The kitchen is often seen as the heart of the home, where creativity and functionality come together. However, keeping up with the latest kitchen trends and adding innovative gadgets can sometimes feel like an expensive endeavor. Fortunately, there are plenty of useful and unique kitchen gadgets that can improve your cooking experience, all without exceeding a budget of $20. From time-saving tools to quirky devices that add fun to the kitchen, here are 21 kitchen gadgets that are both affordable and practical.
21 Unique Kitchen Gadgets Under $20
1. Avocado Slicer
Price: Around $10
An avocado slicer is a must-have for anyone who loves the creamy, delicious fruit but struggles with its preparation. This nifty tool combines several functions in one: it splits the avocado, removes the pit, and slices the flesh into perfect, even pieces. No more messy cutting or dealing with tricky pits. An avocado slicer will save you time and make your avocado toast or guacamole look professional.
How It Is Helpful:
- Efficient Preparation: Quickly splits, pits, and slices avocados with minimal effort.
- Mess-Free: Reduces the mess from handling avocados and prevents sticky fingers.
- Consistent Slices: Ensures uniform slices, perfect for avocado toast or salads.
2. Silicone Lid Covers
Price: Around $10
Instead of using plastic wrap or aluminum foil, silicone lid covers provide a sustainable and convenient way to store leftovers or cover bowls while cooking. These flexible lids stretch over any dish, providing an airtight seal that keeps food fresh for longer. Silicone lids come in various sizes, making them a versatile tool for different types of containers. Plus, they’re easy to clean and reusable.
How It Is Helpful:
- Eco-Friendly: Replaces disposable wraps like plastic or foil, reducing waste.
- Airtight Seal: Keeps food fresh longer by providing an airtight seal.
- Versatile Sizes: Fits a variety of bowl sizes, improving storage flexibility.
3. Electric Milk Frother
Price: Around $15
For coffee lovers who enjoy a café-style experience at home, an electric milk frother is a game-changer. With just a few seconds of effort, you can turn regular milk into frothy, creamy foam perfect for lattes, cappuccinos, or even hot chocolate. Most models are compact, lightweight, and easy to store in your kitchen, making them a fantastic budget-friendly addition to your coffee station.
How It Is Helpful:
- Café-Quality Drinks: Turns regular milk into frothy foam for lattes, cappuccinos, and hot chocolate.
- Quick and Easy: Froths milk in seconds, enhancing your morning routine.
- Compact Design: Small and easy to store, perfect for home coffee enthusiasts.
4. Jar Opener
Price: Around $8
Struggling to open stubborn jars is a common kitchen frustration. A jar opener makes this task effortless. These simple yet effective devices help you grip and twist even the most tightly sealed jars with minimal effort. With an adjustable handle and easy-to-use mechanism, jar openers are especially useful for people with arthritis or weak hands, providing relief and increasing accessibility.
How It Is Helpful:
- Ease of Use: Makes it effortless to open tightly sealed jars, preventing hand strain.
- Helps With Accessibility: Particularly useful for individuals with arthritis or weak hand strength.
- Saves Time: Quick and efficient for opening jars without requiring additional tools.
5. Collapsible Colander
Price: Around $12
Space-saving kitchen gadgets are ideal for small kitchens, and a collapsible colander is the perfect example. Made from flexible silicone, this colander folds flat when not in use, making it easy to store in your drawer. Its sturdy construction allows it to handle a large amount of food, whether you’re draining pasta, rinsing vegetables, or washing fruit. The compact design and versatility make it an indispensable tool for busy cooks.
How It Is Helpful:
- Space-Saving: Folds flat for easy storage in small kitchens or cabinets.
- Sturdy Design: Can handle large quantities of food, making it versatile for different needs.
- Convenient for Daily Use: Ideal for draining pasta, rinsing vegetables, or washing fruit.
6. Herb Scissors
Price: Around $15
Chopping herbs can be tedious, especially when you need finely chopped ingredients for dishes like salads, pastas, or garnishes. Herb scissors solve this problem by allowing you to snip fresh herbs directly into your dish with ease. These scissors come with multiple blades, which makes cutting herbs much faster and more efficient. Some models even include a cleaning comb to make post-use cleanup a breeze.
How It Is Helpful:
- Quick Herb Chopping: Multiple blades chop herbs evenly and quickly, reducing prep time.
- Mess-Free: No more chopping boards covered in herb pieces, keeping the counter clean.
- Easy to Use: A simple, effective tool for home cooks who want precision without the effort.
7. Banana Slicer
Price: Around $8
If you’re a fan of smoothies, banana bread, or simply enjoy adding sliced bananas to your cereal, this gadget will save you time. The banana slicer is a handheld device with multiple blades that evenly slice the banana in one simple motion. It’s especially handy when you need perfectly uniform slices, and it helps prevent your hands from getting sticky when handling the fruit.
How It Is Helpful:
- Even Slices: Quickly produces uniform banana slices, perfect for cereal or fruit salads.
