These versatile stainless steel bowls are oven and dishwasher safe, as well. This scale measures just as accurately as our more expensive top-pick scale. Instead of buying a pricey and easy-to-lose set of measuring cups, go for a digital kitchen scale and score the added benefit of more accurate measurements and fewer dishes to clean.

The Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale measures as accurately as the more expensive Escali Primo Digital Scale , the top pick in our guide to kitchen scales , and has just the minor downside of a shorter auto-off cycle.

If you want the most accurate possible measurement of small quantities, you may want to throw in a set of measuring spoons. This classic measuring cup is durable, legible, and easy to clean.

A digital scale has you covered for measuring dry ingredients, but measuring liquids is often easier with a liquid measuring cup. Such a tool also works well for slowly drizzling oil into a mixture, keeping water on hand to add gradually to a dough, or even watering plants.

Made of durable tempered glass and labeled with clearly printed, legible measurement markings, this Pyrex measuring cup is another of our longtime favorite kitchen tools. Its spout pours a smooth stream, and it stacks well with other Pyrex measuring cups. This durable can opener turns smoothly and cuts through cans with ease.

The EZ-Duz-It grips cans securely and cuts through them smoothly, removing lids entirely rather than leaving you with a sharp disk clinging to the can. You might want to hit the thrift store for plates, cups, bowls, and cutlery, as well as an oven mitt or a fun hobby appliance such as an ice cream maker or Instant Pot.

Beyond that, here are a few more of our favorite inexpensive kitchen tools that can help you round out your newly equipped kitchen. Scissors are indispensable if you want to fully debone or spatchcock a chicken, but you can also use them to cut kimchi into bite-size pieces, cut rings of green onion for a quick garnish, or just cut into a package.

The OXO Good Grips Kitchen Scissors can handle all those tasks smoothly. These scissors have sharp blades that come apart for easy cleaning, and one blade has a micro-serrated edge to keep slippery ingredients like raw poultry in place as you cut. A silicone spatula is great for folding together cookie dough or scraping every drop of aioli out of your mixing bowl, and this one is the best.

If you love to bake treats or make sauces, add a silicone spatula to your shopping list. Perfect for scraping and folding, the GIR Ultimate Spatula adds a bit more precision and ease to tasks that you could otherwise do with a spoon.

Like the Victorinox paring knife, the serrated Victorinox Swiss Classic Tomato and Table Knife is a reliable, inexpensive tool from a trusted brand known for great blades. Add it to your kitchen if you love taking a baguette to the park or need your tomatoes sliced just so.

A set of measuring spoons helps you get more precise measurements of small quantities of dry or wet ingredients. The Ozeri digital scale we recommend in this guide measures quantities down to 1 gram, but digital scales can get iffy with smaller and fractional measurements—1.

Trying to portion out small quantities while watching the scale can also be annoyingly slow and finicky compared with just dipping a spoon in a jar. For the easiest, most accurate measurement of small quantities of ingredients, add a set of measuring spoons to your kitchen.

The spoons in the Sur La Table Spice Measuring Spoons set are sturdy and accurate, and they fit into most spice jars. These existing picks are the result of hundreds of hours of testing over the course of many years. Mace Dent Johnson is a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter. Their background is in creative writing and academic research, and they are always thinking about food.

After around 60 hours of research and testing since , we think the accurate and inexpensive Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale is the best for most people. After dozens of hours researching and testing organizing options, we recommend more than 20 items to make the most out of your tiny kitchen.

Microwaves basically all perform the same, but we like the Toshiba EMA5C for its looks and its useful extra features. We tested 50 dinnerware sets in a wide range of designs and prices. We found 11 favorites to suit any lifestyle and budget.

Back to top Must-have essentials Optional extras Why you should trust us. Must-have essentials. An everyday pan plus a spatula pick a set.

Our pick. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Inch Cast Iron Skillet A deep, heavy, buy-it-for-life skillet. Winco FST-6 6. Tramontina Professional Nonstick Inch Restaurant Fry Pan One of our favorite nonstick pans.

