8 of the Very Best Things We Bought on Amazon in 2021
You don’t need us to tell you that Amazon sells everything. (Want to try a new cast iron seasoning kit? The site has more than 2,000 results. Need to stock up on rainbow sprinkles? You’ll find 513 results.) What you do maybe need our help with? Culling through all the options to find what’s worth buying. (This cast iron seasoning and these rainbow sprinkles, for example.) Which brings us to this post: our annual look at some of the very best things we bought on Amazon during the last 12 months.
These Amazon finds are all small, but still managed to have a big impact on how we cooked and worked in the kitchen. Ready? Let’s take a look.
1. Escali Primo Precision Kitchen Food Scale
Earlier this fall, we talked about how a kitchen food scale can help with all sorts of cooking projects — not just baking ones. You can use it to (super accurately) measure out ingredients, portion out meatballs, divide dough, and more. We honestly think a scale is so important that it consistently makes our list of Kitchn Essentials. This one in particular, because it’s inexpensive, is wildly accurate, small, and easy to use.
Read more: The $25 Gadget That’ll Massively Improve All Your Cooking and Baking Projects
2. Bamboozle Food Composter
We strongly believe that everyone should compost. Yes, even if you don’t have a garden! It’s easy! And this can help you gather your scraps until it’s time to add them to a pile. It’s sleek, doesn’t take up a lot of counter space, and it has a built-in charcoal filter that helps keep odors from taking over your kitchen. For what it’s worth, this is another Kitchn Essential! Tip: Get the black one, which won’t discolor as much as the white option.
Read more: The Sleek, $40 Kitchen Upgrade I Wish I Had Bought Years Ago
3. Kitchen Charisma Wooden Mason Jar Lids
Did you know that wooden Mason jar lids exist? They do! And, of course, you can get them on Amazon. Not only do they look great, but they also won’t rust the way metal ones do.
Read more: The Cheap, Sleek Find Your Mason Jars Have Been Missing
4. DiiKoo Porcelain Butter Keeper
If you want to have soft, spreadable butter at a moment’s notice, you may be interested to learn about the butter bell. A small amount of cold water goes into the bottom of the crock, and this regulates the temperature of the butter, keeping it spreadable but not melty.
Read more: The $20 French Butter Keeper I Wish I’d Bought Years Ago
5. Zip Top Food Storage Bags and Containers
This year was the year that we finally found the perfect reusable storage bags. The best thing about these Zip Top bags: They stand up on their own, which makes them incredibly easy to fill and clean. We even went so far as to say they were the single best thing you could buy on Amazon Prime Day, and that’s saying a lot!
6. Zoku Instant Iced Coffee Maker
Iced coffee drinkers don’t have it easy. Too often, they’re forced to drink hot coffee that’s been poured over ice, which results in a glass of just coffee-flavored water. But this year, we found the Zoku Instant Iced Coffee Maker, which chills hot coffee in a matter of minutes. Stash this tumbler in your freezer and you’ll always be ready to go.
Read more: The $30 Gadget That’s Making My Iced Coffee Routine a Million Times Better
7. Hiware Solid Stainless Steel Spider
We’ve been obsessed with this spider for years (it’s another repeat winner on our Kitchn Essentials list!), but we heard from so many Kitchn readers who just got on board the Spider Train, we just had to include it on this list. It’s a must for pasta (you can transfer noodles directly from the water to a skillet with sauce) and it’s great when blanching vegetables, boiling eggs, or frying anything. You can even use it as a colander for rinsing a handful of berries.
Read more: Our Readers Can’t Stop Buying This $8 Kitchen Tool. Here’s Why You Need One.
8. Zyliss Sandwich Knife and Condiment Spreader
We were clearly on a butter kick this year (and every year, let’s be honest). We tested a bunch of different butter-spreading gadgets and this one came out as the cream of the crop. It’s a simple tool: a stainless steel spreader with a wide blade and serrations on one side. The serrations swiftly cut through butter, while the blade easily spreads it. The spreader works pretty well for cold butter and amazingly for room-temperature butter. It’s also handy when it comes to scooping and spreading a thin layer of condiments, like mayo or mustard, onto sandwiches.
Read more: The $5 Tool That Spreads Butter Way Better than a Regular Old Butter Knife