31 Kitchen Items Under $50 That Any Cook Could Use

By Crystal Hessong

Don't think you have to be a professional chef to cook. These must-haves help anyone become a success in the kitchen.

1. Immersion Blender

No kitchen should be without an immersion blender. You can easily make sauces and soups with ease. Get one that comes with chopping and whipping attachments from Amazon for $29.99.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $29.99

2. Pasta Measuring Stick

Don't know how much pasta to cook? Are you hungry enough to eat like a child or like a dinosaur? This pasta measuring stick accurately determines how much dry spaghetti to prepare for everyone from a tot to a T-rex. It costs $12 from Fancy.

Purchase on Fancy.com for $12

3. Silpat Cookie Sheet Liner

Never burn your cookies again or worry about scrubbing a burned cookie sheet. This reusable Silpat liner is made of heat-resistant silicone and makes baking cookies a breeze without greasing the pan. Find it at Williams-Sonoma for $26.95.

Purchase on Williams-Sonoma.com for $26.95

4. Garlic Chopper

Save your fingers with this garlic chopper from Amazon. Drop garlic cloves inside and roll it until the garlic reaches the size you need. It costs $12.95 for an extra-large model.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $12.95

5. Salad Spinner

Dressing won't cling to wet lettuce leaves. Dry out your salad ingredients easily with a salad spinner. No matter how often you eat salad, this will be an indispensable tool in your kitchen. It costs $24.95 at Amazon.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $24.95

6. Kitchen Scissors

From opening bags to cutting up whole chickens, you need a set of kitchen scissors. Unlike office scissors, a set of these includes a bottle opener, nut cracker and bone cutters. For easier cleaning, pull the pair of scissors apart and toss the parts into the dishwasher. You'll only pay $14.98 from Amazon for this 8-inch kitchen tool.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $14.98

7. Thermopop Cooking Thermometer

Don't put yourself at risk for food poisoning from undercooking food. Use a $29 Thermopop cooking thermometer to accurately determine the internal temperature of your food. Get it from ThermoWorks.

Purchase on ThermoWorks.com for $29

8. Brownie Pan

A brownie pan with built-in separator removes the hardest part of baking brownies—cutting them. This nonstick pan bakes a perfectly prepared and cut batch of 18 brownies. It costs $22.98 from Amazon.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $22.98

9. Measuring Cups and Spoons

The fastest way to ruin a recipe is to not carefully follow the measurements given. Oxo's measuring cups and spoons nest into each other and feature non-slip handles. Buy the set at Amazon for $29.95.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $29.95

10. Coffee or Spice Grinder

Whether you live on coffee or live to cook, you should have at least a pair of grinders in your kitchen, one for coffee beans and the other for whole spices. Don't use one for both unless you want your coffee to taste like peppercorns or your ground spices to taste like coffee. With a price of $19.99 each from Amazon, you can get a pair without breaking the bank.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $19.99

11. Cold Brew Coffee Pitcher

With a $19.99 cold brew pitcher from Macy's, you can enjoy the smooth, low-acid coffee you've had a coffeehouses at home. Once you've tasted cold-brew coffee, you'll never go back.

Purchase on Macys.com for $19.99

12. Chef's Knife

Regardless of your level of expertise in the kitchen, a quality chef's knife is a must. This tool will make the difference between fast and frustrating meal prep. Get a quality 8-inch stainless steel knife for $43.99 on sale from Amazon.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $43.99

13. Paring Knife

Paring knives produce smaller, more intricate cuts than a larger chef's knife can. Even knife drawer should include at least one paring knife. Get a Wusthof brand knife from Amazon for $11.95.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $11.95

14. Cooling Rack

Whatever you bake will instruct you to remove the items to a cooling rack. This prevents overheating of the bottom of the pan. The grates on a cooling rack should be narrow enough so even small cookies don't fall through, and the feet should elevate the rack above the counter to maximize airflow. Get one from Amazon for $9.95.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $9.95

15. Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Even the pioneers knew the versatility of dutch ovens. Though heavy, the cast iron heats evenly, and it goes from the stovetop to the oven. Get a 2-quart Lodge model from World Market for $39.99.