GIR Mini Flip Silicone Spatula An all-purpose, nonstick-friendly flipper. A midsize pot and strainers. Cuisinart Mesh Strainers Three fine-mesh strainers. Good blades and a cutting board. Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife The best paring knife. OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board A smaller version of our favorite plastic cutting board.

Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler The best Y-shaped peeler. Winco Inch Stainless Steel Piano Wire Whip An adept, all-metal whisk. Thunder Group Standard Weight Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls A durable, lightweight bowl.

Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale Accurate and inexpensive. Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Measuring Cup The best liquid measuring cup. EZ-Duz-It The best can opener. Optional extras. GIR Ultimate Spatula For a clean scrape. Sur La Table Spice Measuring Spoons More accurate small-quantity measuring.

Why you should trust us. This article was edited by Marguerite Preston and Marilyn Ong. Meet your guide. Mace Dent Johnson. After testing 16 cast-iron skillets, we recommend the Lodge Chef Collection 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet. The Best Cast-Iron Skillet. Add a grater.

After that, what you cook will help you determine what you need such as whisks, ladles, etc. at a Goodwill and these items cost less than a buck each. A baking or casserole dish Great for casseroles, lasagna, quiches, pot pies, brownies or small cakes, plus even roasting a chicken, a small yet heavy baking dish is a great place to start when cooking for one or two people.

You can use an oven mitt as a trivet, too, once something hot has to go onto a table. In addition to preventing food from going to waste, you can also store foods you can buy in bulk, such as cereal, spices, flour, sugar, oatmeal, nuts, spices, etc.

Plus, a glass jar is great for making vinaigrette. When on a budget, no food should be left to spoil as wasted food is wasted money. Pouring ,rather than ladeling, liquids make you a tidier cook.

You often need more than a cup of liquid measured. Or, undercook that roast chicken. No one likes pink poultry. Great investment. I agree wholeheartedly. I love my pressure cooker, and wish I had gotten it when the family was younger.

Very quick way to cook favor-filled meals. The cookers they make now are much safer than those made decades ago. There are some very good cookbooks out there for pressure cooking too—check them out!

Hey Kat — Great list! Yes, a digital thermometer really takes the guess work out of cooking meats. Dutch oven for braising.

Good stockpot. Could not live without either. My standard gift to newlyweds is a dutch oven of some sort. I wish they were still made in the U.

Your list is spot on! We eat a lot of rice, and so we use this at least twice a week. Can be used for things other than rice as well.

We use our rice cooker a lot. I like having a heavy mortar and pestle. Not too big, about a 2 cup bowl. Great list. And reader add ons.

While maybe not essential, I think a good grater love the microplanes and a spatula heavy plastic, double tip ones are v. functional make heaps of kitchen work easier.

A Good Chef's Knife · Start with a chef's knife, · Cutting Board (or two) · Measuring cups and spoons · Hot pot or electric kettle · Can opener · A Missing The 10 Best Places to Buy Affordable Kitchen Gadgets Online · World Market · Christmas Tree Shops andThat! · Everything Kitchens · Bed Bath and

Budget-friendly kitchen accessories - Take control of your kitchen & dining space with food prep and cooking products from At Home. From tools and gadgets for prepping meats and veggies to cookware A Good Chef's Knife · Start with a chef's knife, · Cutting Board (or two) · Measuring cups and spoons · Hot pot or electric kettle · Can opener · A Missing The 10 Best Places to Buy Affordable Kitchen Gadgets Online · World Market · Christmas Tree Shops andThat! · Everything Kitchens · Bed Bath and

These versatile stainless steel bowls are oven and dishwasher safe, as well. This scale measures just as accurately as our more expensive top-pick scale.

Instead of buying a pricey and easy-to-lose set of measuring cups, go for a digital kitchen scale and score the added benefit of more accurate measurements and fewer dishes to clean.

The Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale measures as accurately as the more expensive Escali Primo Digital Scale , the top pick in our guide to kitchen scales , and has just the minor downside of a shorter auto-off cycle.

If you want the most accurate possible measurement of small quantities, you may want to throw in a set of measuring spoons. This classic measuring cup is durable, legible, and easy to clean.

