Kitchn Love Letters

The Ingenious Amazon Find That Kitchn Readers Couldn’t Stop Buying in 2022

Amy Gordon
Amy GordonContributor
From the garden to the kitchen to the bedroom, Amy can't stop herself from constantly switching up the style in her living space. When she's not working as a writer and editor, you can (try to) find her traveling the world, hibernating with a great book, and swimming with sea…read more
published Dec 22, 2022
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Credit: Chinasa Cooper

This year, my colleagues and I at Kitchn shared and raved about a slew of newly discovered products, from surface cleaners for every square inch of your cooking station to dupes for high-end countertop appliances. The best part is that you (our readers) seemed to enjoy them just as much as we did. You were right there with us as we announced the launch of a new pasta cookware set from one of our favorite brands, as well as when we happened upon the perfect paper towel replacement. So, we did some digging to see what you, dear reader, bought most this year — and the product below that blew us all away was one that I initially tested when trying to find a solution for my least favorite kitchen cleaning task. It’s also one of the top items you added to your virtual shopping carts!

My most dreaded chore is, without a doubt, cleaning the refrigerator. From having to keep the fridge door open for way too long to scrubbing furiously at a spill that has become frozen to the shelf, there are just too many pain points for my liking. That’s why I was so intrigued when I spotted the MayNest Washable Refrigerator Shelf Liners on Amazon. These simple kitchen accessories might just be the key to never having to scrub the fridge again (yes, really!).

When I first came across this problem-solving find, I figured I must be late to the table on this one. Surely, everyone else must already know about such a super-simple game-changing product! But when I sent the link to my colleagues, I realized I was not alone; we were all curious how in the world we had never come across such an obvious solution to this pesky problem. Our eagerness to know more only grew when we started to comb through the 2,300 five-star ratings. “It’s easy to clean out … definitely one of the best purchases I made to help keep the kitchen refrigerator clean,” comments one happy reviewer.

Think of these food-grade, BPA-free plastic liners as smartphone screen protectors, but for your fridge. Just place one on top of each shelf for protection against whatever might normally make a mess. Whether you spill a sticky, sugary beverage or knock over the open box of baking soda in the back behind the milk, these mats bring the mess to you rather than the other way around. All you have to do is move the rest of your food to another shelf, remove the liner, rinse and dry it, and put it right back where it was. “I love these liners … they make such a difference in the appearance of my fridge and are so easy to take out and clean,” comments a satisfied Amazon shopper. “I followed the directions and don’t have any problems with them slipping.” That last part is thanks to the non-slip surface that grips the shelves and provides stability.

Credit: Amazon

These 17.7-inch by 11.6-inch shelf liners are designed to fit standard fridges, but for a larger-capacity appliance, you can use two mats and easily trim one down to the sizes and dimensions of your shelves. They come in four pretty hues, so you can choose your favorite or mix and match. Another reviewer sums it up, “Nothing to dislike, excellent value, very easy to wipe clean, perfect size, and can be cut to size if needed. Pretty colors.” You can choose between an eight-pack ($11.99) or a 12-pack ($14.99), but if you’re anything like this reviewer, you’ll want to opt for the latter. “Bought these for the refrigerator but wound up buying more for all of my drawers. Nice colors and thick enough to protect.”

An affordable find that looks great and makes an annoying kitchen problem disappear? Sounds good to me! Don’t forget to click the “apply 8% coupon” button to receive a discount on your purchase.

Buy: MayNest Washable Refrigerator Shelf Liners, 8-Pack, $11.03 (normally $11.99)