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Bits and bobs to help make the most out of your cook time.

I am a former editor and contributor to the BuzzFeed shopping team with over seven years of experience testing and recommending products that help make life a little easier, whether that’s ultralight gear, holy grail serum, jeans that fit just right, or anything in between.

Fullstar is a small business established in 2017 that specializes in kitchen gadgets. Check out a TikTok of their veggie chopper in action. 

Promising review: "I was skeptical at first, 'til I opened the box and found a very sturdy, very well-built kitchen tool inside. I read the pamphlet that comes with it, and it explained all I needed to know when first using it. And, it was very easy to use. I bought it for a specific recipe I was going to make, and it called for lots of chopped onions and potatoes. It went through them like a champ and did exactly what I wanted. A very good deal and a good product. Would buy it again." —W.L. Shute

Get it from Amazon for $23.73 (available in three colors and in five different styles).

Each air fryer comes with the "PowerPod," two containers (a 4-quart and a 6-quart), and lids. The PowerPod has auto-shutoff and four modes: Max Crisp, Bake, Air Fry, and Recrisp. The "feet" are also heat-safe, so no need to worry for your countertop. 

Promising review: "I got my Ninja Crisper today and reheated some stuffed bread with feta cheese and spinach, and it did a wonderful job. It was like it just came out of the oven the first time. Nice and crispy outside, but the inside heated just right. I love that the bottom glass can be covered with the lid that comes with it. They come with a metal plate you can put in the glass bottom part, and it actually fits into the lid, so it doesn't get lost. The glass makes a difference in the taste, too. It is a great product and well worth it." —Jennifer 

Get it from Amazon for $159.99+(available in nine colors). 

Promising review: "Wow! I am so impressed with this air fryer (and I’m a perfectionist!). Right out of the box, I noticed the build quality. It was sturdy with a stylish, clean finish. The controls are top-mounted (ergonomic), and the LED panel is easy to see and operate. The fryer drawer closes with a firm, positive snap. And the size is perfect when counter space is limited. During operation, it is very quiet while the outside body (front, sides, top) gets warm but not hot. I threw a handful of frozen french fries in the basket, set it to 390 degrees for 13 minutes, and hit the start button. Delicious! Nice, crispy, even finish. Clean-up was easy and fast. Just put the drawer in the sink, fill it with soapy water, let it soak, and rinse. This size should easily work for one or two people. You won’t be disappointed!" —Dave

Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in five colors).

The set comes with two different-sized magnets. See it in action on TikTok. 

Promising review: "I thought it over a few times, and then I bought these so I could have a quick reference handy for those times I wanted to make something in my air fryer, which is quite a bit. What surprised me is how often I refer to it. I just throw something in my air fryer, glance at the section that lists the item I’m cooking. Press a few buttons on my fryer, and I’m in business. No more having to search on my phone with wet fingers. A frivolous buy that turned out to be worthwhile." —PickyExtra

Get it from Amazon for $8.95+ (available in two colors).

Promising review: "This is so well engineered. There are rubber stoppers on the bottom so it does not move — even when pushed — and there is a carved-out place holder for the mats, which is genius. They also stay put. The perfect size. And the storage compartment for the six mats is brilliant. No more trying to work with two or three cutting boards or having to scrub between items. If you like to cook and have a small kitchen or know someone who does, this checks all the boxes." —Maximillian Havre

Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in two finishes and with or without personalization). 

Promising review: "Nonstick that works! Very easy to clean, great price! Bought a frying pan twice the price of these. After four months, everything was sticking! These pans are great." —Margie

Get a set with an 8-inch and 10-inch pan from Amazon for $99.99 (available in four other set sizes).

Promising review: "These were great. The size fit my bigger cookie sheets perfectly, cookies were nice and lightly browned, and the sheets were not greasy and easy to clean up. They are able to be rolled and stored with other things in a drawer. Color didn't matter; they were just worth the money, and this was the first time I ever used any kind of baking mat. Would buy them again." —Dee

Promising review: "They're great (I've used them on a chuck roast and chicken so far) and pretty fun to use. They make quick work of needing to shred whatever you need shredded." —effie

The mandolin comes with two julienning blades and a finger guard. PLEASE be careful while using this! I highly recommend some cut-resistant gloves.

