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Stocking your kitchen with cookware, tools, and appliances can easily cost thousands of dollars. Not to mention, these tools make great gifts. Savvy meal preppers and bakers who like big batches will reach for this large sheet pan over and over.

Made of durable aluminum, it conducts heat well and ensures your food will cook uniformly. Testing cookie sheets , we were able to achieve even browning on potato wedges and a golden brown result on cookies, and food released easily.

Despite its large size, it was easy to maneuver, even with oven mitts on. The angled walls helped us scoop up foods with a spatula, and the rolled edges provided excellent structure and prevent warping.

The versatility of a paring knife is hard to beat, so if one knife is useful, a set of two is even better. This set from Zyliss gives you a 3. Testing paring knives , liked how easily we could chop shallots with the smooth blade and cut through bread and slice through tomatoes with the serrated blade.

Both blades are easy to wash by hand and also come with blade covers to guard against their super-sharp points and edges during storage. Microplane makes the gold standard for handheld zesters and graters. It also works wonderfully on hard cheese, producing fine, fluffy shreds that melt into risotto or pasta.

This model from Zulay pulls double duty with two reamers: a tooth reamer for lemons and limes and a three-tooth reamer for oranges, grapefruits, and other large citrus. We tested this with a few different citrus varieties and were able to produce copious amounts of clear, flavorful juice with some pulp, collecting it in the ounce capacity cup below.

Professional cooks know that keeping knives well-honed is essential for functionality and safety in the kitchen. This affordable knife sharpener from Longzon lets you tend to dull knives whenever you need to, with multiple grit settings to get the perfect edge.

We liked the sturdiness and effectiveness of this sharpener, which required only five to 10 pulls to notice an improvement to our blade we noticed an even better edge after 10 to 20 pulls. We also like that it can sharpen scissors too, adding even more value to this already well-priced model.

For avid bakers, a silicone spatula is essential — its flexible head can mix, scrape, and fold with ease. During testing , this attractive KitchenAid spatula scraped ingredients out of bowls with ease, felt nicely lightweight, and was easy to clean with a quick hand wash.

While its curved head struggled to get into corners, we found it versatile and an overall great value. The spatula you use to flip and roll eggs into the ideal shape matters, especially when it comes to omelets. This flexible egg turner from OXO has a silicone blade with an extra-thin, slightly flexible edge that lets you slide right underneath your omelet without compromising its surface.

It allowed us to achieve a perfect fold when we tested the best spatulas for eggs , so we dubbed it the Best for Omelets. With a high heat resistance up to °F , it can withstand the dishwasher and more. Even though the handle is made of wood, the spatula is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.

A wooden spoon comes in handy for sautéing, stirring sauces, scraping up fond while deglazing a pan, and more. During testing , we were easily able to break up ground sausage and stir oatmeal, and the deeper bowl of this spoon allowed us to use it as a serving spoon too.

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. For example, if you see a lower price in the Target app than in the store, show your cashier, and they'll honor the price.

Alright, Freebs! Ready to go shopping? Our number one pick for a kitchen essentials splurge is a stand mixer. A good quality stand mixer will last for a LONG time. If you're into shelf cooking , that stand mixer will get plenty of use! Here are three to check out:. If you like to cook or bake, it won't take long to recoup the costs of your stand mixer!

Our biggest piece of advice: buy the best version you can afford. It's a worthy splurge, so whip it good! Use that for a pricier purchase like a stand mixer to make the most of the savings. Pots and pans might not seem as exciting as a fancy stand mixer, but they're arguably the most important thing you can buy for your kitchen.

If you think about it, you use cookware every day. Don't cheap out on this kitchen essential! Here are three stainless steel cookware options the pros love:. Trust us on this one. Cheap knives just. Save yourself the frustration and spring for a good set! Chop it like it's hot with one of these options:.

Good knives are definitely an investment, but they're worth it. The cheap ones just don't cut it! We made the mistake of buying a cheap blender once, and we'll never do that again! They just don't work well at all. Save up for a good blender like one of these:.

By the way, if you've ever wondered about the difference between a food processor and blender , Shelf Cooking has got ya covered! Could we even write a post about kitchen essentials without mentioning the Instant Pot?!

You guys know we love the IP around here, right? In our humble opinion, you should only buy the name brand. Here are two we love:. A hero hiding in plain sight on the kitchen appliances aisle. If you don't have a vacuum sealer, you need one!

Around here, we consider it a kitchen essential.

All The Kitchen Essentials You Need — For Just $ · Essential Cookware & Tools for a First Kitchen · Pots & Pans · Knives · Prep Tools · Utensils The 15 Best Kitchen Tools Under $20, Based on Our Tests · Nordic Ware Big Baking Sheet · Zyliss Comfort 2-Piece Paring Knife Set · Microplane My absolute favorite kitchen essentials that are perfect for stocking any kitchen! From our go-to tools and utensils to high-quality small

Cost-effective kitchen essentials - A comprehensive list of kitchen tools and equipment that will help you build a well-run, efficient, and budget-conscious kitchen! All The Kitchen Essentials You Need — For Just $ · Essential Cookware & Tools for a First Kitchen · Pots & Pans · Knives · Prep Tools · Utensils The 15 Best Kitchen Tools Under $20, Based on Our Tests · Nordic Ware Big Baking Sheet · Zyliss Comfort 2-Piece Paring Knife Set · Microplane My absolute favorite kitchen essentials that are perfect for stocking any kitchen! From our go-to tools and utensils to high-quality small

Please note that this page may include affiliate links. I always suggest going to a store that will allow you handle the knife first. It should have a blade of good enough quality that it can take an edge and keep it. Never put a knife in the dishwasher; the detergent will dull the blade, the heat from the steam may warp it and neither will do much for the handle, either.

