If you ask people what the most important tools in their kitchen are, you’ll likely get a list of the obvious: knives, cutting boards, and spoons. But there’s a whole category of lesser-known gadgets that help people get those simple tasks done quickly and with less stress.
So we asked professional chefs, home cooks, and kitchen enthusiasts about the ones they can’t live without. The responses might surprise you. Here are 12 worth trying for yourself.
A bench scraper
The bench scraper is a tool most people believe is just used to roll or cut dough. But, it can be so much more.
It is great for moving chopped vegetables, cleaning up your work surface, or spreading sauces and spreads. Lots of folks have mentioned using it daily, not just when they are baking.
A set of herb‑scissors
It may seem like a simple task to chop up herbs. However, it can turn into a mess in a hurry.
Herb scissors have multiple blades. So, you can cut fresh herbs into your bowl with one snip. Many people spoke about the time this gadget saves and also, how clean their kitchens remain.
A good fish spatula (angled slotted turner)
You don’t have to cook fish every day for this turner to justify its keep. It has a long, skinny slotted blade that’s designed to easily lift and turn fragile food (think roasted vegetables, pancakes, fish fillets) without breaking them apart.
One home cook told us that her fish spatula has become one of her “can’t live without” kitchen tools.
A portion‑control spaghetti measurer
You may think you can eyeball pasta portions, but users rave that this gadget ended their over‑cooking or wasting of spaghetti. It looks basic, but rids the guess‑work of servings so you don’t end up with a heap of pasta or under‑serve yourself.
A silicone jar‑grip or jar‑opener tool
One of those little daily annoyances is trying to open a tight jar lid. A basic silicone jar-grip or opener makes it a snap. Users frequently remark how surprised they are at how often they use this tool now.
A drawer‑divider
Many home cooks have reported that their prep time significantly decreased after their drawers were organized. It allows you to quickly find the tools you need, protects breakables from scratches, and even makes cleaning easier as crumbs and dust no longer get lost under stacks of utensils.
A good digital food scale
Most people buy a kitchen scale with the intention of using it for baking but end up using it for everything else. Measure out servings of pasta, divide up meat portions, or get precise amounts of spices without dirtying another dish. Lots of cooks who use it swear they never went back to guesswork.
A mini‑tongs or precision tweezers
Mini tongs or kitchen tweezers may seem like something only chefs use, but they turn out to be quite handy for home cooks as well. They are perfect for picking bacon bits from the pan, pulling toast from the toaster, or flipping delicate food without damaging it.
A fine‑bladed zester
Chefs and home cooks can’t help but notice how a zester releases flavors in citrus, ginger, garlic and cheese. It finely grates citrus, ginger, garlic, or hard cheese to infuse a dish with flavor and fragrance. When you use one, you’ll be amazed you ever lived without one.
A vacuum‑seal tool
A vacuum-seal machine is something that can slip under the radar until you have one. Many of the people we talked to brought up that vacuum‑sealing bulk spices, cheese, freezer bags or leftovers make a world of difference when it comes to freshness, reducing waste, and saving space.
Especially if you buy in bulk or meal prep in advance, this gadget yields surprising returns.
A clip-on strainer
Don’t try to balance a heavy colander in the sink. Clip this strainer directly onto your pot. Simply tilt and pour, no splashes, no dropping. This product is really useful when draining pasta or boiled vegetables, home cooks say.
A pan scraper
Don’t be deceived by its small size, a pan scraper slips into nooks and crannies that are unreachable by sponges. It scrapes away dried bits from pans and griddles so they stay smooth. Cheap and durable, this becomes essential once you get in the habit of using it.
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