34 Kitchen Essentials If You Want To Feel Like An Adult

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Growing up is hard to do, so accept the help that these finds offer.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "Wish I would have gotten this years ago. As my back gets worse with time (and my age) standing to do dishes was starting to be far too uncomfortable. This makes me feel as if nothing is wrong with my back. It's wonderful. Comfortable and stays where you put it. Almost wish I could have this put down as a carpeting in my whole house. I love it." —cheyenne44

Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in nine colors and six sizes).

Promising review: "I have it to write down things to buy. Very convenient and came with a good number of markers. It's really simple to clean. I use a wet cloth when I don't want to use the eraser and that work easy also." —Stephanie Rios

Get it from Amazon for $22.99.

Promising review: "We love our new strip lights so much that I decided to buy a second set. The first one was installed above the kitchen cabinets where we placed some artwork and vases. The second set was placed under the kitchen island top. Grandkids love speaking to Alexa to change the colors of the lights. Set up was extremely easy and it works with the Alexa app." —junin07

Get it from Amazon for $25+ (available in four lengths).

Promising review: "This is quite possibly the coolest, most versatile kitchen gadget I’ve ever owned. I love it so much that I’ve purchased two more for friends and relatives. What can it do? I think the real question is 'What can't it do?' I truly believe you could replace every cooking appliance (including your oven and stove top) and do EVERYTHING in the Instant Pot. I purchased two sizes for my own use: the 3-quart (which is my almost-every-day workhorse for two person dishes) and the 8-quart (which I bring out to handle my dinner party dishes). Everything I’ve tried has been fabulous. In the realm of kitchen appliances, there is no better investment than the Instant Pot. Highly recommended!!!" —Stereoman

Get it from Amazon for $79.99+ (available in three sizes).

Promising review: "It kills me to write this review because I never thought I would be writing a review for a sink strainer. But when you come across a well-engineered product that solves a problem for you, no matter how simple, it should get credit. This strainer allows full flow down the drain even when it is full of food particles, so you can just clean it easily after you are all done. No food can sneak by due to the design and it even looks good." —CaptainDingle

Get it from Amazon for $5.65.

All you do is place one pouch in the disposal, run the water and disposal until the blue foam rises, and once the blue foam retreats back into the pipe you turn off the disposal and it's done! You don't have to scrub or do any cleanup.

Promising reviews: "We moved into a townhouse that had a garbage disposal in the kitchen. I never had one growing up and didn't think too much about it until the funky smell started. I researched ways to clean it and came across these. Decided to order a four-pack and try them. THEY ARE LIFE CHANGING. Just run some water, toss the packet in, and turn on the disposal. The little packet does all the hard work for you. I order a new set as soon as we start to run low." —lucas broshears

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $3.78.

Promising review: "Absolutely love this product! Makes storing and transporting my meals extremely easy and keeps everything fresh all week. Portion size is perfect. I fit a whole chicken breast plus rice in them with room to spare. The leak-proof design holds in freshness and gives me peace of mind when transporting them in my backpack. When all is done they are extremely easy to clean." —RH

Get it on Amazon for $39.99 (available in three colors).

Promising review: "Ashamed to say, but I barely ever mop the floors. I purchased this O-Cedar Mop and Bucket based upon the great reviews. I am here to add a 5-star review of my own. This mop and bucket not only cleaned my floors, but it made the entire process easy (and dare I say fun?). I did the entire first floor of my house both tile and wood. Then wanted more fun, so I scooped up the handy handle and carried it upstairs where I continued on to the bedrooms and bathrooms. I don't want to go on and on, but this mop picked up lots of dirt and grime, then popped easily into the washing machine. It came out great. The swirly thing makes all the difference. It wrings out all of the excess water, so it's easy to mop without using too much muscle, which I do not have. And the mop heads are short, rather than long mop heads, which only make for heavier mops. If you're on the fence, go for it, you'll agree." —LauraP320

Get it from Amazon for $58.91.

Promising review: "I bought this trash can eight years ago. At the time, it was hard to find any stainless-steel trash cans for an affordable price, so the fact that this was the most reasonable and it had the automated lid seemed like a pretty easy choice. It still looks great and works great. You can wave over the sensor to open the lid, or there is a button on the front of it to open the lid and keep it open. The lid does a great job of holding any odors in while it's closed." —Somni

Get it from Amazon for $75+ (available in 26 styles).

Promising review: "This organizer is so useful! I recently moved and ended up with a much smaller kitchen, so I've been doing everything I can to make sure there's a place for everything and no wasted space. Luckily, I have pretty wide cabinets, so this works out perfectly. I have one holding my cutting boards (four standard plastic boards) and another holding my foil, cling wrap, and parchment paper boxes. The organizer is super easy to assemble and it's completely versatile. Hang it over the cabinet door or attach it to the wall/cabinet door, which means it's great for renters and owners." —Kerry

Get it from Amazon for $16.87.

