For easily flipping meats and vegetables, a good pair of tongs that can handle all kinds of different sized foods is a must. This pair of tongs from Zyliss is beautifully designed. You can operate them with only one hand, and everything is done ergonomically and with sturdy construction.

We have two of them for some reason, but one is all you need! A ladle is essentially a very large, long-handled spoon. It is used for serving liquid dishes like soups, stews, or sauces.

Oven mitts are used in order to protect your hands from being burned when transferring hot food to and from the oven. No longer will you have to wrap your hand in a tea towel and try not to spill your dish or get burned as you pull it out one handed. Our recommended oven mitts from Kitchen Elements are made of silicone with a cotton interior and are dishwasher safe.

Plus, they can be cleaned very easily and even look stylish! Whether you choose to purchase our recommended pick or another option, make sure you have quality oven mitts before beginning any high-heat oven cooking. A good pair of oven mitts is a must have for any kitchen.

Instead of ugly cloth trivets that get stained easily, pick up these beautiful bamboo trivets that will last a long time and are easy to clean. A splatter guard is a device that is placed on top of skillets or sauté pans during high heat cooking in order to stop splattering hot oil and food from coating your stovetop.

How many times have you had to clean your oven top and cupboards from splattering grease and oil? With this fine mesh splatter guard from Progressive International , these clean up days are over. It will fit most pans, is simple to clean and much sturdier than other splatter guards out there, and even has feet so you can set it down after use without leaving a mess on your countertop.

Great buy. If you find yourself roasting foods often in the oven and want to have continual temperature readings, we also recommend the Thermoworks ChefAlarm.

It's wonderful for precisely measuring the temperature of Thanksgiving turkey, for example, or for getting accurate water temperature readings for sous vide cooking. An immersion blender also known as a stick blender is used to blend or puree food in the container its is being prepared in.

We use our immersion blender all the time. It comes with a variety of useful attachments that are all ergonomic, high quality, and very easy to clean. They turn your immersion blender into an extremely versatile tool.

We love this package deal! For precisely measuring raw food and coffee beans, in my case a small, lightweight, scale is needed. Look no further than American weigh scales digital pocket scale. Our pick is the Oster Versa blender that comes in at less than ½ the price of a Vitamix our premium pick and the de facto standard for powerful blenders and performs just as well.

This is a stylish blender with a 1, watt motor that pulverizes anything you can throw at it. This is a great purchase for the price, and we highly recommend it.

Our premium pick is the Vitamix Professional series blender. High quality food storage containers are essential for bringing lunch to work and storing ingredients or cooked meals in the refrigerator so they stay fresh for several days.

Our recommended glass containers from Kinetic are dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, and oven safe and are made from environmentally friendly glass instead of plastic.

This is a set of three containers with locking lids, which is great for a single cook who plans on taking their lunch to work.

If you cook for your family or significant other and need more than three containers containers, try our premium option which comes in a bigger set. You can purchase these highly rated glass food storage containers from Snapware in sets of 10, 16, and Plus, the reviews are amazing!

Aluminum foil can be used in the kitchen for all sorts of different purposes. From cooking to cleaning, protecting, scrubbing, lifting, or steaming, this is one versatile kitchen essential.

For this reason, we recommend stocking up on high quality foil from Reynolds. Parchment paper is used in cooking as a disposable non-stick surface that greatly helps with avoiding messes in the kitchen. Our recommended parchment paper from Kirkland is high quality, comes in high quantity packaging, and is a very reasonable price.

Everybody needs towels in their kitchen for drying dishes, wiping up spills, dusting, and regular cleaning. But as with all of our other recommended kitchen items, some sponges are better than others.

These sponges are tough and will last a many tough jobs in the kitchen. If they get smelly all you have to do is put them in the dishwasher, run a cycle, and they'll come out as good as new. A quality dish rack is needed because you can place your dishes on the rack and have it drain the water back into the sink.

If you want to fancy your dish rack up, the Zojila Rohan dish rack is the ferrari of dish racks. This is a pricey purchase, but the positive reviews back it up. These trays allow you to release the cubes with a single, simple twist that will get the entire cube out.

Never again do you have twist and hit your trays to get broken ice cubes out. The silicon lid seals water into the tray before freezing which allows you to place the tray any way you like in the freezer.

Popping the cubes out is an extremely simple affair, and the reviews of this tray are glowing. Because everyone needs trash bags, you may as well choose the best designed ones you can find.

