24 Novelty Kitchen Items That, According To Reviewers, Are Actually Useful
Amazon, www.amazon.com
PS: You can also use it for ginger!
Promising review: "I purchased this as a gift for my friend who is a fantastic cook — she uses fresh ingredients almost exclusively — but pressing fresh garlic is a task usually delegated. No longer — Gracula is there for her. She uses him nearly every time she needs garlic (which is basically daily) and months later still makes a point of saying how much she enjoys the gift. Anyway, definitely recommended for people who cook with garlic and have a sense of humor." —L
Get it from Amazon for $16.95.
Knapps Knots / Etsy
KnappsKnots is a San Diego–based small business from Anastasia Knapp.
Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes has to say:
"I recently picked up this macrame basket (in the Cactus shade) and *highly* recommend it if you're looking to add a cozy touch to your kitchen. As someone with a relatively small NYC kitchen, I need every bit of counter space I can get, and this lets me keep produce out without having to take up space with a fruit basket or banana stand. I'm a big fan of utilizing vertical space as storage, and this does just that; plus, it allows for ventilation to help your fruit stay fresh for longer. I'm constantly cooking with onions or grabbing an apple as a mid-day snack, and having them right there at an arm's reach is sooo nice. BTW, these come with hooks that screw directly into a cabinet, but if you (like me) want to avoid that damage, I recommend using Command hooks — I'm using four of these small toggle hooks and they've held up the basket *with* produce in it wonderfully."
Promising review: "This looks great in my kitchen and is exactly what I needed. I like keeping my fruit off the counter and this is cute and functional. It came with all the hardware needed to install. It does look a bit small when you receive it but it stretches. I love this!!" —kristinamlindman
Get it from KnappsKnots on Etsy for $28.90+ (available in two sizes and 10 colors).
The gadget not only keeps your meat submerged, but the manufacturer says it also thaws it seven times faster than other methods! And as a bonus: The ThawClaw is a small biz!
Promising review: "I am a stickler for properly defrosting meat after working in food service for years and this makes that process super easy and surprisingly quick! I've even convinced my father — a retired rocket scientist — that this is the best way to defrost." —Sarah
Get it from Amazon for $10.95.
Amazon
Promising review: "A pair of these scissors were handed to me when I ordered a calzone in an Italian restaurant. I Immediately went home that night and found them on Amazon and ordered them. I use them for serving pizza, calzones, anything that I have to cut through. I love the fact that they can be taken apart for easy cleaning. I've recommended them to family and friends." —Kindle Customer
Get them from Amazon for $9.99.
Amazon
Promising review: "This is one of those things you don't know you need until you actually get one. I have used this about a thousand times since it arrived! I used it on my bathroom sink who's stopper broke and the stuff I pulled out of there was like an archeological dig. I thought I was going to find dinosaur bones with this thing! Absolutely a must in any home. Totally worth getting." —Elaine Catherine Lombardo
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes).
Promising review: "I am actually excited for my weekday breakfast now. These homemade McMuffins are so good! My favorite version uses sliced tomatoes, Swiss cheese, and precooked bacon (from Costco). So many options, so easy! My kindergartener and my teenager both love it. I may have to buy another one for our family. It's also easy to clean with a quick wipe-down." —Joolie
Get it from Amazon for $32.63+ (available in five colors).
Psst — a lot of folks also use these for pancake and protein pancake bites, too!
Promising review: "I bought this in hopes to make egg bites similar to Starbucks and I have not been disappointed. I chose this one after reading reviews on the smaller four-bite size. I have used it multiple times and have had excellent results each time. I followed the recipe in the booklet and used a tip from another reviewer that suggested to triple the cottage cheese amount. It’s very easy to use and clean." —April124
Get it from Amazon for $40.19+ (available in three colors).
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
This adorable little guy can be used a few different ways. To keep things like brown sugar and fresh cookies nice and moist, soak it in some water and then place it in the same container. On the flip side, keep things like chips and crackers nice and crispy by using it dry.
Promising review: "Not only do I use one of these little fellows for my brown sugar, I picked up a tip from someone else. If you take one of these little guys and don't run him under water, but leave him perfectly dry, he will help keep your electronics such as cameras dry in the camera bags during humid months by absorbing the humidity. How perfect is that? A multi-tasking little fellow. Well worth getting multiples of. I'm sure I can find other uses as well." —A.B.A.
Get it from Amazon for $6.79.
Amazon
The scissors have five blades which do the work of 10 knives! They also come with a cleaning comb which makes it easy to get out every last bit of your herbs.
Promising review: "We use HelloFresh which has a lot of meals with scallions. My uniform knife cutting skills are sketchy at best and I just knew there had to be a gadget out there that would make things easier. These herb shears are awesome! They make my life much easier. They are just like the description says, easy to use, easy to clean, and so far seem pretty durable." —Mike Taylor
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
Promising review: "My daughter cooked ramen noodles for three minutes without any water. Needless to say, it was burnt and almost caught fire. I have scrubbed the microwave and couldn’t get the horrible smell out to the point it was giving me a headache. After several days I decided to ordered this before buying a new microwave. Got it today and used it and shocked it actually pulled most of the odor out that’s trapped in the upper vent. This $10 item saved me $200 to $400." —Angela D.
Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in different sizes and packs of one or two).
Kayla Suazo / BuzzFeed
BTW — this grinder is battery-operated, so make sure to get a few AA batteries, too!
Promising reviews: "Nothing like freshly ground spices to add a little snap to your cooking. The pods snap on and off with ease and the grind size is very easy to adjust from barely ground to pulverized... The ability to group commonly used spices together in threes and carry them across the kitchen or outside to the grill just adds to the usability." —Todd Tittle
Get it from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in 10 colors, comes with grinder and two interchangeable pods).
