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If You’re Basically Discovering Your Kitchen For The First Time, May I Introduce These 27 Products

Soon, you’ll be using phrases like “grilled halloumi with yuzu kosho crisp.”

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by Colin Gorenstein BuzzFeed Contributor

I am a contributing writer based in Brooklyn who previously held roles at BuzzFeed including Commerce Writer, Senior Entertainment Partnership Manager (Streaming Lead), and Streaming Editor.

1. An efficient jack-of-all-trades chef's knife that you can use to prepare vegetables and meats alike. Knives Out? More like...knife out.😏 (All I need is one to get the job done!)

Amazon

Promising review: "As a beginner, I find it important that the knife is low-maintenance, versatile (to reduce the number of implements I need), and relatively safe. It is all of these. The knife could *probably* be sharper, but I would be more nervous using it. As it is, the blade simply slides through every fruit, vegetable, and loaf I've tried it on. —Tim Mccormack

Get it from Amazon for $50.05.

2. Plus, a two-stage knife sharpener so you don't have to deal with dull blades (and a lousy mincing job as a result). It'll make any "beginner" knife function like one much, much more expensive. 

www.youtube.com

Promising review: "Wow, this little gadget is pretty amazing! I have some old (expensive) nonserrated knives that are supposed to never need sharpening but unfortunately, lost their sharp edge long ago. I saw this gadget and decided to try it. I set the bottom of this gadget on the edge of the counter and ran one of the knives through the side labeled 'Coarse' about 10 times, then ran it through the side labeled 'Fine' another 8-10 times. Bingo! The knife was transformed back to its former high-dollar cutlery glory. I could hardly believe how effectively it had sharpened the knife, which I had been ready to throw away a week before. I've been happily sharpening all our knives and trying to add up in my head how much money I've saved by NOT having to buy another set of expensive knives. Great score!" —Schelly L. Wagoner

Get it from Amazon for $9.89+ (available in three colors).

Read our full review of the KitchenIQ knife sharpener!

3. A budget-friendly, cult-favorite ceramic nonstick skillet from Quince — because maybe you're not quite ready for the cast-iron life (and all the researching and maintenance that goes into it). But you *do* want something free of PFAs, plastic, lead, and cadmium. Hello, meet your new favorite go-to pan that does it all and makes cleanup a breeze!

Quince

Promising review: "Amazing! Cleans up perfectly! Have purchased so many pans in the last year, and these are my favorite ones! I cook for a living, and I know good pans!" —Juli J.

Get it from Quince for $44.90+ (available in two sizes, two colors, and a set of both sizes).

4. A set of nesting stainless-steel bowls that'll quickly become some of your most-used prep items. Yes, you can call them prep bowls, salad bowls, baking bowls, mixing bowls, or "I guess I like using my kitchen now" bowls.

Amazon

Promising review: "This set of six bowls has become my kitchen favorite for its durability and versatility. The stainless-steel construction is sturdy, lightweight, and easy to clean. The various sizes cover all cooking needs, and the stackable design saves storage space. Whether mixing, tossing, or marinating, these bowls are reliable and practical. A must-have for any home chef!" —Jerry 

Get a set of six from Amazon for $26.29.

5. A do-it-all Instant Pot which combines seven tools (including a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker) in one appliance and prepares gourmet meals in a fraction of the time you're probably used to. There's a reason why people won't shut up about this thing!

Amazon

This handy kitchen gadget has seven functions: rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker, and warmer! Check out our review of the Instant Pot!

Promising review: "This is quite possibly the coolest, most versatile kitchen gadget I’ve ever owned. I love it so much that I’ve purchased two more for friends and relatives. What can it do? I think the real question is 'What can’t it do?' I truly believe you could replace every cooking appliance (including your oven and stove top) and do EVERYTHING in the Instant Pot. I purchased two sizes for my own use: the 3-quart (which is my almost-every-day workhorse for two-person dishes) and the 8-quart (which I bring out to handle my dinner party dishes). Everything I’ve tried has been fabulous. In the realm of kitchen appliances, there is no better investment than the Instant Pot. Highly recommended!!!" —Stereoman

Get it from Amazon for $89.99+ (available in two sizes).