These small trash bags from Glad are perfect for apartment dwellers who only have room for a small trash bin. These bags come in a 4-gallon size, which is perfect for under-the-sink trash bins that need to be tucked away. They're also extremely sturdy and can handle being carried when full without you having to worry that they'll tear and spill garbage everywhere.

For a small bag that does a tough job, these trash bags are a great quality buy. With fantastic reviews on Amazon, these large trash bags from Glad will fit your large trash bin perfectly. These bags come in a gallon size, which works well for taller trash bins that aren't stored under the sink.

They also have reinforcing bands woven throughout the bag which makes them extremely tough and sturdy - a nice feature that gives peace of mind when carrying a full bag. Whether you use these bags in your busy kitchen or even in the office, you won't be disappointed.

Designed for apartment dwellers using small trash bags , this stainless steel small trash bin from Simplehuman is elegantly designed, highly rated, and comes with a 5-year warranty. It has custom handles on the inside of the bin that holds grocery bags in place so they never sag when filled with trash.

Even the step that opens the can is designed well - it works with a small amount of pressure and has a soft-close feature that won't make a racket when you close the lid. Overall, this is a fantastic bin for use under the sink in your kitchen or bathrooms.

This large trash bin from Simplehuman is perfect for people who have the space for a full-sized, high-quality trash bin. This bin also comes with a 5 year warrantly and will fit your large trash bags perfectly.

It comes with a steel foot pedal with a soft-close feature that makes closing the bin after use quiet and smooth which is a nice change from those bins that close with a crash. Innovative design allows you to place the bin right up against the wall and still allow the lid to be opened.

For use as a standalone bin that isn't tucked away anywhere, this large bin is a clear winner. By purchasing only high-quality multi-purpose items that have a strong value proposition, you can end up with a fully stocked kitchen that will last a lifetime without costing you an arm and a leg!

Check out our free simple recipes , or join our free personalized meal planning service here. Recipes Cookware Guides For Work Log in Download. Chef's Knife. Chef's Knife Budget. Cutting Board. Cutting Board Premium. Can Opener. Measuring Cups. Measuring Spoons. Mixing Bowls.

Vegetable Peeler. Potato Masher. Salad Spinner. Citrus Juicer. Garlic Press. Paring Knife. Paring Knife Budget. Bread Knife. Bread Knife Budget. Knife Sharpener. Stainless Steel Skillet. Stainless Steel Skillet Premium.

Sauté Pan. Sauté Pan Premium. Small Saucepan. Small Saucepan Premium. Medium Saucepan. Medium Saucepan Premium.

Large Pot. Large Pot Premium. Cast Iron Skillet. Grill Pan. Baking Sheet Pan. Muffin Pan. Casserole Dish. Broiler Pan.

Stockpot Premium. Stirring Spoon. Slotted Spoon. Oven Mitts. Splatter Guard. Immersion Blender. Immersion Blender Premium. Kitchen Scale. Blender Premium. Blender Budget. Food Storage Containers. Food Storage Containers Premium.

Aluminum Foil. Parchment Paper. Heavy Sponges. Dish Rack. Dish Rack Premium. Ice Cube Tray. Ice Cube Tray Premium. You could instead opt for the Lodge Chef Collection Inch Cast Iron Skillet , which is about 2 pounds lighter and performs similarly to the original, but that model is more expensive and a bit shallower.

The Winco FST-6 6. This nonstick pan has a slick coating, a comfy handle, and a flared shape for easy flipping. A cast-iron skillet is the best all-purpose pan. Exclusive to Walmart, this variant of the Tramontina pan performs identically to pricier versions and has only minor aesthetic differences.

In our tests, the Tramontina nonstick pan heated more evenly than others and released food well, with the sloped sides of the pan making it especially easy for us to flip eggs or pancakes and slide food onto the plate.

The pan is made of cast aluminum and has a nonstick coating that, with proper care , should last for years. A key component of proper nonstick care is using only silicone or wooden tools with your pans, to avoid scratching the nonstick surface.

Our favorite tool for this purpose is the GIR Mini Flip Silicone Spatula , which has a fiberglass core and a seamless silicone exterior with a sharply angled, thin edge that slides under food cleanly.

This pot heats evenly and is roomy enough for a pound of pasta but not too big to cook a packet of instant ramen. Pots with layered bases and thinner walls are more susceptible to uneven heating and sticking than more expensive fully clad pots are.

