34 Budget Kitchen Gadgets That Transform Cooking
A storage container designed to give your deli meats and cheeses a place to call home. It has an air-tight seal to keep your items fresh *and* you can write on it with a dry-erase marker, so you can remember what you bought at the store when you're bleary-eyed and whipping up a quick sandwich before the workday.
A corn stripper with a serrated stainless-steel blade because I don't know anyone who is coordinated enough to successfully run a regular knife neatly down an ear of corn while it's freshly hot off the grill or boiling water. Go ahead, make your life easier.
An expandable colander you can fit snugly inside your sink to clean fruits and veggies, drain pasta, *and* dry dishes while also bringing some life to a typically boring area of the kitchen.
Or a game-changing Snap N' Strain you can use with any pot or bowl. Just think of how much space you'll save in your already-crowded kitchen cabinets! Reviewers use it to strain a variety of things (not just pasta!).
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. 🍝
A statement checkered cutting board with a high-end feel to it without the cost. Hosting book club? Break this baby out and craft the most chic charcuterie board anyone has ever seen — so beautiful it might rival the too-hot-to-handle main character in the novel you're supposed to be discussing.
A stackable set of fruit baskets that'll fit perfectly in the empty corner of your kitchen and provide you with extra space to display odds 'n' ends while *also* giving your fruit and veg a designated home they'll love.
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.
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."
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.
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!
A brilliantly designed snack bag organizer and plastic, wax paper, and foil organizer to whip your kitchen drawers into tip-top shape *and* help you keep track of when you need to buy more of each item. Don't have an available drawer? You can use it directly on your counter!
A 10-foot roll of spice strips for anyone whose kitchen is lacking in the cabinet department but has a bountiful amount of drawers — the roll will help ya fit over 30 full-size spice bottles!
A Dawn Platinum Powerwash dish spray that would be worthy of taking up one of your three Genie wishes — it comes in various delectable scents and works wonders on caked-on food and grease. All you have to do is spritz, let it sit, then rinse it off! Reviewers are obsessed with it — it has over 92,000 5-star reviews. (WOW!!!)
A bottle of plant-based stainless steel cleaner and polish spray you can count on to make your appliances so shiny you won't be able to stop staring at your own reflection in them. (Spoiler: you look GOOD!)
A garbage-disposal foaming cleaner to scrub away the stinky grime that builds up on the blades and in the pipes. Definitely add this to your cart if you've never lived with one of these babies before and are likely to get overexcited and dump EVERYTHING and ANYTHING down there.
Plus a pack of dishwasher cleaning tablets you can toss into your dishwasher and easily get rid of that yucky smell before your family arrives for a visit — it'll banish lime and mineral buildup and leave your dishes nice 'n' clean.
A super absorbent floral dish drying mat to bring a touch of the season into your kitchen without sacrificing your limited counter space. It's a functional *and* pretty option for anyone in need of somewhere to dry their cups, bowls, and plates.
Oxo's new compact Brew Rapid Brewer that'll have you wondering, "Where has this been all of my life?" It won't take up much counter space at *all*, and it doesn't need to be plugged in or charged, so you'll never find yourself waiting around too long for a fresh cup of joe.
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.
A soap-dispensing attachment that'll upgrade your Scrub Daddy into the ultimate dish-cleaning mechanism. You can go ahead and make an absolute mess of your pots and pants, knowing this gadget has got your back.
And/or The Pink Stuff's "Sqeezy" sponge set — a fan-favorite miracle cleaning paste and a game-changing sponge that gets soft in warm water but hardens up in the cold. It's the superhero duo you didn't know you needed! Ahem, putting on my deep, booming announcer voice to tell you dramatically that it can clean EVERYTHING from pots and pans, stove tops, sinks, shower doors, tiles of all kinds, kitchen appliances, grout, outdoor furniture, AND your car!!!
A 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 😉.
A "Gracula" garlic crusher to 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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
A meat thermometer so you'll never have to guess "is my steak cooked?" again. You can grill with confidence!
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.
Or 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.
A microwave bacon cooker to help you make up to 1 lb of bacon evenly and quickly, so when your extended family is over for brunch, you'll be able to focus on perfecting your eggs and mimosas instead.
An oil mister that'll 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.
And a plug-in insect trap that'll make a valiant effort to keep your kitchen fruit fly-free (and mosquitos, gnats, moths, etc). These pesky little bugs always seem to turn up the *second* the weather slightly improves. Instead of crying out, "THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!" just plug this baby in and let it get to work.
