Parents can provide lots of advice, especially when it comes to kitchen gadgets. If you’ve been trying to step up your baking or cooking game, there are plenty of products that’ll help you get started. From tofu presses to bread boxes, here are great kitchen tools parents love to use and recommend to others.
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Promising review: “I have been experimenting with beef and pork roast meals with this. I LOVE it. There are no scorch marks on the bottom after cooking. The cast iron spreads the heat out so effectively that your entire contents are at nearly the same temperature with no hot spots. Indeed, this device is very heavy. That is what makes it work so well. I have used it on my gas stove in the oven and on a top burner, both methods have worked very well.” — quiet bells
This Montana-based small business is owned by Bradley Bernhart, who handcrafts rolling pins, serving spoons and spatulas.
Promising review: “My partner loves it! It’s super high quality, shipped fast and looks like it will age will. It even came with instructions for how to maintain and treat the wood. Recommended!” — macrotomicro
Get it from Earlywood on Etsy for $46+ (available in three styles).
Freckled Fuchsia is a womxn-owned business in Portland, Maine that sells cute prints, stationary and tea towels.
Promising review: “I love these bowls! Not only are they pretty, but they are the right size for my everyday needs. I honestly think I’ve used one of them nearly every day since I got them. I’m extremely happy with my purchase.” — J Owens
Promising review: “This came very well-packaged. The three various sizes were zip-tied together and the mesh kept its shape. It feels sturdy and the grip is really nice as it is nonslip! I love cooking and this will be very useful as I am a clumsy person. I used to have a plastic one and the the handle kept slipping so I burned myself when I would remove water for pasta and such. I was also very happy to see that there is a hook on the top of the mesh so it could hang on the wall! Very convenient and overall satisfied with this purchase!” — Jennifer
Promising review: “I was resistant to getting a tofu press. Another kitchen gadget! But this little guy does not disappoint. It saves time and is clean, fast and easy. I thought I would want something made of wood or metal — but really this is just the thing. It’s cute, rinses out licketty split and gets the job done without messing up towels or having to boil off extra water. My countertop stays clean. I’ve been a vegetarian all my life and this little gadget is already indispensable.” — Maria Lewis
Promising review: “I never could get my old toaster clean and it was getting sad. I do not like sad toast. This charmer is lovely to look at, and does a great job making toast that is just the right shade of lovely brown. A chart comes with the toaster. I find I needed to set it a little higher to get the toasty goodness I desired. Goes beautifully with my vintage glass dishes. I feel so retro I may need to invest in a frilly apron.” — Margaret C.
Promising review: “I love this knife! I stumbled upon a description when I was shopping for a sushi knife. It was so cheap, I decided to take a chance. Wow. It is such a great little knife. Yes, it works perfectly on soft tomatoes. But, to be honest, I use it for many other fruits and vegetables. It is amazingly sharp, the serrated edge is very effective and it has a great feel in my hand.” — Jane S.
Weathered Finishes is a small business based in Arizona that specializes in handmade home goods.
Promising review: “I absolutely love this storage bin! Even though the measurements were posted, it’s a more substantial box than you’d think with lots of space inside each partition. It is a nice ivory, exactly as pictured. Seller communication was excellent and product was shipped very fast!” — Lynn Sosa
Promising review: “This is my third set because I ADORE them! Tight fit, stack perfectly in my fridge, freeze well and microwave well with vented sides when latches are up! They have been dropped, tipped over and quite frankly brutally beaten up by my crew and they haven’t cracked or broken to date! Even better, the lids store well! Honestly the best containers I’ve owned! *Gazes into cabinet and realizes adulting is weird when you are this excited to review plastic containers.*” — K McB
Promising review: “This mortar-and-pestle is really awesome! I just love it and I suggest you all get one now and start appreciating your herbs more! It brings out such flavor and aroma! And it’s very therapeutic to grind herbs. I had a very slight issue with mine and the customer service I received just blew me away! They fixed my issue and then some! I’m very impressed and love my purchase. Get this today!” — Carol Joyce
Promising review: “These are simple and solid. They are heavy duty and they cut through just about anything. They will last a long time.” — d.kerkhoff
