15 Surprisingly Cheap Kitchen Tools To Simplify Mealtime

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If chopping vegetables by hand isn’t exactly your idea of a good time, us either. You’ve got enough on your plate trying to balance work, life and family, which means the less time you have to spend making home-cooked meals, the better. To simplify your life and speed up mealtime, we’ve rounded up the best kitchen tools all under $20.

ThermoPro Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer

Easy to wash (it’s waterproof!) and even easier to use. This handy, instant read meat thermometer is less than $15 and will tell you the temperature of your chicken or steak in as little as three seconds so it’s always perfectly cooked.

OXO Scoop and Smash Good Grips Avocado Masher

Whether you’re whipping up avocado toast for breakfast, making mashed potatoes for dinner or preparing an egg salad for your summer BBQ, this multi-purpose kitchen tool makes mixing and mashing a breeze. It even has a silicone squeegee blade so you can get every last bit of guacamole (or whatever!) out and into your serving bowl.

Proctor Silex Durable Electric Vegetable Chopper & Mini Food Processor

Why waste time hand chopping your vegetables when you can let this little machine do all the work for you? Cut up carrots, onions, garlic and more in a jiffy, or use it to make your own salsa or purees for baby.

VAHDAM India Pyramid Tea Infuser

It’s always tea time with this extra fine—and under $10—stainless steel infuser from the award-winning, sustainable global wellness brand VAHDAM India, which counts Oprah, Sarah Jessica Parker and Martha Stewart amongst its biggest fans. In just a few dips, your tea is ready to sip.

Kailedi Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set

Never lose a measuring spoon again. This magnetic, food-grade stainless steel set is a game changer for not only keeping track of your measuring spoons more easily, but scooping out hard-to-reach ingredients thanks to its double-headed design.

KITESSENSU Premium Garlic Press

We love a good time-saving kitchen tool, and this under $10 garlic press is perfect for peeling cloves and mincing them in a flash. Reviewers report how easy it is to wash and clean too.

Kitchen Gizmo Snap N Strain Pot Strainer and Pasta Strainer

If you have a small kitchen you need this compact strainer in your life. It has a built-in spout to maximize water drainage and clamps to the edges of pots, pans and bowls for a secure grip.

Zulay Metal 2-In-1 Lemon Lime Squeezer

Sick of seeds getting in all your yummy lemon recipes? Because same. This two-in-one citrus press gets every last drop of juice out from lemons, limes and even small oranges. So effortless.

Zulay Kitchen Silicone Utensil Rest with Drip Pad

The pretty parking lot for your cooking utensils you never knew you needed…until now. No more getting gross cooking oils on your countertops thanks to this handy silicone utensil rest that’s heat-resistant and simple to clean. Just place your spoons and brushes in a slot when you’re not using them to cook.

BELLA Rapid Electric Egg Cooker and Poacher

The perfect omelet, poached or hard boiled egg, every time. Breakfast lovers will want this $13 Electric Egg Cooker and Poacher in their life, as it literally takes the thought out of cooking up to seven eggs to your preference. It has an auto shut off feature and comes with different trays for poaching, boiling or whipping up omelets.

Deiss PRO Lemon Zester & Heavy Duty Cheese Grater & Vegetable Grater

A space-saver and a time-saver, this genius hand grater is great for quickly adding fresh parmesan cheese to salads, making your own slaw or zesting citrus for sauces, marinades, dressings and drinks. The options really are endless.

Amazon Basics Multi-Purpose Stainless Steel Scraper/Chopper

This tiny tool does it all, from portioning bread and pastry dough to measuring, chopping and scraping all those veggies from cutting board to bowl so your knives always stay sharp.

Zulay Powerful Milk Frother

If you want coffee-shop quality lattes and matcha at home (who doesn’t!?), this handheld milk frother is a must-have. It makes delicious creamy foamer for your drinks in mere seconds and won’t take up a ton of space in your kitchen either.

KitchenAid All Purpose Shears

From easily slicing through raw bacon and cutting pizza slices to making any meal miniature-sized for your toddler, these kitchen shears are the ultimate, affordable kitchen tool that will change the way you cook (for the better). These all-purpose shears come with an included blade guard for safe storage too.

Otstar Jar and Bottle Opener

Raise your hand if you’ve ever broken a sweat trying to open a stubborn jar! This anti-slip, 6-in-1 jar and bottle opener gets the job done with ease so you don’t have to hurt your hands or abandon a fave recipe again.

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