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'Dad, The House Is Underwater' — Florida Family's $3,500 Costco Fridge Turns Into $700,000 Nightmare: 'They Drop the Ball, I Foot The Bill'
A Florida family thought they were upgrading their kitchen. Instead, they say they got a disaster — one that soaked their home, drained their finances, and may soon head to court. According to WJXT-TV's News4JAX in Jacksonville, Saint. John's resident Bradley Byrd and his family purchased a $3,500 KitchenAid refrigerator from Costco in December. The fridge was delivered and installed by a third-party company contracted by the warehouse-club chain — but just six hours later, Byrd got a FaceTime call from his daughter that stopped him cold. "Dad, the house is underwater," she told him. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . Byrd rushed home to find water flooding the floors. Video footage he later shared shows the damage: soaked carpets, standing water, and furniture floating. The family says the refrigerator's water line had been installed incorrectly — a critical error that allegedly caused the line to rupture after being pinched beneath the fridge's wheels. "They allowed the refrigerator's wheels to sit on a line, which caused a crack that grew larger and larger," Byrd told News4JAX. The result? Mold, structural damage, and a $700,000 headache, according to a public adjuster's estimate. The family was forced to evacuate their home just before Christmas and spent months living in an Airbnb. They've since returned, but Byrd says their home is still partially unlivable — with no working kitchen or bathroom, and lawn chairs and folding tables standing in for real furniture. "We purchased these lovely tables to prepare food on and to eat at," Byrd said, with dry irony. So far, Byrd estimates he's spent around $300,000 out-of-pocket on remediation, storage, testing, and repairs. 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Buzz Feed
11 hours ago
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34 Budget Kitchen Gadgets That Transform Cooking
A storage container designed to give your deli meats and cheeses a place to call home. It has an air-tight seal to keep your items fresh *and* you can write on it with a dry-erase marker, so you can remember what you bought at the store when you're bleary-eyed and whipping up a quick sandwich before the workday. A corn stripper with a serrated stainless-steel blade because I don't know anyone who is coordinated enough to successfully run a regular knife neatly down an ear of corn while it's freshly hot off the grill or boiling water. Go ahead, make your life easier. An expandable colander you can fit snugly inside your sink to clean fruits and veggies, drain pasta, *and* dry dishes while also bringing some life to a typically boring area of the kitchen. Or a game-changing Snap N' Strain you can use with any pot or bowl. Just think of how much space you'll save in your already-crowded kitchen cabinets! Reviewers use it to strain a variety of things (not just pasta!). 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. 🍝 A statement checkered cutting board with a high-end feel to it without the cost. Hosting book club? Break this baby out and craft the most chic charcuterie board anyone has ever seen — so beautiful it might rival the too-hot-to-handle main character in the novel you're supposed to be discussing. A stackable set of fruit baskets that'll fit perfectly in the empty corner of your kitchen and provide you with extra space to display odds 'n' ends while *also* giving your fruit and veg a designated home they'll love. 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. 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." 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. 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! A brilliantly designed snack bag organizer and plastic, wax paper, and foil organizer to whip your kitchen drawers into tip-top shape *and* help you keep track of when you need to buy more of each item. Don't have an available drawer? You can use it directly on your counter! A 10-foot roll of spice strips for anyone whose kitchen is lacking in the cabinet department but has a bountiful amount of drawers — the roll will help ya fit over 30 full-size spice bottles! A Dawn Platinum Powerwash dish spray that would be worthy of taking up one of your three Genie wishes — it comes in various delectable scents and works wonders on caked-on food and grease. All you have to do is spritz, let it sit, then rinse it off! Reviewers are obsessed with it — it has over 92,000 5-star reviews. (WOW!!!) A bottle of plant-based stainless steel cleaner and polish spray you can count on to make your appliances so shiny you won't be able to stop staring at your own reflection in them. (Spoiler: you look GOOD!) A garbage-disposal foaming cleaner to scrub away the stinky grime that builds up on the blades and in the pipes. Definitely add this to your cart if you've never lived with one of these babies before and are likely to get overexcited and dump EVERYTHING and ANYTHING down there. Plus a pack of dishwasher cleaning tablets you can toss into your dishwasher and easily get rid of that yucky smell before your family arrives for a visit — it'll banish lime and mineral buildup and leave your dishes nice 'n' clean. A super absorbent floral dish drying mat to bring a touch of the season into your kitchen without sacrificing your limited counter space. It's a functional *and* pretty option for anyone in need of somewhere to dry their cups, bowls, and plates. Oxo's new compact Brew Rapid Brewer that'll have you wondering, "Where has this been all of my life?" It won't take up much counter space at *all*, and it doesn't need to be plugged in or charged, so you'll never find yourself waiting around too long for a fresh cup of joe. 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. A soap-dispensing attachment that'll upgrade your Scrub Daddy into the ultimate dish-cleaning mechanism. You can go ahead and make an absolute mess of your pots and pants, knowing this gadget has got your back. And/or The Pink Stuff's "Sqeezy" sponge set — a fan-favorite miracle cleaning paste and a game-changing sponge that gets soft in warm water but hardens up in the cold. It's the superhero duo you didn't know you needed! Ahem, putting on my deep, booming announcer voice to tell you dramatically that it can clean EVERYTHING from pots and pans, stove tops, sinks, shower doors, tiles of all kinds, kitchen appliances, grout, outdoor furniture, AND your car!!! A 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 😉. A "Gracula" garlic crusher to 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! 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. 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! 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. 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. A meat thermometer so you'll never have to guess "is my steak cooked?" again. You can grill with confidence! 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. Or 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. A microwave bacon cooker to help you make up to 1 lb of bacon evenly and quickly, so when your extended family is over for brunch, you'll be able to focus on perfecting your eggs and mimosas instead. An oil mister that'll 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. And a plug-in insect trap that'll make a valiant effort to keep your kitchen fruit fly-free (and mosquitos, gnats, moths, etc). These pesky little bugs always seem to turn up the *second* the weather slightly improves. Instead of crying out, "THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!" just plug this baby in and let it get to work.
