The kitchen is often called the heart of the home. As such, having the right kitchen accessories can make the work diligently preparing meals, cleaning up, and organizing much easier. Kitchen utensils and accessories maximize storage, reduce mess, and simplify food prep – giving you more time to savor the moments that matter most.
Kitchen accessories encompass a wide range of products. In this guide, we’ll look at 5 must-have kitchen tools and accessories that every home cook needs. As your trusted kitchen and bath provider, we’re committed to helping our valued customers create stylish, functional spaces tailored to their lifestyles. Upgrading your kitchen with any of these items will help simplify daily tasks.
1. Pantry Organizer
A pantry organizer is a must-have for any kitchen. As part of your kitchen remodeling planning, consider how you can better organize your pantry space. Pantries easily become disorganized catchalls for food items, small appliances, cookware, and more. A pantry organizer provides specialized storage so you can neatly arrange all your supplies. Features like slide-out drawers, adjustable shelves, and tiered racks keep everything visible and within reach.
Look for pantry organizers that maximize the storage space you have. Storage solutions like pull-out cabinets or spinning corner racks utilize every inch. Clear acrylic bins neatly corral food while still showing contents. Labeled containers help kids put snacks away properly.
Beyond physical storage, a pantry organizer also lets you inventory supplies. You can instantly see what needs restocking or use-by dates. An organized pantry avoids buying duplicates or wasting forgotten foods in the back. Plus, finding ingredients for recipes becomes quick and easy.
A pantry organizer turns a cluttered mess into a functional storage solution for food items, cooking tools, appliances, and more. Your kitchen will feel instantly more tidy and efficient.
2. Food Processor
Chopping, measuring cups blending, and prepping ingredients can be a time-consuming chore before you even start cooking. A food processor, blender, or chopper makes fast work of labor-intensive kitchen tasks. These electric appliances use sharp blades and motors to grind, mix, chop, whip, or puree foods with little effort.
Food processors excel at slicing and shredding fruits, vegetables, and cheeses. Their sturdy bases and bowl-style containers are ideal for chopping or mixing large batches. Food processors can whip up salsas, doughs, dips, sauces, and more in seconds.
High-powered blenders are the perfect tool for smoothies, shakes, and blended drinks. Their strong motors pulverize whole fruits, ice, nuts, and more into silky purees. Some blenders have pre-programmed settings for easily whipping up smoothies or crushing ice.
If you just need to quickly chop an onion or mince garlic, a mini food chopper gets the job done fast. These small but mighty electric gadgets neatly and uniformly chop foods in seconds with little cleanup. Their compact size easily stores in drawers between uses.
Any of these electric devices save tons of time versus chopping meticulously by hand. They make it easy to prep ingredients for recipes or whip up quick snacks like smoothies. Reduce knife work and get faster results with a food processor, blender, or chopper.
3. Cutting Board
A durable, high-quality cutting board is an essential kitchen prep tool. While a basic plastic or wooden board will suffice, upgraded cutting boards bring added benefits. Options like reversible two-sided boards, boards with built-in trays or bowls, and antimicrobial copper boards improve efficiency and cleanliness in the kitchen.
Double-sided cutting boards allow you to efficiently chop and transfer ingredients. Each side provides a separate prep surface—one for produce, one for meat. The nonporous materials are easy to clean between uses.
Cutting boards with built-in bowls or trays catch food debris and liquids, preventing messes on your countertop. The bowls also make it easy to transfer chopped ingredients from the board straight to a pan or the dishwasher.
Copper cutting boards have natural antimicrobial properties. The copper inhibits bacteria growth, keeping the board cleaner between uses. This is ideal for surfaces used with meat and poultry.
The right cutting board makes food prep safer, neater, and more efficient. Investing in a durable board with extra features tailored to your cooking style pays dividends in daily convenience.
4. Peeler
Peeling fruits and vegetables is a mundane but necessary kitchen chore. Investing in a good peeler makes the task quicker and easier. Standard straight or swivel peelers get the job done, but specialized peelers are worth the upgrade. Options like Y peelers, serrated peelers, and electric peelers take on tough skins with ease.
Y peelers have a twin-blade design that covers more surface area at once. The angled blades zip through waxy and tough skins faster. Rotate fruit and veg as you peel to maximize efficiency. Sturdy Y peelers also excel at shaving cheeses.
For bumpy produce like ginger and potatoes, a sharp serrated peeler navigates the contours cleanly. The small jagged blade removes just the skin without digging into the flesh. This produces smooth, even results.
Electric peelers are perfect for mass prep when cooking for a crowd or meal prepping. They quickly whiz through piles of produce, removing skins uniformly. Minimal effort is required—just guide the tool along as the motor does the work.
Any quality peeler makes prep work easier, but options designed for specific tasks speed up results. The right peeler also reduces waste by removing only the outer skin. Add a specialized peeler to your toolkit to breeze through peeling.
5. Can Opener
If you regularly cook with canned goods like beans, tomatoes, tuna, or soups, a sturdy can opener is a must. While tab-top cans are becoming more common, many foods still require a traditional opener. Investing in a quality, smooth-cutting opener makes accessing canned ingredients much easier.
Manual openers with sturdy, sharp cutting wheels make clean punctures around the can rim. Choose a handle style that fits comfortably in your hand. Smooth turning gears give you control for steady, even cuts. Magnets ensure clean cuts by catching the detached lid.
Electric openers take convenience one step further. They do all the work for you at the simple press of a button. The sharp steel blade punctures the can and then automatically rotates around to cut the lid off. Just one touch opens your can without effort or risk of sharp edges.
For occasional can-opening, a sturdy manual tool gets the job done. But electric openers are worth it for frequent use or those with limited hand strength. Whichever you choose, a quality can opener makes accessing canned foods much quicker and safer. Add this essential, inexpensive upgrade to maximize convenience in the kitchen.
Upgrade Your Cooking with These Must-Have Kitchen Accessories
A kitchen shouldn’t just look nice—it should function efficiently. The right accessories optimize storage, streamline prep, simplify cleanup, and generally make time spent cooking more enjoyable. Items like pantry organizers, electric choppers, cutting boards, peelers, and can openers reduce daily kitchen hassles. Investing in any of these convenience-boosting tools can provide lifelong utility and time savings. Supply your kitchen smartly and make daily mealtime routines smoother and more efficient.
