What to Buy Kitchen Tools The 15 Best Kitchen Tools Under $20, Based on Our Tests Stock your kitchen with these affordable favorites. By Bernadette Machard de Gramont Bernadette Machard de Gramont Bernadette Machard de Gramont is a freelance writer specializing in food, wine, and kitchen products, specifically cookware. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 9, 2023 We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Beyond the essential kitchen tools, like a chef’s knife and roasting pan, there are dozens of culinary items that can make you more efficient in the kitchen. If you’re a newer cook, having the right tools can also allow you to properly (and safely) hone your techniques. Stocking your kitchen with cookware, tools, and appliances can easily cost thousands of dollars. No matter how long you’ve been cooking, however, not every kitchen purchase needs to be a splurge. That’s where these top picks under $20 come in. Testing hundreds of products, we’ve found the best, most essential kitchen tools that combine performance with serious value. We use these kitchen tools under $20 in our home kitchens and recommend them for yours, too. Not to mention, these tools make great gifts. Nordic Ware Big Baking Sheet Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Wayfair Savvy meal preppers and bakers who like big batches will reach for this large sheet pan over and over. Made of durable aluminum, it conducts heat well and ensures your food will cook uniformly. Testing cookie sheets, we were able to achieve even browning on potato wedges and a golden brown result on cookies, and food released easily. Despite its large size, it was easy to maneuver, even with oven mitts on. The angled walls helped us scoop up foods with a spatula, and the rolled edges provided excellent structure (and prevent warping). Price at time of publish: $18 Zyliss Comfort 2-Piece Paring Knife Set Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Wayfair The versatility of a paring knife is hard to beat, so if one knife is useful, a set of two is even better. This set from Zyliss gives you a 3.5-inch standard knife and a 4.5-inch serrated knife, made with stainless steel blades and rubberized handles for extra grip control. Testing paring knives, liked how easily we could chop shallots with the smooth blade and cut through bread and slice through tomatoes with the serrated blade. Both blades are easy to wash by hand and also come with blade covers to guard against their super-sharp points and edges during storage. Price at time of publish: $17 Microplane Premium Zester Amazon View On Amazon View On Williams-Sonoma View On Walmart Microplane makes the gold standard for handheld zesters and graters. We’ve used the lightweight tool to zest citrus fast, producing more than a tablespoon of zest per orange without bruising the fruit. It also works wonderfully on hard cheese, producing fine, fluffy shreds that melt into risotto or pasta. It lasts a long time (take the example of one editor who’s used hers for a decade and counting), but for the sake of longevity, it comes with a plastic cover to protect its sharp teeth when it’s stored in a drawer. Price at time of publish: $14 Zulay Kitchen 3-in-1 Manual Citrus Juicer Reamer Cup Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Wayfair While you could easily spend more on a citrus juicer, you don’t have to. This model from Zulay pulls double duty with two reamers: a 12-tooth reamer for lemons and limes and a three-tooth reamer for oranges, grapefruits, and other large citrus. We tested this with a few different citrus varieties and were able to produce copious amounts of clear, flavorful juice with some pulp, collecting it in the 17-ounce capacity cup below. It’s a fantastic choice for small juicing jobs like making cocktails or ceviche, with essentially no mess to clean up after. Price at time of publish: $11 Longzon 4-in-1 Knife Sharpener Amazon View On Amazon Professional cooks know that keeping knives well-honed is essential for functionality and safety in the kitchen. This affordable knife sharpener from Longzon lets you tend to dull knives whenever you need to, with multiple grit settings to get the perfect edge. We liked the sturdiness and effectiveness of this sharpener, which required only five to 10 pulls to notice an improvement to our blade (we noticed an even better edge after 10 to 20 pulls). We also like that it can sharpen scissors too, adding even more value to this already well-priced model. Price at time of publish: $14 Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore KitchenAid Bamboo Handle Scraper Spatula Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Farmandfleet.com For avid bakers, a silicone spatula is essential — its flexible head can mix, scrape, and fold with ease. Silicone’s heat-resistant properties also make it ideal for cooking on the stove without scraping the surface of your favorite pots and pans. During testing, this attractive KitchenAid spatula scraped ingredients out of bowls with ease, felt nicely lightweight, and was easy to clean with a quick hand wash. While its curved head struggled to get into corners, we found it versatile and an overall great value. Price at time of publish: $8 OXO Good Grips Silicone Flexible Omelet Turner Amazon View On Amazon View On Sur La Table View On Kohls.com The spatula you use to flip and roll eggs into the ideal shape matters, especially when it comes to omelets. This flexible egg turner from OXO has a silicone blade with an extra-thin, slightly flexible edge that lets you slide right underneath your omelet without compromising its surface. It allowed us to achieve a perfect fold when we tested the best spatulas for eggs, so we dubbed it the Best for Omelets. It’s also a great shape for flipping fish fillets. With a high heat resistance (up to 600°F), it can withstand the