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    36 Helpful Products If You Have A Love-Hate Relationship With Cooking

    Love eating, hate stinky garlic fingers, cleaning the oven, and over or undercooking everything.

    1. A Yonanas fruit soft-serve maker so you can magically transform frozen fruit into the dreamiest dessert. Reviewers swear it has the texture of ice cream or sorbet. And it's great for folks who have dietary restrictions. 

    The black device on a table with sorbet in a bowl under it
    A close up of a reviewer's yellow and red sorbet

    Promising review: "I saw one of these in action at a friend's house like five years ago and thought it was just a made up memory, because making ice cream out of solely frozen fruit seems wild. But when I saw a TikTok about it I immediately went to Amazon and bought it. Literally this was the BEST decision of my life. I cannot believe still how amazing this thing is! It makes the creamiest, best tasting fruit ice cream ever. It’s easy to take apart and clean, and super easy to use." —DMCKAY

    Get it from Amazon for $34.69.

    2. A set of magnetic air fryer cheat sheets that'll ensure your foods emerge perfectly cooked instead of still raw or burned to a crisp because you guesstimated the cook time.

    Promising review: "So glad that I came across these very handy sheets. I love having this information handy and easy to use. The magnetic sheets are strong and stay in place well, even with the fridge door opening and closing a lot. It's handy having them right in view for quick reference. It helps us to use the air fryer more, as it's easy to glance over and time things correctly. I like that it is a dark color so it doesn't get messy as easily, and it has all the things we are most likely to use the air fryer for. The envelope the magnetic sheets come in is cute and would make a nice gift, perhaps in a basket or bag of related items. Happy to have these!" —Small~Town~Girl

    Get them from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in two colors and a Spanish language version).

    3. Souper Cube if weeknight dinners take you no less than an hour and a half to make (and that's not counting cleanup time!). This silicone freezing tray stores perfectly portioned soups, stews, sauces, and more so you can meal prep in bulk over the weekend and then freeze it in these trays. It's so easy to quickly grab them as needed and defrost them for an easy meal.

    Reviewer photo of their chicken noodle soup in the tray
    Reviewer photo of their frozen chicken noodle soup

    Each tray has four fill lines — 1/2 cup, 1 cup, 125 mL, and 250 mL — which is ideal for people who like to portion their food.

    You may remember Souper Cube from Shark Tank (Lori invested in the company!). This small business was started by four friends who loved soup but hated food waste.

    Promising review: "So happy that I found these. I’m the only one in my household who enjoys soup year-round. Have you ever tried to make homemade soup for one? I say it’s impossible! But no longer. I can brew up the stock pot with bone broth or my favorite home soup. Fill up my Souper Cubes, freeze, pop out, store my goodies in a freezer bag, and I’m ready for the next batch!" —Debbie R. Texas

    Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in three colors and in a two-pack).

    4. A pair of meat shredder claws because pulling apart pounds of pork with two measly forks is not efficient or fun. 

    reviewer photo of the claws stuck inside a large hunk of cooked pork
    the same pork shredded fully with the claws

    Promising review: "I just made 26 pounds of pork butt for a large family gathering. Several months ago I did the same thing and my husband and I shredded it together with four forks. We scorched our hands repeatedly and it took over 70 minutes. I looked at several shredding forks and settled in on these and I sure am glad I did! They are solid, light, and sharp. They are not hollow on the back side so meat doesn't get stuck in them. It didn't take long to get the hang of them. They double as handles to pick the large 8.5 pounds of butts with which was very nice. They really do become extensions of your hands! I had read reviews that said that these don't let you get meat shredded finely but that was certainly not my experience. Although I haven't used them on other sorts of meat yet, this pork was fall-off-the bone tender and it shredded very finely for me. And it did it so fast! I shredded all 26 pounds by myself in less than 30 minutes and didn't burn my hands once. I wish I hadn't waited so long to get these...It really does beat the two-fork system!" —L. Smith

    Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in four colors).

    5. A heavy-duty oven scrub to make it look like the years of baked-on dinner explosions and drippings that coat the inside of your oven — poof! — never happened. It'll clean stains right before your eyes; no need to let it sit overnight!

    gif of someone rubbing the paste on a dirty oven door and wiping the door clean with a cloth
    Everneat / Etsy

    Everneat is a small business based in Fairfield, Connecticut, that specializes in natural cleaning products.

    Promising review: "This product is amazing! It works fast with pretty minimal elbow grease. The stainless-steel sponge that comes with it makes it easier. And it smells great!" —Melissa C.

    Get it from Amazon and Etsy for $19.99 (available in three scents).

    6. And a set of oven liners for catching crumbs before they can permanently attach themselves to your oven and create a big freaking mess you'll spend hours cleaning. Raise your hand if you hate cleaning your oven. Great. Now take that same hand and click the "add to cart" button.

    the black oven liners catching droplets from a pie
    someone washing the oven liners in a sink
    Amazon

    Promising review: "I got tired of cleaning the bottom of my oven out after every drip and spill, or running the 'oven clean' option, which uses up so much energy and makes my house HOT during the process. I used to have foil on the bottom of the oven to help with spills, and that improved things greatly — but then you have to replace the foil after a while. I had to cut them to size, which was easy to do with a simple pair of household scissors. Then I placed them in the oven (they look nice!), and I waited for it to get messy. I cooked something super messy and finally needed to clean the liner. It was SO easy; I put it in the sink and used my sink sprayer and everything immediately slid right off the liner. No problem! I have a double oven, so I was glad this pack came with more than one. I have one in each oven and one on standby in case I need it. I know that having a dirty oven isn't the worst thing in the world, but if it matters to you, try these!" —Hpg

    Get a set of three from Amazon for $13.99.

