The ATK Reviews Guide to the Best Kitchen Gear Under $15

Best Buy Ladle

Cuisinart Stainless Steel Ladle

With a smooth, curvy one-piece metal handle, this ladle was easy for all hands to grip, and in a variety of positions. And although it lacks a pouring rim, it still pours relatively neatly and precisely. We wish that it held a little more liquid, but otherwise, it’s a great option.

Best Fruit/Veg Peeler

Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler

Inexpensive, effective, agile, and easy to use, our longtime favorite Y peeler does a fantastic job of peeling fruits and vegetable of all kinds.

Best Straight Peeler

OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler

Testers liked that this straight peeler was light and comfortable. Peels were nicely thin; it picked up almost no traces of pith from a lemon. Its stainless-steel blade resists rust, and its design works well for righties and lefties.

Best Serrated Peeler

OXO Good Grips Serrated Peeler

This serrated peeler had the most comfortable handle in the lineup, and did a great job of peeling tomato and peach skins.

Best Julienne Peeler

OXO Julienne Peeler

This compact peeler worked neatly, easily, and efficiently to produce piles of crisp, uniform, long matchsticks. Its handle is comfortable and the sharp blade almost never jammed and never dragged while peeling; it cleaned up quickly under the tap.

Best Thai-Style Julienne Peeler

Kiwi Pro Slice Peeler

We loved using this sharp, comfortable Thai-style wavy julienne peeler, which produced exceptionally long, elegant julienne shapes in every test. Its handle felt secure and gave us good leverage.

Best Metal Slotted Spoon

Cuisinart Stainless Steel Slotted Spoon

The lightest of the stainless-steel models, this nearly perfect spoon had a long, hollow handle that felt like it was molded to fit our palms; its wide, shallow, thin bowl made it a breeze to scoop up food.

Best Nonstick-Safe Slotted Spoon

Cuisinart Curve Slotted Spoon

This nylon slotted spoon is a good option for use with nonstick cookware. Sauces and water drained quickly through the slots on its wide, shallow bowl.

Best Compact Spatula

OXO Good Grips Cookie Spatula

This spatula was great for flipping eggs and pancakes, and the flexible silicone head was especially good at gliding in the pan—even navigating rounded sides with ease. The silicone material kept cookies stable during transport, and we liked the generous handle.

Best Jar Spatula

GIR Skinny Spatula

This spatula is easy to clean and comfortable in hand. The flexible head maneuvers easily in tight corners and edges but is strong enough to scoop heavy food. It’s also available in a mini version, perfect for petite jars.

Best Spatula

Di Oro Seamless Silicone Spatula

This model is firm enough for scraping and scooping but also fit neatly into tight corners. Its straight sides and wide, flat blade ensured that no food was left unmixed. The all-silicone design eliminates any crannies that could trap food. It felt exceptionally comfortable.

Best Flat Whisk

OXO Good Grips Flat Whisk

With a grippy handle and tines that had good rigidity and spacing, the OXO flat whisk aced our sauce tests and was relatively comfortable to use for longer periods.

Best Mini Whisk

Tovolo 6" Mini Whisk

We loved using this diminutive whisk, which performed every task quickly and efficiently, thanks to the five sturdy wire loops in its relatively broad head. And with a thick, medium-length handle, it was easy to grip.

Best 9-inch Tongs

OXO Good Grips 9" Tongs

The shorter version of our favorite 12-inch tongs, this model easily picked up foods of all shapes and sizes—from dainty blueberries to a hefty jar of salsa—and was extremely comfortable to operate.

Best Oven Mitt

OXO Silicone Oven Mitt

These oven mitts kept our hands cool and in control when holding hot equipment or reaching into a hot oven. The silicone is heavily textured for better grip, and it flexed with our hands, so we could easily pinch thin cookie sheets and small handles or knobs.