You can find great deals at restaurant supply stores and at the business-focused Costco outlets. If you want to splurge, explore mid-range options from German or Japanese knife manufacturers such as Henckels, Wusthof and Global. Avoid their very cheapest, entry-level goods, though; at that point, you tend to be paying more for the name brand than the quality of knife.

If you invest in a knife and treat it well by hand washing it and getting it regularly sharpened, like other kitchen essentials, it can last a lifetime. Cutting Board or two A good-looking cutting board can double as a serving platter for parties.

Absolutely avoid glass; it has a grating sound and will ruin your knife blades. Next up are cutting boards made from bamboo. Wooden cutting boards are handsome, but need a little extra care.

Measuring cups and spoons Stick with basic metal measuring cups and spoons to start. Hot pot or electric kettle A hot pot or kettle is great for rapidly boiling water. Whether you use it to brew a cup of tea, get a jump on water for pasta, or cook even ramen noodles.

A large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch Oven A six- to eight-quart heavy bottom pot will keep you from burning everything you put into it, and will allow for an even sauté onions and vegetables, thus making this a good choice for soup, beans, chili, stock, etc. in addition to using it for boiling water for pasta or steaming vegetables.

You can get an inexpensive stainless one from IKEA or a restaurant supply store, but the best value for money is an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. Be sure to get one that has no plastic in its design including the handle so that it can go into the oven, far-extending its value beyond the stove top.

If splurging, go directly to a quality brand such as All-Clad. A set of nesting bowls You need at least one large bowl to mix stuff in. Consider buying a set of different-sized bowls that nestle into one another. Utensils Start with a large spoon.

Add a grater. After that, what you cook will help you determine what you need such as whisks, ladles, etc. at a Goodwill and these items cost less than a buck each. A baking or casserole dish Great for casseroles, lasagna, quiches, pot pies, brownies or small cakes, plus even roasting a chicken, a small yet heavy baking dish is a great place to start when cooking for one or two people.

You can use an oven mitt as a trivet, too, once something hot has to go onto a table. In addition to preventing food from going to waste, you can also store foods you can buy in bulk, such as cereal, spices, flour, sugar, oatmeal, nuts, spices, etc.

Plus, a glass jar is great for making vinaigrette. When on a budget, no food should be left to spoil as wasted food is wasted money. Pouring ,rather than ladeling, liquids make you a tidier cook.

You often need more than a cup of liquid measured. Or, undercook that roast chicken. No one likes pink poultry. You end up with a pulpy mess closer to ketchup than an actual slice. Goodwill is an excellent place to buy knives. Make sure to either get a set that has a sharpener built-in, or look for a stand-alone sharpener.

Having a good cutting board is key. With cutting boards, you give yourself a safe place to cut. Plus, you can move food around to the stove or other locations as needed.

Some of the best cutting boards at Goodwill are the foldable plastic ones. Foldable options are fantastic, because it makes it easier to curl up and move about without spilling.

Eyeballing spices and liquids is far more difficult than the professionals on cooking shows make it look. Have you seen the price of quality pots and pans? They are incredibly expensive for a set. And you know what ends up happening? You use one or two of the pots, the rest just collect space in the back of a cabinet.

This way you can either buy a full set for far less than what new costs, or you can buy one or two pots at a time. Doing it like that is a great way to grow your kitchen set without spending much money up front.

Goodwill is also a great place to find cast iron skillets and pans. Cast iron absorbs the flavors of past meals, which just enriches the flavors.

Now, chances are the cast iron was thoroughly cleaned before being put on the shelf, but you can still season the pan prior to using it yourself. First, set your oven to degrees. While it heats up, wash your skillet with a soft cloth and mild soap.

Then, dry off the cast iron and apply vegetable oil onto it some people prefer melted shortening. From here, take a clean towel paper towel works as well and coat the entire skillet.

This includes the bottom and handle. After this, just pop it into the oven upside down so the opening faces downward and let it bake for an hour.

You have a like-new, pre-seasoned cast iron pan, all ready for your next meal. Just like pots and pans, bakeware is expensive when you buy it new. So instead, buy your bakeware from Goodwill.

You can pick out the exact sizes you need for a recipe and slowly build up your kitchen essentials one at a time. These are not as common as coffee makers, but you might still find one or two on hand when visiting Goodwill.

However, on the other side, you can heat up far more water than you would with a coffee maker. It saves time and is an inexpensive addition to your kitchen. Have you ever bitten into a stale Cheeto? Not great. Keep your snacks fresh by stocking up on these chip clips. Here at Goodwill of Northern Arizona, every single purchase you make helps those in need right here in the community.

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