Our tiny apartment kitchen is not matchy matchy. We didn’t have a gift registry for our wedding because 1) we didn’t have space for anything extra and 2) saving for a down payment on a home meant much more to us than any pots and pans ever could at the time. Therefore, most of our dishes were hand-me-downs or garage sale finds. Our pans don’t match, we don’t have matching glassware, and as a whole, our kitchen is surely not Instagram worthy.
However, over the years, I’ve added some inexpensive items into our kitchen that I absolutely love! They weren’t necessarily added for aesthetics. Rather we added these pieces one by one for functionality and to solve recurring problems in our kitchen. And the best part? They were inexpensive finds on Amazon!
I love looking through lists like this on other blogs, because you often don’t know what you need until someone points out a problem that you can relate to. So, I’ve compiled (in no particular order) a list of 5 of my favorite Amazon Kitchen Finds all under $15 for you!
Because I believe in full transparency…here’s the deal. As an Amazon Associate, I do earn a tiny bit from any purchases you make from the links below. However, these prices are not marked up in any way, and all of these items were purchased long before I ever started this blog. They are truly items that we have, use, and love, and I would never promote an item that was anything less than that.
Item #1: Splatter Screen
Okay, friends. Who here likes cleaning their stove, countertops, and floor anytime they cook something in a frying pan? Nobody? That’s what I thought. Especially after cooking chicken in olive oil, or simmering pasta sauce, our kitchen used to be a total disaster. Then, I saw that my mother-in-law had a splatter screen for her frying pan and my life was changed! We use this pretty much every time we cook on the stove, and it has drastically reduced our messes. Win! You can find this splatter screen here on Amazon (ours is the 13″ one).
Item #2: Magnetic (Double-Sided) Measuring Spoons
This item literally solved three problems at once for me! Problem 1: We used to use a set of plastic measuring spoons that the measurements were completely rubbing off of. It was annoying to have to guess by sight which size was which, so I wanted to get a set that didn’t just have paint on plastic. This set still has the sizes painted on, but it’s on more of a rubberized surface, so I don’t think it will scratch off nearly as easily. Problem 2: I do a lot of baking around here, and sometimes recipes call for the same amount of multiple items. Sometimes wet, sometimes dry, and usually items that shouldn’t be cross-contaminated. Enter the double-sided measuring spoon. Now, if a recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of baking powder, for example, I can use both sides and not have to deal with washing my measuring spoon in between! Maybe I’m just lazy, but that made a big difference for me! Problem 3: Measuring spoons have a way of hiding in drawers, or falling down the utensil holder in the dish drain, etc. This set is magnetic! They all nest perfectly into each other and they stay that way. It’s magical 🙂 You can find these magnetic measuring spoons here on Amazon.
Item #3: Stasher Bags
Have you ever noticed how many Ziplock bags you use in a day? A week? A month? It was truly getting out of hand over here. It seemed like we always had half of an avocado, tomato, block of cheese…you name it to store in the fridge! And then once we used the item that was in the bag, it would be wet or smelly and we wouldn’t want to reuse it. In addition to trying to save the planet from single use plastics, I’m always trying to make safer swaps and eliminate plastic from our lives as much as possible. So, after hearing about Stasher bags from a friend of mine, I decided to take the plunge and purchase a couple. I know. The price looks a bit steep at first glance for a Ziplock bag replacement, but hear me out. They’re microwave and freezer safe, and they can be run through the dishwasher. YAY! We get a lot of use out of the sandwich size and the half gallon size for leftovers, snacks, or pre-chopped produce. I rave about these to everyone! You can check out all of the different sizes, styles, and colors of Stasher bags here on Amazon.
Item #4: Lemon Squeezer
Squeezing lemons by hand is just no fun. Period. It gets your hands sticky, seeds can escape, and heaven forbid you have a cut on your hand? Game over! Within the last year, we snagged this lemon squeezer off Amazon and have gotten so much use out of it! I never realized how many recipes of mine call for freshly squeezed lemon juice. I used to cheat way more often with the yellow bottle that looks like a lemon from the grocery store, but with this handy tool, it’s no big deal anymore! We also like to put lemon juice in our water and find that it helps us drink more throughout the day when we have a hassle-free way to squeeze lemons. This can obviously also be used with limes or oranges. I just love it! You can find this lemon squeezer here on Amazon.
Item #5: Mini Waffle Maker
There really wasn’t a problem associated with this purchase. Honestly, we were just looking for a fun new item to level up our weekend breakfast game during the pandemic. As I mentioned earlier, we didn’t register for the typical waffle maker that most newlyweds do (and truly we didn’t really eat waffles at all before this purchase). But then, I saw this mini waffle maker on one of those fun Buzzfeed lists, and for less than $15 I had to have it (my only regret is not getting a pink one)! Oh my goodness, everyone. This is by far my favorite item on this list. Mini waffles are so fun!! We’ve experimented with making regular waffles, whole wheat waffles, setting up a mini waffle bar, and enjoying seasonal waffle toppings with this thing. I’d say we use it at least one weekend per month. One thing that I especially love about it is that the leftover waffles that we make with it are the perfect size for reheating in our toaster as an easy weekday breakfast. In case you didn’t see above, we currently have some stored in our refrigerator in a Stasher bag! You can find this mini waffle maker here on Amazon in so many fun colors!
Alright, that sums up my list for today! What small, fun, useful, and inexpensive kitchen items have you found lately that we need to add to our kitchen? I’m always looking for new items to add to my Amazon wishlist! 🙂
xoxo
Jennifer
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Thanks for sharing. I wouldn’t know what to do without my splatter screen. Makes clean up so much easier.
Then looking at those stashed bags, great idea. I’m going to try them out. I go through SO many ziplock bags.
Thanks for sharing:)