Promising reviews: "I have tried several mandolins. Some were large and required more kitchen cabinet real estate than their value warranted. Some were dull and hardly cut through tough root vegetables. Others were so complicated and difficult to clean I generally elected to cut and slice by hand. Enter the Benriner BN95B Super Slicer. It is simple to understand and use, sturdy, effective, and produces lovely cut and sliced produce. Cleaning it is easy and it stands on its side (protecting its blade and my fingers) in a utensils drawer so I can pull it out and use it as simple as pulling out a knife. Made a lovely sliced cucumber salad last night on the fly. Cucumber prep took (literally) less than a minute. What's not to love?" —S. A. Brew

"I’ve been using this brand, for years. Restaurants tends to use this too, no matter where I went. I have the larger one and now I have this one to have with me all the time. Solid tool." —Therese De La Fuente

Promising review: "I first ran across the Chopula at a little kitchen store in North Carolina. I was so impressed with all the ways it can be used, I came back to Amazon and ordered another for myself and one each for my kids. I really do love how easy it is to get underneath fried eggs to flip them with this gadget. I had other spatulas, but they always seemed too thick, or they were metal, and I couldn't use them on my nonstick pans. I find myself using it instead of a wooden spoon for a lot of things I stir on the stovetop. You can chop pounds of ground beef with the side of it, too. Nice product for sure!" —Lois Thurston

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in 10 colors).

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

Promising review: "I got so tired of measuring spoons either getting lost in my drawer or having to deal with ones on rings. These are fantastic. The magnet holds them together well, and I love that each ‘spoon’ is actually two (each end is a different shape, too)." —Alicia S

Get the set from Amazon for $13.27+ (available in three color combinations). 

Prep'd, the small biz that created these handy dividers, was founded in 2015 by two industrial engineers who believed cooking should be simple, easy, and ultimately fun.

Promising review: "These are great for so many reasons. We're in a mixed gluten household (one person has celiac and is diabetic, but we are not all doing a gluten-free diet). We can portion control for carb counting and separate out gluten-free vs. non-gluten-free on one pan. Plus, cleanup is just throwing in the dishwasher!" —J Fans

Get a set of four from Amazon for $34.99.

Promising review: "This cover is surprisingly well-made; no doubt will be buying another for gifting. It keeps the microwave spotless. I was skeptical at first, but believe me, you will not be disappointed. Compared to other covers, this one is among the best I have seen." —arturo j.

Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in three colors and sizes, as well as multipacks).

Check out a TikTok of the Vitamix 750 in action.

Promising review: "Bought this product on sale, and it was worth the investment. It blends better than any other blender that I have had. Its multiple options allow for anything from smoothies to purees. I love that I can make soup with this blender. It has plenty of power and a large enough volume to make plenty for a small household. It is also easy to clean! If it is on sale, and you need a better blender, I definitely recommend it. Otherwise, it is very expensive at full price." —Daniel & Amanda

Get it from Amazon for $477.50+ (available in four colors).

Promising review: "I hate getting the big colander out all the time when I'm just cooking a small pot of pasta or something that needs to be drained. This clips on the side of the pot and definitely stays in place. I was a little skeptical at first, but it works very well. It's a great purchase for the price. I use mine so many times a week, and I bought one for my daughter, and she loves it, too. Would definitely buy it again." —Denise Chamberlain

Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in four colors or in sets of two).

Promising review: "The Dream Cooker is so easy to use, and I was able to try a recipe that I had never made before. It was delicious and came together very quickly. Amazing for a new mama! Cleaning up the Dream Cooker is also easy, and it can easily be stored on the counter or down below! The many features are explained in detail, and I was able to utilize each one seamlessly. Wonderful!" —Missy P. 

Get it from Amazon or Our Place for $199 (available in four colors).

Promising review: "This is one of my favorite things I have purchased for our tiny apartment! It's a pretty good-sized cutting board, and I can see it fitting over most sinks. I LOVE the bowl inside that lets wet ingredients drain liquid directly into the sink. It's seriously SO nice to have this when you're limited on counter space!" —Atara

Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in four colors).

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 $12.96 (also available as a garlic crusher or a garlic peeler).

The utensils can withstand temperatures of -40 degrees F up to 446 degrees F. Each set includes 24 tools and a holder.

