Cooking is one of my favorite pastimes (I even briefly considered attending culinary school in college), but on busy weeknights, preparing dinner can feel like a dreaded chore rather than a preferred hobby.
Still, I cook nearly all of my meals at home, so I’ve curated a collection of kitchen gadgets that make meal prep more enjoyable — saving time, effort, and money. I’m always shopping on a budget, so all of these game-changing essentials are under $25 and available at Amazon, including a $23 skillet that is actually nonstick, a tool that loosens pesky jars, and a veggie chopper that dramatically cuts down on prep time.
Writer-Approved Kitchen Gadgets Under $25
GoodCook Deluxe Salad Spinner
I love having salad for lunch during the week or as a side with dinner, but I despise hand-washing lettuce only for my salad to be soggy. With limited storage space in my kitchen, I’m picky about larger tools, but this salad spinner is worth every inch it takes up in my cabinet. I chop and rinse enough lettuce for several salads in the strainer, and then simply turn the knob to remove water and dirt. The spinner’s convenient handle makes it easy to secure on the counter as it spins, and it has a pour spout for draining excess water.
Fullstar Mandoline and Veggie Chopper, $20 with Prime
This tool dramatically cuts down on prep time for recipes that require slicing and dicing fruit, veggies, and aromatics, and it can even replace other tools like a cheese grater. It includes six interchangeable stainless steel blades, including a mandolin-style slicer, a julienne blade, coarse and fine dicer blades, and two graters, which snap onto the lid, chopping food into a catch tray in seconds.
Blendjet Portable Blender
For homemade sauces and salad dressings, I reach for this compact blender that’s whisper-quiet compared to my full-sized blender. It’s also great for mixing up single-serving protein shakes or frozen cocktails on the go, as it’s portable and cordless. Plus, it’s self-cleaning — just add soap and water to the base and blend.
GoodCook Ceramic Nonstick Skillet
A reliable skillet is non-negotiable in any kitchen, and despite the low price point, I prefer this pick to my $100+ ceramic skillet. Food slides right off the pan (yes, even eggs) when it’s cleanup time, thanks to its nonstick coating that’s still effective a year later. I also appreciate that the comfort-grip handle stays cool when cooking.
Auoon Clip-On Pot Strainer
This clever clip-on pot strainer takes up less space in the cabinet and the dishwasher, and makes quick work of straining pasta water, washing fruit and vegetables, and more. Take it from this shopper who dubbed it “surprisingly useful,” and wrote, “No more juggling a heavy pot and a separate strainer over the sink — this simple tool makes everything faster and less messy.”
Yrramate Glass Cooking Oil Sprayer, $8 with Prime
I don’t buy pre-packaged cooking spray anymore, thanks to this affordable alternative. The glass container has a pour spout and a spray nozzle so users can fill it up with the oil of their choice to grease pans or top dips. I made the switch after scanning the ingredients list of my cooking spray, which included eye-raising ingredients like propane and butane.
Otstar Jar Opener
I live alone, so there’s no one around to lend a hand when I encounter a hard-to-open jar or bottle, but this tool provides the extra leverage and grip you need to release pesky lids. The tool fits a wide variety of jars and bottles and also has a ring designed to open pull-top cans (which can be especially tricky with long nails).
Keouke Rotary Cheese Grater
Trust me, shredding cheese fresh off the block is far superior in terms of taste and texture to pre-shredded varieties (and it’s cheaper, too), but it does require additional effort. My rotary cheese grater gives me peace of mind that I won’t slice my fingers, and makes quick work of the task with minimal effort. I also reach for the tool when shredding cucumbers to make homemade tzaziki dip or grinding nuts for desserts.
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