6. An Oxo swivel peelerthat'll give you much more control when peeling fruits and vegetables. In fact... You might even find that this gadget emboldens you to get more freaky and experimental with your cooking.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "OK, I'm a beginner cook and let me tell you... This is the absolute BEST peeler I could've EVER gotten!! It's SO easy to peel things! I just used it for the first time last night peeling cucumbers and boy oh boy, was it a whiz!!! Just about a week and a half ago, I was using a knife to peel things, and it took FOREVER!! Now I'm looking for other things to peel cause this thing just works that good!! Just a *take care* heads up... Watch your fingers around the blade cause that sucker works!! I haven't cut myself on it (yet), but I've read some of the other reviews, and I can definitely agree, that blade is sharp! You definitely gotta pick yourself up one of these peelers! You WON'T regret it!" —Marisa

Get it from Amazon for $17.95. 

7. A pair of trusty spring-loaded, stainless-steel tongs to give you the precision and grip necessary to maneuver through the kitchen with confidence. Yes, just ask the pros — those scalloped edges make a world of difference. 

Amazon

Promising review: "I love these Oxo Good Grip 16-inch locking tongs. I have used other tongs in the past, and they were good, but one problem I usually always had was I would get pinched every time I would go to turn something. I no longer get pinched, let's just say. These tongs are great for turning anything from meat to veggies to bread. The way they lock means they are going to stay locked until you actually want to unlock them. I use them for BBQs also; they work wonders around the tongs I use to use for the grill. I highly recommend these for even the beginners in cooking; why not start with the best, that way you don't waste money on others as I did?" —Missy

Get it from Amazon for $20.95.

8. A rapid egg cooker, which perfectly prepares up to seven eggs in any manner your heart desires — hard- and soft-boiled, poached, scrambled, omelets, you name it. This way, you'll really have to go out of your way to mess up an egg. Beginner (and hurried) cooks swear by it! 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I love hard-boiled eggs for protein, especially when I’m on the go as a student/worker, but it’s hard to wait for the water to boil, then put in the eggs and get ready all at the same time. This cooker is amazing!! Saves me time, it’s quick, and I don’t have to watch it while it cooks — I can go get ready, and then I hear a loud buzzer notifying me when the eggs are done! (The buzzer is really loud; it sounds like a basketball game buzzer.) I was surprised how fast the eggs cooked." —Megan

Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in seven colors).

Read more about the Dash Egg Cooker in our review!

9. A digital food thermometer so you never have to play the fun guessing game of "Will I Get Very Sick From Eating This Undercooked Meat?"

Amazon

Promising review: "This digital meat thermometer is the best I've ever had. I own others, but they are either too bulky to fit in the drawer or too hard to read. This one is small and lightweight; it's easy to pull out the probe and very easy to read the temperature. I purchased several as stocking stuffers for Christmas. They make a gift that will be appreciated for its size and ease of use, but most importantly, it will be a gift that gets used instead of put away in the closet." —Yardleydoc

Get it from Amazon for $8.98+ (available in three colors).

10. A kitchen scale that'll convert between six units of measurement, so you won't mix up measurements ever again. Don't let math scare you away from your kitchen again!

www.amazon.com

The units of measurement include grams, pounds, ounces, pounds and ounces, milliliters, and kilograms.

Promising review: "Excellent value, spot-on accurate (tested using 100-gram calibration weight along with day-to-day items like 1/2 cup butter weighs exactly 4 ounces). We use this all the time in the kitchen. Measures very light things in the gram or oz. range, up to several pounds of potatoes. Every baker knows you should use a scale like this to measure. No-brainer to measure '1 cup' of flour (120 grams), no leveling, no sifting, just weigh out 120g/cup, and you get great results every time. How do you measure tablespoons of bulk farm-fresh butter? Use this thing, 0.5 oz./Tablespoon. Tare works flawlessly. Grams or ounces, your call. A great all-around kitchen workhorse." —Tim M

Get it from Amazon for $24.95 (available in three colors).

11. A drip catcher for soaking up water splashes and puddles that form around your faucet. Perhaps countertop bacteria growth has made you less keen on spending hours hanging around your kitchen. You'd be surprised what a pristine workspace can do for the brain.

