There's no shortage of kitchen gadgets on Amazon, but they're not all useful. Too many make claims that they can't actually back up, and how are we, the consumers, to know what works and what doesn't? Reading reviews only gets us so far. I've made a list of some of my favorite weird and most useful kitchen products that you can find on Amazon.
Thanks for reading about our favorite finds from across the internet! FYI: We participate in affiliate programs and may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.An Angry Woman To Help Clean Your Microwave
Amazon
I hate cleaning the microwave, but this angry little woman has made it so much easier. I fill her with vinegar and a little water, microwave it for a few minutes, and BAM - I can just wipe the gunk off. I don't know how it works but it's magical. This set also comes with a version that you can fill with baking soda and stick in your fridge to reduce the stink. Two angry ladies for the price of one!
See it on AmazonThe GOAT Scoop
Amazon
Yes, it's an ice cream scoop. I realize how anticlimactic that is, but I assure you, it's amazing. It cuts through ice cream like butter. The hardest ice cream doesn't stand a chance, and the scoops come out really cute and neat. It's not even a unitasker - you can also use it for making cookies or anything that requires a scoop. Stop bending your spoons and buy this scoop!
See it on AmazonWash The Things
Amazon
There are two kinds of people in the world: sponge people and brush people. This product is for the brush people. It's the most unique brush I've ever seen. You can take it apart to clean it, and the brush head can be replaced when it gets old and funky. It's a loofah for dishes and I don't hate it.
See it on AmazonA Rest For The Wicked
Amazon
Agatha the witch is here to help the home cook who's suffering without a spoon rest. How cute is this?! She can hold your spoon off the counter for you or on the side of your pot. She's made of durable silicone so she can vent your lid for you. Is there anything she can't do? I seriously love this thing so much, I now own two of them.
See it on AmazonThe Weirdest, Most Useful Spoon You'll Ever Buy
Amazon
Someone gave me a set of these spoons as a gift and I honestly thought they were out of their minds. I thought they were just for straining. I was so wrong. Not that they won't strain - they're excellent strainers. They can also be used to grate garlic and ginger, separate and whisk eggs, and there are funky bumps on the bottom of the spoons that help with breaking up ground mead. Whoever invented this thing is a legend.
See it on AmazonMake Your Ice Fit Your Water Bottle
Amazon
I like the trend of people carrying water bottles all the time. Hydration is important, and limiting single-use plastics is tantamount because we love sea creatures. But I like cold water. My bottle is vacuum insulated and all of those fancy things, but there comes a point where I really want to put ice in it. Ice is square. The top of my bottle is round. You see the problem. So these water bottle-friendly ice trays are brilliant. The person who invented them deserves a medal. That's how important cold water is to me.
See it on AmazonWireless Chopper
Amazon
I love this tiny chopper. It's so cute. It's perfect for garlic and any other tiny things you might need to pulverize. I love that it's wireless and rechargeable. Why turn a crank or pull a string when you can push a button and hope your chopper is charged?
See it on AmazonThe Most Brilliant Spatula
Amazon
Have you ever tried to flip a grilled cheese sandwich before the cheese melts? How about flipping a delicate fish filet? In both cases, it's a disaster, and it makes me sad. So this spatula is the best thing I've ever purchased. No more messed-up grilled cheese!
See it on AmazonA Unique Approach To A Mandoline
Amazon
My mandoline slicer might be my favorite kitchen gadget, but I'm not crazy about having exposed blades and not being able to adjust the thickness of the slices. I make do, but I'm interested in this one instead. It's a different kind of design where the blade moves instead of the food. That seems safer, and there are some adjustments available. Time for an upgrade!
See it on AmazonThe Chork
Amazon
For those who can't decide between chopsticks and a fork, I give you the Chork! It's a silly name, but I think the concept is brilliant. Sometimes you need both to make the most of a meal. These would also be great for someone who's just learning to use chopsticks. Stick a few in your bag before heading out for ramen with the kids, just in case.
See it on AmazonAnother Option For Your Garlic
Amazon
If you'd prefer not to smash your garlic into oblivion using the chopper above, Gracula is for you. Peel the clove, stick it in the really cute and funny silicone vampire, twist it a few times, and you get minced or crushed or utterly decimated garlic. You won't have smelly hands and you get to play with a funny kitchen toy.
See it on AmazonThe Most Effective Potato Masher I've Ever Used
Amazon
Yes, a potato masher. I know, I know, most of us don't use mashers that often because we don't eat mashed potatoes that often. I don't either, but I use this for so much other stuff, like breaking up ground meat, making tomato sauce, and making soup. Basically any time I need to smash something but don't want it totally smooth, I use this masher. It's pretty and it smashes good. What more do you need?
See it on AmazonA Collapsible Kettle
Amazon
Boiling water is a necessity in so many situations. If you're someone who enjoys the outdoors, someone who's planning for the apocalypse, or someone who just wants a cup of tea from a kettle instead of the microwave, this portable version is for you. The top is made from silicone so it's collapsable, which is my favorite part. It's quite compact so it won't take up much space in your camping gear or doomsday kit.