    7. A truly ~egg-cellent~ rapid egg cooker so you can enjoy an omelet (or a soft-, medium-, or hard-boiled egg as well as poached eggies — so many options!) in mere minutes. The best part = no supervision necessary, and you won't dirty a single pan.

    Promising review: "I was skeptical when I ordered it but use it constantly. I live in barracks and do not have a stove. I bought it for boiled eggs but use it much more for breakfast burritos. Super easy. Butter tray, put in egg and water, press the button, and walk away. By time I'm dressed for work it's ready. Throw it in a tortilla and walk out with it. More nutritious than Pop-Tarts. It does hard-boiled eggs well but don't assume thats all its good for. Great for college kids, military people, traveling workers, or anyone without access to a full kitchen." —a.l.s

    Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in six colors).

    Check out our Dash Rapid Egg Cooker review for more deets!

    8. A heat-resistant masher that'll break apart hunks of ground meat, smush fruits and veggies, and easily scrape the side of the pan. Not needing a separate utensil for each task? Heaven!

    Promising review: "For decades I've been using a spatula/turner to chop meat like hamburger for tacos and others. I saw one of these used on a cooking video. This is a blessing, and this one is heavy, quality, and works wonderful! Great price too!" —Bo

    Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two colors).

    9. A Beast blender if you're looking for a powerful and sleek machine. It'll make quick work of smoothies, gazpachos, dips, and more without much noise and without you having to lug out your monstrously large blender. Reviewers rave that it's easy to clean and delightfully quiet.

    the blender
    Amazon

    Promising review: "This is the best blender for smoothies I have ever used. I upgraded from my Magic Bullet Mini and the difference is like night and day! The Beast is a solid piece of machinery but does not take up a lot of space, thanks to its seek, simple design. It has one button which starts the motor at a pretty fast clip, and then it does this cool downshift in speed and then starts up again. This really allows the smoothies to blend thoroughly to a nice smooth, liquidy consistency. I bought the extra smaller glass container because I thought the 1000ml would be too large, but I end up making enough to save a serving for my nighttime smoothie. I just love this thing and use it every single day. Absolutely worth every penny!" —Josie Pot Pie

    Get it from Amazon for $164.95.

    10. A plant-based cooking oil solidifier because it makes getting rid of leftover grease easier than whatever method you're using right now. Simply sprinkle the powder in your remaining oil while it's still hot, let it cool, and then scoop it into the trash.

    reviewer photo of the solidifier flakes in a pot of oil
    the same reviewer's pot after the oil has hardened and they are able to scoop it out of the pot

    FryAway is a woman-owned small business started by Laura Lady, who loves both cooking and being kind to the planet. They donate 1% of revenue to nonprofits focused on water conservation.

    Promising review: "Honestly I didn’t know if this would work, waiting for it to cool down made me nervous, but once it was at room temperature it was solid. It popped out of the fryer so nicely. Worth every penny." —Emma

    Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in three styles).

    11. A cookware set with detachable handles to replace the clunky pots and pans that are currently (and very inefficiently, I might add!) taking up basically all the storage space in your cabinets. The removable handle attaches to all pieces and then you can pop it off and stick it in a separate drawer while you neatly stack the pots and pans in half the space your old set needed.

    reviewer photo of the five pots and pans on their stovetop
    reviewer photo of the handle attached to one of the pots

    This set includes two removable handles, two frypans (8'' & 10''), two sauce pants (2-quart and 3-quart), a 4-quart saute pan, two fridge storage lids, two and two glass lids with a silicone ring.

    Promising review: "This set has been a dream! With my kids helping with dishes, this set has made the pots/pans cabinet a non-issue. Before, we had to stack the pans together, but they’d get stacked wonky because of the handles. With this set, we keep the handles in the utensil drawer and the rest stacked together. I typically cook without the handles attached (depending on the meal, of course) and clip on once complete to move the pan wherever it needs to go. I rinse the handle of any debris and put it away. Grab the storage lid and plop the pan directly into the fridge. This set has made a huge difference in my desire to cook, as the hassle from start to finish is a fraction of what it was with my old set!" —Brooke

    Get an 11-piece set from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in two color combinations).

    12. A snap-on silicone strainer for straining pasta, veggies, hard-boiled eggs, and more on your own with ease. It clips onto nearly any pot, big or small, so you don't lose any precious cargo when you dump out the water.

    Promising review: "I live alone in a small apartment with a small kitchen that has very little storage space, and I often eat pasta. Using a colander means one more thing I have to wash (and store...and put away). I have a couple of hand strainers, but that makes things awkward, especially since I have a condition that makes it even more so. This little guy has made things so much easier! Its small size makes it easy to wash (by hand, for me) and then just toss in a drawer. It's sturdy, even the clips, so I don't feel I have to be gentle with it." —Jonathan Dowell

    Get it from Amazon for $13.49+ (available in five colors).

    13. A space-saving grater and slicer set so you don't have to invest in bulky and expensive individual versions. (You probs don't have the room in your tiny kitchen anway!) It comes with a slicer, medium grater, and coarse grater, and the base serves as both a storage container (when it's in use) and a handy receptacle for sliced zucchini, grated cheese, etc.

    hand grating a red potato using the slicer plate
    Amazon

    Promising review: "Easy to use and several different option for cutting your vegetables as needed. Sharp blades and it’s a plus to hold everything you slice or dice in its container. Exactly what I needed. Very well made and easy to use. My go-to in my kitchen for my vegetables." —Giselle

    Get it from Amazon for $22.95.