Best Deals on Kitchen Gadgets and Organization Essentials

The 7-cup Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 rarely falls below $80, so you may want to act fast if you’ve had your eye on this kettle. It boils about as fast as the other top-rated kettles in CR’s rankings. It costs more than most of the models we tested, but it has six preset temperature settings for making different types of teas or French-press coffee, and it boasts a three-year warranty. This stainless kettle garners a very good rating in our convenience tests—you’ll have no trouble reading the markings of the kettle.

This food storage set from Bayco could be a great option if you’re looking to add reuseable containers to your kitchen. It comes with 12 containers (and 12 matching lids) in different sizes and shapes for any and all of your storing needs, and the lids use a snap closure to ensure a top-notch seal. In CR’s tests, this set got top marks for seal quality, ease of use, and durability, with a near-perfect score for storage.

The C Crest glass food storage set is a great option, especially at this sale price. It gets top marks for storage, seal quality, and durability, making it one of the highest ranking sets CR has tested. And the set comes with five large containers and five small ones, all with matching lids that seal tightly thanks to clamps on each side.

The Meater+ meat thermometer is one of the most reliable digital thermometers, and with the on-page coupon at Amazon, it’s at the best price we’ve ever seen. It’s easy to use, and given its top-notch accuracy, you won’t need guesswork to determine the doneness of brisket and other fleshy delights. It’s shaped like a thick ink pen with dual sensors—one to check the internal temperature and one for ambient temperature—and its size makes it better suited for girthier cuts. The Meater+ transmits temperature readings wirelessly to the companion smartphone app.

The Inkbird IBT-4XS BT is the highest-rated digital meat thermometer in CR’s tests. It offers app connectivity with estimated cook times, four separate probes, built-in alarms, and the ability to charge the device while actively monitoring temperatures. Inkbird boasts a decent range in outdoor environments, up to 150 feet.

Compared with some of the other mushroom growing kits we’ve used, the Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Growing Kit yields only 35 grams, but it’s reliable—and a good option for people who don’t have the time, money, or space to invest in a larger kit. The mushrooms produced by the kit have little taste and are pretty chewy. They’re also gray, with traditionally round mushroom heads. If you take a photo of the kit while you’re using it and share it on social media using the company’s hashtag, they’ll donate a kit to a classroom of your choice from across the country.

There’s a lot to like about the RüK veggie dicer. It’s fairly stable and secure, thanks to rubber feet and a top that seals securely to the basin when you press down. It also includes extra inserts for different cuts, such as grating and julienne and mandoline cuts, along with the standard ½-inch and ¼-inch chopping blades and a garnish slicer. But perhaps the best part is that this dicer is dishwasher-safe and easy to disassemble.

The Mueller is virtually a clone of the RüK listed above (or vice-versa), save that you get more accessories with the RüK. The same five rubberized feet of the basin in exactly the same layout make the Mueller feel very steady during use. But the hinges are, likewise, a little under-built, allowing lid flex, and that can lead to less-precise chopping. 

It also has extra inserts for chopping, grating, and mandoline work. The extra tools fit directly into a swappable lid. Pop out the chopping lid for the grating/mandoline/julienne one and slide in the blade you want to use and the working surface remains relatively low and easy to stabilize with one hand while you cut across the top with the other. That matters because the whole device stays a little more stable and safer to use. 

This unusual but aesthetically pleasing pick from Hide & Drink is actually one of the least expensive leather gloves CR’s evaluator came across (some cost upward of $145 or more). Especially with the on-page coupon, it’s at the best price we’ve ever seen. However, you get only one glove per order. It claims to be handmade by local artisans of Pastores, Guatemala, and measures 11.22 inches in length, so expect it to cover your wrist but not much of your arm. Grill Armor Gloves recommends spot-cleaning leather gloves with a damp cloth and allowing them to air-dry.

These waterproof and stain-resistant silicone oven mitts are brought to you by trusted brand Gorilla Grip. Their silicone exterior provides superior grip, whether you’re handling hot pots and pans or slicing and dicing veggies, while a thick cotton interior lining ensures comfort. They come in two sizes and 11 shades, including black, pink, and turquoise. 

Professional chefs rely on multitasking cotton side towels like these for everything from cleaning counters to doubling as oven mitts (the kind that fit every hand). The absorbent towels feature a classic Herringbone design, are conveniently machine washable, and come in a pack of 15, so you’ll always have several on hand. Choose from several colors and striped options. 

