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. Shopping Caret Right Home Caret Right Kitchen Caret Right · Posted 2 minutes ago If You’d Describe Your Cooking Skills As “Limited,” You’ll Be Thankful You Stumbled Across These 33 Products Just consider this story your sous-chef.
by Elizabeth Lilly BuzzFeed Staff Link Facebook Pinterest Twitter Mail 1. An 8-in-1 electric air fryer with tons of onion rings and other scrumptious possibilities that'll have you looking at every piece of food you have in the house differently instead of putting on shoes to go through the drive-thru. Amazon This 9-quart beaut will air fry, roast, bake, reheat, broil, dry, SyncCook, and SyncFinish.
Promising review: "I love my new Cosori air fryer. It is very easy to use and clean. Makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches I have ever had.
It cooks bacon perfectly, burgers, baked potatoes, and anything else you want to cook. This thing bakes, roasts, broils, dries, and air fries. It is awesome.
Would recommend it to anyone." — Wilma Figgins Get it from Amazon for $139.99 .
2. Plus, a magnetic air fryer cheat sheet so you can merely glance at it as a kitchen helper instead of scrolling through your Pinterest board for that ONE recipe. www.
amazon.com Promising review: "Bought an air fryer several months ago which I haven't used a whole lot because it came with only a few recipes but not enough info on other items to cook. The Lotteli cheat sheet gives you cooking times and temperatures for a lot of your common everyday foods in a magnetized easy-to-read, two-sheet combo that fills in where the air fryer pamphlet that came with the unit leaves out.
I also bought an air fryer cookbook but this only comes with specific recipes, whereas the cheat sheet fills in the void for quick basic needs. Very happy with this purchase! 😁" — B. Frank Smith Get it from Amazon for $7.
99 (available in two colors). 3. A reviewer-beloved veggie chopper can make onion tears and food prep mess a thing of the past! This way, you can actually pull off that Pinterest recipe you've been meaning to make instead of paying Uber Eats $30 for Taco Bell.
(Sometimes that's worth it, though.) www.amazon.
com , Amazon Check out a TikTok of the veggie chopper in action. Promising review: "Makes life so much easier. I can't imagine chopping onions or bell peppers by hand anymore, and it does so much more.
We used to have a Prepworks chopper, which was a similar idea, but you had to press so hard to chop and it broke after not too long. This one requires very little effort to cut through the food and it has a generous container. " — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $29.
98 . 4. A clip-on strainer will work on a variety of pots and pans because sometimes you just wanna make some noods but don't wanna lose any to the kitchen sink.
This is also so much easier to wash than a regular colander. www.amazon.
com Promising review: "Easy to use on many different-sized pans. Clip on and drain, then pop it in the dishwasher. Great little item, especially for draining ground beef.
Love it!" — AustinLonghorn Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in 12 colors). 5.
A microwave potato bag to cook your potato to perfection in a mere four minutes instead of having to wait around (or google how long) to cook it in the oven. www.amazon.
com Promising review: "I have used this potato bag for quick/moist cooking of all varieties of potatoes and fresh corn on the cob (keep the husks on), The bag will also keep your food warm until serving time. Nutritive value of your food will not be diluted as it would have during an extended cooking process in boiling water." — Pura Get it from Amazon for $8.
96 . 6. A magnetic stove shelf that's the perfect amount of room to keep your most used spices and encourage you to use all those "hmm, yeah, this is interesting" spice mixes you picked up from Trader Joe's the other week.
www.amazon.com StoveShelf is a small business and these shelves are built to last a lifetime.
Promising review: "This is an excellent buy. The shelf helped me declutter my cabinet and it is an awesome storage space for my more-often-used spices. It is sturdy, easily installed, and attractive.
I recommend this shelf." — Pamella R. Get it from Amazon for $39.
99 (available in six styles and three sizes). 7. And if you need some help filling that up, a Just Spices starter set with eight blends will go a long way in jazzing up.
your at-home meals. It comes with a free spice guide to give you ALL kinds of ideas. For a starter, the Avocado Topping will transform a quick n dirty avocado toast or grain bowl situation.
Because I can't be the only one who's exited out of a recipe I googled because it has eight spices in it that I don't currently own. Just Spices The set comes with the following spice blends: Chicken Allrounder; BBQ Allrounder; Vegetable Allrounder; Italian Allrounder; Avocado Topping; Casserole Allrounder; Stir Fry; Mexican Allrounder. Get it from Just Spices for $49.
