, and never in the back, where you don't need them. It's super easy to use, so easy to clean, comes apart and can hold a full can organizer on top without issue, so no issues with sturdiness. It can easily hold 14 large eggs. Easily one of my favorite purchases." — Karingen
Get it from Amazon for $16.31.
21. A mess-free Cherry Chomper so you can de-pit your favorite fruit in no time at all. There are no exposed sharp parts, either, so it's safe for littles to use on their own.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Hands-down, one of the coolest and cutest kitchen gadgets I own. I bought this pitter because my father is a HUGE bing cherry fan. When cherry season is in, you can guarantee he'll be sitting in his recliner with a bowl full of cherries. He normally eats cherries and pits them in his mouth, but in his older age, I worried about him cracking a tooth or choking on the pit. So I bought this pitter and it was an INSTANT hit! He loved how cute it was and the pitter does an amazing job. Easy to use, not a ton of force needed, and then the pits are in one place and easy to throw away!" — cocade27
Get it from Amazon for $17.99.
22. A microwave popcorn maker that gives Orville Redenbacher a run for his money. You may not have a Wikipedia page that declares you an "agricultural visionary" who "single-handedly revolutionized the American popcorn industry," but you've got time!!!
Amazon
Promising review:"This worked really well, it popped all but a few kernels without burning any of the popcorn. I found that the time to pop was the same as what I use for the microwave popcorn packets, which is two minutes on our microwave. The popcorn tasted very good considering it had no oil, butter, or salt on it. I didn't think I would like it without butter. I still like movie theater butter popcorn the best but probably not best to eat that all the time, this popcorn is healthier. I tried adding butter to a batch after it cooked and it didn't taste much better, not like the taste of the microwave packets." — Derek
Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in 21 colors).
23. And a custom mount for KitchenAid attachments so you don't have to store them in the bowl of your mixer and then temporarily relocate them every time you're ready to bake.
Superhero DIY is a Broomfield, Colorado-based shop with 3D-printed storage solutions as well as cosplay props, costume accessories, collectibles, and more.
Promising review: "These are so amazing! I had no idea they existed. I've been storing my attachments in the bowl, which has not only caused scratches in the stainless bowl over time, but the extra attachments would also be loose and taking up valuable space on my counter when I was baking and only using one attachment. It was annoying! This keeps them handy, but put away, and I can select the attachment I need while the others stay put. So handy. Absolutely recommend!" — Marissa