HustleSewShop/Etsy

Hustle & Sew is a woman-owned small business based in Saint Helens, Oregon, making fabric goods for the home.

Promising review: "LOVE these splash catchers! They save me from having to chase the puddles that form around the base of our faucet before they start creeping over the counter. So reasonably priced, made well with neatly finished edges, and packaged with gift-ready care." —Alina

Get it from HustleSewShop on Etsy for $13.50+ (available in four sizes and four colors).

12. A set of reliable, sophisticated stainless-steel measuring cups with etched measurements so you can cut out all the guesswork. Eyeing portions is probably best reserved for the pros, anyway!

Amazon

Promising review: "I compared them to my parents' $30 set, and they are nearly the same. They are quality stainless, although a little thinner than the $30 set. For a student and amateur cook like myself, these get the job done and are the absolute best at this price point." —Joel 

Get a set of eight from Amazon for $13.49.

13. Arotating whisk blender that'll completely change the game when it comes to blending, whisking, beating, and stirring up your favorite soups, dressings, and more. The semi-automatic design means minimal effort is needed to get the job done.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Check out a TikTok of the whisk in action. 

Promising review: "This is one of the coolest gizmos I’ve purchased! And it works like a charm, especially for scrambled eggs. I’ve always struggled with getting the egg white and yolk blended well together. This tool does the trick. I found it most effective with liquids. Any kind of sauce or salad dressing can be well blended with this tool, too." —Austin

Get it from Amazon for $13.49.

14. A Zojirushi rice cooker to make it very difficult to overcook your rice like you do every time you simmer it over the stove. And did I mention this thing works incredibly well with oatmeal and even cake?

Amazon

Promising review: "I have owned a couple of the pot-style rice cookers sold in the $20 to $50 US range and found they had problems with boiling over, scorching the bottom of the rice, and did not hold rice at a temperature for any length of time, making them hard to use for a person with no fixed time to get off work. My Asian friends told me Zojirushi was the way around these issues, and they were spot on. I have had this for about a week now, have made one batch of sushi short grain rice that rivaled any I have had in sushi houses, have had fresh, hot rice jook (rice porridge) two mornings this week, oatmeal one morning and fresh, hot white or brown rice ready for me when I got home, one time at 17:00 and twice after 21:00, so I can definitely say that the keep-warm function works. My only regret is not buying one of these machines five years ago!" —Bear

Get it from Amazon for $189. 

15. A uniform 10-piece set of airtight food storage containers that'll give you the peace of mind of always knowing where everything is when you begin prepping. It might even turn you into an open shelving chef...

Amazon

Promising review: "10/10 would recommend if you enjoy:

*knowing what food you own*not buying your fourth bag of quinoa by accident*opening your pantry and not immediately closing it again

Organized chaos is still chaos — but at least now it’s cute." —Marcy Miller

Get a 10-piece set from Amazon for $100.22 (also available in a 20-piece set).

16. Souper Cubes — aka an ice cube tray specially made for homemade meals (with a lid that'll prevent unwanted odors from entering the tray while freezing) — that you'll love for how easy it makes meal prepping. Think: streamlined, waste-free portions of chili, curries, pasta sauces, and soups that you can simply reheat and and enjoy for weeks to come.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "These food containers have literally saved my mental sanity. How am I able to work, school, church, ministry, and get fully cooked meals on the table and for lunches each day…. The answer is meal planning and freezer meals. If you don’t like eating leftovers, this is a way you can have options without eating a big pot of chili for a week. Just start making a bit extra of your favorite meal and add it to the freezer, in a few weeks, you will have 3–5 options for later. Bonus: They pop out so easily after they are frozen, and if you are doing portion control, this is an easy way to know how much you are eating, as each container has measurements." —Galina

Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in seven colors and in multipacks). 

17. An oscillating tower fan with three handy speed settings, which'll help you stay cool while you're bent over the stovetop making that Alison Roman dish the internet told you to make. It's summer after all — and now, not only do you have your fear of cooking to face, but your fear of how hot and stuffy your kitchen is going to be, too. Let this fan cool your fears. 

Amazon

Promising review: "Good size, relatively quiet. Perfect for kitchens, can be moved from area to area. Also, it has several different time settings and a remote with big buttons, which are helpful if you are visually impaired or have dexterity issues due to arthritis." —ReB

Get it from Amazon for $61.55+ (available in two colors).