Winner

OXO Nylon Spaghetti Server

This server’s small perforations drained water without losing pasta; its long teeth grabbed and held long strands with ease. Its long, grippy handle kept hands a safe distance from hot water, and the gently angled head was just right for easy control.

Best Cut-Resistant Glove

Mercer Culinary Cut Glove

The thinnest glove in our lineup offered great protection and great dexterity, allowing us to grip even small or slippery food securely. It comes in a range of sizes, and did the best job of fitting different hands, though larger-handed cooks might need to size up.

Best Pizza Cutter

Mercer Culinary Pizza Cutter

This cutter was ultrasharp and made clean cuts on the first try, no matter how thick the pizza was. The top of the handle was made from grippy, textured plastic, but because it didn’t have much cushioning, it wasn’t as comfortable to use for long stints as some models.

Best Buy Oyster Knife

OXO Good Grips Oyster Knife

At half the cost of our top pick, this knife is a great bargain option. With its upturned, pointy tip, however, it did a great job of popping open oysters of all sizes. Most testers loved its grippy, rubbery handle, though a few found its bulbous shape less comfortable to hold.

Best Metal Skewers

Norpro 12-inch Skewers

These stainless-steel skewers are durable and hold lots of food securely.

Best Quarter-Sheet Pan

Nordic Ware Quarter Sheet

This extremely sturdy baking sheet turned out evenly cooked and browned chicken, cauliflower, and focaccia. Its lightweight, compact size made it easy to maneuver into and out of the oven. Its size is ideal for preparing recipes that serve two.

Best Eighth-Sheet Pan

Nordic Ware Naturals 1/8 Sheet Pan

This tiny pan was perfect for evenly baking one or two cookies, scones, or biscuits; broiling toast in a toaster oven; toasting nuts; and acting as a spoon rest or surface to corral ingredients while we cooked. It was easy to clean and convenient to store.

Best Quarter-Sheet Rack

Checkered Chef Quarter Sheet Rack

Although it shifted around a bit in the our favorite small rimmed baking sheet, this affordable rack was strong and sturdy. It easily fit 12 cookies (a half-batch of many cookie recipes). And it's dishwasher-safe, which made cleanup easy.

Nordic Ware Half Sheet Cover

The plastic lid snapped on and off our winning rimmed baking sheet quickly, and we liked that it cut back on our use of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. In all our tests, it kept both frozen and refrigerated foods as fresh as disposable wraps did.

Best Bench Scraper

Dexter-Russell Dough Cutter

We love this model’s sturdy plastic handle, which was easy to grab even when it was slick with butter or sticky from bread dough. This bench scraper’s rectangular blade scraped surfaces well and had no trouble cutting through bread dough or cubing butter.

Best Bowl Scraper

Fox Run Dough/Bowl Scraper

Our winning scraper’s teardrop shape made it versatile, capable of handling dense cookie dough and delicate pastry well. This scraper was both easy to clean and durable.

Best Pastry Brush

Winco Flat Pastry Brush

This brush had the thickest head of bristles in the testing, allowing it to pick up and deposit the greatest volume of egg wash, oil, butter, or glaze in a single pass. And because the bristles weren't too densely packed, they still felt agile and precise.

Best Silicone Brush

OXO Silicone Pastry Brush

This brush performed well, picking up plenty of liquid and providing good coverage. Its bristles had just the right level of flexibility, making for agile, precise, and controlled maneuvering. Testers loved its light weight and perfectly sized handle.

Best Offset Spatula

OXO Good Grips Bent Icing Knife

From handle to tip, this spatula was sized right. The 6.5-inch blade was sturdy but nimble, and testers made quick work of icing cakes with all types of frosting. It also felt exceptionally comfortable in hand, thanks to an easy-to-grip rubber-coated handle.

Best Mini Offset Spatula

Wilton 9-inch Angled Spatula

Offers great control when spreading batter or icing. Sleek, sturdy, and comfortable, this blade (4½ inches in length) was just about flawless.