Tom's Guide
31-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
I got my first KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer last month — here's 3 things I've learned
Until last month, I had never used a stand mixer before. So when I got my KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer, I couldn't wait to get started. It's hands down the best stand mixer, so I knew I was in for a treat. After over a month of playing with my new toy, I come to you with an armory of recommendations for other beginners. Some seasoned KitchenAid users will, of course, know all of these already. While some of my KitchenAid stand mixer recommendations are more common sense than hacks, I've compiled my best discoveries here for other newbies. Hopefully my findings help you out. Buying a KitchenAid stand mixer is a major commitment. KitchenAid sales are rare, and the stand mixers are really expensive. Maybe some of these discoveries are the final push you need! This is the model I have. It's 5 quarts with a tilt head, which means it can easily fit two loaves of sourdough, and up to 108 cookies worth of dough. I have it in passion red, but if I was to choose, I think I'd pick the cardamom or pistachio color in the picture here. Although I've used my KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer for baking, I've discovered that it excels in other areas, too. It can be used to shred chicken or pork to make pulled chicken and pulled pork sandwiches. All I have to do is put cooked chicken (or pork) into the mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and set it on power 1. After a few minutes, the meat is shredded perfectly for a huge range of uses. It's also ideal for making huge batches of sandwich fillings. For example, I could throw in a few tins of tuna, some mayo, and diced veggies and save my arm muscles — the stand mixer will combine it all in minutes. Goodbye aching biceps, hello meal-prepped sandwich fillings. I only have the basic attachments, but I can't wait to get some of the best KitchenAid stand mixer attachments to up my game even further. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Last but not least, over the past month I've discovered that the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer is great for making veggie burger patties or veggie meatballs. Instead of expending all my effort mashing beans and lentils by hand, I just chuck everything into the stand mixer and use the whisk attachment to combine into a burger mixture. Then I add my spices and shape, and I've got delicious homemade veggie patties without having to sweat over a mixing bowl. I'm an avid sourdough baker. I'm the kind of person who worries about their starter if they're away for a week or more. Is it surviving without me? Is it getting too acidic? Will a couple of big feeds help it once I get back? Even so, making sourdough is labor. Labor of love, of course, but serious labor nonetheless. The process takes two days and requires constant babying. You have to stretch and fold the dough every half an hour during the bulk fermentation stage, and honestly, sometimes I don't have time. So when I saw someone online claim that they could skip the stretch and fold step by just mixing in the KitchenAid before proofing, I knew I had to test it out. In all honesty, this was the first thing I did when I unboxed my stand mixer. This is what happened the first time: I prepared my dough as usual and attached the dough hook. Then I set it on speed 3 (a fatal error) and kneaded my dough for 5 minutes. However, the dough didn't rise. After some research, I found out that overzealous kneading can actually inhibit yeast development. The second time, I repeated these exact steps, but kept the stand mixer on speed 1. This resulted in a perfectly fluffy, aerated crumb. My scoring still needs some work, so I won't share a picture of the loaf here, but rest assured it tasted delicious. The bottom line is: speed 1 is more than enough — be patient. As I mentioned earlier, some of my findings are more common sense than actual discoveries. This one definitely falls into the first category. If you've never felt a KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer, they're heavy. Like, oh-my-gosh-I'm-going-to-drop-it-right-now heavy. With the metal bowl, it's about 30 pounds. This is definitely a good thing — the high-quality all-metal construction won't come light, after all — but please heed my warning. Foolishly, I put the stand mixer on an upper shelf in my kitchen to keep it off my countertops. When I tried to get it down, I almost dropped it and it ripped off the top veneer of the shelf. I've fixed it with super glue, but I'm not looking forward to that being taken out of my rental deposit when I move. The stand mixer's feet have also left little dents in the wood, so I'd recommend using a mat (like a mouse pad, tea towel, or even a place setting) underneath to prevent this. Although I've only had my stand mixer for a month, I'm loving experimenting with it and trying to find new ways to get as much use out of it as possible. Do you have a KitchenAid stand mixer too? Do you have any major hacks you've learned over the years — anything like the KitchenAid stand mixer dime test? Let me know in the comments. I'm all ears!