See it on AmazonThe Perfect Bowl Scraper
Amazon
Every kitchen needs a good rubber spatula, and this is one of the best I've had. It's dual-sided so I can use it for a lot of different things. Frosting cupcakes, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and getting the last bits of sauces and condiments at the bottom of the jar. It's silicone so it's dishwasher safe and really easy to clean. It's also not going to fall apart like other spatulas because it's all one piece. Excellent. Love it.
See it on AmazonHave Nessie Swimming In Your Soup
Amazon
I can't lie - I own like five of these Nessie ladles. I use them every time I make soup or pasta sauce. Do I sometimes leave them sitting in the pot because I love seeing the little heads poking out above whatever I'm cooking? Of course, I do. And you should too.
See it on AmazonA Winged Creature To Open Your Wine
Amazon
It's a bat. How cute is this?! It opens your wine and your bottles and then flees back into the night. If you're the kind of person who loves Halloween or is just generally creepy, like me, this will bring you much joy.
See it on AmazonScraper that looks like a platypus
Amazon
I realize that this is the third product on this list from the same company, but can you really blame me? It's the actual weirdest animal on Earth, the platypus. And it's a scraper. I know I also have a scraper on this list already, but every house should have multiple. Preferably shaped like platypus.
See it on AmazonTrack Your Meat
Amazon
This might be the coolest thing I own. It's a wireless meat thermometer, which isn't that exciting, but it also has an app. When you're cooking you can set the type of meat and even the specific cut. The app will tell you the current temperature of your meat, the ambient temperature in the cooking environment, and show the target temperature. More importantly, it gives a fairly accurate estimate of the cooking time remaining for your food. If you're someone who's just learning to cook or perpetually worried about overcooking your steak, you need this.
See it on AmazonMelt Cheese Like The Pros
Amazon
Are you a fan of gooey, melty cheese? Yeah, me too. The problem for the home cook is that we don't have the gear to make that happen, so our grilled cheese sandwiches end up being sad. Our burgers suffer. This pan is the solution. It's marketed as being for the grill, which is great for those of us who have one, but it's almost as good on the stove. It comes with a scraper to get every bit of deliciousness onto your sandwich, and the handle folds so it fits in your cupboard. Your grilled cheese will thank you.
See it on AmazonA Grater So Good They Use It At The Olive Garden
Amazon
I can remember being a little kid, going to the Olive Garden with my grandma, and thinking it was so fancy that someone grated fresh cheese onto my salad. And that grater they used? It was magical. Anything that makes quick work of a brick of parmesan like that gets an A+ from me. Now I have one of my own, and it's amazing. It's easy to use and easy to clean, which is more than I can say for my box grater.
See it on AmazonStop Spending Money On Cooking Spray
Amazon
Cooking spray is quick and easy, but some of them have questionable ingredients. A chemical called dimethyl silicone is used as an anti-foaming agent in cooking sprays. It's also used in beauty products and as a textile finisher, so even though the FDA doesn't have a problem with it, it might not be the best thing to eat. An oil sprayer can solve this problem. You can use whatever oil you'd like, and you know exactly what's going in your food.
See it on AmazonThe Most Ridiculous Things In My Kitchen
Amazon
I can't lie - when I first saw these finger tongs I thought they were a joke. I couldn't believe that someone made a device to protect our fingertips from wing sauce and various other appetizer hazards, but they did. So I used them to eat some chicken wings, and low and behold, they're amazing. I didn't get sauce under my fingernails. I could actually grip the wings despite the slippery sauce. It's like a whole new world. They're sturdy enough to be washed and reused so we're not even breaking our single-use plastic pledge. I love them.
See it on AmazonNever Tear Your Bread Again
Amazon
My preferred condiment for toast is actual butter, not margarine or any of the stuff with oils added to make it more spreadable, but I never have the forethought to soften said butter. So this presents a challenge: how to spread cold butter on my toast without making a mess? This knife helps. Sure, it looks a little silly, and it's not a perfect solution, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't use it every time I make toast. It's pretty genius.
See it on AmazonYes, Instant Pots Are Really That Good
Amazon
I realize that everyone and their mother already has an Instant Pot, but for all of you holdouts - GET ONE. It's magical, and it's replaced one of my slow cookers, my rice maker, and my steamer. I love it so much and use it all the time, much to my fiance's dismay. He was convinced it was going to sit on a shelf collecting dust. Point for me.
See it on AmazonThe Most Useful Spice Carousel Ever
Amazon
I love to cook, especially when it's relatively easy and convenient. Having a variety of spices is an absolute necessity, and if I don't have to dig around for measuring spoons I'm happy. I love this carousel for exactly that reason. It keeps my spices where I need them, and I just twist the dial on the front to measure out what I need. If I'm in a hurry or don't need to be precise, there's options for pouring or sprinkling from the top. I've owned this spice organizer for almost a decade and it's never failed me.
