We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
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.
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. A 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
14. A pancake batter mixer with a built-in BlenderBall wire whisk that'll mix wet and dry ingredients for hotcakes and waffles as fast as you can shake it. Breakfast will be ready in minutes *and* with fewer dirty dishes that require your attention.
Promising review: This is the best breakfast invention after the waffle maker. LOVE IT! As someone who makes pancakes or waffles three to four times a week (my kids are pretty spoiled, but breakfast is key to getting through the first part of the school day), this is the easiest and fastest way to get that done. I just add everything to the bottle, shake, and pour into the waffle maker or griddle. When I am done, just add some water, shake again, empty, and then place everything in the dishwasher." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
15. A microwave veggie steamer if you can't be bothered to boil a large pot of water just for your single serving of veggies. This steamer has a 2-cup capacity, so it's great for anyone who's cooking (or steaming) for one.
Promising review: "I love fresh vegetables but hate having to cook up the whole batch and store. This little microwave steamer worked out even BETTER than I could have imagined! I use it almost every day now. I can break off a few stalks of broccoli, cut up a some asparagus, carrots, steam it in the microwave for 3–3.5 minutes and I have a wonderful serving of mixed fresh veggies anytime I want. I love it! It is small, so if you're feeding a family, look for something bigger along the same lines. It's easy to clean, and it seems sturdy enough for the dishwasher, but I hand wash it because I had a microwave steamer that got warped after a few runs through the dishwasher. Would definitely buy again." —terifrancis
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
16. A meat tenderizer because it'll make your $10 steak taste like it cost 10 times that.
Promising review: "This thing really works great. Takes only seconds to tenderize any kind of meat. I've used on pork, beef, and chicken and the results are these meats cook and taste so much better after being tenderized with this. Many people ask about dishwasher-safe. I have used it for a while and always put it in the dishwasher and it's fine. It's plastic and stainless-steel so I don't think the dishwasher can hurt it." —5280
Get it from Amazon for $20.73+ (available in four colors and a 16-blade option).
17. A lasagna trio pan to help you prepare meals for everyone, regardless of their dietary preferences. Mamma mia! *insert chef finger kiss*
Promising review: "In a family of six, there are always SOME who don't like what everyone else is eating. This is a pan where making three different kinds of lasagna doesn't require much if any more effort than making a single lasagna with the same dimensions. Takes the same amount of time to layer the noodles, same amount of time to build the things...but you have three different builds to satisfy those darned picky kids. Or hey, go adult gourmet in a way that Olive Garden cannot. What's fun with this pan is it's not just lasagna. I tried making breads with it to good effect. Yeah, the loaves looked a little weird but I DON'T CARE. I did it, and that's all. It gives me what I prize most in cooking gear...versatility. Easy to clean, certainly...and nonstick, though that requires a little care (use wood, not metal utensils). With proper care and feeding, these are made to last pretty much forever. I love it." —J. Tant
Get it from Amazon for $22.99.
18. A pack of reusable toaster bags for when a 2 a.m. craving for a grilled cheese hits but you don't want to dirty a pan. Just plop your bread and cheese in the bag and then in the toaster and you're minutes away from ooey gooey cheesy goodness. And they're great for helping prevent cross contamination if someone in your house has food allergies.
These reusable bags are good for 50 to 100 washes and can hold pizza, chicken nuggets, and pastries.
Promising review: "I love using these! Since I live alone I don't like having to dirty a skillet to make just one sandwich. This makes a great sandwich in the toaster without any muss or fuss. They're easy to clean; just wipe it out or use a little soap and water if needed. The nonstick feature is very helpful." —Branwynmars
Get a set of four from Amazon for $7.99.
19. A set of "floating" kitchen knives so you can easily cut through whatever ingredient the recipe calls for: tough root veggies, delicate tomatoes, you name it. You've got a lot of chopping, slicing, and dicing to do so you need knives that can keep up.
Each set comes with 13 professional chef knives, kitchen scissors, a peeler, a two-stage stage knife sharpener, and an acrylic knife stand.
Promising reviews: "The knives are very attractive; my family (6 including grandparents) enjoys using them and say that often. Having college athletes at home full time who work out daily, chop coarse vegetables (carrots) and meats constantly, and have quite a bit of free time to constantly explore culinary options, the knives needed to be sharpened occasionally. There have been no issues whatsoever with the handles, appearance, etc..and considering these are used A LOT, they look brand new. The nonstick sides need extra protection though, so dishwashing is not recommended overall in our experience since we have hard (albeit filtered and treated) water." —dawn savick
"LOVE LOVE LOVE! We're a family of soon to be eight and are on a tight budget for a one-income family. To find something reasonable in price with the quality of something more expensive, we were more than pretty pleased to find this product. Not only stylish but great quality" —Crystal Mara
Get the 17-piece set from Amazon for $49.99 (available in four finishes).
