Cooking doesn’t have to be a time-consuming chore. You don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen to make delicious meals. With the right tools, you can streamline your meal prep and make cooking faster and easier, whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner.
Here are 35 kitchen products that will make cooking faster and easier:
1.
A Souper Cube so you can store soup or sauce in convenient single-serving portions.
With this, it’ll be easy to defrost *only* the amount you need! Each tray has four spaces that fit one cup of liquid each. Now, when you don’t feel like making an entire meal from scratch, you can say, “WAIT — we have soup!” Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in four colors/patterns and as a pack of two).2.
A jalapeno corer – it makes it faster and simpler to get rid of unwanted seeds while making it *harder* for you to accidentally slice your hand open in the process.
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.3.
And a bell pepper corer if you want a handy tool that’ll make it quick, easy, and mess-free to remove the stem, seeds, and core from your bell pep, too!
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.4.
A clip-on silicone colander for taking the ~strain~ out of straining noodles.
It’s flexible, cleans up easily, and can be attached to cookware of almost any size! BuzzFeed market editor Abby Kass loves this: “I recently picked one of these up, and it is such a game changer. I have hated using a colander so much. It’s so bulky, hard to use, and takes SO much time to clean. This solves all those problems. I’ve clipped it on various pots and pans, and it’s fit every single one. It makes it ridiculously easy to strain the water out of the pasta and even the excess fat from ground beef. I’m throwing my old colander away because it will never be used now that I have this genius tool!” Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in six colors).5.
A versatile chop, slice, and dice unit here to simplify your meal prepping!
Forget chopping your veggies one by one and having to clean a cutting board when you can just toss ’em in this device! And when you’re done, just pop out the interchangeable blades and throw ’em in the dishwasher! Check out a TikTok of the veggie chopper in action. Get it from Amazon for $29.97 (available in four sizes and colors).6.
A set of reusable toaster oven bags for when you’re craving grilled cheese, pizza, chicken nuggets, and lots of other foods, but can’t imagine turning on the stove or dirtying a pan.
Now you can toast your entire meal at once 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. Get a four-pack from Amazon for $3.35 (also available in a 6- and 10-pack).7.
An egg bite maker if you want a quick and easy snack… without overpaying at Starbucks and Costco!
You can even take the silicone molds out and use it as a grill for sandwiches and other foods! A lot of people also use these for pancake and protein pancake bites! Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in three colors).8.
A digital food thermometer so you can stop wasting time hemming and hawing over whether or not your chicken is cooked enough and quit losing precious juice from your steaks every time you cut them open to check on the middle.
Just stick this lil’ guy in and get an instant temperature reading! Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two colors).9.
A genius tofu press — say goodbye to fussing with towels and heavy objects trying to get *all* the liquid out of your tofu.
This makes the process much faster, simpler, and less messy — resulting in the perfect taste and texture! BTW locals, TofuBud is a small biz based in San Fransisco! Get it from Amazon or TofuBud for $26.95.10.
A nonstick, food-safe baking mat because cooking in the oven is even faster and easier if you can avoid spending time scraping a baking pan clean after.
Get a set of two from Amazon for $12.85+ (available in two styles and larger packs).11.
A Dracula-inspired garlic chopper named ~Gracula~ that — unlike the real Dracula — isn’t afraid of garlic.
Now, peeling garlic will be a breeze *and* your fingers won’t wind up reeking all day long. They can also use it to chop nuts, fruits, and veggies! Get it from Amazon for $24.95.12.
A ridiculously easy-to-use Kitchen Mama electric can opener — it does all the work for you so you can focus on other meal prep while it opens a can of ingredients.
Simply place the opener so the edge of the can is between the blade and gear, press the button, watch it spin around and cut the top of almost any can all on its own, press the button again to stop, and use the handy lid remover to seamlessly take the top off — leaving behind a smooth, non-sharp edge! Get it from Amazon for $32.99+ (available in six colors).13.
A splatter guard so you won’t have to spend time giving your entire stove a deep clean every time you fry up some dinner.
Plus, it’ll help protect you from sizzling oil splashes that would just love to hop on out of the pan and land on your bare skin. Frywall is a New York-based small business that specializes in protective kitchen accessories. Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (available in four colors).14.