A digital scale has you covered for measuring dry ingredients, but measuring liquids is often easier with a liquid measuring cup. Such a tool also works well for slowly drizzling oil into a mixture, keeping water on hand to add gradually to a dough, or even watering plants.

Made of durable tempered glass and labeled with clearly printed, legible measurement markings, this Pyrex measuring cup is another of our longtime favorite kitchen tools. Its spout pours a smooth stream, and it stacks well with other Pyrex measuring cups.

This durable can opener turns smoothly and cuts through cans with ease. The EZ-Duz-It grips cans securely and cuts through them smoothly, removing lids entirely rather than leaving you with a sharp disk clinging to the can.

You might want to hit the thrift store for plates, cups, bowls, and cutlery, as well as an oven mitt or a fun hobby appliance such as an ice cream maker or Instant Pot. Beyond that, here are a few more of our favorite inexpensive kitchen tools that can help you round out your newly equipped kitchen.

Scissors are indispensable if you want to fully debone or spatchcock a chicken, but you can also use them to cut kimchi into bite-size pieces, cut rings of green onion for a quick garnish, or just cut into a package.

The OXO Good Grips Kitchen Scissors can handle all those tasks smoothly. These scissors have sharp blades that come apart for easy cleaning, and one blade has a micro-serrated edge to keep slippery ingredients like raw poultry in place as you cut.

A silicone spatula is great for folding together cookie dough or scraping every drop of aioli out of your mixing bowl, and this one is the best. If you love to bake treats or make sauces, add a silicone spatula to your shopping list. Perfect for scraping and folding, the GIR Ultimate Spatula adds a bit more precision and ease to tasks that you could otherwise do with a spoon.

Like the Victorinox paring knife, the serrated Victorinox Swiss Classic Tomato and Table Knife is a reliable, inexpensive tool from a trusted brand known for great blades.

Add it to your kitchen if you love taking a baguette to the park or need your tomatoes sliced just so. A set of measuring spoons helps you get more precise measurements of small quantities of dry or wet ingredients.

The Ozeri digital scale we recommend in this guide measures quantities down to 1 gram, but digital scales can get iffy with smaller and fractional measurements—1. Trying to portion out small quantities while watching the scale can also be annoyingly slow and finicky compared with just dipping a spoon in a jar.

For the easiest, most accurate measurement of small quantities of ingredients, add a set of measuring spoons to your kitchen. The spoons in the Sur La Table Spice Measuring Spoons set are sturdy and accurate, and they fit into most spice jars. These existing picks are the result of hundreds of hours of testing over the course of many years.

Mace Dent Johnson is a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter. Their background is in creative writing and academic research, and they are always thinking about food.

After around 60 hours of research and testing since , we think the accurate and inexpensive Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale is the best for most people.

After dozens of hours researching and testing organizing options, we recommend more than 20 items to make the most out of your tiny kitchen. Microwaves basically all perform the same, but we like the Toshiba EMA5C for its looks and its useful extra features.

We tested 50 dinnerware sets in a wide range of designs and prices. We found 11 favorites to suit any lifestyle and budget. Back to top Must-have essentials Optional extras Why you should trust us.

Must-have essentials. An everyday pan plus a spatula pick a set. Our pick. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Inch Cast Iron Skillet A deep, heavy, buy-it-for-life skillet. Winco FST-6 6. Tramontina Professional Nonstick Inch Restaurant Fry Pan One of our favorite nonstick pans.

We tested this with a few different citrus varieties and were able to produce copious amounts of clear, flavorful juice with some pulp, collecting it in the ounce capacity cup below.

Professional cooks know that keeping knives well-honed is essential for functionality and safety in the kitchen. This affordable knife sharpener from Longzon lets you tend to dull knives whenever you need to, with multiple grit settings to get the perfect edge. We liked the sturdiness and effectiveness of this sharpener, which required only five to 10 pulls to notice an improvement to our blade we noticed an even better edge after 10 to 20 pulls.

We also like that it can sharpen scissors too, adding even more value to this already well-priced model. For avid bakers, a silicone spatula is essential — its flexible head can mix, scrape, and fold with ease. During testing , this attractive KitchenAid spatula scraped ingredients out of bowls with ease, felt nicely lightweight, and was easy to clean with a quick hand wash.