95 . 8. An ~spooky~ garlic chopper inspired by Dracula will not only give you a chuckle but also help prep one of the most important ingredients.
Yes, garlic bread can make an excellent WFH lunch. Go for it! Amazon You can also use it to chop nuts, fruits, and veggies! Promising review: "This little guy does a REALLY great job of grinding/crushing a lot of garlic quickly! Besides being ridiculously cute, he's sturdy and easy to clean. He only faintly held on to the garlic smell after cleaning, but let's be honest, garlic is PUNGEANT, so no surprises there.
I do think that using a small silicone spatula is helpful for getting the garlic bits out that get stuck in the grinding teeth I smile whenever I get to use him which is a lot because there's no such thing as too much garlic. I love that not only does it make food prep so much easier, but I just feel happy using it. This is a MUST GET!" — Lina Get it from Amazon for $24.
95 . 9. Big Dip Energy , my pal Alyse's new dip-centric cookbook.
I've taste-tested about a dozen of these recipes and can confirm that if you'd like to just eat dip as a meal for the rest of your life (same), then you need this in your life. At the very least, it'll look so adorable propped up on your kitchen countertop! William Morrow Cookbooks I've taste-tested many of the recipes and heard all about my friend's hard work she put into it! She also sourced all kinds of retro and vintage serving ware to really capture her fun personal style in a way that translates to a very accurate representation of who she is as a (lovely) person! Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ or Bookshop.
org for $27.89 . 10.
Some slow cooker liners to make cleanup a total cinch. Sometimes a super-easy cleanup can help motivate yourself to cook. Amazon I use these and they're THE BEST.
Get a box of six liners from Amazon for $4.69 . 11.
A Momofuku ramen noodles variety pack as a quick 'n' easy meal for when all you wanna do is open a packet, boil some water, and then chow down. This is one of my favorite lazy meals and I'll keep buying these as long as they keep making them. Momofuku I tried out these noodles as part of the Ultimate Variety Pack and haven't looked back since.
I want to ALWAYS have these in my kitchen cabinets. Yes, they're THAT good. I'm very lazy and have spent way too much money on takeout in my life, so I'm forever looking for a solution to help me get takeout-worthy food at home for the least amount of effort.
These totally fit the bill. I also like to toss chopped scallions on top. I'll even even mix in sautéed veggies and chicken to help bulk up the dish.
..or just use up the stuff that I have that I know I need to eat.
I adore them so much that I even bought my brother a big bundle of them for Christmas and he was VERY excited when he opened it because Momofuku and David Chang's amazing reputation precede them. Get a 15-pack from Amazon for $48 (includes 5 servings each of 3 varieties) or get a 20-pack from Momofuku for $52 (includes 5 each of 3 varieties and three jars of chili crunch). Also check out some new noodle flavors , Sweet & Spicy Noodles and Sweet Chili Noodles.
12. A rapid defrosting tray so you won't have to put off cooking because your meat is still frozen. Put down the pizza place phone number and get back to your we-have-food-at-home plans.
www.amazon.com Promising review: "I was a little concerned this was going to be one of those gifts that were hyped up but it’s not.
It’s not going to thaw a huge chunk of meat in an hour but I have thawed a chunk of chicken in a few hours. The product itself isn’t very thick which I like as it doesn’t take up a lot of space for storage. It doesn’t warm up, but pulls the cold from the meat, which makes the product thaw (like putting meat in cold water to thaw it faster and not cook it).
" — Savannah A. Get it from Amazon for $18.88 .
13. A manual food chopper for quick work of herbs, fruits, veggies, and ice in case your knife skills could use some practice or you just wanna make food prep a lil' more fun. www.
amazon.com It's also dishwasher safe (top rack only!) so cleanup is super simple. Promising review: "This is great for cutting lots of veggies super fast .
All you have to do is roughly chop down your veggies, toss them in, and give it four to five pulls for perfectly diced chunks for salsa or toppings on eggs or tacos. It comes with a handy cover too so all you have to do is rinse the blade and toss the container in the fridge or cooler." — Kevin B.
Get it from Amazon for $14.71+ (also available in green). 14.
A rapid egg cooker to get your favorite breakfast or salad topping *just* how you like it, rather than tossing improperly cooked eggs (for the millionth time). Turns out that the thing you really needed to amp up your at-home lunch salads was hard-boiled eggs. Amazon Promising review: "If hard-boiled eggs are at all a part of your life, this device will change everything.