See it on AmazonSomething For Seltzer Lovers
Amazon
The SodaStream was a controversial product when it was released, and though I'm a seltzer fanatic, I was skeptical. You want me to spend how much to get the thing, and then I have to buy tanks of gas too? No thank you. A few years later someone got me one for Christmas and I've never looked back. Yes, you still have to buy tanks of gas. One tank lasts me about a month and costs $15 to exchange. That's far less than I'd spend on cans or bottles of seltzer over the course of a month, and I'm not churning out a ridiculous amount of trash. I'm happy, the ocean is happy, and you can pry my SodaStream from my cold, dead hands.
See it on AmazonPutting The Soap Before The Sponge
Amazon
I fundamentally dislike washing dishes, so the things that are just minor annoyances, like getting soap to the sponge, drive me absolutely bonkers. When I found this soap dispenser I got really excited. It puts the soap where I need it before I even start washing my dishes, so now the process is a tiny bit less terrible.
See it on AmazonStop Letting Things Fall Behind The Stove
Amazon
I have a small kitchen that lacks storage space, so the back of the stoves ends up being used for spices and my timer, and various other bits and bobs. Stuff also falls off of the back of the stove regularly. This displeases me. So I bought this little shelf. It's amazing. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.
See it on AmazonAdded Power
Amazon
There never seem to be enough outlets in my kitchen. I'm constantly unplugging things in favor of new things, which involves a lot of crawling under tables and bending down to reach behind other furniture. I do not like that, so I bought a power tower. I can plug in my small appliances, like my toaster and my electric kettle, at the same time and actually make an entire breakfast. Miraculous.
See it on AmazonGrind Your Pepper One-Handed
Amazon
I love electric salt and pepper grinders, as silly as that might sound. I think they're fun. This model in particular makes me happy. It runs on batteries rather than being rechargeable, and you can set the grind level. As soon as you turn it upside down, voila, grinding. It even has a pretty blue light to help you see how much you've ground so you never over salt your food.
See it on AmazonSilicone Lobster Claws
Amazon
These look really weird, but they're so helpful. I don't like normal oven mitts but obviously don't want to get burned when I touch hot stuff, so I took a chance with these claw things. They work well and protect my hands from the heat of baking sheets or pans, but I don't have to put my whole arm in an oven mitt.
See it on AmazonWine Hats
Amazon
No, wine stoppers are not unique or weird, and many of them aren't even useful. I couldn't resist these little hats though. I find them funny and cute, but I've been pleasantly surprised about how well they work. They're silicone so they're easy to clean, but they're also pliable. I use them on wine, champagne, beer, all manner of beverages that I need help preserving.
See it on AmazonGo All Wolverine On Your Dinner
Amazon
Seriously, these things just scream Wolverine. If you don't know who that is, go check out the X-Men. You won't be sorry. These claws are great for shredding meat for pulled pork or pulled chicken. They're also handy if you need to move a large piece of meat from the grill or out of the roasting pan. I didn't think they were necessities until I got a set, and now I don't want to be without them.
See it on AmazonA Brilliant Solution For Cutting Boards
Amazon
Where do you keep the cutting boards in your kitchen? Mine are stashed wherever I can fit them. One just lives under the toaster, for some reason. It's not ideal. So some kind human purchased this cabinet door organizer for me, and it's changed my cooking life. All of my boards go in one place and I always know where they are. I like it so much that I bought another one for foil and other kitchen bits.
See it on AmazonProtect Your Hands During All The Chopping
Amazon
Earlier I mentioned my mandoline slicer and how much I love it. The thing I don't love is the handguard, but it's necessary to use something to protect yourself when using a mandoline. Those blades are surprisingly sharp. My solution: cut-proof gloves. I wear them any time I'm using the mandoline or doing heavy-duty cutting, like dismantling a chicken. They're machine washable so you don't have to worry about cross-contamination, and this pair even has those special fibers that work with touch screens.
See it on AmazonAn Adjustable Rolling Pin
Amazon
I love baking but I'm really bad at rolling things out. They never end up even, and my cookies are lumpy. I've avoided this by making cookies that don't involve a rolling pin, but I think I'm finally ready to try again. I bought this rolling pin that includes rings I can remove to change the thickness for my dough. It's sturdy and seems like it's going to really help. We'll see what happens with my next batch of cookies.
See it on AmazonMake Quick Work Of Fresh Herbs
Amazon
Cooking with fresh herbs is delightful. Dismantling them is not. I find that chopping causes bruising and it's just not as nice an experience. Scissors are fine, but I don't like getting my kitchen shears all gunked up with herbs. These scissors solve that problem, and there are multiple blades so they take apart herbs really quickly. You can also use them for crafts or cutting chicken nuggets for your kids.
See it on Amazon