And a Kochblume spill stopper to avoid a mess if your pot boils over.
It traps excess foam and liquid so they don’t spill all over your stove. No more hovering anxiously in the kitchen while waiting for your water to boil (and say goodbye to having a huge mess to clean up all because you BRIEFLY turned your head). Get it from Amazon for $20+ (available in three colors).15.
A rapid egg cooker that’ll make it much faster and easier to prepare a delicious and nutritious breakfast!
This impressive lil’ device can make hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, and scrambled eggs in just minutes! It can even make an omelet if you wanna feel fancy without the extra effort. See it in action on TikTok here! Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in six colors).16.
A mind-blowingly brilliant Whiskware pancake batter mixer because making batter doesn’t have to be a pain.
Just add your ingredients, toss in the BlenderBall, shake, and pour the mixture out of the convenient spout designed to make it easy to drop the perfect amount out and even draw shapes or patterns. All parts are top-rack dishwasher-safe! Get it from Amazon for $14.99.17.
An air fryer to cook perfectly crisped french fries, veggies, chicken wings, and more in less than 20 minutes — no oil required!
Get it from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in three colors).18.
And some reusable air fryer liners — now you can air fry to your heart’s content without having to spend time cleaning afterward since it’s dishwasher-safe!
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $10.17+ (available in six sizes, three shapes, and three colors).19.
A vegetable brush if you wanna skip the task of peeling potatoes and other veggies and simply clean them instead — which is much faster and easier thanks to this tool!
Get it from Amazon for $7.95.20.
A set of magnetic air fryer cheat sheets so you can stop wasting time googling how long you’re supposed to cook chicken.
This will take the guesswork out of using your favorite kitchen appliance and help you easily avoid winding up with over- and under-cooked food. Get it from Amazon for $7.87+ (available in two colors, and an Instant Pot version and multipacks).21.
A vented microwave food cover, because the last thing you need when trying to quickly heat your leftovers is spills, splatters, and explosions that’ll leave you with more of a mess than you bargained for.
Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in three sizes, three colors, and a set of three).22.
And a microwave pasta maker with a built-in strainer that lets you make perfect al dente pasta…IN THE MICROWAVE.
Just insert noodles and water, stick it in the microwave, and you’ll have delicious pasta in minutes. No mess or sticking! It even has handy serving size holes on top so you can ensure that you’re putting the right amount of noodles inside! Get it from Amazon for $16.99.23.
*And* a portable, microwaveable Rapid Ramen Cooker for anyone who wants the flavor and texture of stovetop cooked noods without the hassle and wait time that stands between you and a delicious meal.
Just add your noodles, fill with water to the water line marked inside the cooker, microwave for three minutes, and that’s it! Perfect ramen noodles! Plus, this is BPA-free and can be put in the dishwasher! Rapid Brands is a California-based small business that specializes in dishwasher-safe, microwaveable, BPA-free kitchen products. Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in 15 colors and various multipacks).24.
*OR* a set of Anyday microwaveable cooking bowls designed to make a variety of fast and delicious meals from scratch in the microwave!
The silicone-rimmed glass lid keeps the steam in the dish to ensure evenly cooked food, and you can use the same bowls to serve your meal as well as store and reheat the leftovers! If you love the sound of less dirty dishes and low-effort yet tasty meals, these are worth the investment! What’s included: Large deep dish, large shallow dish, medium deep dish, medium shallow dish, and two small dishes. Anyday is a small, modern cookware brand from Steph Chen. If you need some inspiration, check out Anyday’s dish ideas which include recipes from the likes of David Chang and Joshua McFadden! Get it from Anyday for $150 (originally $200; available in four colors).25.
A jar of Matiz Sofrito that’s great for making a next-level paella, but is also a fantastic sauce for meats, fish, pasta, eggs, and more!
This sofrito is made from a family recipe using tomatoes that are slow-roasted in olive oil for over three hours, giving your dishes a rich, fresh flavor without having to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen. Matiz works with the small family producer Estilo Kiki in Valencia, Spain, to produce this handmade sofrito. Get a 12.3 oz jar from Amazon for $10.80.26.
A pair of bear claws — they make it so much quicker and easier to shred meats than when using your bare hands.