Reclaim lost hours, catch up on missed TV, reconnect with old friends and family. Anything is possible with the free time you'll find at your disposal as you drop six eggs into this beast, press a button, and then walk away . What will you do? High-intensity exercise? Model building? Learn a second language? I hear your concern.
'What if I become so engrossed in my newfound love of taxonomy that I forget about my eggs?' Fear not, efficient chef. Like the horn of Gabriel himself, the unmistakable tone of this technological marvel could rouse the dead and bring you running to your fresh-and-ready ova's side. The Dash Go Rapid Egg Cooker is what mankind has been working toward since the first roundish stone was shaped into a wheel.
Witness the apex of human innovation! Did not love the poaching tray." — J. Mercer Crenshaw Get it from Amazon for $16.
99+ (available in eight colors). Also check out the double-decker version . 15.
A silicone baking mat might just become your sheet pan's BFF because this'll replace a roll (and then some) of aluminum foil used as a pan lining. I own these mats and have used them for basically every single thing that you could bake in an oven, whether that's roasted veggies, salmon, or really anything from the frozen-food aisle. www.
amazon.com , www.amazon.
com Promising review : "I use these mats many times a day. They make cleanup super easy, which is really important in my hectic life. They wipe off easily with just water.
" — Tasia Lung Get a set of two from Amazon for $19.96 . 16.
Plus, a set of nonstick, heat-safe sheet pan dividers that'll act like little trays to contain various veggies that cook at different time intervals all on the same pan so there's WAY less coordination. Amazon Prepd is a small biz specializing in this product. Check out a TikTok of the nonstick sheet pan dividers in action.
Promising review: "Brilliant. 100,000% recommend them! They let me separate veggies by how long they take to cook so they are all ready at the same time and nothing is over- or undercooked. I love these cheat sheets.
They are a great tool for my kitchen. " — yule Get a set of four from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in two colors).
17. An instant-read meat thermometer to help you FINALLY cook the perfect steak for a gourmet-tasting meal that you're not paying someone else to make. OR just not give your family food poisoning again from undercooked meat! www.
amazon.com Promising review: "Couldn't be easier to use, really. I tested it with ice water and boiling water, and it seems to be pretty accurate.
I've already cooked some steaks using it and they came out perfect. Plan to use it a lot with my smoker and expect good results there too. I love that it has the magnets so I can stick on the fridge, the grill, or the smoker, and it's always handy.
And you really can't beat the price at under $10!" — FCC Get it from Amazon for $14.99 . 18.
A mini steamer can help you whip up some easy meal sides in the microwave for when you're like, "I need some veggies," but really don't need to spend $20 on a fancy "bowl" meal. www.amazon.
com Promising review: "It works great so far. I just tried it to cook some fresh broccoli, carrots, and snow peas. It cooked them in fewer than four minutes.
They turned out great!" — Camilla Rogers Get it from Amazon for $7.99 . 19.
Or a two-tier stackable steamer with way more space in case you want someone else to care after your cooking duties while you do important things, like scroll through Pedro Pascal videos on TikTok. www.amazon.
com Promising review: "I love this steamer. I work full time and have recently joined Weight Watchers. I can make a meal in 15–20 minutes.
It’s easy to use and easy to clean." — Marissa D. Get it from Amazon for $32.
81 . 20. Pre-made simmer sauces that'll really zhuzh up that plain chicken breast you have thawing in the sink.
Seriously, just dump that sauce on it once it's cooked in the pan! (Psst, they're also keto- and Paleo-friendly but IMO don't taste like it.) Amazon I've tried nearly all of these sauces and can vouch that they dress up all kinds of stuff. If you're craving some takeout food you're too lazy to replicate at home, some of these (especially the Thai Coconut Sauce that's shown here) will help you get some of that taste without buying a million ingredients.
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $15 (available in a variety of combos). 21. A Hungryroot grocery delivery with 10-minute recipes tailored to your dietary needs/wants because you've been meaning to do so more research into buys that don't have artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives.
But that sounds like a whole lotta work and your belly is eating your backbone. Hungryroot Lots of people use this service to do ALL of their groceries, while others use it to take care of a lot of their weekly grocery haul. Food options vary week by week but you can expect the likes of Banza pasta, a rainbow veggie mix, an ancient grain pancake mix, cauliflower linguine, the Beyond Burger, spinach feta turkey patties, a lemon artichoke quinoa cup, and more.