20. Or an itty bitty knife sharpener that'll revive your worn down set if you're still smushing your veggies and dangerously sawing through hard fruits and meat with a dull knife.
Promising review: "Wow! I was going to buy some whet stones to sharpen my knives but I know I’d be too lazy to use them. Then I saw this gadget advertised on BuzzFeed and though I’d try it for the price. It works exactly as stated. It won’t restore knicked blades but it sharpens amazingly good. Knives that I’ve had for years I was able to sharpen and cut with ease." —Amazon Customer
My colleague loves this lil' guy, saying it "totally ~transformed~ my hodgepodge of a knife collection, and probably saved my clumsy self from lots of close calls with dull knives." Read her full KitchenIQ knife sharpener review.
Get it from Amazon for $9.08+ (available in four colors and in multipacks).
21. A pack of slow cooker liners if you have a lot of hungry people to feed. With the disposable liners, you can cook different recipes at the same time, reducing your overall cook time *and* saving you from having to wash a huge stack of dishes.
PS: They also come in handy with dishes going into a water bath (think: cheesecakes, custards, and puddings).
Promising review: "We constantly use our crockpot for easy meals. I'm a teacher and my husband is a firefighter, and it's just easy for our family of five. No real cleanup. I toss the bag in the trash after use and will just run a wet rag around the inside of the pot for good measure. Never have a problem with holes or burning." —Ashley Matthews
Get a pack of six from Amazon for $3.48.
22. A set of nonstick, heat-safe sheet pan dividers because no, you don't need to suffer through veggies that are burned to a crisp because you had to leave the pan in the oven to make sure the salmon was fully cooked. With this handy system, you can just remove individual trays when the ingredients are fully cooked.
Promising review: "Purchased several sets as Christmas gifts. Everyone LOVES them! These liners make sheet pan meals easy to clean up. I love that I can load the silicone trays with veggies and meat. Makes it easy to pop in the oven for different cook time. These also make dinner cleanup super easy. 10/10 recommend!" —Lain
Get a set of three from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in five colors and in multi-packs).
23. A microwave pasta cooker to save the day when you want soft, cheesy, noodly carbs but don't want the hassle of boiling water, cleaning a giant pot, and struggling to strain your noods without spilling hot water everywhere.
Read our Fasta Pasta Microwave Cooker review!
Promising review: "I bought this microwave pasta cooker at a time when I did not have a stove. Even though I have a stove now, I still use this cooker for dinner for myself sometimes because it works so well and quickly! Be careful and read instructions carefully as you must leave the top off while cooking it. There are lines to indicate how much water to put in the cooker versus the amount of pasta you intend to cook. The pasta comes out very soft and perfectly cooked when instructions are followed. When the pasta is done, the lid is used to drain the cooker of water and works very well. I highly recommend this to any college student or adult who needs a fast microwave pasta cooker!" —Tania
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
24. A manual food chopper for slicing and dicing fruits, veggies, herbs, boneless meats, and ice with ease *and* without taking up a lot of space on your counters or hurting your ears with shrieking mechanical whirring.
It's also dishwasher-safe (top rack only!) so cleanup is easy peasy.
Promising review: "Love this thing. I’m single and live alone. I don’t need a full on food processor. This works great. Just be careful hand-cleaning so you don’t cut yourself open. The blades are extremely sharp." —Steve S.
Get it from Amazon for $16.30+ (available in three colors).
25. Or a veggie dicer so you can handle bigger dicing jobs and make quick work of the produce in your fridge that need to be prepped for dinner. No more tears because the recipe calls for diced onions!
Promising review: "Use often. Works well. Love that I can quickly chop up vegetables to same size so they cook more evenly. Especially love if I’m doing a lot of onions for food prep. Note: does not work on tomatoes for those wondering. I give a quick rinse with hot water to clean up and air dry." —Lte
Get it from Amazon for $23.95+ (available in four sizes and four colors).
26. A vampire-shaped garlic press that'll spare your hands from reeking of garlic for the next three days. Just twist the Count's head to crush the bulb — easy peasy garlic squeezy. Be careful not to have too much fun with this or you'll end up crushing more garlic than you need...which is not a bad problem to have tbh.
This little bloodsucker is 100% food-safe, BPA-free, and dishwasher safe!
