Our Readers Can’t Stop Buying This $8 Kitchen Tool. Here’s Why You Need One.

There are very few things that make me happier than knowing that a reader buys (and enjoys!) something I recommend. It gives me that I love my job feeling. Which is why I was super excited to put together the Tools Edition of Kitchn Essentials earlier this year. Basically, it’s a list of the 111 kitchen products you should absolutely have in your kitchen, according to me (a professional gear tester) and the rest of Kitchn’s editorial staff.

Read more: Kitchn Essentials, Tools Edition

And of those 111 painstakingly curated items, there is one product that so many of our readers (hey, that’s you!) told us they were buying. Month after month, we got word from people about this Hiware Solid Stainless Steel Spider.

A spider has had a permanent place in my utensil crock for years. If you don’t already have one, here’s why you should get one — and why this particular one is so great.

When you’re blanching veggies and fishing them out of the water to transfer them to an ice bath, there’s no better tool than a spider. The same goes for when you’re hard-boiling eggs. A spider is also perfect for retrieving cooked ravioli, gnocchi, and other pastas and transferring them to a separate pan of sauce. A spider is the ideal tool for deep- or shallow-fried foods, too, like donuts and chicken cutlets. Our Food Editor, Kelli Foster, says, “You can even use it as a colander for rinsing a handful of berries,” which I haven’t tried but will absolutely now be doing!

But, why this particular spider? It has a comfortable, rounded handle and is made entirely from stainless steel, so it’s dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. This spider’s double coil design allows oil and water to drain quickly, but still keeps food contained (even skinny string beans or tiny blueberries!). Oh — it’s also just $8. Which, in my opinion, is a bargain in Kitchen Tool Land.

Do you have a spider you love? Tell us about it in the comments!