Life is hard enough; your Kitchen Life can be easier.
Home should be the sanctuary where we relax and shake off the stresses of life, it shouldn’t add to the frustration of Outside or Work or People. And one of the places where we spend a lot of our home life is the Kitchen.
Whether you have found a passion for cooking, or you have to make yourselves do chores, or you make multiple trips to the fridge to see if anything you like has magically reappeared inside since the last time you looked five minutes ago, the Kitchen is a central part of our lives.
To make your Kitchen Life easier so you can spend more time doing what you love, here are some of the best Kitchen products I have used that make my life (and my family’s/friends’ lives) easier, safer, and healthier.
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1) The Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mat
Does washing all those dishes cramp your feet? Do your knees, hips, and/or ankles ache after cooking those recipes you love so much? Spending time in your Kitchen doesn’t have to hurt your body.
These 3/4” thick anti-fatigue mats are built with a soft foam core, which helps reduce stress on your knees, muscles, and joints by absorbing the shock gravity places on our bodies. Place them in front of any place you stand often: the sink, the stove, or even other places around the house like in front of your standing desk.
We have one, and I noticed a huge difference after my first marathon dish-washing session. My foot arches were not achy, my knees were not cranky, and I didn’t have that sense of fatigue from standing for too long.
These mats come in many different colors and patterns to fit your style, and they feature a non-slip bottom and an anti-curl edge, just like the ones used by businesses and restaurants to absorb shock and avoid tripping in high-foot-traffic areas.
Its surface does not absorb liquids or other substances, so it’s easy to clean if you’re spill-prone while cooking (like me…). This is easily one of the best Kitchen products I’ve ever purchased.
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars from 35,834 global ratings (at time of publication).
2) A Lodge Pre-Seasoned Iron Skillet
You know what this is. The family iron skillet is what grandma made those fluffy scrambled eggs in—and her famous chicken, the pork chops, the spinach, and probably some peach cobbler, too.
Lodge Cast Iron has been making cookware and accessories since 1896, so you know they know what they’re doing. There’s a reason the Lodge name is a staple in iron cookware across the land.
I’ve been using a Lodge cast iron skillet for years, ever since a few friends turned me on to how useful they are and how delicious iron skillet food tastes. The coolest thing about a cast iron skillet is that the more you use it, the better all your food will taste! It’s like wine, or people, it just gets better as it ages.
They have many different sizes, from a 3.5” tiny guy to help you fry the perfect egg, to the 15” big daddy ready to feed the whole family. Plus, this bad boy has rave reviews on Amazon!
Get one today and start cooking up your own family memories, then one day you can pass this skillet down to your kids and grandkids and their grandkids.
Speaking of lasting forever, learn how to care for your new iron skillet right here (it’s not hard!).
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 stars from 107,362 global ratings (at time of publication).
Start cooking up some memories Right Here!
Bonus Buy! Make your iron skillet life easier with these handy tools:
Cleaning your new iron skillet will be a breeze with Lodge’s Polycarbonate Cast Iron Pan Cleaners.
Don’t burn your hands, get one of Lodge’s Silicone Hot Handle Holders in a bunch of fun colors for only a few bucks.
3) A 6-Piece Color-Coded Kitchen Knife Set with Blade Guards
A buddy of mine swears by these knives. They caught my eye one day while we were hanging out, trying to make our own barbeque chicken pizza, and he was making quick work of slicing veggies with the red chef’s knife.
His whole family loves them, and since they’re color-coordinated, they don’t have to risk getting poked while hunting for the right knife in the Knife Drawer (yes, that’s a thing, don’t judge me).
This Amazon Basics knife set comes with 6 knives with matching knife covers, which includes: a paring knife (the green one), a utility knife (the yellow one), a Santoku knife (the blue one), a carving knife (the orange one), a chef’s knife (the red one), and a bread knife (the purple one).
The blades are made from durable stainless-steel and are SHARP. Seriously, be careful. Based on the reviews, these knives are not dishwasher safe, but to be fair, no kitchen knives should ever be cleaned in the dishwasher. Always, always wash them by hand (carefully!).
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 stars from 20,814 global ratings (at time of publication).
Slice yourself off some savings Right Here!
Bonus Buy! Up your Kitchen game with these best-selling accessories:
Protect your countertops and catch that juice with this Gorilla Grip Durable Kitchen Cutting Board 3-Pack.
Keep those sharp knives sharp, plus bring your old, forgotten knives back to life with this 3-Stage Knife Sharpener.