I've tried out a shipment of it and really dug the almond chickpea cookie dough, spicy refried red beans, hot smoked roasted salmon, and superfood salad. Check out pricing and take a quiz for a delivery suggestion at Hungryroot here . 22.
And if you're vegan but struggle with WHAT to cook, Purple Carrot makes plant-based eating super simple. Even if you eat meat but want to sneak in more plant-based meals (aka, me), this is a great, creative option. They even offer pre-portioned meals and microwaveable dishes.
Purple Carrot Each weekly meal kit includes pre-portioned ingredients that make 3–4 meals of your choice that can each serve 2–4 people. OR 6–10 pre-prepared, single-serve meals that can be heated up in the microwave. Like with other meal delivery kits, you can skip a shipment or cancel whenever.
I've ordered kits from Purple Carrot several times and have always been satisfied with the result/the recipes have given me ideas for meals that are completely my own. Most recently, I've been OBSESSED with the New England Lobstah Rolls recipe (shown) in my most recent kit. Get it from Purple Carrot starting at $13+/serving .
23. A two-pack of TikTok-famous Dan-O's seasoning that'll be a low-sodium kick for grilling that's made from dried herbs, citrus, and granulated onion and garlic. Go ahead.
Let this do the heavy lifting when it comes to seasoning. www.amazon.
com , www.amazon.com Dan-O's Seasoning is a small business established in 2017 that gained popularity after taking to TikTok during the pandemic, where the company now has over 4 million followers with plenty of droolworthy food content.
Promising review: "I became interested in this product while watching TikToks. I have been adding it to so many things. I use it in spaghetti, on fish, and one of my favorites is to add it to popcorn.
My husband had to ask why my popcorn smelled like steak. I love the fact that it is low sodium as well. I am not a fan of extra salt, and most foods already have plenty of salt but need some seasoning.
This should be your go to seasoning." — Heartcri Get a pack of two (one original, one spicy) from Amazon for $13.99 .
24. *Reusable* toaster bags to help you achieve peak sandwich at home without firing up the stovetop *or* catching your toaster on fire! Gotta love a hot sandwich for dinner! Amazon These are also a fan favorite for families with members who have celiac disease or other food sensitivities. Promising review: "Unless you are a 'foodie' and need to grill your sandwiches, this bag is a great way to get a warm sandwich.
And if you have cheese on it, the cheese will melt. Just make your sandwich and put it in the bag. Put the bag in your toaster and you have a great sandwich! It's so easy and when I am done, I just rinse the bag under the faucet.
Great for kids who love grilled cheese without the fuss of 'grilling'!" — joycetv Get a pack of four from Amazon for $8.99 . 25.
A Rapid Ramen Cooker that'll transform a brick of noods into the base for a delish meal in just three minutes in the microwave! 'Tis time to put that ramen you've been hoarding the pantry to tasty use. Amazon Rapid Brands is a small biz seen on Shark Tank that specializes in cooking tools for the microwave. Promising review: "God's ramen cooker.
This thing may seem like just an ordinary Tupperware, but I assure you it will blow that thin plastic garbage out of the water. It retains heat amazingly and does not bend or falter under extreme temperatures. I'm a college student and I have never felt such joy from making ramen in my small dorm microwave, for a 900-watt I recommend five minutes.
Buy this product if you live and breathe air, because it is beautiful." — Theron Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (available in 15 color options).
26. A Dash mini rice cooker can easily make a hearty and filling side to go with that last piece of salmon or chicken you have in the fridge. But! It can also whip up oatmeal, stew, soup, quinoa, rice, and pasta.
So that opens up all sorts of easy meal possibilities. Plus, it's small enough that you'll definitely find room for it on your kitchen counter. www.
amazon.com , www.amazon.
com Promising review: "I bought this for my daughter for her dorm at college. She loves making flavored rice and warming up soups and things. She likes it so well that she brings it home from college with her on breaks.
It is especially nice that it has a removable pot, which makes it so much easier to clean or keep leftovers in. Would definitely buy again, don't waste your money on a slightly cheaper one that does not have a removable pot." — midohtree Get it from Amazon for $22.
99 (available in eight colors). 27. A six-pack of microwaveable peacadillo in salsa verde taco filling to help you craft a burrito bowl or Taco Tuesday worth writing home about for criminally easy.