While its curved head struggled to get into corners, we found it versatile and an overall great value. The spatula you use to flip and roll eggs into the ideal shape matters, especially when it comes to omelets.

This flexible egg turner from OXO has a silicone blade with an extra-thin, slightly flexible edge that lets you slide right underneath your omelet without compromising its surface.

It allowed us to achieve a perfect fold when we tested the best spatulas for eggs , so we dubbed it the Best for Omelets. With a high heat resistance up to °F , it can withstand the dishwasher and more. Even though the handle is made of wood, the spatula is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.

A wooden spoon comes in handy for sautéing, stirring sauces, scraping up fond while deglazing a pan, and more. During testing , we were easily able to break up ground sausage and stir oatmeal, and the deeper bowl of this spoon allowed us to use it as a serving spoon too. It was easy to clean by hand, followed by air drying.

The manufacturer recommends oiling it occasionally to prevent cracking. Since , Lodge has built its reputation on top-performing, heritage-quality cast iron cookware.

This pre-seasoned It gave excellent browning when searing meats and easily released baked cornbread without sticking. We also found it very easy to clean with warm water and a wipe down. While cast iron skillets require regular maintenance to keep up their seasoning, this pan can last for a lifetime with proper care, making it a steal at the price.

A meat tenderizer comes in handy for making veal scaloppini or schnitzel , and this one from OXO topped our tests as our Best Overall. It has a smooth surface on one side for flattening meat and a toothed surface on the other for tenderizing, with a slight angle to the head.

We were also able to turn graham crackers into crumbs in a matter of a few swings. The single-piece construction and flexibility of this OXO Good Grips steamer make it a versatile choice for steaming veggies, dumplings, and more.

In our tests , it stood out as the most adaptable steamer basket for pots of all sizes, and its silicone material stayed cooler than its metal counterparts, making it easier to handle. Due to the flexible nature of the silicone, however, food tended to slide around in the basket, which we found a bit annoying, though not a deal breaker.

Without the overlapping flaps or hard-to-reach crevices of some steamer baskets, it was easy to clean by hand or by dishwasher. A sturdy scoop is a must-have for households that love ice cream and sorbet, especially when warm weather hits and you dig into frozen desserts more often.

We ranked this ice cream scoop above others for its durable stainless steel construction and a pointed tip that allows you to get every last bit out of the tub.

The only downside we found during our tests : super-cold ice cream tended to stick to the metal, which means you might have to nudge it off the scooper. Suffice to say, this small saucepan is fantastic value and is a high quality item that will last you as long as your cooking career lasts which we hope is a very long time!

You'll notice by now that we recommend All Clad products for most of our premium recommended picks. Their made in USA high-quality construction and beautiful design sets them apart from their competitors, but their prices are set to match their quality.

Choose this small saucepan if you want the best quality cookware that money can buy. Just like most of our recommended cookware options we suggest purchasing from the same line, this 4-quart Multiclad Pro series saucepan from Cuisineart is our recommended pick for your medium saucepan needs.

It is dishwasher and oven safe and can even be put under the oven broiler. Our premium medium saucepan pick is by All Clad. It is made in the USA from stainless steel and has nothing but glowing reviews from its 5 star rating on Amazon.

This large pot is perfect for cooking pasta, large dishes, or even for making your own broth. It is dishwasher and oven safe even on broil and was designed with simple pouring in mind.

Pick up this "steal of a deal" pot and relax knowing you purchased a high-quality item at a fantastic price. Cast iron skillets have been workhorses in kitchens all over the world for over 2, years. The best part? Our recommended cast iron skillet is made of high-quality materials in the USA and is very reasonably priced!

Grill pans have gained popularity in recent years. And why not? For summer dishes like burgers, roasted salmon, meatballs, and marinated vegetables, a grill pan is a must. It creates tantalizing grill lines in your food, just like a barbecue does. We used to recommend Lodge's cast iron grill pan, but we found ourselves not using it because of its weight and how difficult it was to clean.

We now recommend this non-stick inch grill pan from Calphalon and we couldn't be happier. It's easy to use, affordable, and a snap to clean. A baking sheet pan or sheet pan, baking tray, baking sheet is a flat, rectangular metal pan that is used for roasting and baking food in the oven.

