10 Life-Changing Amazon Add-On Items That Only Cost $5 or Less
Ideally, all you Amazon shoppers are in the habit of waiting until you have a sizable order before you fully check out. (You know, so that the Powers That Be aren’t going through all that trouble just to get you a thing of dish soap within two days.) If that’s the case, it almost certainly means that your orders typically total $25 or more. And that means that you can throw in some Add-On items.
See, Add-On items are only available for purchase when you order more than $25 worth of items — shipped by Amazon, to the same address. They’re usually lightweight and cheap and deemed “cost-prohibitive” to ship on their own (meaning, on their own, Amazon would lose money shipping the items to you).
It’s almost always worth throwing one of these things in your cart because they’re all super useful to have around. To prove our point, we’ve rounded up 10 little things — for $5 or less — that will truly become game-changers in the kitchen.
Most people rave about Lodge’s 10- and 12-inch cast iron skillets, but this little guy deserves the spotlight, too. It’s the perfect size for frying up a single egg, toasting nuts and seeds, cooking pancakes for one, and more. Also, it’s easy to manage and downright adorable.
2. Mercer Culinary Paring Knife, $3
Alex Guarnaschelli says she prefers inexpensive paring knives because they’re small and likely to get accidentally thrown out. And at $3, it doesn’t get much less expensive than this guy. Made by the knife company that makes a lot of the cutlery for culinary students, this knife is cheap, durable, and up for all your small tasks. And because it’s just $3, you can afford to stock up on a few — and that’s the life-changing part.
3. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, $5 for four
If you haven’t already experienced the mystical powers of the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, it’s time. Not to buy into the marketing or anything, but these things are seriously magical. A single one will clean your stovetop and your greasy tiled backsplash, and even remove stains from clothing or upholstery (this is technically not a recommended use, but it’s one we’ve had luck with!).
4. Norpro Plastic Funnels, $2.50 for three
Funnels seem like an unnecessary, unsexy line item that you just don’t need … until you go to decant some olive oil into a bottle, or pour pancake batter into a squeeze bottle, or fill a swing-top bottle with homemade iced tea. Buy this set of three now and you’ll always be prepared.
5. Whitmor Color Coded Zippered Mesh Wash Bags, $4.50 for three
Mesh laundry bags? On Kitchn? Yes! Because, as it turns out, they make great accessories to go with your dishwasher! Fill one of these bags with small pieces that would otherwise float around during a cycle and drop it on the top rack. It’ll keep things corralled until it’s time to unload.
6. AmazonBasics Thick Microfiber Cleaning Cloths, $5 for three
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: Microfiber cleaning cloths are the ONE thing you really need in your kitchen (if you were to only have one thing). They’re durable, absorbent, reusable, and can actually wipe up bacteria and germs. And the price on this pack is pretty hard to beat.
7. Command Photo Hangers, $3 for four pairs
Whether you’re trying to hang a cool print, calendar, or dry-erase board for meal planning, these removable sticky strips will be your best friend. They work on painted walls, cabinets, tiles, and more.
At first, we were on the fence about whether or not a tuna press counts as life-changing or is just silly, but then we read some of the reviews and were convinced. If yours is a household that eats lots of tuna (or even canned olives or beans), you can probably put this to good use. Just slide it right into an opened can and use it to strain out the juices.
9. Rachael Ray Bench Scraper, $4
Not much of a bread maker? You still need a bench scraper. We reach for one almost daily when it’s time to brush crumbs up from the counter after a messy cleaning session. And thanks to the way this one is designed, it also acts as a handy shovel to help you get chopped ingredients from your cutting board to your pot.
10. OXO Good Grips Vegetable Brush, $5
The thing you need to know about this vegetable brush is that it will save you loads of time. That fact alone is worth $5.
What are the Amazon Add-On items that you always throw into your cart?