After testing six pairs of kitchen shears, all three of CR’s evaluators said the iBayam shears felt nice in their hands, were easy to use, and didn’t require the user to grip too hard. Plus, you get two pairs of shears for this price, and our testers suggested you can designate one for cutting meat and one for other kitchen tasks. The one downside is that the shears don’t come apart for cleaning, but the price and the comfort level make them CR’s top choice.

These stainless steel shears are durable and feature micro-serrations on the blade, with a comfortable grip. They come with a safety blade guard and are available in several colors. 

These ice cube trays from Doqaus have plastic frames with silicone bases to make for easier cube removal. We found that the silicone bases make it a cinch to pop out the rectangular cubes with rounded corners, and there were no stray ice shards—or breakage—when we tried it ourselves. If you’re sensitive to taste, note that the tray imparts some flavor, but it’s marginal—and if placed in a flavorful beverage, you probably won’t notice.

Henckels has been making knives in Germany for almost 300 years, and its expertise in design is on full display with this knife. The Premio was the Goldilocks of the eight knives we tested, and in the end, it was the only one with a positive review from all four of our panelists. The handle is contoured, with no sharp edges, resulting in a knife that’s extremely comfortable to hold. One user said their hand became clammy during use, but the knife was well received overall. It also excelled at force transmission from handle to blade, which means you don’t need to exert as much effort when cutting.

Yes, just one of these knives costs as much as a dry-aged prime porterhouse, but it’s as close to perfect as a steak knife can get. Forged in Solingen, Germany, the Wüsthof classic moves like an extension of your hand—effortlessly gliding through even the toughest steak. Its razor-sharp, thin blade cuts delicately enough to produce perfect slices of tender cuts, like filet, without tearing the meat apart. The handle feels secure and comfortable, and the knife, well-balanced—meaning the weight was distributed evenly between handle and blade. It’s also the lone knife CR tried that has a straight edge, free of teeth, scallops, or serrations. That makes it easier to sharpen at home (serrated or scalloped knives need a special kind of sharpener that most people don’t own). Flatware of this caliber certainly isn’t necessary, but if you’re a steak-lover who often splurges on pricey cuts of meat, this knife is hand’s down the favorite of those we reviewed, and worthy of the high price. 

The Benriner is pretty intuitive to use straight out of the box. It’s large enough to slice an onion but not an Italian eggplant. It comes with three blades that shred, julienne, or thread-cut vegetables. The plastic feels sturdy and strong, unlike many of the other models we tried. And the blades are replaceable—whether you lose them or they become dull with use—and sold separately for about $10 each. Our evaluators found that the blade had a hard time with soft foods, and the julienne blades can’t handle harder veggies like carrots or sweet potatoes. But the whole contraption comes apart for easy cleaning.

Aline Lau, certified KonMari (a decluttering method developed by Marie Kondo) consultant and founder of Tokimekie says her go-to containers for organizing her pantry are Bormioli Rocco’s Fido jars, which can be used for storing anything from pasta to dried beans. For staples often bought in larger quantities—such as cereal, oats, and rice—stackable canisters or basic jars like these can help maximize shelf space.

A divided Lazy Susan like this one from YouCopia can be a great way to keep smaller items like snacks or spices organized and easily accessible. This is the best price we’ve seen in years, too, so why not declutter your pantry a bit?

Rachel Rosenthal, organizing expert and owner of Rachel and Company, swears by clear pantry bins and prefers to use them beyond the kitchen, including in the linen closet and even the bathroom. “While the name says ‘pantry,’ it does so much more!” she says. “I love that they allow you to easily create categories, see what is inside, and can be adapted to just about any space.” Rosenthal’s favorites are the iDesign Linus Pantry Bins, which come in a multitude of shapes and sizes for optimal versatility.

The Antarctic Star 36 Bottle Wine Cooler is the best freestanding wine fridge in our ratings by a healthy margin. In our lab tests, it offers very good temperature performance but only decent energy efficiency and middling noise output (meaning it’s somewhat noisier than other tested models). This Antarctic Star fridge features temperature controls on the front of the unit, child control locks, and shelf stops, but it lacks a door lock. This is now $10 less than the sale price we’ve seen for months.