25 Kitchen Upgrades for Under $25
Let’s say you’ve assembled your kitchen essentials—the cast iron pan, the chef’s knife, the big wooden cutting board. You’re doing great! So many meals are within your reach! You’ve built a solid foundation, so now it’s time to consider upgrading your second-string kitchen tools. We’re not talking about $400-Vitamix-type upgrades (although, by all means, get the Vitamix if you should find a windfall in your sofa cushions). These humbler tools won’t break the bank but will save you time, energy, and make your moments in the kitchen that much more enjoyable.
You’ve been using: A wine bottle
Upgrade: If you plan on making more than one pie or batch of sugar cookies in your lifetime, purchasing a rolling pin is worth it. The simplicity of a French rolling pin, as opposed to the kind with the handles, gives you more control over your dough.
You’ve been using: A free plastic corkscrew from your local liquor store or that kind with the two arms that flap up and down (known as a “de Gaulle” in France for the exuberant open-armed pose of the former président)
Upgrade: A reliable two-step corkscrew. There’s a reason it’s what waiters, sommeliers, and bartenders use—there’s a built-in blade to cut through foil and the articulating hinge gives you two steps of leverage so you’ll never break a cork again.
Photo by Ted + Chelsea CavanaughThick Kitchen Towels
You’ve been using: Flimsy, linty kitchen towels
Upgrade: You can never have too many kitchen towels! Keep the thin ones on hand for slinging over your shoulder while cooking, but get yourself a set of thick, absorbent towels for wiping up spills.
You’ve been using: A steady hand
Upgrade: Maybe you bought a lot of bulk lentils in spring 2020. Maybe you needed to transfer them to smaller containers. Maybe you poured them from a flimsy plastic grocery bag into a mason jar too rapidly and spent the next fifteen minutes picking tiny pink pulses off the counter and floor. Buy a funnel.
You’ve been using: Measuring cups, your mediocre powers of estimation
Upgrade: We’ve said it before, and we will say it again. And again. Guys. We really mean it. You will never regret owning a kitchen scale. Write us an angry letter if you do.
Tea Infuser
You’ve been using: Tea bags or a loose leaf tea ball that is impossible to fill without spilling
Upgrade: Just like we recommend buying whole coffee beans instead of pre-ground coffee, we’ll pick loose leaf tea over tea bags any day. Get yourself an easy-to-use tea infuser so you’re not fussing with tiny tea balls or fill-your-own tea bags.
You’ve been using: A spoon that wasn’t invented by a four-star chef
Upgrade: Chef Grey Kunz couldn’t find a kitchen spoon quite to his liking, so he developed his own—perfectly proportioned and with a bowl deep enough to use for basting and saucing. This is now the spoon you’ll find in the kits of professional chefs everywhere.
You’ve been using: A cutting board and an open window
Upgrade: Intellectually, we can see why a cooling rack might seem unnecessary. “Everything will cool eventually—pretty sure that’s science,” you might be thinking. But nothing will take fried chicken from crispy to soggy faster than steam condensing on a baking sheet. Cooling racks promote air circulation, which means your perfectly baked cake will stay perfect instead of hot boxing in its tin as it comes to room temperature.
You’ve been using: Normal tongs
Upgrade: These are more like two sturdy metal chopsticks welded together than the delicate, needle-nosed tongs you picture when you think of “Tweezer food,” and Sohla really thinks you should get a pair.