This stuff is SO GOOD and I'm a dang carnivore. And it's vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free! Amazon SOMOS is a Mexican-founded brand that specializes in flavor-packed plant-based entrees with the convenience of microwave pouches. I've tried EVERYTHING in the SOMOS line after I was sent samples at launch.
And then after I went through the samples, I bought a bunch of the product with my own money. Twice! And writing this reminds me that I need to do another order. This stuff is so so so good.
And truly is just as easy as microwaving the pouch. I find that for me, I can do half a pouch of an entree and then half a pouch of a side (like cilantro lime white rice or Mexican brown rice ) in a bowl, then top it off with a little bit of hot sauce (it's already quite flavorful!) and some green onions. Bam, there's your filling meal.
Promising review: "My husband is a carnivore and he was obsessed with this plant-based alternative. I am so happy to have found a healthy taco filling. It was also was delicious as a side dish!" — LEM2011 Get them from Amazon for $36.
95 . 28. A sandwich cutter and sealer to help you DIY your own Uncrustables at home because those lil' adorable sandwiches are delicious, but they do add up cost-wise very quickly.
www.amazon.com , www.
amazon.com 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 it from Amazon for $16.
97 . 29. Some Farfalloni-shaped pot holders can help get dinner *safely* on the table.
Amazon Promising review: "They’re so cute! Fits my lids perfectly and keeps me from burning my fingers!!" — Terry Wimberly Get them from Amazon for $16.90 (food-safe, heat- and steam-resistant, dishwasher-safe). 30.
A "tingly" umami seasoning that'll make quick work of figuring out how to whip up a protein or sides with a serious kick of flavor that regular ole salt and pepper can't deliver. I've been sprinkling this on salmon to great success. Amazon So $15 for a jar of seasoning might feel a bit steep but hear me out: This has made so many lackluster quick home lunches feel like something I paid $20 for and stood in line to order with everyone else in New York City.
And you don't need a whole lot to add some amazing flavor either. When I use it for salmon, I rub the salmon in olive oil and then top it with this before cooking. I love salmon but am sorta bad at grocery shopping, so I tend to eat the same lunch over and over again.
(Also, cooking for one is hard!) This keeps things feeling lively and gets me excited about food I actually fixed for myself. Get it from Amazon for $11.40 .
31. A bacon sponge "unpaper" towel to get the extra grease off of your fave breakfast-for-dinner side with a reusable kitchen tool! No, you don't need to go to the diner for an amazing meal. (Now repeat it as a mantra.
) Green City Living / Etsy It's 12"x11", and made of polyester and organic cotton. It's super absorbent but easily cleaned by soaking the towel in hot water and a degreaser soap like Dawn. After soaking, it can be washed along with your family's towels.
Green City Living is a Denver-based Etsy shop that specializes in easy-to-use items to help you go a bit greener. They're currently donating 1% of sales to the Climate Emergency Fund . Get it from Green City Living on Etsy for $14.
99+ or Amazon for $14.99 . 32.
A microwave pasta cooker as an easy way to achieve al dente noods ready to top off with some jarred sauce for a super easy meal that doesn't require boiling water on the stove. Amazon Promising review: "I don't want to get all gushy over a pasta maker, but man..
.I really love this gizmo! I like spaghetti — either with normal Prego-type sauce or sometimes just with butter and Romano cheese sprinkled on. But I'm lazy and impatient, and don't like things that take a long time to make, with a bunch of steps, and a big clean up afterwards.
The Fasta Pasta is perfect for me. I get the exact amount of correctly-measured spaghetti; it's faster than boiling water in a big pot then having to watch and stir the pasta; the pasta comes out perfectly cooked every time; and the cleanup is a snap." — Smilin Sam Get it from Amazon for $16.
99 . 33. A three-pack of Velveeta cheese sauce you can simply pour in a bowl, microwave, and then dump over pasta or just use as a dip for some good old tortillas.
These'll come in handy when it's a Wednesday night and you barely want to lift a finger to feed yourself. Amazon Promising review: "These have been great to use. Cooking for just one person isn't the easiest thing for me, but these portions have been great when I want mac 'n' cheese, nachos, or a small smothered burrito for one.
I'm sure when it's camping time these will make it into my camping stash." — M. Cheatham Get them from Amazon for $3.
28 . Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity. Share This Article Link Facebook Pinterest Twitter Mail Comments.
