The Best $10 Our Readers Ever Spent on Their Kitchens

Surround yourself with people who make you a better bargain hunter (that’s how the saying goes, right? If it’s not, it should be!) — specifically, people who know how to spend just $10 (or less!) and get a totally life-changing kitchen gadget. People like you, dear readers!

We asked you guys to tell us about the best $10 you’ve ever spent on your kitchens. And now I have 10 things in my shopping cart. (My already-full kitchen drawer is groaning at the thought of making room for more stuff.) Thanks, all!

Oh, and to the reader who simply said “wine” — I love you.

Whether you’re working on your knife skills or you’re a seasoned home cook, a good cut-resistant glove is never a bad idea — especially if you want to avoid a trip to the emergency room. “With [a glove on], I can even slice garlic on the mandoline,” says one reader. “I only need one for my dominant hand, and Amazon sells them as singles.”

Buy: Dowellife Cut Resistant Glove, $10 for one

If you haven’t noticed, “noodled” vegetables are super trendy. You can buy all sorts of special spiralizers, but a simple julienne peeler can get the job done, too. Says a reader: “It makes long noodle-y things and also really nice matchstick vegetables with the help of a knife.”

Buy: OXO Good Grips Julienne Peeler, $10

We’ve talked about the three kinds of salt every kitchen needs. And we consider this pink Himalayan salt to be the fourth, if you want to take your salt stash up an extra level. “It definitely does make a difference!” a reader says.

Buy: Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt, $9.50 for two pounds

“I can’t live without my lemon zester,” one reader told us. Kitchn staffers agree. And so does Sharon Franke, a trusted writer for the site who spent more than 30 years working at the Good Housekeeping Institute. (Read her explanation here: The $10 Kitchen Tool I Use Every Time I Cook)

Buy: Microplane Zester Grater, $10

Sometimes you just need things done on the fly — and usually one of those things is breakfast. To help with that, one reader swears by her microwave egg baker. “[It] cooks eggs in 80 seconds. Magic.”

Buy: OXO Good Grips Microwave Egg Cooker, $8

It’s no secret how much we love a restaurant supply store here at Kitchn. (Related: 3 Restaurant Supplies That Will Make Your Kitchen Safer and Healthier) And many of our readers love them too: “I bought sheet trays from a restaurant supply store for less than $10.”

Buy: Baker’s Mark Full Size 19-Gauge Wire in Rim Aluminum Sheet Pan, from $5 at Webstaurant Store

Sometimes, the products that seem the silliest (and have the wackiest names!) end up being the most life-changing. Take this little guy, for example: “The ChopStir is a meat chopper/spatula — and it’s amazing.” It is actually one of the fastest ways to break up ground meat in a pan and even works on soft fruits and vegetables.

If you’re making homemade pies (or pasta) anytime soon, you probably want to have a pastry crimper on hand to make swift-but-clean cuts in your dough. You can find them on the cheap, too! One reader “recently bought a pastry crimper that was less than $10.”

Buy: Norpro Stainless Steel Pastry Crimper, $10

There are a few things that home cooks always reach for time and time again — and one of them is a spatula. There are all different kinds out there, but a reader swears by one specific kind: “Williams Sonoma makes the ultimate, best silicone spatula.”

Buy: All-Silicone Spatula, $10 at Williams Sonoma

Of course, then there are unitaskers that we only reach for every now and then. Even if they have a reputation for cluttering up the kitchen, if something makes your life easier, go for it! One of our readers found the solution to all of her strawberry-hulling problems with this Chef’N Stem Gem Strawberry Huller.

Buy: Chef’N Stem Gem Strawberry Huller, $6.50

What’s the best $10 you’ve ever spent on your kitchen?