The 10 Best Things We Bought on Amazon in 2020

I have a confession to make: I’ve written this same story every year for the last few years. Usually, our staffers have fun things to talk about — like ice cream makers, egg cookers, and meat thermometers. This year, though, well, this year was unlike anything we’ve ever seen. We’re all just doing our best, trying to be editors, parents, teachers, line cooks, dog groomers … the list goes on. So it stands to reason that our favorite purchases of the year would be a bit more practical. Boring as they may be, they’re pretty darn useful. And they might even help you in 2021. Here are the 10 standouts that have Kitchn staffers most excited as we enter month 10 of this pandemic.

“I accidentally bought a set of mini kitchen tools on Amazon (even though it explicitly says that they’re mini) … and unexpectedly LOVE them,” says Lifestyle Editor, Lauren Masur. “The mini silicone turner is the perfect size to flip a fried egg, and the baby spatula can fit into little jars. This set is more useful than I’d ever have thought!”

Buy: Core Kitchen Silicone Mini Utensil Set, $10.85

“The plastic lids for my Pyrex dishes have been cracked for months, and I finally replaced all of them,” says Food Editor Kelli Foster. “Easily my most satisfying purchase of 2020!”

Buy: Pyrex 4-Cup Blue Round Plastic Food Storage Lids, $8 for two

“Our bench scrapers mysteriously disappeared, so we bought these because we can’t live without bench scrapers,” says Executive Food Director, Nina Elder. What could you possibly use a bench scraper for? We have some ideas!

Buy: Norpro Stainless Steel Scraper, $9.47

“I’ve been baking muffins so often that I finally got a couple of packs of silicone baking cups,” Kelli says. “Great for baking, and as a huge bonus they do an amazing job of keeping my toddler occupied.” Our Food Editor-at-Large, Christine Gallary, also bought these cups and says they’re great for sticking in her daughter’s lunch box to keep things like cheese separate from crackers.

Buy: AmazonBasics Reusable Silicone Baking Cups, $8.66 for 24

“After years of pressing my tofu by wrapping it in paper towels and placing random heavy objects on top of it, I finally bought myself a tofu press and haven’t looked back since,” says Deputy Food Director, Grace Elkus. “It’s faster, cleaner, less wasteful, and it does a great job of getting all the moisture out. I’m in love!”

Buy: Tofu Press, $26.95

“These are great for dumplings, of course, but also for little hands which can’t handle normal rolling pins,” Christine says. If you’ve been baking with your kid a bit more than normal, you might want to scoop these up.

Buy: VNDEFUL Dumpling Dowels, $7.89 for two

“I know it’s easy to sound hyperbolic, but this has truly been a lifesaver this year,” says contributor Patty Catalano. “After testing out a few strategies to answer the constant call for snacks from my two kids, I landed on this gadget. I fill the compartments with cut fruit, veggies, and other snacks and fill the bottom with ice to keep it fresh.”

Buy: Elegant Events 5-Compartment Condiment Server Caddy, $29.99

“These are ugly, but no one comes in my house anymore, so no one sees!” says Christine. “They’re cheap and they’re saving my hands from all the quarantine dishes.”

Buy: Vgo Reusable Household Gloves, $54.98 for 10

“I had a very socially distanced birthday party for my partner back in September and I’ve always wanted a cake carrier because it’s such a pain to, well, carry cake around otherwise!” says Features Director, Ariel Knutson. “This one was cheap, but had great reviews and is very sturdy.”

Buy: Top Shelf Elements Cake Carrier, $26.99

Our Editor-in-Chief, Faith Durand, uses this gorgeous pour-over brewer from Fellow to make her morning coffee and then pours it all into this carafe to keep it hot through lunch. “It’s perfect and it’s less than $20,” she says.

Buy: alfi Glass Vacuum Frosted Plastic Carafe, $25

Your turn! What are some of the best purchases you’ve made on Amazon this year?