The 8 Best Things Kitchn Staffers Recently Bought on Amazon

Whenever I’m out shopping IRL, my favorite thing to do is peep in people’s carts to see what they’re stocking up on. Call me nosy, but my habit has definitely sparked inspiration more often than not. Good idea: I must also purchase 12 bags of Tostitos Hint of Lime Chips, thank you very much.

That’s why at Kitchn, we love to tell you what’s in our online shopping carts — to give you some ideas of what we’re loving lately and maybe convince you to love them too. Don’t be shy, take a look at what’s recently been in our Amazon carts.

“Due to a series of unfortunate events that I’d rather not get into, my husband and I had been using junky, too-thin plastic ice cube trays for far too long. They were cracked and leaked water all over our freezer. At most, each tray made five full-sized cubes — which were then impossible to get out. I finally broke down and got two of these and I’m not exaggerating when I say they might have saved our marriage. These trays are so sturdy, we don’t have to worry about the base cracking. They have a silicone lid, which keeps out funky freezer air and contains the water (even if the trays get put back on an angle). And they’re easy enough to twist when it’s time to, you know, get ice.” — Lisa Freedman, Lifestyle Director

“These pretzels are wildly popular in Minnesota and remind me of home. (I live in California now.) They’re an excellent afternoon treat. The secret? They have a dusting of MSG on them, so they’re super savory. That means dunking them in Nutella is not really an option. But maybe some ranch.” — Ariel Knutson, News & Culture Editor

“I recently bought ring molds to experiment with making the fluffy Japanese-style pancakes that have been trending on my social feeds. The second I sat down to my stack of golden, vanilla-scented, impossibly tall pancakes, I knew it was money well spent.” — Grace Elkus, Senior Food Editor

“My husband and I are working on a budget update to our tiny kitchen and dining room area, intended to hold me over until we can afford a full remodel. We have beat-up linoleum in our kitchen now, but we’re planning to use these FloorPops peel-and-stick tiles to cover it up. We ordered samples of a few other styles and patterns, but these were our favorite. Tip: They are way cheaper on Amazon than on Home Depot or the FloorProps site.” — Meghan Splawn, Associate Food Editor

“I kept pretending that the strainer I had was fine enough for quinoa, but after years of losing grains, through it, I finally invested in a fine mesh strainer that does the job. I love how big and sturdy this one is, and that the handle is long enough to prop the whole thing over the kitchen sink. It’s pretty much replaced all other strainers I own.” — Sheela Prakash, Associate Food Editor

“After meaning to buy them for months and months, I finally put a pack of microfiber cleaning cloths in my cart after reading Lisa’s post about smart Amazon Add-On Items that only cost $5 or less. It was just the nudge I needed. They’re on the large side, so I actually cut them all in half. Now I use them not just around the kitchen, but also the whole apartment.” — Kelli Foster, Associate Food Editor

“Amazon’s personalized shopping lists are a sometimes fun, sometimes disconcerting reflection of what’s happening in my life. Currently topping the list: batteries, gummy vitamins, kids’ baseball equipment, and under-eye cream. The bright spot on this list is a collection of prints from Samin Nosrat’s book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Twenty of Wendy MacNoughton’s delightful illustrations are included in this collection. My plan is to rotate these prints, propped up on on my kitchen counter, throughout the year. Not only are the prints fun to look at, but they may also be the perfect way to hide the 50 9-volt batteries that were just delivered.” — Tracey Gertler, Production Assistant

“I drink an obscene amount of water at my desk during the work day. (Sitting and writing all day is clearly very strenuous, people!) And so, in order to not have to get up to refill my water bottle every 20 minutes, I decided to invest in a moderately big vessel, a la this Simple Modern 40-ounce one. (And it’s not even the biggest size they have!) Now I only have to refill my water bottle every hour or so! Just kidding, but not really.” — Lauren Masur, Staff Writer

Have you bought anything great on Amazon recently? Share your purchases in the comments below!