Best Biscuit Cutters

Ateco Round Cutter Set

Our longtime favorites won over testers for their crisp, sharp edges and strong, durable metal. Biscuits made with these cutters were the tallest and most pristine of the bunch, and the cutters stood up to multiple washes without warping or rusting.

Best Pie Weights

Mrs. Anderson's Ceramic Pie Weights

When we completely filled a pie shell with four of these weights, we found that they were heavy enough to keep the bottom from bubbling or puffing and the fragile sides from slumping.

Best Piping Set

Wilton20-Piece Decorating Set

This is a great starter set: It came with five of our essential tips, including a large open star tip for cupcake swirls and rosettes. The plastic bags were easy to handle, effortless to clean up afterward, and durable.

Best Couche

SFBI 18" Linen Canvas (Couche)

With the finest weave and the best texture—not too floppy or stiff—this inexpensive professional baker’s cloth was easy to handle and made perfect crusty brown loaves. Its width was proportioned to match up well with our rimmed baking sheet.

Best Sugar Shaker

Ateco Stainless Steel Shaker

The narrow cylinder of this metal shaker nestled snugly in testers’ hands while its mesh head produced a fine, even dusting that could be layered as needed. It doesn’t come with a cap, so it’s not ideal for storage.

Co-Winning Paring Knife

Victorinox Fibrox Paring Knife

This knife was “superadept”; its sharp, flexible blade nimbly hugged curves, so we could surgically remove peels or cores without plunging too deeply. It was the lightest knife we tested, with a slim handle that disappeared in our palms.

Best Buy Scale

Ozeri Pronto Digital Kitchen Scale

This simple scale is impressive for the money. It’s accurate and easy to use, with a digital screen that’s bright and visible even when weighing large items.

Best Adjustable Measuring Cup

KitchenArt 2 Cup Adjust-A-Cup

This model was the easiest to operate, with a plunger that glided smoothly through the barrel and consistently scraped the barrel clean of sticky honey, peanut butter, and molasses. Its measurements were accurate and didn’t fade.

Best Glass Measuring Cup (1)

Pyrex 1 Cup Measuring Cup

This classic glass model was accurate and had bold, easy-to-read measurement lines that clearly corresponded to specific numbers. The handle, though small, was smooth and wide enough to be comfortable.

Best Glass Measuring Cup (2)

Pyrex 2 Cup Measuring Cup

This classic glass liquid measuring cup possessed all of the qualities that we liked in its smaller version; it was accurate and had bold, easy-to-read measurement lines that were clearly labeled. The glass resisted staining and was durable.

Best Glass Measuring Cup (4)

Pyrex 4 Cup Liquid Measuring Cup

This liquid measuring cup is just as accurate and easy to read as its smaller versions. It doesn’t have markings for volumes less than 1 cup, so you’ll need to supplement it with a smaller model. It was sturdy and didn’t stain.

Best Plastic Measuring Cup (1)

OXO 1 Cup Measuring Cup

This lightweight plastic cup has a secondary set of measurements located on a U-shaped strip of plastic set diagonally in the cup so that is can be read from above.

Best Measuring Spoons

Cuisipro Measuring Spoons

Our winning spoons had a simple design that allowed for a smooth, continuous sweep.This set's metal construction felt remarkably sturdy, and ingredients didn't cling to the stainless steel.

Best Analog Oven Thermometer

CDN Pro Oven Thermometer

This thermometer sports a wide, sturdy base and clear temperature markings with large numbers and boldly visible dashes at 50- and 25-degree increments.

Best Jar Opener

Amco Jar Opener

Once we got the hang of maneuvering its adjustable clamp, this model easily opened jar lids of all shapes, sizes, and materials.

Best Tomato Corer

Norpro Tomato Core It

This lightweight winning corer has the best head-handle combination for comfort and sharp, neat scooping. It made tidy cuts and went through tomatoes twice as fast as a paring knife did.