Promising review: "It's so ridiculous how cute and functional it is! I hated chopping or mincing garlic before getting this! It is fast and efficient, and can get a lot done quickly. Did I mention how cute this is? Also, please know this IS dishwasher-safe. I pop the hair off before putting the top in the dishwasher, and the bottom is one piece so no issues of water getting in and staying there, as other reviewers have expressed concerns about. BUT! If there is ONE THING that is a bit of a pain, it is getting ALL the bits out — but a small silicone spatula or scraper does the trick just fine for me! I use this garlic tool daily; it is honestly a game-changer for my cooking game!" —Llamazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $25.95.
27. A time-saving mandoline if you've ever tried to make potatoes au gratin at home and cursed yourself an hour into slicing because it's taking so damn long. This mandoline offers over 30 slicing options and a variety of thicknesses so you can protect your hands while breezing through prep.
You can also use it for julienne- and matchstick-dicing! Just feed your ingredients through the tube, push the lever, and your slices will come out on the other side.
Promising review: "I purchased this because I do a lot of cooking for large groups. There were some dishes that I refused to make in large quantities due to the prep (scalloped potatoes). Until I purchased this item! What a game changer! It makes the prep go so quickly I don't mind doing it. Salads are a breeze with this. If you're on the fence about buying it? Just get it, you won't be sorry." —bets
Get it from Amazon for $39.97+ (available in seven colors).
28. A Home Chef subscription because you want meals fast — and by fast we mean recipes (and all the ingredients shipped to your door) that you can make in 15 minutes. They also offer ready-made meals in case you just don't have the time, energy, or inclination to cook.
Why it's great: Home Chef's selection of recipes and ready-made meals changes weekly so your tastebuds can take a break from eating ramen five out of seven nights. It also offers custom express meal kits (ingredients come pre-prepped so you can get dinner on the table in 15 minutes), oven-ready meals (just pop the tin in the oven!), Fast & Fresh recipes (that can be zapped in the microwave), and more so dinner is easy peasy lemon squeezy.
What else to know: Menus change weekly so you're always in for a delicious treat. And it's easy to customize your recipes; substitute proteins if you don't like the meat in the picture, or double the protein if you know that one serving isn't enough.
Availability: Home Chef currently ships to 98% of the US. Enter your zip code during sign-up and Home Chef will alert you if you are outside of its delivery range.
Prices: $7.99+/serving
Check out the Candied Bacon and Smoked Gouda Burger (left) and Jalapeño Popper Flatbread (right) featured above and current menu selections here.
29. A set of produce storage containers to extend the life of your favorite fruits and veggies. Your food will taste better because you're cooking with produce that's still at peak freshness instead of soggy and overripe.
Read my colleague's in-depth Rubbermaid FreshWorks storage containers review to see why she loves them.
Promising review: "This product really works. I frequently buy spinach leaves for salads and smoothies, and it's always a race to use it before it goes bad. With this product I don't have to worry about that any longer. It really does extend the shelf life of your produce." —Rayray
Get a three-piece set from Amazon for $65.
30. A set of three reusable silicone air fryer liners for anyone who's avoiding using their air fryer because of how time consuming the cleanup process is. Well, not anymore! These liners catch all the sauce-y, sticky, crumbly bits so you can make all your fave (but messy) recipes without a second thought about how annoying cleaning will be.
Promising review: "I bought these because I was tired of cleaning the whole air fryer container. These were bought on a whim for both mine and my boyfriend's parents, who each have an air fryer. They work great, keeping all greases and crumbs inside, and make it easier to clean. The only bad thing (and this may just be me) is the ridges/ripples on the bottom of the inside of the liner. When you try to wash it in the sink, don’t put the stream of water right on those unless you want to take a small bath. Other than that, these are fantastic. My boyfriend also says that it seems to make everything crispier, and we love that." —Jordan Hixson
Get a set of three from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in two sizes and four color combinations).
31. An electric thermometer so you're not suffering through bites of overcooked, super-tough meats just to avoid potential salmonella. Your tastebuds don't have to suffer! This handy thermometer will tell you your chicken's internal temp so you can enjoy the meat when it's perfectly moist and tender.
Promising review: "I can't believe how easy this thing is to use! I had a thermometer, but this digital one gives you the results immediately. No trying to hold the thing in place for a long time while waiting for the temp to show. I wish I had bought one sooner." —Linda
Get it from Amazon for $8.25+ (available in three colors).