But compared with other pots we tested that have thin walls and a tri-ply base, this IKEA pot overperformed.

In our tests, water boiled evenly and quickly, with no obvious hot or cold spots, and neither pasta nor oatmeal stuck to the interior of the pot. Handy for sifting flour or draining pasta, these strainers are inexpensive and dishwasher safe.

You need some sort of strainer to drain pasta, and a fine-mesh strainer is a multipurpose tool that can also dust a delicate layer of powdered sugar on top of a confection, sift flour for a perfectly crumbed cake, and even serve as a container for washing your produce.

The smaller sizes are ideal for tasks like straining out solids as you transfer used cooking oil to a jar or pour a shaken cocktail into a glass.

Sharp right out of the package, this inexpensive knife is large enough for big tasks and precise enough for thin slices. In our tests, it was sharp enough straight out of the package to cut through a sheet of paper.

It cut thin slices of tomato, apple, and red onion with ease, minced cilantro cleanly without crushing or tearing, and created a satisfying dice through a carrot. It was also large enough, and tough enough, to cut the rind off a watermelon.

With proof of purchase, IKEA allows you to return new, unopened products up to a year from purchase, or opened products up to days, for a full refund. The all-metal handle is ridged for grip but could become slippery when oily or wet.

But those flaws are not noticeable enough to be dealbreakers. Also keep in mind that all knives eventually need sharpening , whether you opt for a knife-sharpening service, invest in a knife sharpener, or borrow a sharpener from a friend. Comfortable and sharp, this little knife has a thin blade for delicate tasks.

A paring knife is a necessary tool for performing in-hand knife work like peeling shrimp or hulling strawberries, for mincing small things like shallots or a single garlic clove, and for completing delicate tasks like segmenting citrus.

The Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife is a reliable, beloved, sharp little tool more than capable of tough cuts like coring apples or gentle feats like cutting away orange pith. This cutting board has stabilizing rubber feet and a just-big-enough The rubber feet on either side hold it in place on a dry counter; placing a towel under the board helps it stay in place on a wet counter.

A channel around the cutting board catches liquids and prevents messy runoff. Beloved by pros and home cooks alike, this simple peeler does its job excellently.

A Y-shaped vegetable peeler makes it easy and kind of fun to peel fruits and vegetables, and the Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler deftly tackles any piece of produce you want to peel.

Sharp, lightweight, and durable, this beloved peeler is ubiquitous in the kitchens of all sorts of cooks. The Y-shape, the swiveling blade, and the lightweight handle give you ample range of motion as you negotiate produce with the blade. This springy model whisks efficiently and can rest in a hot pan without melting, though the handle will get hot in that situation.

The Winco Inch Stainless Steel Piano Wire Whip is a springy, efficient whisk at a great price. With two more wires than the average whisk of this size, it offers extra power and speeds up tasks like whipping cream.

Just remember that the handle will heat up in that case. You need a sheet pan to bake cookies, roast veggies, catch meat drippings in the oven, and make sheet-pan meals. This simple stainless steel bowl is wide, shallow, cheap, and durable. You need a mixing bowl for cooking, baking, and sometimes even serving.

Commonly found in commercial kitchens and restaurant-supply stores in a variety of sizes, Thunder Group Standard Weight Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls are durable and useful for any cook.

The wide, shallow construction provides ample room for tossing ingredients or whisking air into a mixture. These versatile stainless steel bowls are oven and dishwasher safe, as well.

This scale measures just as accurately as our more expensive top-pick scale. Instead of buying a pricey and easy-to-lose set of measuring cups, go for a digital kitchen scale and score the added benefit of more accurate measurements and fewer dishes to clean.

The Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale measures as accurately as the more expensive Escali Primo Digital Scale , the top pick in our guide to kitchen scales , and has just the minor downside of a shorter auto-off cycle.

If you want the most accurate possible measurement of small quantities, you may want to throw in a set of measuring spoons. This classic measuring cup is durable, legible, and easy to clean.

A digital scale has you covered for measuring dry ingredients, but measuring liquids is often easier with a liquid measuring cup. Such a tool also works well for slowly drizzling oil into a mixture, keeping water on hand to add gradually to a dough, or even watering plants. Made of durable tempered glass and labeled with clearly printed, legible measurement markings, this Pyrex measuring cup is another of our longtime favorite kitchen tools.