dishwasher and more. Price at time of publish: $15 Winco Fish Spatula Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Globalindustrial.com While a fish spatula may seem too specific for the average home cook, this comfortable turner is a convenient tool to have — even if you don’t use it for fish. Testing fish spatulas, we liked how the Winco’s 3.25-inch wide blade provided enough area to easily flip burgers and pancakes, while its thinness gave it the ability to slide seamlessly under delicate fish fillets without breaking them apart. Even though the handle is made of wood, the spatula is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. Price at time of publish: $9 FAAY Teak Cooking Spoon Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart A wooden spoon comes in handy for sautéing, stirring sauces, scraping up fond while deglazing a pan, and more. We love this teak spoon because it’s super durable and water resistant, making it a utensil that will last for quite a while in the average kitchen. During testing, we were easily able to break up ground sausage and stir oatmeal, and the deeper bowl of this spoon allowed us to use it as a serving spoon too. It was easy to clean by hand, followed by air drying. The manufacturer recommends oiling it occasionally to prevent cracking. Price at time of publish: $12 Lodge 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Abt.com Since 1896, Lodge has built its reputation on top-performing, heritage-quality cast iron cookware. This pre-seasoned 10.25-inch pan is one of the brand’s best sellers, and for great reason — in our cast iron skillet tests, it excelled in every category. It gave excellent browning when searing meats and easily released baked cornbread without sticking. We also found it very easy to clean with warm water and a wipe down. While cast iron skillets require regular maintenance to keep up their seasoning, this pan can last for a lifetime with proper care, making it a steal at the price. Price at time of publish: $20 Food and Wine / Russell Kilgore OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Bloomingdales A meat tenderizer comes in handy for making veal scaloppini or schnitzel, and this one from OXO topped our tests as our Best Overall. It has a smooth surface on one side for flattening meat and a toothed surface on the other for tenderizing, with a slight angle to the head. In our tests, it made quick work of flattening pork cutlets and chicken breasts, though it’s easy to go overboard and tear through meat if you use too much force. We were also able to turn graham crackers into crumbs in a matter of a few swings. The non-slip grip keeps it from flying out of your hand, and it’s dishwasher-safe for hassle-free cleanup. Price at time of publish: $12 OXO Good Grips Silicone Steamer Amazon View On Amazon View On Williams-Sonoma View On Wayfair The single-piece construction and flexibility of this OXO Good Grips steamer make it a versatile choice for steaming veggies, dumplings, and more. In our tests, it stood out as the most adaptable steamer basket for pots of all sizes, and its silicone material stayed cooler than its metal counterparts, making it easier to handle. Due to the flexible nature of the silicone, however, food tended to slide around in the basket, which we found a bit annoying, though not a deal breaker. Without the overlapping flaps or hard-to-reach crevices of some steamer baskets, it was easy to clean by hand or by dishwasher. Price at time of publish: $18 Sumo Ice Cream Scoop Amazon View On Amazon A sturdy scoop is a must-have for households that love ice cream and sorbet, especially when warm weather hits and you dig into frozen desserts more often. We ranked this ice cream scoop above others for its durable stainless steel construction and a pointed tip that allows you to get every last bit out of the tub. The only downside we found during our tests: super-cold ice cream tended to stick to the metal, which means you might have to nudge it off the scooper. Price at time of publish: $10 Food & Wine / Will Dickey Joseph Joseph Cut&Carve Plus Amazon View On Amazon If you regularly roast whole chickens or grill steaks, this rubber carving board is the ideal surface for carving and slicing thanks to a cluster of spikes in the center that hold meat in place. Testing it alongside wooden and plastic carving boards, we loved how easily it let us steady a chicken while breaking it down, while the angled surface gently nudged any runaway juices into one end, ready to be poured off. While the board is on the smaller side, it’s large enough for most carving jobs. That said, we wouldn’t recommend it for a whole turkey or a large prime rib roast. It’s easy to clean by hand but can also be placed into the dishwasher too, which gives it an advantage over wooden versions. Price at time of publish: $20 ElitaPro Ultra-High Speed Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart You can’t craft lattes and cappuccinos at home without foamed milk. ElitaPro’s battery-powered, handheld milk frother has a double whisk head and comfortable silicone grip. In our tests, it produced a thick foam with whole milk and a silky foam with oat milk. It also excelled at mixing matcha and hot chocolate. Cleaning it only requires a spin in soapy water, a quick rinse, and another spin to dry. It comes with an additional whisk attachment for eggs and a stainless steel stand for storage. Price at time of publish: $10 Our Expertise Bernadette Machard de Gramont is an LA-based freelance writer specializing in food, wine, and kitchen products. After a two-year stint at Williams Sonoma headquarters in San Francisco, she now researches and tests a variety of cookware, bakeware, and wine tools, and interviews field experts for their insight. The 30 Kitchen Products Every Home Cook Needs Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit