When I was in college and first starting teaching myself to cook, a lot of the kitchen tools I used were hand-me-downs from my parents. Many of those same tools I still use (and love!) today, but I’ve also upgraded a few things over the years. As with most things I buy, if I know I am going to use something cooking-related over and over again, I like to invest in a good quality product that will last, rather than just buy the cheapest thing. That said, I’ve found that many of the smallest and least expensive items in my kitchen drawers are actually the most useful.
In today’s post I’m sharing my 10 favorite kitchen tools under $10. These tools are useful for both beginner and experienced cooks, and if you’re shopping on a budget, I think you’ll love these affordable items.
Joseph Joseph Garlic Rocker
What I love about this product: Mincing garlic can be tedious and time consuming, but this garlic rocker allows you to mince a whole clove in just 1 second. It’s especially handy if your recipe requires 2 or more cloves of garlic, so you don’t have to waste time chopping.
Microplane Zester/Grater
What I love about this product: I use this tool multiple times a week to grate or zest fresh garlic, ginger, limes, and lemons. The zest is very fine, which is much better than if you were to use a typical box grater.
KitchenIQ 50009 Edge Grip 2 Stage Knife Sharpener
What I love about this product: Cutting with a dull kitchen knife is both frustrating and dangerous. There is no need to send your knives to get professionally sharpened when you have this $5 knife sharpener. It’s extremely easy to use and barely takes up any drawer space. I use it about twice a month to keep my knives extra sharp.
ZYLISS Pizza Cutter Wheel and Slicer
What I love about this product: This pizza wheel is very sharp and easy to roll. While it’s great for slicing homemade pizzas, I’ve found that it’s come in handy for so many other things like cutting granola bars and scoring dough.
OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
What I love about this product: I’ve had this same vegetable peeler for nine years and it was a hand-me-down from me parents. I can’t believe how long it’s lasted! The sharp stainless steel blades easily cut through tough fruit and vegetable skin, and the cushions on the handle help secure a good grip.
Wrenwane Digital Refrigerator Thermometer
What I love about this product: If your refrigerator does not come with a built-in thermometer, I highly recommend that you get this one. It’s crucial that your raw poultry, beef, and seafood stay at a safe temperature (32F-40F degrees), or else they will go bad. We threw out way too many packages of smelly chicken before we finally ordered this thermometer. After we hung it up, we found that our fridge could not go below 43F degrees, which is why our food went off. We were able to get the fridge repaired, but we continue to keep an eye on the temperature just in case.
OXO Good Grips Bottle Brush
What I love about this product: I’ve always thought I was never sufficiently cleaning my wine and champagne glasses because it’s impossible to get a sponge all the way to the bottom of the glass. I love this brush because it’s flexible enough to get inside a narrow champagne flute and thoroughly clean down at the bottom. Plus, the bristles are soft and won’t scratch your fancy glasses.
Spring Chef Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Metal Measuring Spoons
What I love about this product: The narrow design of these measuring spoons means that the larger spoons can actually fit inside your spice jars. Hallelujah! I also love that a 1/8 teaspoon and 3/4 teaspoon are included in this set because I often divide recipes in half and need these measurements.
Cooper-Atkins Stainless Steel Bi-Metal Oven Thermometer
What I love about this product: We live in a rental apartment, so the appliances that come with it are far from perfect. Just like our refrigerator, when we first moved in, I noticed that our oven temperature was off because none of my baked goods were cooking correctly. After purchasing this $5 oven thermometer, we discovered that our oven temperature was off by a whole 75 degrees compared to what was listed on the dial! Now we know the actual temperature inside our oven and go by the thermometer, rather than the dial.
Joseph Joseph Slotted Turner
What I love about this product: This is my longest surviving spatula! It’s dishwasher safe and extremely heat resistant, so the ends haven’t peeled or disintegrated away like so many of my other spatulas. My favorite part is that it has a built in rest at the bottom, that keeps the top part of the spatula from touching a dirty countertop.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means if you purchase one of these product I may earn a small commission. That money goes directly towards new recipe and blog post development. Also note that pricing on Amazon can fluctuate, but at the time of this post, all items listed are under $10. Thank you for your support!
Harriet
What got my attention is those measuring spoons. I’m definitely going to buy them. I agree….the shape is great for getting into spice jars and the 1/8 and 3/4 teaspoons are nice extras that are handy to have, especially when you do as much baking as I do.
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Aren’t they great!? And you can’t beat the price for stainless steel spoons!