We use two of these sheets in our kitchen while testing new recipes. After plenty of use, they still look great and perform perfectly. A muffin pan is a baking pan with 6 or 12 built-in cups.

Besides making muffins, they are great for individual quiches and on-the-go breakfast cups. We recommend the Oxo Good Grips Pro Muffin Pan because the Swiss-engineered, ceramic-reinforced, two-layer coating allows for easy food release.

The heavy-gauge aluminized steel promotes even heat distribution. A casserole dish is a large, deep dish with high edges that is used for baking or serving.

For those lazy times you want to throw a one-dish meal into the oven like lasagna or a casserole , a quality casserole dish is a must. This casserole dish from HIC is made of fine white porcelain and is broiler, microwave, and dishwasher safe.

That means that a lazy one-dish meal also is simple to clean. What could be better? A broiler pan is a rectangular metal pan for use under the high-heat broiler in the oven.

Broiling is great when you want your food to get a nice brown crusty top. Our experience with this broiler pan from Range Kleen is that it is sturdy and easy to clean you can even throw it in the dishwasher.

Plus, this pan is super inexpensive. A stockpot is a very large pot usually 12 quarts that is ideal for homemade broth or large portions of soups. Anytime you want to make an extra large meal is also a great reason to use a stock pot.

this is not an essential item for a minimalist kitchen. Our recommendation is this quart stockpot from Cuisineart's Multiclad Pro line. Our premium pick is this quart stockpot from All Clad. It is made in the USA and comes with the high quality guarantee that covers all All Clad purchases.

Once again, this is an optional option, but if you often make stock, broth, and soups, this is a great premium pick. A spatula is a small cooking implement with a wide, flat, flexible blade that is used for mixing, spreading, and turning. Tovolo has done a wonderful job with their line of stainless steel and silicon cooking implements.

This small kitchen item is a joy to use and is very reasonably priced for the quality. Going back to the wonderful design of Tovolo products, their stirring spoon is just as good as their slotted spatula. This stirring spoon from Tovolo one will do great!

This large spoon, featuring slots or holes for draining liquid, helps to make cooking easier and safer. It is perfect to use when removing something from a pan while leaving the yummy juices behind. We love that the Oxo Good Grips Silicone Slotted Spoon is safe to use on our non-stick cookware.

For easily flipping meats and vegetables, a good pair of tongs that can handle all kinds of different sized foods is a must. This pair of tongs from Zyliss is beautifully designed.

You can operate them with only one hand, and everything is done ergonomically and with sturdy construction. We have two of them for some reason, but one is all you need!

A ladle is essentially a very large, long-handled spoon. It is used for serving liquid dishes like soups, stews, or sauces. Oven mitts are used in order to protect your hands from being burned when transferring hot food to and from the oven.

No longer will you have to wrap your hand in a tea towel and try not to spill your dish or get burned as you pull it out one handed. Our recommended oven mitts from Kitchen Elements are made of silicone with a cotton interior and are dishwasher safe.

Plus, they can be cleaned very easily and even look stylish! Whether you choose to purchase our recommended pick or another option, make sure you have quality oven mitts before beginning any high-heat oven cooking.

A good pair of oven mitts is a must have for any kitchen. Instead of ugly cloth trivets that get stained easily, pick up these beautiful bamboo trivets that will last a long time and are easy to clean.

A splatter guard is a device that is placed on top of skillets or sauté pans during high heat cooking in order to stop splattering hot oil and food from coating your stovetop. How many times have you had to clean your oven top and cupboards from splattering grease and oil? With this fine mesh splatter guard from Progressive International , these clean up days are over.

It will fit most pans, is simple to clean and much sturdier than other splatter guards out there, and even has feet so you can set it down after use without leaving a mess on your countertop. Great buy.

If you find yourself roasting foods often in the oven and want to have continual temperature readings, we also recommend the Thermoworks ChefAlarm. It's wonderful for precisely measuring the temperature of Thanksgiving turkey, for example, or for getting accurate water temperature readings for sous vide cooking.