18. A silicone safeguard if you've simply had it up to here (*points to the brim of pot*) with getting boiling pasta water all over your cooktop.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Love this product! It does exactly what it is designed to do. It really works and has prevented many boil-overs for me. I can now make my oatmeal, pasta, or chicken broth without any worry of a messy spillover. I no longer have to stand near the stove to watch for the boil-over point; I can do other things or get distracted while this marvelous invention takes care of whatever I am simmering or boiling. It is a great value; you get two of them, and I gave one to my son, who cooks. It is also easy to clean, you can pop the yellow flower off for easier cleaning." —Hey Mom

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in a set of two 10-inch safeguards or a set of one 11-inch and one 10-inch safeguard).

19. A 14-cup food processor so you can become sooo annoying about your little hummus and pesto varieties. In the best way possible, of course. This absolute workhorse of a 720-watt motor will make you wonder how you ever fell for the "cooking is hard" propaganda.

Amazon

Promising review: "This was the blessing I didn't know that I needed. I never dreamed I would use this tool as often as I do. I have mastered pestos, pastas, sauces, you name it! My very first endeavor was making pasta, which I was very intimidated by. It made it so easy! We love a good filet and asparagus, and the best sauce for that is hollandaise sauce. This food processor made it a breeze, and it is so delicious! My favorite thing to do is to puree garlic and herbs with my food processor and freeze it in small silicone molds to keep on hand to use while cooking. The garlic grinds so well that it is almost a paste and works perfectly for my needs. I have loaded this little machine down, and I have never worried about overloading it. She is a chopping, slicing, grinding, blending powerhouse! You can throw everything into the dishwasher, which makes clean up a breeze, or just quickly wash it to re-use immediately. I am almost tempted to buy a second unit to keep in storage just as a backup in case anything ever happens to this one." —Julie White 

Get it from Amazon for $284.99+ (available in three smaller sizes and eight colors).

20. A mini countertop compost bin, because it's not too late to start caring about the environment... and, in fact, one could argue that it's best to introduce (and make a ritual of) this early in your cooking journey.

Amazon

Promising review: "This is the perfect countertop bin to store composting scraps. To be clear, this is not a composter. Composting is a process that must be done over a period of time to break up organic material (like scraps of vegetables and egg shells) into compost, which is excellent soil for the garden. I recently bought a Bokashi Composting Starter Kit (which includes the material to break down the scraps of organic material). I use this Oxo bin by my cutting board and throw in scraps like banana peel and cucumber skins. Every two days or so, I transfer the scraps into the composter. This is helpful because the smell is kept to a minimum. It also limits my opening and closing of my Bokashi Composting bin, which is supposed to be kept to a minimum." —Luckydog

Get it from Amazon for $25.89+ (available in two sizes and two colors).

You can read more about this product in our review!

21. A stainless-steel cleaner that'll not only polish away existing grease, watermarks, and fingerprints but will also help prevent new ones from sticking. Maybe you can't see it now... But a "magic" cleaner could very well be the skeleton key that unlocks your love for the kitchen. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I was truly surprised at how well this product worked. A friend recommended it, and I thought at this price, I would give it a try. I couldn’t believe the difference it made to my stainless-steel appliances. Highly recommend using a microfiber cloth as directed. It buffed out all the smudges and fingerprints and does a good job of preventing future fingerprints. See photo: Right side is before, and left side is after." —Amanda

Get it from Amazon for $12.26.

22. An Oxo cookie dough scoop to deliver perfectly consistent, Instagram-ready cookies. Every. Single. Time. You might be an amateur, but no one needs to know that. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I'd always used the two-spoon method to attempt to get cookies of the same size on the cookie sheet. I got pretty good at it, but there was always an amateur look to my finished cookies. The idea of a cookie scoop never occurred to me until I complimented a friend, saying that her cookies looked worthy of a high-end bake shop. Every cookie on the plate looked to be exactly the same size and to have cooked evenly. She shared the secret of the scoop to ensure consistency in the look and texture of her cookies. The medium is the one I use most. The large comes in handy for making oversize dessert cookies, but the small has mainly been relegated to occasional melon baller status. I recently had to replace the medium one. Not because it wore out —  it didn't. In fact, it was just as comfortable and springy as the day purchased. No, I loaned the darn thing to my neighbor over the holidays when she broke her cheaply made scoop in some kind of cookie-making frenzy. Perhaps she found herself coveting it too much to return it; it's that good." —☮S.Trasny

Get it from Amazon for $16.65.