Promising review: “I love this product. I’ve made so many different rices in it. The only thing I suggest is when making rice that might end up sitting in the pot for a while, put some olive oil on the bottom as the rice tends to stick if it’s sitting on the ‘warm’ setting for too long, or add some extra water. The rice cooker is wonderful though. It’s a real time-saver.” — Michelle
Promising review: “I’d never heard of these before my wife asked me to get one. Now? This makes salad prep so much easier. Even ‘pre-washed’ salad mixes are suggested to at least rinse before use. This makes that easy. Take it from a guy who believes salad is his food’s food, but now has to eat it. This makes it simple. I can even store the salad in this in the fridge for a while. Hmm, internal strainer might even work for macaroni, alright, now I am hungry. Cya! And get one of these if you don’t have one.” — Steven LoBue
Promising review: “I just redid my kitchen and I now have black countertops, white cabinets and a sage green backsplash and this thing coordinates so well! I was going to buy a normal kettle since I’m a daily tea drinker, even considered an electric. But this thing was so darn cute and cheaper than the other websites. This makes a great cup, is very sturdy, and again it is so pretty!” — Alex Rasmussen
Promising Review: “I bought this to give my mother-in-law for Christmas. She is an avid baker and cook. She loved how simple it was to use and get creative in the kitchen.” — Alta
Promising review: “This board is SO BEAUTIFUL, the colors are very contrasting and there is even a bit of a luster within the wood! Not only that, it’s also sturdy, a good size and comes with clear instructions to care for it. I struck gold with this. It’s super high quality and I definitely recommend. it” — Amazon Customer
Promising Review: “I love this little tool! It makes removing the leaves off herbs (especially thyme) so much easier, saving me time! It is solid, will last and it’s easy to clean.” — Elaine Y.
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, lightweight, it’s easy to pull out the probe and very easy to read the temperature. I purchased several as stocking stuffers for Christmas – just three months away! I highly recommend getting several with the holidays coming up. 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.” — Kat29
Promising review: “This is my go-to zester. It tackles all the jobs I need. The blades are sharp and it handles citrus and ginger with ease.” — Terry S.
Get it from Sur la Table for $14.95 (available in eight colors).
Promising review: “I purchased these tongs specifically for a nonstick frying pan but find I am using them for general cooking and love them. I was afraid the silicone coating on the tips would be thick and maybe unwieldy. But while they are thicker than my other ‘plain’ tongs, they are still very precise in grip. I like that they are high heat resistant. I Iove to roast vegetables in high oven heat and I don’t have to worry about getting in there and tossing that asparagus around while it’s in a 450 degree oven! They seem to be made well, are sturdy, and have a good ‘hand feel’. I use them frequently.” — Cynthia H.
Promising review: “I got these for my husband for Christmas. Needless to say, he thanks me for them any time he uses them. He is constantly impressed by his ability to slice things really thin. I think he’s just showing off at this point. Be careful though, they are extremely sharp, he’s cut himself twice putting them away.” — Aleida Blake
Get them from Amazon for $127.27+ (available with or without knife block).
Promising review: “This tortilla press is SO cute and lets you make delicious tortillas super easily. I love the pop of red on my counter and guests always give me compliments when I take it out for Taco Tuesday!” — Carly
Promising review: “I love this skillet! I’ve used it on gas and electric stoves as well as over fire outdoors. I’ve owned it for eight months now and it still looks as new as it did eight months ago. Make sure to research how to clean your cast-iron cookware and always heat them up to evaporate any surface moisture after cleaning before oiling. I’ve made many different foods in this, Utica Greens, bacon, eggs, steak, pizza etc. and all have come out perfect. I would say I would buy this again, but I see this skillet lasting forever!” — Tinkerman
Promising review: “In looking for a new hand blender I felt fortunate to find this. At 500 watts this one is more powerful than most, the steel feels substantial and the attachments are very easy to change. I am impressed with how fast it is and cleanup is super easy. This one is perfect for my needs, no frills, just a very sleek tool for a serious cook!” — farm folk
Promising review: “The smallest of details are within my awareness in these slowed days…so when the age and stage of my wooden spoons was revealed, I fell for these dishwasher-safe, lovely-colored delights. Isn’t it crazy to actually anxiously await the arrival of kitchen spoons?!! When they came the entire space sang a new song. They are cleverly diverse and inspire new techniques! I am so grateful for simple pleasures!” — SBMickey