Purchase on WorldMarket.com for $39.99

16. Counter Top Deep Fryer

Why make yourself a regular at the emergency room with burns from trying to deep fry on the stove? Get a cool-touch counter top deep-fryer from Amazon for $34.49 and save your skin from burns and preserve your kitchen from grease splatters.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $34.49

17. Electric Griddle

Make mornings more delicious by making it much easier to prepare pancakes. While skillets work, an electric griddle heats evenly and has more room for a spatula to turn cooked pancakes. Do yourself a favor and liven up your weekends with more pancake brunches made on an electric griddle from Amazon for only $34.90.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $34.90

18. Cooking Utensil Set

With non-scratching silicone ends and heat-proof wooden handles, this five-piece cooking utensil set from Amazon will be the best thing you can get for $20.99 for your kitchen.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $20.99

19. Mini Food Processor

Every kitchen should have a food processor for easy chopping, grinding and mixing. Get a small, easily stored 4-cup model from Bed Bath and Beyond for $49.99.

Purchase on BedBathAndBeyond.com for $49.99

20. Hand Mixer

Let an electric hand mixer do the work for you when you must mix up wet and dry ingredients. You'll find so many uses for this mixer around the kitchen to make the $34.99 cost from Amazon completely worth it.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $30.99

21. Nonstick Bakeware

Instead of cobbling together a hodgepodge of different pieces of bakeware, save yourself time and money by opting for a six-piece nonstick bakeware set from Amazon for $39.95. It has all the basic pieces you need and is perfect for stocking a new kitchen.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $39.95

22. Jar Blender

While you can use a jar blender for cooking, don't forget that you can also make margaritas and other blended drinks in one of these for fun after dinner. Get a glass jar blender with ice-crushing power from Amazon for $26.85.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $26.85

23. Teak Cutting Boards

Durable, long-lasting cutting boards are a staple in every kitchen. Get one for raw meat and a second for cutting fresh foods to avoid cross-contamination and illness. Check out the teak cutting boards from Crate and Barrel for $29.95 to $49.95.

Purchase on CrateAndBarrel.com starting at $29.95

24. Airtight Storage Containers

Believe it or not, how you store food makes a big difference in your cooking. Improperly stored food at best can get stale and at worst become a picnic for ants. Get a set of four airtight acrylic containers with serving spoons from Amazon for $20.99.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $20.99

25. Toaster Bags

If you love grilled sandwiches but hate the effort, you need these toaster bags in your life. Put the sandwich in the bag and pop it into a toaster. The bag prevented melted cheese from catching fire in your toaster and ruining your sandwich. A pack of three of these reusable bags costs only $8.99 on Amazon.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $8.99

26. 2-Slice Toaster

Speaking of toaster bags, you need a toaster, but not just any toaster. Look for one with multiple settings and extra-wide slots, especially if you want to use your toaster bags with it. One such toaster from Chefman brand costs $29.99 from Amazon.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $29.95

27. Vegetable Spiralizer

Continue your tradition of spaghetti night, even if you're on a low-carb diet by substituting spiralized vegetables for pasta. For $49.95 at Williams-Sonoma, you can get a 4-blade spiralizer to make healthy eating a breeze. This little device transforms carrots, zucchini and more into low-carb, pasta-like strands.

Purchase at Williams-Sonoma.com for $49.95

28. Pizza and Bread Stone

Don't wait for delivery. Instead, make your own homemade pizza dough and cook it to crispy perfection with this 16" round pizza stone. It can be used in the oven or on the grill. Get it from Amazon for $39.18.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $39.18

29. Manual Can Opener

You cannot go wrong with a good, manual can opener in your kitchen. These are handy for those few pesky canned goods that don't include pull tabs, and great to have for opening canned goods in an emergency. Amazon has an Oxo brand model for $13.95.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $13.95

30. Mixing Bowl Set

(Amazon.com)

Get this set of three mixing bowls with sturdy handles and pouring spouts. This invaluable set only costs $24.95 at Amazon.

Purchase on Amazon.com for $24.95

31. Singing Pasta Timer

(BedBathAndBeyond.com)

Tired of overcooked or crunchy pasta? Get this cute singing chef pasta timer. It cooks in the pot with the pasta, starts timing when the water boils and sings when the pasta is perfectly al dente. Get it from Bed Bath and Beyond for $19.99.

Purchase on BedBathAndBeyond.com for $19.99

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