The $6 Trader Joe’s Find Your Kitchen and Bathroom Have Been Missing

We’ve sung the praises of Fouta (aka Turkish towels, Peshtemal, or Hammam) before. They’re lightweight and thin, which makes them great for folding and storing, but still pretty absorptive. If they’re authentic, the cotton gets softer with every wash. They come in a bunch of shades, perfect for adding a pop of color to any space that needs it.

They’re a little tough to get used to fully drying yourself off with one of these guys after a shower or bath (versus a fluffier towel), but I think we can all get behind using the smaller versions as dish or hand towels. The only drawback there, in my opinion, has been how expensive they can be. Well, not anymore.

I’m happy to report that, during a recent spin around my local Trader Joe’s, an area of colorful cloth caught my eye in the small-but-mighty cleaning and toiletries section. Upon closer inspection, there was practically a rainbow of Tunisian-made, 100 percent cotton Fouta towels stuffed into a shelf — reds, oranges, greens, blues, and even a purplish pink. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do a little rearranging to get this shot of the assortment. It had to be done.

Here’s the thing — it’s not like you can’t find towels like these in other stores. And if I’m being totally honest, I wish they had fringe. But at $6 for a three-pack, Trader Joe’s Cotton Kitchen Towels offer a lot of style bang for the buck. They’re woven on large looms and are hand-finished, so there’s a little variation in each set. And you get two predominantly solid towels with a band of stripes near the bottom and then one almost ticking stripe-style towel with a solid border at the bottom. Use the matching pair on a towel bar in the bathroom, and try the single striped guy on your oven door, refrigerator handle, or kitchen counter. Or mix-and-match the two styles. You decide.

I bought the blue pack, and I’m into them. Depending on how you style them (and in this color way in particular), they look pretty fancy and like they came from Canvas Home or Coyuchi.

The beauty of a good dish towel is that it really does so much more than just dry dishes. You can use these TJ finds in the bathroom as hand towels, to line bread baskets, wrap fruit for a picnic, or as napkins when setting the table. I’ve even seen people sew these things into simple pillow covers and window treatments. If only they made these guys in bath sheet or standard towel size: We could start using them as picnic blankets and tablecloths, and you know they’d be cheaper than the average Fouta. Trader Joe’s buyers, I hope you are listening!

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: The Trader Joe’s Towel Your Kitchen and Bathroom Have Been Missing