Best Kitchen Gadgets Under $20
Inside: These kitchen gadgets under $20 make great Christmas gifts for the cook or hostess in your life.
There are so many neat kitchen gadgets under $20. But which ones are worth the money and which ones are a waste of space in your kitchen?
This post will share some of the best kitchen gadgets under $20 and why I think they are worthy of precious space in your kitchen. Plus these make great Christmas gifts or gifts for hostesses.
Many of these kitchen items are environmentally friendly too, saving you time and money. Check out the list of best kitchen gadgets under $20 below and let me know in the comments if there are any other ideas you would add.
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Misto Oil Sprayer
I absolutely love my Misto Oil Sprayer. You add the oil of your choosing to the bottle, pump the container with the included lid, and then spray away.
The beauty of these is that they are so much better for the environment than the non-refillable types. There is no propellant, no questionable oils, and no bottle to throw away when you are done.
To refill the Misto, you simply unscrew the sprayer, add oil, replace the sprayer, and re-pump. I love these so much that I bought an extra one to take camping.
Skoy Scrub Pads
These Skoy Scrub Pads are the BEST! They work great to scrub pots and pans and they typically won’t scratch your dishes. I use them often to scrub stuck-on food, especially in my crock pot.
They last a really long time and you can wash them in the dishwasher or the washing machine, though they will shrink if you throw them in the dryer. (It doesn’t affect their cleaning ability at all if they do shrink.)
Silicone Baking Mats
Silicone baking mats are a great gift for the baker. Another environmentally friendly gift, these replace parchment paper or foil when baking cookies and other items that tend to stick to your cookie sheets.
Silicone baking mats also help prevent the cookies from burning on the bottom. This is another item we keep in our camper since the oven is so hard to regulate.
Adjustable Measuring Cup
An adjustable measuring cup is the best thing to measure out peanut butter, honey, and other sticky foods. You adjust the cup to the correct measurement, add your ingredient, then push it out into a bowl. Easy! My 11 year old son has started baking this year and I’m adding one of these to his stocking for Christmas.
Tongs in Various Sizes
Tongs are invaluable in the kitchen and for the grill. They allow you to move meat around without piercing it and releasing the juices.
But there are so many other uses for tongs too. We use them to serve salad greens, move food around in the air fryer, pick up meat and cheese on party food trays, etc.
There are so many things you can do with a good set of tongs. I recommend at least one set that has silicone coverings and one stainless steel pair.
But I really don’t think you can have too many. I bet I own at least 5 pairs! I just bought a new stainless steel one for my husband with longer handles for the grill.
Kitchen Shears
A good pair of kitchen shears is a must in the kitchen. I actually recommend having 2 pairs – one for cutting herbs and opening food packages, and a second pair to use for trimming meat.
If you do choose a pair of scissors specifically for raw meat, purchase a pair with different colored handles so you can keep them separate.
Manual Can Opener
Everyone needs to own a manual can opener, especially if you plan to eat canned food in the event of a power outage. However, I have found that I just prefer the manual ones anyway.
Manual can openers take up less room and aren’t hard to operate. My favorite kind is the Swing-A-Way brand. I have had mine forever and it is still sharp and opens cans with ease.
This brand isn’t fancy at all but does the job well. I did notice they have started making this brand in various colors instead of just the plain black it used to come in.
Digital Scales
Digital scales make cooking and baking so much easier. You can weigh ingredients such as flour and sugar and you don’t have to get out measuring cups for each ingredient.
I also love to use my digital scale when I am dividing up bulk purchases of ground beef so I can ensure each package is the amount I need for a particular recipe. I’ve been surprised at how often I use my scale for various things around the house too.
If you know someone who loves to bake, a digital scale will definitely come in handy as many bread recipes I’ve seen lately (especially sourdough) use weight measurements.
Garlic Press
A garlic press makes easy work of getting garlic into little bitty pieces. Nobody likes biting on a big hunk of garlic in a dish and I was never very good at chopping things into teeny tiny pieces.
I especially like that I don’t even have to peel the garlic before using the press. The one I own has a knobbed end to push the peel out when you are finished.
Microplane
A microplane grater is the perfect tool for so many things. You can zest lemons, limes, or oranges, grate Parmesan cheese and nutmeg, and if you don’t have a garlic press, you can use the microplane to grate your garlic. These things are razor-sharp, so please be careful!
Skinny Measuring Spoons
Many sets of kitchen measuring spoons are just too large to fit into tiny spice containers. That’s why I love my set of skinny measuring spoons.
They easily fit in narrow spice jars so you can scoop out the perfect amount without spilling it all over your counter. These are my go-to measuring spoons for everything since they fit any container. But for ease of use, take them off the ring so you don’t have to wash the entire set each time you use one!
Digital Thermometer
I love having a digital thermometer in my kitchen. I use mine all the time to ensure chicken and other meats are cooked to the proper temperature. I also use a digital thermometer to check the temperature of loaves of bread to be sure they are fully cooked once I remove them from the oven.
This one can also be used to check the temperature when making candy, frying food, or anything else where you need to know a precise temperature.
Dough Scraper
I love my dough scraper and use it multiple times a week. If you make lots of homemade bread, it is the perfect tool to cut the dough into the proper size pieces.
A dough scraper also works well for cutting slice-and-bake cookies. When you are done baking, it is easy to clean the dough off your cutting boards or counters with the dough scraper. Then, pop it in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
These are some of the best kitchen gadgets under $20. Many of these items could be combined in a gift basket for a nice hostess gift. Do you have other inexpensive items in your kitchen you can’t live without? If so, I would love for you to share your ideas in the comments below.
Related Posts
- Flour sack towels are an item I feel that should be in every kitchen. They can be used to cover bread that is rising and dry dishes. These flour sack towels make cute gifts and can be tailored to fit the gift recipient.
- Looking for other gift ideas? These easy homemade gifts will help you make the perfect gift for a loved one.
- Need gift ideas for kids who love to cook? This gift guide for young cooks will help you find the perfect gift.