An immersion blender also known as a stick blender is used to blend or puree food in the container its is being prepared in. We use our immersion blender all the time. It comes with a variety of useful attachments that are all ergonomic, high quality, and very easy to clean.

They turn your immersion blender into an extremely versatile tool. We love this package deal! For precisely measuring raw food and coffee beans, in my case a small, lightweight, scale is needed. Look no further than American weigh scales digital pocket scale.

Our pick is the Oster Versa blender that comes in at less than ½ the price of a Vitamix our premium pick and the de facto standard for powerful blenders and performs just as well. This is a stylish blender with a 1, watt motor that pulverizes anything you can throw at it. This is a great purchase for the price, and we highly recommend it.

Our premium pick is the Vitamix Professional series blender. High quality food storage containers are essential for bringing lunch to work and storing ingredients or cooked meals in the refrigerator so they stay fresh for several days.

Budget-friendly kitchen accessories - Take control of your kitchen & dining space with food prep and cooking products from At Home. From tools and gadgets for prepping meats and veggies to cookware A Good Chef's Knife · Start with a chef's knife, · Cutting Board (or two) · Measuring cups and spoons · Hot pot or electric kettle · Can opener · A Missing The 10 Best Places to Buy Affordable Kitchen Gadgets Online · World Market · Christmas Tree Shops andThat! · Everything Kitchens · Bed Bath and

Victoria Inch Cast-Iron Skillet. Fat Daddio's Round Cake Pan. Nordic Ware Aluminum Half Sheet, Set of 2. Pyrex 9-inch Pie Dish, Pack of 2. Kuhn Rikon 4-Inch Colori Paring Knife. Checkered Chef Rocker Blade Pizza Cutter.

Victorinox Fibrox Pro Santoku Knife. Winco 4-Piece Measuring Spoon Set. Oxo Better Balloon Whisk. Oxo Good Grips Small Citrus Juicer with Built-In Measuring Cup and Strainer.

OXO Good Grips Can Opener. Adams French Tapered Rolling Pin, 1 ¾ inch. OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner. Appliances Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker. The best slow cooker overall, the Crock Pot is straightforward, free of unnecessary bulk, and is lighter than its pricier competitors.

If you're short on space or money or just don't have that many mouths to feed, consider a mini food processor like this one, which can dice your onions and rice small amounts of cauliflower just as well as its larger counterparts. This inexpensive air fryer was a top performer in our product test.

Its small size makes it perfect for making a batch of fish fingers for one. This bargain-priced kitchen scale is a staple in our test kitchen.

The small profile makes it easy to stash when not in use. The Cuckoo produces rice that's close in quality to that of premium Zojirushi machines, and does it up to 15 minutes faster. Bella Professional Series 2-Slice Stainless Steel Wide Slot Toaster. Fat Daddio's pan releases cakes easily, turning out golden-brown, perfectly-even, and straight-sided cakes.

Plus, it is extremely easy to wash. Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Half Sheet, set of 2. Inexpensive but always effective, these kitchen shears from Oxo distinguished themselves with their simple dependability and user-friendly design.

The generously proportioned handles were comfortable to hold, the shears were lightweight but balanced, and the materials felt high-quality. Kuhn Rikon 4-Inch Nonstick Colori Paring Knife. This is our budget pick for the best santoku knife.

It's easy to sharpen and doesn't require the delicate care of other knives. Go ahead, put it in the dishwasher! This streamlined, easy-to-hold set was especially comfortable to use while all of the spoons were attached to the ring. Not to mention, these tools make great gifts. Savvy meal preppers and bakers who like big batches will reach for this large sheet pan over and over.

Made of durable aluminum, it conducts heat well and ensures your food will cook uniformly. Testing cookie sheets , we were able to achieve even browning on potato wedges and a golden brown result on cookies, and food released easily. Despite its large size, it was easy to maneuver, even with oven mitts on.

The angled walls helped us scoop up foods with a spatula, and the rolled edges provided excellent structure and prevent warping. The versatility of a paring knife is hard to beat, so if one knife is useful, a set of two is even better.

This set from Zyliss gives you a 3. Testing paring knives , liked how easily we could chop shallots with the smooth blade and cut through bread and slice through tomatoes with the serrated blade.