Its spout pours a smooth stream, and it stacks well with other Pyrex measuring cups. This durable can opener turns smoothly and cuts through cans with ease.

The EZ-Duz-It grips cans securely and cuts through them smoothly, removing lids entirely rather than leaving you with a sharp disk clinging to the can. You might want to hit the thrift store for plates, cups, bowls, and cutlery, as well as an oven mitt or a fun hobby appliance such as an ice cream maker or Instant Pot.

Beyond that, here are a few more of our favorite inexpensive kitchen tools that can help you round out your newly equipped kitchen.

Scissors are indispensable if you want to fully debone or spatchcock a chicken, but you can also use them to cut kimchi into bite-size pieces, cut rings of green onion for a quick garnish, or just cut into a package. The OXO Good Grips Kitchen Scissors can handle all those tasks smoothly.

These scissors have sharp blades that come apart for easy cleaning, and one blade has a micro-serrated edge to keep slippery ingredients like raw poultry in place as you cut.

A silicone spatula is great for folding together cookie dough or scraping every drop of aioli out of your mixing bowl, and this one is the best. If you love to bake treats or make sauces, add a silicone spatula to your shopping list.

Perfect for scraping and folding, the GIR Ultimate Spatula adds a bit more precision and ease to tasks that you could otherwise do with a spoon.

Matter of fact, I often have to process half of my recipe, dump it, and process the rest. By all means, start with the cheapest one, but if you cook in large batches, you may want to save yourself a headache and get a larger size.

This KitchenAid handheld mixer will certainly get the most basic tasks done in your frugal kitchen. Therefore, I never saw the need to go overboard and purchase a stand mixer that will collect dust in my cabinets.

This kitchen essential can help you make all kinds of different frugal dishes — homemade pasta, bread, cakes from scratch and more. If you plan ahead, prep, and freeze your ingredients — you can dump your food in the Crockpot and it will be done in time for dinner.

This programmable Crockpot is easy to use and easy to clean. If you have a family of 4, package up the rest and take it with you for lunch at work. I absolutely LOVE these meal prep containers.

These 3 compartment containers are very durable. You can put them in the freezer, microwave, and the dishwasher. Divvy up the portions in these meal prep containers and you will have lunch for an entire week.

These will definitely help your savings add up! I literally use these Pyrex bowls every single day. The 18 piece, clear bowl set are glass and so much better than plastic.

Plastic Tupperware stains and not all of them are BPA free. I only need to replace the filters every two months and I fill this up a couple of times a day at most.

If you need water on the go, grab one of these Brita on-the-go filter cups to save even more. This KitchenAid 9 piece measuring cup and spoon set is dishwasher safe and BPA free. Next, I had to include a slow cooker in this roundup because it is a lifesaver on busy days!

Some of my favorite recipes include vegan BBQ meatballs , chickpea peanut stew , and black bean soup. Also, I even did a round up of top recipes to give you more inspiration!

Additionally, these are made with sustainable materials and absorb heat very easily. I love having a set of a few to choose from. Honestly, many of my most productive days start with a hot cup of coffee.

Enter: this super-pretty-yet -functional french press. It makes getting that perfect cup a total breeze. So, here we have the final installment in affordable kitchen essentials for today: Mason jars!

These little containers are definitely my 1 kitchen storage solution. For example, dried beans, nuts, seeds, and lentils all keep longer when sealed in my pantry this way.

Affordable Kitchen Essentials: My Top 12 Tools. August 8, No one likes pink poultry. Great investment. I agree wholeheartedly. I love my pressure cooker, and wish I had gotten it when the family was younger. Very quick way to cook favor-filled meals. The cookers they make now are much safer than those made decades ago.

There are some very good cookbooks out there for pressure cooking too—check them out! Hey Kat — Great list! Yes, a digital thermometer really takes the guess work out of cooking meats. Dutch oven for braising.

Good stockpot. Could not live without either. My standard gift to newlyweds is a dutch oven of some sort. I wish they were still made in the U. Your list is spot on! We eat a lot of rice, and so we use this at least twice a week. Can be used for things other than rice as well. We use our rice cooker a lot.

I like having a heavy mortar and pestle. Not too big, about a 2 cup bowl. Great list. And reader add ons. While maybe not essential, I think a good grater love the microplanes and a spatula heavy plastic, double tip ones are v.