4) The Pink Stuff
Clean EVERYTHING with The Pink Stuff. This is Amazon’s #1 Best Seller in All-Purpose Household Cleaners for a reason.
When that package says “miracle” it ain’t kidding. I even used it to erase some old cat stains we won’t talk about. And hard water stains used to be a huge pain in my kitchen, but this Pink Stuff got after it and cleaned the porcelain sink until it looked brand new. And it leaves no scratches behind on smooth or metallic surfaces.
Attack that mold, hard-water stain, calcium, lime, rust, coffee stain, wine stain (no judgement here), even the slime in the ice machine (shoutout to the late, great Marvin Zindler, EYE-Witness News, and all my Houstonians).
Whatever that old stain is (you know which one we’re talking about), this stuff will clean it off furniture, floors, general Kitchen products, Kitchen appliances, countertops, metal, ceramics, porcelain, marble, wood, fiberglass, stainless steel, silverware, jewelry, glass shower doors, toilets, sinks, bathtubs, car rims—you get the idea. It cleans stuff off stuff.
Seriously, try it. It’ll change your home life.
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.4 out of 5 stars from 197,941 global ratings (at time of publication).
Clean up your life Right Here!
Bonus Buy! They even have an awesome combo pack with the original Pink Stuff, a Multi-Purpose Spray Cleaner, a Bathroom Foaming Cleaner, and a Cream Cleaner that will let you tackle every dirty spot in your life.
Grab one and save money today, Right Here!
5) Bar Keepers Friend Powdered Cleanser
While we’re talking cleaners, Bar Keepers Friend is another one of those Kitchen products you need to have on hand, just in case. I’ve been using this stuff since momma first made me clean up my own mess. It’s been the secret cleaning weapon in our family for generations.
We had white Formica countertops growing up, and if you’ve ever had white kitchen anything you know how easy those boogers can stain. Shake some BKF on a stain, dab a soft cloth or a paper towel in water, and go to town on those nasty stains, then rinse it off and marvel at your own power.
It also works great on stainless steel, porcelain, ceramic, copper alloys, fiberglass, Corian, brass, bronze, chrome, aluminum, and more.
It’ll clean your sinks, stove cooktops, countertops (non-stone), floors, bathtubs, showers, faucets, toilets, tile, grout—it’ll even clean rust stains and your barbeque grill!
Moms everywhere approve.
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars from 17,177 global ratings (at time of publication).
Shake out some stains Right Here!
6) Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges
This is self-explanatory, but you need some durable, reliable sponges in your Kitchen Life that won’t leave scratches in everything shiny or colorful.
I use these Scotch-Brite sponges for everything washing or scrubbing related, and they’re one of the most reliable parts of my chores. They scrub off all the gunk and don’t scratch my pans, and if I have to really dig in to clean the tub or (gasp!) the toilet, I’ll grab one from this handy 9-pack and get after it. Sooner begun, sooner done.
These sponges are also dishwasher safe, in case you want to reuse it after scrubbing some heinous baked-on greasy gunk from that time you tried that recipe you saw on TV and almost blew up the Kitchen.
It is best to replace your sponges every 3 weeks, due to the amount of bacteria those things collect, which makes the 9-pack concept that much better. If you want to Google sponge bacteria, go ahead, but consider yourself warned. After a month or more of using the same sponge, you’re basically just wiping the yuck all over the things you eat and drink with, so, yeah, sponges aren’t one of those things you want to scrimp on.
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars from 36,823 global ratings (at time of publication).
Scrub up some savings Right Here!
7) Snap N Strain Pot and Pasta Strainer
This is the best strainer I’ve ever used. It clips onto pots, pans, skillets, etc. and it makes straining the water or grease out of anything so easy. And it comes in lots of cool colors!
Have you ever had to one-hand a steaming, heavy pot of supper and a colander? It sucks, and it’s awkward and heavy and it splashes boiling water all over the place (and on you!). Even if you put your colander down in the sink or stretch one across the sink, you still have to pour out your food, then pour it back into the pot/pan/skillet if you still have some cooking magic to work.
This strainer lets you two-hand the pot while you pour, AND you get to keep the food in there to stir up your Mac n’ Cheese—er—gourmet pasta dish. Plus, it’s made from BPA-free, top-quality silicone, and it’s dishwasher safe.
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.4 out of 5 stars from 34,830 global ratings (at time of publication).
Don’t strain yourself, get one Right Here!
8) Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Hand Soap
I don’t know about you, but I wash my hands a lot. A LOT. I type all day. I do chores. I pet animals. I like to work on my own cars. I do yardwork (reluctantly). I use gas pumps to fill up my car, I use grocery store handcarts, I grab door handles, I cough/sneeze into my hands, I wipe my nose (I’m a guy, we’re all disgusting), I shake hands and high-five people—in other words, I’m human, I touch stuff.
If you wash your hands a lot, you know it can rob you of your natural oils and moisture and leave your skin cracked and dry. I had that problem, so a few years ago I switched my janky soap to Mrs. Meyer’s soaps, which I use all day every day, and now I don’t have to fight that dry, cracked skin problem anymore.
The Lavender is cool and not too girly, but they have lots of different scents you can try, like Basil, Lemon Verbena, Geranium, Honeysuckle, and Brisket. (Okay, I made up ‘Brisket,’ but that’d be cool, right?)
The best part is Mrs. Meyer’s liquid hand soaps are made with essential oils, aloe vera, olive oil, and other thoughtfully-chosen ingredients. All their soaps are paraben free, made without phthalates or artificial colors (Google it), and they’re all cruelty free! None of their products are tested on animals.
So, you can get clean and feel good about yourself. You’re helping the Earth and the animals!
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars from 27,328 global ratings (at time of publication).
9) Food Storage Containers with Airtight Lids
Get organized and keep those leftovers fresh with this best-selling 12-pack of airtight, microwave-safe, freezer-safe containers.
We all have that weird collection of random food containers we’ve accumulated ever since we left home, right? I had like 20 random pieces, some missing lids, some coated with some kind of baked-on nastiness I couldn’t identify, some too small to use for anything but leftover ketchup (or catsup, if you’re not from planet Earth). It was ridiculous.
I finally broke down and got a set of these containers (which are an amazing price for the quality, by the way), and it’s been so nice and helpful to have an actual set of working, stackable airtight containers that I can use in the microwave, throw in the freezer, or clean in the dishwasher without worry.
These containers are made with 100% BPA free polypropylene plastic, which is why they are okay to use in the microwave and dishwasher. The snap-on lids with their silicone gaskets make the containers airtight, spill-proof, and leak-proof.
But DO NOT microwave the containers with the lid on—you will melt the silicone gaskets, destroy the lid, and then you’ll have to buy more all over again.
Plus, think of how much money you’ll save on food now that you can safely store your tasty cooking for later like a grownup.
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars from 10,057 global ratings (at time of publication).
Seal up the savings Right Here!
Bonus Buy! Need more storage? Stack it up with this monster 60-Piece Rubbermaid deal.
10) Easy-Open Jar Opener
PLUS a 5-in-1 Multi-Function Can + Bottle Opener!
This jar opener has been a huge help for my mother. Whether you or a loved one is fighting arthritis, recovering from an injury, or just need some extra help in the Kitchen (as we all do, from time to time), this ergonomic jar opener can really be a life saver for anyone.
I am a grown man with grown man muscles, and I am not ashamed to admit I use one sometimes. Don’t @ me.
The jar opener itself provides a firm, seated grip that will fit multiple-sized jars or bottles, and it’s ergonomically designed, non-slip handle gives you extra grip, even if your hands are wet.
The extra can + bottle opener can puncture, twist, cut, flip, or pop tops for many different types of bottle caps, bottle tops, jar lids, produce cans, pickle bottles, and sodas or beer bottles (no judgement here, pass the opener already).
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.3 out of 5 stars from 25,389 global ratings (at time of publication).
BONUS TIP! Get. You. Some. Latex-Free Gloves.
Speaking of hands, for the love of smooth skin, get yourself some of these protective, latex-free, reusable gloves to protect those lizard fingers when you wash pots / pans / dishes / stuff / yourself.
I used to wash dishes bare-handed, and I got real tired of my knuckles drying out and trying to crack after having my hands in the water for half an hour or more. I switched to these, and after getting used to the feel of them, the difference between my post-dish-washing hands is like night and day—or, like lizard fingers and baby-smooth skin.
You can use them to wash dishes, to clean gross stuff off stuff all around the house (I’m looking at you, bathroom), you can use them to wash your car or scrub your rims, or even wear them if it’s cold out and you don’t like touching public stuff, like door handles and shopping carts (I got you, fam).
When you’re done, clean them off and use them over and over and over again. The next person you touch with your brand-new silky-smooth fingertips will thank you.
Amazon Buyers’ Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 stars from 1,239 global ratings (at time of publication).
Get yourself some smoothness Right Here!
Happy Kitchening!
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