23. A reversible John Boos maple wood cutting board with extra-deep grooves for catching juices so you can go as buck wild as you please. Having a proper place for chopping is a must. 

Amazon

Promising review: "This is one serious cutting board. It is HEAVY, which is good as it doesn't move around on you. It is nice having the flat side for everyday slicing and cutting, and the second side with the cutout for juices to collect instead of running off. You do need to maintain this board, but it is easy and takes no time at all." —R. Hendricks

Get it from Amazon for $57.95+ (available in four sizes).

24. A set of unfussy drawer trays for organizing your various kitchen tools and utensils. Each set comes with three different sizes, so you can completely customize your drawers. Opening your drawers and not screaming is a huge step along the path to becoming someone who enjoys being in their kitchen. 

Amazon

Promising review: "Solid and sturdy, they don't move around in the drawer, they come in a number of sizes, and they make everything neat and tidy. The largest size in this set is long enough for a bottle brush, and the smallest size fits bottle openers, garlic press, small things like that." —gingero

Get a three-piece set from Amazon for $14.25+ (available in two colors).

25. A two-piece stoneware baker set for unbeatable baked pasta dishes and layered party dips in a beautiful porcelain enamel glaze. Easy to handle and easy to clean — the perfect recipe for novice-chef success. 

Amazon

Promising review: "The dishes are a nice, heavy ceramic. They look beautiful and clean easily. I felt everything cooked well and evenly. I used mine for broccoli/rice casserole and was pleasantly surprised by how easily it cleaned up." —Amazon Customer

Get a pair from Amazon for $59.95. 

26. ABreville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compactbecause maybe the summer heat has you feeling like you'd rather do anything than fire up your full-size oven. Don't be fooled by the size of this thing — the Breville Smart Oven has five air-fry settings and five smart cooking functions, giving you some ability to customize your cooking. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This is the PERFECT air fryer for apartments, condos, or smaller households (just two of us). Small footprint on the counter, not too tall, and looks nice, too. Makes AMAZING fish fillets (salmon, halibut) that cook evenly and get a little crispy. Very good for roasting vegetables, but do as it says and turn them halfway. Frozen snacks come out great every time. Competent at toast (it takes a little experimenting). Super-easy to program (temp/time/start), the warm-up countdown helps get the temp right before cooking, and there’s a guide inside the door showing the correct rack position for each use. And the unique 'a bit more' feature is brilliant! Just what you need for that extra browning or for a thicker piece of food. Cleanup is a breeze if you use parchment (for fish) and/or leave the pan in the bottom, and the lower tray slides out for easy cleanup. Uses way less electricity than the oven, and doesn’t heat up the whole house in the summer. Don’t know about long-term reliability yet, but so far it’s very much worth the extra money compared to the competitors we’ve used." —Stephen5280

Get it from Amazon for $249.95.

27. A long-lasting linen napkin set, because you know what they say: Find a napkin set you enjoy, and you will never have to work a day in your life (in the kitchen). Think linen is "too dainty?" Tell that to these ultra-absorbent, reliable standbys wiping the sauce off my mouth. 

Sur La Table

Promising review: "I love these, use them as everyday napkins. Don't save them for just fancy! I line-dry them, and they look nice enough. I've got different colors, have never had them show stains." —Robin V

Get a set of four from Sur La Table for $49.95 (available in 10 colors).

Want even more kitchen upgrade inspiration? We're here to help:

* These 35 Kitchen Products Have Reviewers Totally Smitten

* Things That’ll Help You Meal Prep Without Turning On The Oven And Heating Up Your House

* Things That’ll Make You Grill Master Supreme Of Your Friend Group

* Kitchen Tools Under $20 That Reviewers Can’t Get Enough Of

Plus, finds from Ikea, Sur La Table, Walmart, and Wayfair.

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Reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.