32. A Ninja 12-in-1 double oven that'll simultaneously cook two meals (or a main and a side, two sides, etc.) at different temperatures and for different lengths of time = you can cook fish and veggies (for you) in one section and chicken nuggets and tater tots (for the picky eater) in the other. GENIUS!
When I first read about this product, I thought it was cool but not something I'd get a lot of use out of. I'm only cooking for two people and we're eating the same meal. This seems better for busy parents. And it's pretty bulky to use it only as a toaster. Boy did I underestimate this double oven! Case in point: Recently, I planned to cook a chicken and broccoli sheet pan dinner, and I also really wanted to use the curly fries in my freezer — but the two dishes needed to bake at different temperatures. Before this double oven came into my life, I would've put both trays in the oven at the same time but suffered through soft, slightly soggy fries (instead of fries that were perfectly crispy and crunchy) because I was too impatient to cook them separately and I didn't want to burn the chicken and broccoli, which needed to cook at a lower temp. I've also used this compact oven to cook things like garlic bread, because 1) it takes forever for my regular oven to preheat, and 2) using the regular oven makes my kitchen really hot, which doesn't seem worth it for two measly slices of bread. The list of things you can do with this oven could fill a book, so I highly recommend checking it out to learn more!
Get it from Amazon for $299.99+ (available in two colors) and Ninja for $329.99.
33. A variety pack of microwaveable A Dozen Cousins ready-to-eat seasoned beans if you don't even trust yourself to attempt to cook something on the stove but still want a hearty and delicious meal. Heat a bag in the microwave, or use them to zhuzh up leftovers so you can finally clear some fridge space.
A Dozen Cousins is a Black-owned business founded by Ibraheem Basir and inspired by his the Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American flavors he ate growing up. The variety pack comes with Cuban Black Beans, Mexican Cowboy Pinto Beans, and Trini Chickpea Curry, Creole Red Beans, Refried Black Beans, and Classic Refried Pinto Beans.
Promising review: "Canned beans from my local supermarket are always a disappointment so I stopped getting them. I don't have time to cook beans myself but A Dozen Cousins beans are fresh and taste terrific. I am trying to eat healthier and these are a great way to do that. I've been trying to avoid packaged, processed foods but the natural ingredients make these different. I can feel good about eating them. The beans are whole and not mashed-up like in cans. All of the varieties are seasoned well and versatile. I've had them on their own, in salads and in wrap sandwiches. I'm really happy to have found these and hope they continue to add new flavors and products. Do yourself a favor and order some. You won't regret it." —Amazon Customer
Get a pack of six from Amazon for $21.61.
My coworker Marquaysa Battle has taste-tested these beans and swears by 'em! Check out her A Dozen Cousins review for her thoughts.
34. A soil-free AeroGarden Harvest because your meals will taste better if you add herbs — trust me. And this hydroponic system alerts makes growing (and thus eating!) so stinkin' easy since it notifies you when it's time to water and feed your plants.
Check out my colleague's AeroGarden review for more deets!
Promising review: "I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my boyfriend's sister-in-law who lamented not having a green thumb. I was somewhat apprehensive, having read a few reviews that mentioned pods not spouting. However, in the two months that the sis-in-law has had the AeroGarden, the growth has been tremendous. I'm constantly in awe when she sends me pics of the new growth. Only one pod failed to spout, but she reached out to customer service, and they are sending a replacement for that particular pod. All the others have grown quite large, and last night I received a picture of their dinner using herbs grown with the AeroGarden. Impressive!" —Mary A. Walls
Get it from Amazon for $79.95.
35. And some herb savor pods to prevent your homegrown basil from getting all brown and yucky before you finish it. These futuristic-looking containers are supposed to *triple* the lifespan of your herbs so your chicken noodle soup is never without fresh dill, your tacos are never without fresh cilantro, and your crispy baked potato wedges are never without fresh rosemary.
Promising review: "I use fresh herbs all the time. Too often they go bad before I finish them. I’ve tried multiple things to try to help them last longer to no avail. I bought fresh basil a week and a half ago. I immediately used a bit, then put them in this handy-dandy container. I changed the water once. Last night, I decided to make a little fresh pesto with the basil I had left. It was in perfect condition, and the pesto was amazing! Every kitchen needs at least one or two in it. I’m buying them for my daughter-in-law who also uses a lot of fresh herbs. She’s the gadget queen, so I know she’s going to love them." —Treese
Get it from Amazon for $17.50 (or a set of three for $29.12).
36. Small Batch Bakes, a delightful book of recipes tailored for one to six servings so you can bake to your heart's desire without feeling guilty because now you have five dozen cookies you gotta eat, give away, or toss if you can't finish them yourself.
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