Best Funnel

Winco PF-8 Plastic Funnel

This funnel had the longest spout in the lineup, nearly 2 inches, which made it feel securely anchored during use. Its spout was a tad narrower than ideal, but it still allowed foods and liquids to flow reasonably well.

Best Ginger Grater

Microplane Home Series Fine Grater

If you grate ginger frequently, this is by far the best tool we've found for the job: It's speedy, easy to handle, and superefficient. Its handle was comfortable to grip, and its wide paddle shape made it especially easy to collect ginger puree and to clean.

Best Meat Shredder

Bear Paws Meat Handlers

Looking more like a pair of bear-sized combs than actual paws, this device has thick, sharp tines and stay-cool plastic handles that helped us lift and shred hot meat easily and safely.

Best Garlic Odor Eliminator

Amco Rub-A-Way Bar

Rubbing this stainless steel bar of “soap” under cold water eliminated garlic odors from our hands. While any stainless steel surface does the same trick, the low price and comfortable shape make this tool worth having.

Best Microwavable Lid

Piggy Steamer

This whimsical 7-inch lid makes a stay-cool bowl cover for the microwave and doubles as a jar opener.

Best Peanut-Butter Mixer

Grandpa Witmer’s Peanut Butter Mixer

This simple, well-designed device solves the problem of mixing natural peanut butter, making a messy job easy and neat.

Best Egg Poacher

Poachpod by Fusionbrands

Eggs cracked into the pods set in 4 to 6 minutes once the pan was covered, and released easily to reveal perfectly cooked circles . Dishwasher and microwave safe, the Poachpod makes poaching a breeze.

Best Pot Clip

Trudeau Utensil Pot Clip

This pot clip keeps drippy spoons and spatulas suspended over the food and actually does reduce mess at the stovetop. They handled straight-sided pans especially well, but were a bit less sturdy on a slope-sided skillet.

Best Rust Eraser

Sabitoru Medium Grit Rust Eraser

This slim eraser fit in tight edges of the knife blade and removed rust quickly and easily from carbon-steel blades. Rigid with just a little flexibility, it felt comfortable and secure in the hand and retained a firm, abrasive exterior throughout testing.

Best Strawberry Huller

Chef'n Strawberry Hull Remover

This compact stainless steel–tipped huller removes the stem and core from a strawberry with just a simple push of a button and a twist of the wrist. It can also core tomatoes.

Best Seafood Scissors

RSVP Intl Seafood Scissors

This pair of scissors had everything we wanted: comfortable handles, sharp and sturdy blades, and a durable design that stood up to the thickest shells.

Best Tortilla Warmer

Imusa Cloth Tortilla Warmer

After a 30-second stint in the microwave, this brightly colored fabric warmer kept tortillas hot for just shy of an hour and a half and fit even the largest wraps. The fabric wicks moisture from the tortillas but holds it close, so they stay soft and pliable, not soggy.

Best Ice Cube Tray

OXO No-Spill Ice Cube Tray

This tray has a flexible silicone cover that fits snugly, creating a seal that kept water from spilling from the indentations and blocked out freezer smells. The ice cubes released effortlessly from its rounded indentations. The lid can be removed for cleaning.

Best Ice Cube Mold

OXO Silicone Ice Cube Tray - Large

With a hard plastic frame and lid enclosing a silicone ice cube tray, this model was easy to transport to the freezer without spilling and made excellent ice cubes that were clean and straight-edged. The frame and lid also helped reduce freezer and coffee odors.

Best Ice Sphere Mold

Zoku Ice Ball Molds

The two sphere molds in this set made ice globes that look a little like cute ringed planets with small bumps on top.

Best Champagne Saver

Cilio Champagne Bottle Sealer

This inexpensive sealer kept champagne just as fresh as from a newly opened bottle for two full days (a full week if left undisturbed) and still drinkable on day three, thanks to its protruding plug and a secure closure that combined to make the best seal.