Promising review: "Excellent value, spot-on accurate (tested using 100-gram calibration weight along with day-to-day items like 1/2 cup butter weighs exactly 4 ounces). We use this all the time in the kitchen. Measures very light things in the gram or oz. range, up to several pounds of potatoes. Every baker knows you should use a scale like this to measure. No-brainer to measure '1 cup' of flour (120 grams), no leveling, no sifting, just weigh out 120g/cup, and you get great results every time. How do you measure tablespoons of bulk farm fresh butter? Use this thing, 0.5 oz./Tablespoon. Tare works flawlessly. Grams or ounces, your call. A great all-around kitchen workhorse." —Tim M

Get it from Amazon for $8.89+ (available in 13 colors).

Humble Suds is a small cleaning brand run by two moms in Colorado. All of their products are made from humble yet powerful plant and mineral-derived ingredients and scented with pure essential oils.

Promising review: "I just cleaned my boyfriend's oven that hasn't been cleaned in five years 😲 with this magical stuff, and I was amazed. This works like a dream. Will be buying more immediately" —Tarah Redburn

Get it from Humble Suds on Etsy for $13.45+ (available in a 11oz or 18oz jar).

Promising review: "I ordered this set to continue on the road to an organized pantry. There are enough containers and enough variety of sizes to make me happy. I have stored pastas and noodles, dried beans, rice, sugar, instant mashed potatoes, crackers, etc. When I open a box of something, I put whatever is unused into one of the containers and feel very secure that the contents will be fresh and protected from any possible insect problems." —R M

Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in three colors).

Push down the button on the top to activate the airtight seal. To open, just push down again for the button to pop up. The lid also comes apart for easier cleaning.

Promising review: "Love the Oxo pop-top canisters! They seal well and open easily with a press to the pop-top. I have arthritis in my hands and these are fabulous and so easy to open, yet so secure when the lid is popped close. Also has a useful knob on the bottom of the lid so you can stick an Oxo scoop inside the container to the lid rather than down in whatever you are storing in the container." —Lori A. Fregin

Get a 10-piece set from Amazon for $112.95.

Organise Life is a small business in Australia that focuses on pantry and home labels.

Get it from Organise Life on Etsy for $1.42+ (available in small, medium, and large).

Two Lilacs Studio is a woman-owned small business based in Saint Helens, Oregon making fabric goods for the home.

Promising review: "LOVE these splash catchers! They save me from having to chase the puddles that form around the base of our faucet before they start creeping over the counter. So reasonably priced, made well with neatly finished edges, and packaged with gift-ready care." —Alina

Get it from Two Lilacs Studio on Etsy for $13.50+ (available in four sizes and six colors).

Promising review: "I purchased this item for my mom, it was such a convenient gadget for my parents. Not a hassle to put together and made the fridge look a little more organized. overall I would say my folks are pleased with the item and I'm glad my efforts didn't go to waste. I do recommend this to anyone who is looking to organize their fridge." —Janettdraws

Get it from Amazon for $17.70.

Promising review: "This digital meat thermometer is the best I've ever had. I own others, but they are either too bulky to fit in the drawer or too hard to read. This one is small and lightweight; it's easy to pull out the probe and very easy to read the temperature. I purchased several as stocking stuffers for Christmas. They make a gift that will be appreciated for its size and ease of use, but most importantly, it will be a gift that gets used instead of put away in the closet." —Yardleydoc

Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in black or red).

Promising review: "This is one of my favorite things I've ever purchased from Amazon! The fact that they are so customizable allows you to cut them for any drawer size! I think this will be my go-to gift for all of my friends who love cooking as much as I do! Freeing up cabinet space and having something that can easily be rinsed off in the sink makes this a for-sure buy!" —momonono

Get a 10-ft roll from Amazon for $13.49+ (available in gray or sandstone).

Promising review: "I love hard-boiled eggs for protein, especially when I’m on the go as a student/worker but it's hard to wait for the water to boil then put In the eggs and get ready all at the same time. This cooker is amazing!! Saves me time, it's quick and I don't have to watch it while it cooks — I can go get ready and then I hear a loud buzzer notifying me when the eggs are done! (The buzzer is really loud; sounds like a basketball game buzzer.) I was surprised how fast the eggs cooked." —Megan

Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in eight colors).

Read more about the Dash Egg Cooker here.

Marley's Monsters is a woman-owned small business based in Eugene, Oregon making eco-friendly home essentials.

Promising review: "I love these sustainable towels! The patterns are super cute and they arrived fast. They also roll nicely onto an old paper towel roll so work perfectly with the towel holder we already have in our kitchen." —Jillian Chou

Get it from Marley's Monsters on Etsy for $20+ (available in packs of six or 12)

Promising review: "I bought an initial set, different sizes. Then went back and bought more because I liked them so much. I also plan to buy a complete set for my daughter and daughter-in-law as Christmas presents. Really made well. I can FINALLY get to the small jars that always end up at the back of the fridge behind bigger items!" —Linda C. Little

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in three different sizes).

Promising review: "This is ahhh-mazing. Our glass pot lids used to splay across the shelf in the cabinet, and you had to carefully balance them when putting clean ones back. I was worried one would fall and break someday. You also had to move most of them to get the one lid you needed. With this, we gained storage space and peace of mind. I cannot believe we lived so long without this. I need more things from this company!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.