Both blades are easy to wash by hand and also come with blade covers to guard against their super-sharp points and edges during storage. Microplane makes the gold standard for handheld zesters and graters.

It also works wonderfully on hard cheese, producing fine, fluffy shreds that melt into risotto or pasta. This model from Zulay pulls double duty with two reamers: a tooth reamer for lemons and limes and a three-tooth reamer for oranges, grapefruits, and other large citrus.

We tested this with a few different citrus varieties and were able to produce copious amounts of clear, flavorful juice with some pulp, collecting it in the ounce capacity cup below.

Professional cooks know that keeping knives well-honed is essential for functionality and safety in the kitchen. This affordable knife sharpener from Longzon lets you tend to dull knives whenever you need to, with multiple grit settings to get the perfect edge.

We liked the sturdiness and effectiveness of this sharpener, which required only five to 10 pulls to notice an improvement to our blade we noticed an even better edge after 10 to 20 pulls. We also like that it can sharpen scissors too, adding even more value to this already well-priced model.

For avid bakers, a silicone spatula is essential — its flexible head can mix, scrape, and fold with ease. During testing , this attractive KitchenAid spatula scraped ingredients out of bowls with ease, felt nicely lightweight, and was easy to clean with a quick hand wash.

While its curved head struggled to get into corners, we found it versatile and an overall great value. The spatula you use to flip and roll eggs into the ideal shape matters, especially when it comes to omelets. This flexible egg turner from OXO has a silicone blade with an extra-thin, slightly flexible edge that lets you slide right underneath your omelet without compromising its surface.

It allowed us to achieve a perfect fold when we tested the best spatulas for eggs , so we dubbed it the Best for Omelets. With a high heat resistance up to °F , it can withstand the dishwasher and more. Even though the handle is made of wood, the spatula is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. A wooden spoon comes in handy for sautéing, stirring sauces, scraping up fond while deglazing a pan, and more.

During testing , we were easily able to break up ground sausage and stir oatmeal, and the deeper bowl of this spoon allowed us to use it as a serving spoon too. It was easy to clean by hand, followed by air drying. The manufacturer recommends oiling it occasionally to prevent cracking.

Since , Lodge has built its reputation on top-performing, heritage-quality cast iron cookware. This pre-seasoned It gave excellent browning when searing meats and easily released baked cornbread without sticking.

We also found it very easy to clean with warm water and a wipe down. While cast iron skillets require regular maintenance to keep up their seasoning, this pan can last for a lifetime with proper care, making it a steal at the price. A meat tenderizer comes in handy for making veal scaloppini or schnitzel , and this one from OXO topped our tests as our Best Overall.

It has a smooth surface on one side for flattening meat and a toothed surface on the other for tenderizing, with a slight angle to the head. We were also able to turn graham crackers into crumbs in a matter of a few swings. The single-piece construction and flexibility of this OXO Good Grips steamer make it a versatile choice for steaming veggies, dumplings, and more.

In our tests , it stood out as the most adaptable steamer basket for pots of all sizes, and its silicone material stayed cooler than its metal counterparts, making it easier to handle. Due to the flexible nature of the silicone, however, food tended to slide around in the basket, which we found a bit annoying, though not a deal breaker.

Without the overlapping flaps or hard-to-reach crevices of some steamer baskets, it was easy to clean by hand or by dishwasher. A sturdy scoop is a must-have for households that love ice cream and sorbet, especially when warm weather hits and you dig into frozen desserts more often.

We ranked this ice cream scoop above others for its durable stainless steel construction and a pointed tip that allows you to get every last bit out of the tub.

The only downside we found during our tests : super-cold ice cream tended to stick to the metal, which means you might have to nudge it off the scooper.

If you regularly roast whole chickens or grill steaks, this rubber carving board is the ideal surface for carving and slicing thanks to a cluster of spikes in the center that hold meat in place.

Testing it alongside wooden and plastic carving boards, we loved how easily it let us steady a chicken while breaking it down, while the angled surface gently nudged any runaway juices into one end, ready to be poured off.

In our tests , it produced a thick foam with whole milk and a silky foam with oat milk.

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