- Saves Time: Speeds up the process of preparing bananas for breakfast or snacks.
- Reduces Mess: Keeps hands clean and avoids sticky fingers.
8. Oil Mister
Price: Around $12
An oil mister is a fantastic kitchen gadget for those looking to reduce the amount of oil used in cooking while still achieving a nice, even coating on food. Instead of using a store-bought spray that often contains unhealthy additives, an oil mister allows you to fill it with your favorite oil and spray it in a fine mist over food. This device is especially useful for air fryers or for lightly greasing pans without excess oil.
How It Is Helpful:
- Healthier Cooking: Allows you to use less oil by spraying a fine mist, reducing fat intake.
- Versatile Use: Can be used for air fryers, baking, grilling, or greasing pans.
- Customizable Flavors: You can fill it with any type of oil, giving you control over your ingredients.
9. Clip-On Strainer
Price: Around $10
A clip-on strainer attaches directly to the side of your pots or pans, allowing you to drain liquids without needing a separate colander. This innovative gadget makes straining pasta, vegetables, or other foods a one-handed task, saving you time and reducing clutter. It’s particularly helpful for small kitchens or for those who need an efficient solution when cooking alone.
How It Is Helpful:
- Hands-Free Operation: Clips onto pots or pans, allowing for one-handed straining.
- Space Saver: No need for a separate colander, freeing up space in your kitchen.
- Convenient: Makes draining pasta or vegetables quick and efficient without transferring to another dish.
10. Mini Food Processor
Price: Around $20
Small but powerful, a mini food processor is perfect for quickly chopping, dicing, or pureeing small portions of food. It’s ideal for making salsa, chopping onions, or blending sauces without needing to haul out your larger food processor. Compact and easy to store, these mini processors save you time and energy for everyday kitchen tasks, and they often come with additional attachments for different uses.
How It Is Helpful:
- Quick Food Prep: Chops, dices, or purees small portions of ingredients in seconds.
- Compact: Easy to store and doesn’t take up valuable counter space.
- Versatile: Ideal for making sauces, dips, or chopping small amounts of vegetables.
11. Citrus Juicer
Price: Around $12
A manual citrus juicer is a simple yet effective tool for extracting fresh juice from fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges. Unlike electric juicers, a manual version is easy to clean, takes up less space, and costs a fraction of the price. Whether you’re making fresh lemonade, adding lemon juice to a recipe, or creating a citrusy cocktail, this gadget ensures you get the most juice with minimal waste.
How It Is Helpful:
- Efficient Juicing: Quickly extracts juice from lemons, limes, and oranges with minimal effort.
- Fresh Juice: Guarantees fresh, flavorful juice for cooking, baking, or drinks.
- Easy to Clean: Simple design makes cleanup quick and easy after use.
12. Taco Holder
Price: Around $7
Making the perfect taco requires more than just tasty fillings—it requires the right structure. A taco holder is a simple, yet clever gadget that holds your tacos upright while you load them with toppings. Whether you’re preparing soft or hard-shell tacos, this gadget ensures that each taco stays together without spilling its contents, making it a must-have for taco lovers.
How It Is Helpful:
- Neat Presentation: Keeps tacos upright while filling, preventing toppings from spilling.
- Stable Support: Holds soft and hard tacos in place for easy assembly.
- Convenient: Makes taco prep more organized, especially for large batches.
13. Corn on the Cob Peeler
Price: Around $8
If you love corn on the cob but dislike the mess and difficulty of removing kernels, this corn peeler is a game-changer. This simple tool allows you to easily remove kernels from the cob in one swift motion, saving time and reducing the mess. It’s especially helpful when you’re prepping corn for salads, salsas, or even for freezing.
How It Is Helpful:
- Mess-Free Kernels: Efficiently removes corn kernels from the cob without creating a mess.
- Saves Time: Quickly shucks corn, making it easier to prepare for salads or other dishes.
- Uniform Results: Ensures consistent, even kernel removal for better presentation.
14. Magnetic Spice Rack
Price: Around $12
A magnetic spice rack helps keep your spice collection organized and easily accessible. This gadget typically includes small metal jars that stick to a magnetic board or surface. It’s a great way to free up space in your cabinets while also adding a neat and modern touch to your kitchen. The magnetic feature makes it easy to grab the spice you need without fumbling through cluttered drawers.
How It Is Helpful:
- Organized Storage: Keeps your spices neatly arranged and easily accessible.
- Space-Saving: The magnetic design saves counter and cabinet space by sticking to metal surfaces.
- Convenience: Helps you find the spice you need quickly, reducing clutter and frustration.
15. Meat Shredding Claws
Price: Around $12
For those who love slow-cooked meats like pulled pork or chicken, meat shredding claws are an essential tool. These durable claws make shredding meat faster and more efficient than using forks. They can also handle hot meat straight out of the pot, ensuring you can quickly pull apart meats without getting burned or dealing with the mess of using traditional utensils.