Promising review: "Probably the coolest holder I have ever seen. Bought it for my wife and she loves it and thinks it's cute. I laugh when I look at it, just cool as all! Hangs on all of our pots and pans, stays cool. Easy to clean and looks awesome. Great addition to any kitchen. Works great, does exactly what it is intended to do!" —Logan E.
Get it from Amazon for $13.94.
The nifty tool can also be used to cook corn on the cob or revive old tortillas and bread.
Promising review: "My husband bought this for us one day, and I was skeptical at first, but when I actually tried it myself, I loved it! It only takes me a few minutes to cook potatoes! And in the microwave... not in the conventional oven where it will take me like 45 minutes to cook them!" —David Hemphill
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Love this! Was not sure if it would end up being stuffed in a drawer or a novelty. It’s one of the best things I have purchased in a while. I purchased a second as a gift." —Tammil
Get it from Amazon for $7.50.
Amazon
Promising review: "Soooo adorable! I have a morning cup of tea, a 'calming' nighttime cup of tea... tea throughout the day! These are so great to hold that tea bag without tying it around the handle or spoon so I don’t have to fish the tea bag from the bottom of the cup. Adorable!" —Terri Sanders
Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $6.99.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Each of the three included shapes has three pieces: a small cutter to cut meat, cheese, and other fillings into the right size, a sandwich cutter, and a sealing tool. The package even comes with cute joke cards to pack in your kiddo's lunch box!
Check it out on TikTok here.
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 them from Amazon for $16.97.
Amazon
Promising review: "Sir Arthur is our beloved knight of fridgeland. Wish we had a dozen of them. They are so sturdy and fun for kids. Our toddler loves him and it always makes us smile. It’s the little things, ya know? Quality hard plastic and has a little hinge feature. Easy to clean. Worth every ridiculous penny spent." —Amanda Marceaux
Get it from Amazon for $13.90.
The covers just slip right into the gap — there's no adhesive involved — so you can easily remove and clean them whenever necessary.
Promising review: "I've been using these for about a week on my new freestanding range. When they removed my old range, I was really surprised to see how much stuff had slipped through! Now, when I cook, I can see the splatters and seasonings left on the silicone that would have fallen between the stove and the counter. These gap fillers really do clean up easily, too. Although they are that extra thing to clean, I prefer that to knowing there's a mess hiding in the cracks." —JMom
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in five sizes and five colors).
Amazon, www.amazon.com
You can also heat up pizza slices, chicken nuggets, and more with it, meaning you'll have dinner ready 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. Check 'em out on TikTok here!
Promising review: "TikTok made me buy this!! I do not regret it. :) Great purchase for the grilled cheese lovers. It's easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to store. Highly recommend." —Gloria Nunez
Get them from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in packs of four and 10).
Amazon
Promising review: "As a single person, one of my biggest challenges is cooking. I prefer to make larger quantities — usually in my Instant Pot — and then separate them into servings and freeze them. Trying to freeze a lot of containers took too much space, so I decided to try freezer bags. Since it was a mess to put servings into bags, I ordered these bag clips to help, and they do. I mostly use sandwich-size baggies, which fit well, and the stands hold the bag open so I can add the food. Then it is easy to freeze the bags flat for future use." —cymart
Get them from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in packs of one, two, four, and six).
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
YouCopia is a woman-owned small business that specializes in home storage solutions.
Promising review: "Here it is! The best egg container on Amazon! How can I say that? Easy! Engineering! The slight tilt angle on the bottom of the container that the egg drawer sits on forces eggs to lightly roll forward, keeping all your eggs in the front, and never in the back, where you don't need them. It's super easy to use, so easy to clean, comes apart and can hold a full can organizer on top without issue, so no issues with sturdiness. It can easily hold 14 large eggs. Easily one of my favorite purchases." —Karingen
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Hands-down, one of the coolest and cutest kitchen gadgets I own. I bought this pitter because my father is a HUGE bing cherry fan. When cherry season is in, you can guarantee he'll be sitting in his recliner with a bowl full of cherries. He normally eats cherries and pits them in his mouth, but in his older age, I worried about him cracking a tooth or choking on the pit. So I bought this pitter and it was an INSTANT hit! He loved how cute it was and the pitter does an amazing job. Easy to use, not a ton of force needed, and then the pits are in one place and easy to throw away!" —cocade27
Get it from Amazon for $20.
Amazon
Promising review: "This worked really well, it popped all but a few kernels without burning any of the popcorn. I found that the time to pop was the same as what I use for the microwave popcorn packets, which is two minutes on our microwave. The popcorn tasted very good considering it had no oil, butter, or salt on it. I didn't think I would like it without butter. I still like movie theater butter popcorn the best but probably not best to eat that all the time, this popcorn is healthier. I tried adding butter to a batch after it cooked and it didn't taste much better, not like the taste of the microwave packets." —Derek
Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in 24 colors).
Superhero DIY / Etsy
Superhero DIY is a Broomfield, Colorado-based shop with 3D-printed storage solutions as well as cosplay props, costume accessories, collectibles, and more.
Promising review: "These are so amazing! I had no idea they existed. I’ve been storing my attachments in the bowl, which has not only caused scratches in the stainless bowl over time, but the extra attachments would also be loose and taking up valuable space on my counter when I was baking and only using one attachment. It was annoying! This keeps them handy, but put away, and I can select the attachment I need while the others stay put. So handy. Absolutely recommend!" —Marissa
Get a set of four from Superhero DIY for $9.55+ (available in nine colors).
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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