Best Jigger

OXO Angled Measuring Cup, Clear

This small, inexpensive plastic beaker is great for measuring cocktails and really, any wet ingredients. It has accurate, clearly marked lines and numbers. A wide mouth made it a breeze to fill, and a tiny spout ensured a clean pour every time.

Best Handheld Milk Frother

Zulay Kitchen Milk Boss Frother

This frother consistently made satisfying foam at the push of a button. We loved the comfortable grip, and we appreciated that it took little effort to rinse the wand clean.

Best Tea infuser

Finum Mesh Brewing Basket, Large

This basket-style infuser provided plenty of room for tea leaves to circulate, and contained even the smallest particles, so our tea was always clear.

Best Overall Spray Cleaner

Method All-Purpose Cleaner

Our longtime favorite spray aced each cleaning test, completely coating and dissolving every mess and rendering stains easy to scrub away. It deposited virtually no streaks or residue and consistently left surfaces clean and dry.

Co-Winner, Single-Use Plastic Bags

Ziploc Freezer Bags Gallon

These bags are roomy and simple to seal securely, and they proved leakproof and tough, staying intact when filled with tomato sauce and dropped from the countertop to the floor. It also kept a variety of foods in good condition in the freezer for more than a month.

Best Container for Soups/Lunches

OXO 4 Cup Smart Seal Container

This round container is an excellent size and shape for packing up soup or grain bowls for lunch. It could also accommodate a small salad, but it’s not quite large enough for big servings of leafy greens.

Best Container for Leftovers

OXO Rectangle Container

If you have a moderate portion of leftovers, this glass container is the perfect size. It’s also a great size for a sandwich and a few small sides, and is slim enough to slip easily into a bag or backpack.

Best Buy - Plastic Wrap

Stretch-Tite Premium Plastic Wrap

This wrap was very clingy, sticking to containers of every type with equal tenacity. It comes in a more standard 12-inch width, which was fine for most jobs, though a little less efficient for larger tasks.

Best Reusable Bamboo Towel

Full Circle Reusable Plant Towels

Our winning bamboo rayon option had perforated sheets that allowed us to tear off a sheet like traditional paper towels. They absorbed more than double their weight in water in our absorbency test and effortlessly dried a load of dishes without linting.

Best Produce Bags

purifyou Reusable Produce Bags

This reusable produce bag was durable and easy to fill, and had the finest mesh among the synthetic options; it even held grits without leaking while still allowing us to view the contents. It also had the largest capacity of the bags we tested.

Best Sponge

O-Cedar Scrunge

Our favorite sponge is absorbent and durable, and it looked surprisingly clean at the end of testing. It was also our preferred size: thick enough to hold comfortably but small enough to maneuver in tight spaces.

Best Sponge Holder

SunnyPoint Suction Holder

Spacious, airy, and solidly constructed, with a firm attachment to the sink, this sponge holder looked good and performed perfectly in our testing. Two oversize suction cups helped it keep a better grip, and it helped sponges stay dry between uses.

Best Stain Remover

OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover

Though it required a bit more time and effort to dissolve this powder in water and presoak stained clothes for hours, the stellar results made it worthwhile: Fabrics emerged bright as new.

Best Red Wine Stain Remover

Wine Away Stain Remover

A few spritzes of this citrus-smelling liquid lightened stains on khakis and dish towels to a pale grayish green that came out completely after one laundry cycle. Ridding shag carpeting of the stain required a dozen spritzes, but the extra effort eventually worked.

Co-winner, Swedish Dishcloths

SWEDEdishcloths

This set of durable and easy-to-clean cloths successfully replaces wet paper towels and kitchen sponges in many applications, soaking up more than 10 times their weight in liquid and scrubbing through the stickiest messes.

Co-winner, Swedish Dishcloths

Skoy Cloth

These sponge cloths were able to erase crusty spots and grab scattered crumbs on our countertops. Each cloth was big enough to wash a load of dishes and effectively clean flat surfaces.