How It Is Helpful:
- Fast Meat Shredding: Allows you to shred meat quickly and easily, ideal for pulled pork or chicken.
- Safe: Protects hands from burns by handling hot meat directly out of the cooker.
- Efficient: Works faster than traditional forks, saving you time and effort.
16. Pineapple Corer and Slicer
Price: Around $15
Pineapple can be a tricky fruit to prepare, especially when you’re trying to remove the skin and core without wasting any of the sweet flesh. A pineapple corer and slicer does all the hard work for you, allowing you to cut perfect rings or chunks from your pineapple with ease. This tool helps you enjoy fresh pineapple without the hassle of cutting, making it perfect for fruit salads, smoothies, or snacking.
How It Is Helpful:
- Efficient Preparation: Removes the core and slices the pineapple into perfect rings or chunks.
- Less Waste: Helps you get more fruit out of the pineapple with minimal waste.
- Easy to Use: Simplifies the otherwise tricky process of cutting and preparing pineapple.
17. Chop Chop Onion Holder
Price: Around $9
Chopping onions can make you tear up, but this onion holder can also help you with precision cutting. It’s a safe and effective way to slice onions without risking injury. The pronged holder stabilizes the onion, so you can safely make even cuts without slipping. It’s a handy tool that enhances safety and efficiency in your kitchen prep.
How It Is Helpful:
- Safety: Holds onions securely, reducing the risk of cuts and slips while chopping.
- Precision: Ensures uniform slices every time, making prep work faster and easier.
- Ease of Use: Simplifies onion chopping, preventing your hands from becoming too smelly.
18. Food Dehydrator Tray for Microwave
Price: Around $10
If you love dehydrating fruits, herbs, or vegetables but don’t have the space for a large dehydrator machine, consider a microwave-safe dehydrator tray. This compact gadget allows you to dry small batches of food in the microwave, making it perfect for preserving your favorite snacks or creating your own dried fruit for trail mixes. It’s a quick and easy solution for drying foods in a pinch.
How It Is Helpful:
- Quick Drying: Dehydrates small batches of fruits, herbs, or vegetables in minutes using your microwave.
- Convenient: Eliminates the need for a bulky, expensive dehydrator machine.
- Space-Saving: Compact and easy to store, this tool takes up minimal kitchen space.
19. Vegetable Spiralizer
Price: Around $10
Vegetable spiralizers have become a popular tool for anyone looking to create healthy, low-carb alternatives to pasta. Whether you’re spiraling zucchini, sweet potatoes, or carrots, this gadget helps you create “noodles” that can be used in salads, stir-fries, or even baked dishes. Spiralizing is a great way to add more vegetables to your diet in a fun, creative way.
How It Is Helpful:
- Healthier Alternatives: Turns vegetables into noodle-like shapes, offering a low-carb substitute for pasta.
- Fun and Creative: Makes eating vegetables more enjoyable by transforming them into fun shapes.
- Efficient: Quickly spirals vegetables, saving you time compared to using a knife.
20. Popcorn Popper
Price: Around $15
Say goodbye to microwave popcorn bags with artificial additives and make your own healthier, fresh popcorn at home with a popcorn popper. This gadget uses hot air to pop the kernels, requiring no oil, which results in a lighter, lower-calorie snack. You can also add your own seasonings and flavorings, creating a customizable snack for movie night.
How It Is Helpful:
- Healthy Snack: Uses hot air to pop the kernels, reducing the need for oil and making the snack lighter.
- Customizable: Lets you add your own seasonings for a personalized snack.
- Faster Than Stove: Cooks popcorn quickly, making it perfect for last-minute cravings.
21. Pizza Cutter with Rolling Blade
Price: Around $8
A pizza cutter with a rolling blade is a fast and easy way to slice through pizzas, calzones, and even large flatbreads. This gadget typically features a large, sharp blade that rolls smoothly across your food, making it much quicker and more efficient than traditional pizza cutters. Its ergonomic handle provides a comfortable grip, allowing for precise cuts without damaging your pizza crust.
How It Is Helpful:
- Efficient Slicing: Quickly slices through pizza, calzones, or flatbreads without damaging the crust.
- Ergonomic: The rolling blade design offers a comfortable grip and precise cutting.
- Time-Saving: Cuts through large pizzas faster than traditional cutters, reducing effort and mess.
READ ALSO: How to Get 150g of Protein a Day as a Vegetarian
Conclusion
You don’t have to spend a fortune to enhance your kitchen experience. These 21 kitchen gadgets, all under $20, are practical, fun, and designed to make cooking and meal prep easier. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner cook, investing in these affordable tools can save you time, reduce kitchen mess, and even spark some culinary creativity. Each item serves a unique purpose, from improving your food prep to making your kitchen more efficient. Consider adding one (or more) of these gadgets to your kitchen arsenal and enjoy an upgraded cooking experience at home!
