You probably know by now that I love gadgets. I’m trying to downsize my gadgets (stop laughing, George!) and I’ve gotten my impulse purchases under much better control as I’ve focused on decluttering. But my curiosity can still get the better of me some days and I can’t help seeing if the next gadget really is the best thing ever.
Here are some items I purchased a bit on a whim that totally worked out for me. Maybe one day I’ll do the ones that didn’t – ha ha!
The criteria for the items that made it on my list are things that, each time I touch them, I think “I’m glad I bought this!”
Welcome to the Kitchen Edition 2022
These are simple things that are extremely handy in daily life.
Silicone Microwave Covers
The first are these Silicone Microwave Covers. I will first confess that I might use my microwave more than my oven, probably more than my stovetop too if I’m being brutally honest. It’s a function of cooking for one or two. I’m a giant fan of leftovers or the handiness of frozen vegetables when the store vegetables often look dismal. I’ve used plastic wrap, damp paper towels, and other plates to try to contain the inevitable microwave splatter. But these babies…game changer.
The array of options helps heat up my coffee/tea/hot beverage of choice, it fits over a bowl of soup or even a large pasta plate. And if you are just putting something into the fridge, it will keep the food from drying out. They set on top but have enough weight to create a seal to keep moisture and freshness in. A simple wash in the sink and they are ready to be used again. No more plastic wrap for me!
Frother
At home I have a big Vitamix blender for smoothies with kale or spinach, a Nutri bullet for fruit smoothies that don’t needs as much horse power or volume, but this little Frother gets used every day. I originally purchased it for traveling with smoothies mixes. I still stand by that use 100%!
However, I’ve found that my collagen powder and matcha tea powder (shh, don’t tell my ancestors) and greatly improved with a quick little swirl of this guy. It’s battery powered, easy to clean up with a soapy rinse, and sleek and small. You can’t beat the price point. I would be lost without it!
Glass Spice Jars and Spice Labels
These two items belong together because together they are a total powerhouse – an organizing freak’s dream team! Here’s the story.
I was on a decluttering and organizing kick in my kitchen. One of the blogs or youtube channels or instagram accounts I followed had a photo of this ultra organized spice drawer and I started swooning. I mean it. Light-headed and giddy. So I hopped on Amazon, half wondering why this amazing idea never occurred to me – and the next thing you know – an Amazon package arrives with these two purchases!
My spice drawer is about eye level which is a bit too high for me, but my foot-taller guy finds it the perfect height. The problem is that we’d frequently have to lift up nearly every bottle to see what spice we were holding and it was both annoying and time consuming. Now, with these Glass Spice Jars and Spice Labels my spice drawer is the picture of perfection. I can tell what they are from the top OR the side. Yes, they are currently alphabetized but I promise I’m not going to be obsessive about keeping it that way! Bonus – I can refill them with bulk spices I get from the store, which further benefits my reduction of plastics and packaging!
Souper Cubes
While I don’t cook regularly, one of my favorite things to do is to make big batches of homemade and delicious soups that I can have on hand as a quick meal. Of course I heat them up with my Silicone Microwave Covers but to store them in the fridge, I discovered these silicone soup trays.
These Souper Cubes are available in a variety of portion sizes so I can do 1/2 cup, 1 cup and even 2 cup portions. This is great if you make homemade stock and want to be able to easily dole out pre-portioned amounts for cooking. The only caveat I have on this is that they aren’t totally sealed so you do have to watch how you pick them up as you are first placing them in the freezer. They also won’t store your items for months on end. You want to use the contents before they develop freezer burn – but that’s also just a good practice!
Magnetic Measuring Spoons
First, I will confess two things. I have four sets of measuring spoons, including these magnetic ones. I found that I use measuring spoons so much that it was convenient to have multiples so I could toss them in the dishwasher. Height of laziness, I know, I know. But even with that many sets, I can still find that I’m without a 1 tsp or 1 tbsp measure. Go figure?!
I also like things orderly (you saw the spice drawer above, right?) so I have a tendency to keep my spoons on their ring so the sizes are all together. My other three sets are all round bowls as well. Well – take a seat because these Magnetic Measuring Spoons are magic! First, they have both a round AND oval version of the same measure. The oval shape is great for getting into narrow mouth jars. I guess technically it gives me a full extra set of spoons but it has ended up being REALLY handy. Second, they are magnetic so they stay organized AND they are easy to separate. What?! Mind blown! Third, they have extra but oh so helpful sizes. Besides the standard 1 tbsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp and 1/4 tsp this set has 1/2 tbsp, 3/4 tsp, and 1/8 tsp. Bonus, there are metric marks on them so the whole set is also labeled: 15 ml, 7.5 ml, 5 ml, 3.75 ml, 2.5 ml, 1.25 ml, and .62 ml. Cool, right? I strongly encourage you to buy THIS set to gift to a new home owner or college grad/undergrad. It’s all they need.
Silicone Stretch Lids
Finally, once we are done cooking food, flavoring it with spices, reheating it in the microwave, frothing it with an electric whisk, we come to fridge storage.
As you also probably know, I am trying to reduce my single use plastic footprint. Plastic wrap certainly falls into this category. I wish I were a person to go straight to beeswax paper but I’m not quite there yet. This is my middle step. You can get Silicone Stretch Lids in clear, pink, or blue. I’ve seen a couple of other colors floating around but these three are the most common. They are stretchy so they fit a fairly wide range of bowls. There isn’t one that will fit my largest mixing bowl yet, but in truth I haven’t needed it so it’s more a comment than a criticism.
These handy silicone lids nest inside each other for easy and compact storage. I don’t microwave in them but they are great for food storage. They create a nice seal for longer term storage in the fridge. They are easy to put on and pull off. Honestly I have some glass storage containers (which I love) that are hard to get open at times. I figure looking for easy solutions now will make my life even more simple in the future.
I hope you’ve found my gadget list at least a little intriguing. I’d love to know what random Amazon purchases have ended transforming your daily life for the better. And please keep in mind, I am not encouraging mindless consumption. But I hope that maybe what I find helpful will solve a problem for someone else, saving both the time and money.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Some of these links are affiliate links. If you click a link and buy something, I may receive a commission for the sale. It does not cost you anything extra and you are free to use the link or not. Product purchases for review are made with my own money and my opinions are my own. If product is ever provided or the article is sponsored, it will be clearly noted at the top of the page.