Promising review: "I don't normally write reviews, but I went out of my way to share this! I love these; they are super cute and really nice to cook with! I went through and threw away all of my plastic spoons and spatulas after using these. I'm definitely a fan!" —Patricia B.

Get them from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in eight colors).

The flavors: Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil, Anchovies, Smoked Rainbow Trout, Sardines with Hot Pepper, Mackerel

Promising review: "I cannot even explain how much better this is than other tinned fish. The price had me REALLY upset until I tried it. This is better than most high-end filets of fish I could buy in a fancy restaurant. My bad, Fishwife, I didn't know, now I know." —Gabrille Abeyta

Get it from Amazon for $49 (also available in two other sets). 

Promising review: "I bought a set of these years ago (about 10 years ago) for myself and my mother-in-law. Mine are still going strong, but she managed to wear hers out, so I ordered her another set. When my dad saw them, he wanted a pair. They both have arthritis in their hands and have tremendous difficulty opening jars and bottles. These grippers allow them to get a strong enough grip to open all kinds of jars and bottles. The different shapes work great for different types of containers — the flat ones work well for just about anything with a lid; the cone-shaped one is great for water bottles, salad dressing, etc. I would highly recommend it for anyone with arthritis or a weak grip." —MGS

Get a set of three from Amazon for $9.95.

Promising review: "Superb sushi maker. When they say to buy a Zojirushi, there is a reason why. It's expensive, but I finally succeeded in making sushi rice using this. I had the less expensive Zojirushi rice cooker, 'no frills' model, for 25 years. This was well worth the upgrade. It's easier to cook with, a bit slower, but the results are amazing and simple. The cleanup is easy with a nice nonstick pot design that is easy to read. In general, a game changer for cooking rice, why did I wait so long." —Karl

Get it from Amazon for $259.99 for the 5.5-cup size (also available in a 10-cup size). 

Promising review: "These knifes have been some of the best i've ever used. They stay sharp and they truly make cooking fun!" —Vincent A.

"These knives are absolutely incredible. I have never worked in a professional kitchen before and have never used professional knives like these and I have to say this has truly been eye opening. I used to always wonder why in videos certain knife skills looked so easy but when I tried them it proved more difficult. I soon realized that apparently I was using knives manufactured in the neolithic period and nothing compared to what you guys produce. 10/10 overall." —Eric E.

Get it from Hedley & Bennett for $114 (originally $285; available in five colors). 

Promising review: "There are cheaper blenders, but I don't think there are any better ones. I owned another Braun for over 20 years, and lost it in a divorce. This one is just as good. Also, the accessories make it worth the extra money. The chopper and the whisk are valuable tools that add to the things you can do with your blender, and the variable speed is super easy to use. Just push a little harder on the speed control, and it speeds up. I am super happy with this product." —SoPadreDon

Promising review: "This is a very good hand mixer. Powerful, lightweight and easy to handle. Nice looking with great mixing ability. Easy to store and handy when I don’t want to dig out my heavy KitchenAid [standing] mixer." —Penny B.

Get it from Amazon for $44.99 (available in 10 colors).

Promising review: "I can’t express how impressed I am with this probe. From the packaging to the probe, everything is top quality. The charging block keeps you informed, and the Wi-Fi app allows you to monitor from anywhere. Setup is extremely easy, and the app works flawlessly. It not only gives you recipes, but you can choose the type of meat/fish/etc, and how well you want it cooked, and it will tell you what temp to cook at and for how long. You can also choose how you cook, i.e., smoker, grill, oven, etc. It gives you real-time temps and time to finish that is accurate. Everything I have cooked with this in my smoker has come out perfectly. It even accounts for meat rest times. I will definitely be buying more as gifts and will buy additional probes for myself. Highly recommend, this company did everything right. I definitely don’t often rave about products, but this one is worth it." —Zach

* Upgrade Your Kitchen Without Breaking The Bank: 42 Items That’ll Transform Your Cookspace

* Space-Saving Products That’ll Help Make Your Small Kitchen Work For You

* These 21 Finds Will Help The Food In Your Fridge And Pantry Last Longer

* Helpful Kitchen Products That’ll Have You Cooking Less Like Linguini And More Like Remy

* Kitchen Products You’ll Find Yourself Using Over And Over (And Ooooover) Again

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

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.

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