Hate getting your fingers covered in greasy rotisserie chicken? Use these instead! Get them from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in two styles).27.
A breakfast sandwich maker that can SIMULTANEOUSLY cook an egg, toast bread, warm precooked meat, and melt cheese into the perfect sandwich in five minutes or less if you wanna feel like somebody *else* made your morning meal.
All removable parts are dishwasher safe so cleanup is easy! Get it from Amazon for $22.49+ (available in five colors).28.
Home Chef, which is the perfect thing to take the stress out of meal time.
Just pick and customize your meals for the week, and pre-portioned ingredients will be delivered right to your door with easy-to-follow step by step recipes! Plus, they offer everything from 5-minute–30+-minute meals to accommodate your ever-fluctuating schedule. Meal types offered: Gluten-free, dairy-free, meatless, calorie-conscious, and carb-conscious meals. What does it include? Portioned and labeled ingredients, and instructions for your choice of meals that take 30 minutes or 15 minutes to cook. Oven-ready meals that simply need to be popped into the oven are also available! Get it from Home Chef starting at $9.99/serving.29.
Or a Blue Apron subscription — they’ll send you fresh ingredients from farmers pre-portioned for specific dishes, plus easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions so you can get perfect results every time, *without* the hassle of grocery shopping, measuring ingredients, and hunting down recipes.
Meal types offered: Vegetarian, diabetes-friendly recipes, and family-style meals. What does it include? Fresh measured ingredients from family-run farms, measured spices, and recyclable packaging. Get it from Blue Apron starting at $12.49/serving (two- and four-serving plans available).30.
An automatic pan stirrer for anyone who tends to forget to continuously stir certain ingredients and always ends up with clumpy results.
It even has a built-in timer, so you can let it take over at the stove while you bask in the glory of your newfound free time. Get it from Uncommon Goods for $25+ (battery-powered and rechargeable versions available).31.
A fiery larb starter pack from Omsom to add spicy, sweet, salty, tart, and subtly nutty Southeast Asian flavors — based on the traditional Laos-born dish, Thai larb — to any meal (without much extra effort on your part)!
The blend of Red Boat fish sauce, lime juice, cane sugar, thai dried chili flakes, and toasted rice powder are sure to bring something special to a variety of dishes. Get a three-pack from Omsom for $13.32.
A set of foodie dice if the hardest and most time-consuming part of making dinner is…deciding what to eat.
Now, you can simply roll the dice and let the universe come up with a combination of ingredients and cooking methods so you don’t have to. Two Tumbleweeds is an Arizona-based, sister owned Etsy shop established in 2014 that specializes in products for foodies and people who like to cook. Each set includes five main dice (protein, cooking method, grain/carb, herb, bonus ingredient) and four seasonal veggie dice. All you gotta do is roll ’em up and send them scattering and they will decide what kind of meal you should try to prep. Bonus — these are all naturally gluten-free, if you or a foodie you love has any dietary restrictions! Get it from Two Tumbleweeds on Etsy for $24.33.
An Instant Pot to make your friends and family think you’re a brilliant cook when really you just followed a few simple directions and let this useful device do the rest.
You won’t believe how quick and simple it is to make dishes that actually taste incredible using this appliance that’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté-r, yogurt maker, and warmer all in one! It can prepare food up to 70% faster than other methods. It can keep food warm automatically for up to 10 hours, and there are three temperatures for sautéing and slow cooking. The inner cooking pot, lid, and steam rack are dishwasher-safe! Check out our Instant Pot review for more deets! Get it from Amazon for $79.95.34.
A delicious gift box of organic spices and seasonings ideal for grilling if you wanna seriously up your BBQ game without adding more steps to the cooking process.
You can choose from a variety of combos, from special sea salts to BBQ flavors. They’re from a small, family-owned business based in Jacksonville, Florida, that donates a meal to a child in need for each box sold! Get a box of five from Amazon for $24.99 (available in 10 flavor combinations).35.
And finally, a mini knife sharpener — now you can stop struggling to get your ancient dull blades to be the faithful collaborators they once were.
This’ll bring ’em back to life so you can stop struggling to slice through your ingredients. Get it from Amazon for $9.56+ (available in four colors and multipacks). Read one BuzzFeeder’s full review of the mini knife sharpener to learn more.Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