Promising review: "I work in a vegan restaurant and use these once in a while for small amounts of dressings. So when I was in the market for a personal blender for smoothies and dressings/sauces for two, I knew I wanted this ... and boy does it deliver! I love prepping the smoothies the night before in the containers. It's the perfect size for a small apartment and it easily stores in the cabinet if you need to clear off the countertop" —Bernadette

Get it from Amazon for $38.97+ (available in black or silver).

Promising review: "I am in love with my magnetic spice jars! I recently moved to a small apartment and don't have the counter or wall space to store spices or a spice rack, so magnetic jars it was! I love how these have a decorative feel while providing a secure way to store the spices. Unlike other magnetic spice jars I feel that these add an extra flair to displaying your assorted spices." —rae.m.wri

Get a 10-pack of small jars from Amazon for $70 (also available in 24 small jars, 12 large jars, and 24 large jars).

Macra-YAY Macrame is a woman-owned small business based in Indianapolis, Indiana making macrame goods for the home.

Promising review: "I was so excited to clear off counter space by getting rid of my fruit bowl. The quality is great, thank you!" —Melinda Myrick

Get it from Macra-YAY Macrame on Etsy for $33.

Promising review: "I have a tiny kitchen with only three drawers, so space is at a premium. My silverware organizer took up almost all of one drawer, so this organizer is a godsend. You can fit quite a few spoons etc. in each slot. My beater attachments fit perfectly into the top two hollows. I will say I have to flip my forks over facedown in order to be able to shut and open my drawer, but then the drawer itself is kind of shallow. You NEED this if you have a small kitchen with few drawers!" —mialro

Get it on Amazon for $11.99+ (available in three colors).

Promising review: "Love! Love! Love the GarlicZoom! Mincing garlic has never been more easy or fun. It makes mince work out of garlic, onion, chilies and herbs. I'm not sure what I love most about this little gadget. Not smelling stinky garlic fingers all night? No burning fingers or eyes from chopping a super hot chile? Or mincing fresh herbs in a blink of an eye. I have a problem wrist from an injury and an arm and hand that suffers from nerve damage. I can still manage to zoom this. When people ask if the can help in the kitchen, this is the chore that I give them and everyone loves it. They think it's the neatest little thing." —Kennedy Collins

Get it from Amazon for $11.65.

Promising review: "I live in a tiny, rented, 100-year-old cottage that has no cupboards or closets. I have gotten quite creative with storage, but canned goods were a bit of a problem. This rack is perfect for keeping canned goods accessible and organized. Quick and easy assembly with just the tool provided, it holds all sizes of cans safely and securely. I never would have thought I had more than 36 cans stored in various places around the house, but it appears I do. This will help me keep better track of my inventory and prevent overbuying. I chose the dark brown finish and it looks quite nice in my cupboardless kitchen. I am tempted to buy another to stack, but I guess I will wait until I use up some of this hoard! I absolutely recommend this useful organizer!" —Charlene Wheeler

Get it from Amazon for $22.97+ (available in four colors).

Measures 15 inches long x 11.25 inches wide x 15 inches high and can expand to 25 inches long.

Promising review: "I'm so glad I bought this. I have a 24-inch vanity in my bathroom and this fit perfectly. I have it extended to about 23-inch and it holds sturdy, though I can see if you were to extend it to its full length it gets weak in the middle. I liked it so much that I ordered another one for the kitchen. I got some clear bins to help organize bottles and other goodies I keep in the bath." —Marlene R.

Get it from Amazon for $22.87 (available in three finishes).

Promising review: "I love this. It's perfect for my small kitchen. I hate having stuff on the counters since my kitchen is so small. I used it vertically instead of horizontally. Works perfectly and it is sturdy." —Laura

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

Promising review: "So, these, for me at least, have been perfect. They hold about 4 oz. and they seal very well. I've pre-chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and stored them in my refrigerator for recipes I want to make in the next day or two. The lids are tight and they never leave an odor in the refrigerator. I've used plastic storage containers but they are generally larger than what I need and the chopped veggies don't seem to last as long as they do in these little glass cups. Plus, I don't have a lot of counter space and these take up very little. Since they are all the same size and stack well I don't have to work around them. Makes pre-assembly and organizing ingredients easy and makes cooking a lot less stressful." —Will O.

Get an eight-piece set from Amazon for $22.16.

Promising review: "This was really pleasing purchase, I first saw it on TikTok. Product was received as described and pictured. The ice cubes are small and cute. The bin can hold about four trays, a lil over 200 ice cubes — that's with the scoop inside as well. The entire product doesn't take up much freezer space… I almost forgot it was there. Overall good purchase." —Gee ingham

Get it from Amazon for $13.97+ (available in six colors).

Tahoe Wood Designs is a small business based in Reno, Nevada making custom laser cut wood signs for the home.

Promising review: "Product came as pictured. I love it. I appreciate the magnets since it's so easy to look over and get the conversion I need. Wonderful quality all around!" —Crystal

Get it from Tahoe Wood Designs on Etsy for $11.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.