20 Kitchen Essentials You Need

I’m way too excited about this post! I am super obsessed with organizing and buying cute home things. I feel like the farther into my twenties I get, the more I obsess over having a perfectly organized and aesthetically pleasing kitchen. I’ve been slowly buying these pieces over the last year or so, and I finally feel like my kitchen is complete! Well, aside from the cabinets being torn apart for the last month and drywall dust because we are getting new ones…Anyways, here’s what I’m obsessed with in my kitchen, and I think you’ll love this stuff too.

SILICONE OVEN MITTS

These oven mitts are my favorite! I was a little hesitant to use silicone ones because I was worried they wouldn’t protect against the heat as well as thick fabric ones. They do! They’re so thin and lightweight, and it’s very easy to maneuver with them on. These are great for someone with a small kitchen because they take up almost no space. I also love how easy they are to clean. It’s so gross when I would occasionally get food stains on my fabric ones and they would just sit on there forever because I was too lazy to wash them. These silicone ones just wipe right off. I have two sets, one from Ikea and some from Amazon. HERE and HERE are links to some great ones!

IN-SINK DRYING RACK

We don’t have a dishwasher (cringe), so I have to hand wash every single dish we use. I used to have a huge dish drying rack taking up half of our countertop, and I knew deep down that there had to be something better out there. I picked up THIS super affordable one from Amazon, and it fits perfectly in my sink (we have a double-sided sink). I can’t even tell you how much nicer this looks because it’s hidden in the sink, and it just overall makes doing dishes a lot easier.

GLASS JUICE BOTTLES

These glass bottles were such a fun addition to my fridge. The main reason I use them is because they’re so cute! I really like drinking coffee every single day, but I hate hot drinks. I love making cold brew or coffee and refrigerating them in these cute little jars so they’re ready to drink the next day! I have a few glass water bottles too, and I’ve always felt like drinks taste way better in a glass bottle than a plastic one. HERE and HERE are some glass juice bottles that I love!

SILICONE STRAWS

I’m all for saving the sea turtles, so I love using these silicone straws in my coffee and when I’m on the go. They’re really easy to clean and they don’t make your drink taste weird. There are also tons of colors of these available, so go pick up a few sets! It’s a lot better for the environment to use these because they don’t end up in a landfill. Plus, the pink color is really cute and spices up any drink! HERE are the ones I have from Amazon, and HERE are some other cute ones!

TARGET ROOM ESSENTIALS DISHES

I. Can’t. Get. Enough. Of. These. Dishes. Everyone needs to go buy some of these! I have tons of dishes, but these are my favorite ones I’ve ever owned. First of all, you can get a cup, bowl, or plate for only $0.79 each! SEVENTY-NINE CENTS! I was hesitant to purchase something that was so cheap because I was worried they would be bad quality. I am so impressed with these! I have actually gone back to purchase more already. They are made from a really thick plastic, and they have tons of really cute colors. My favorite is the blush pink color! The other amazing thing about these dishes is that they’re dishwasher and microwave safe! I was so shocked to see that – and over the moon excited. I hate owning dishes that aren’t microwave safe, and one day when I own a dishwasher, I know I will be excited about that too. You absolutely have to get some of these dishes, whether you’re in college or a full-blown adult! You can buy them HERE!

PYREX PANS WITH LIDS

One of the first “adult” gifts I got for Christmas a few years ago was a bunch of glass Pyrex pans with lids. They’ve held up so nicely for almost 5 years. It’s so nice to have the kind with lids – they’re perfect for storing leftovers or taking a dish to pass because, well, I’m an adult now and that’s something adults do. There are tons of different sizes, but I’d say my most used ones at 9×13 and 8×8. You can shop them HERE and HERE!

WOODEN IKEA CRATES

I have a ton of these cute little wooden crates in my kitchen! I use them to organize my pantry stuff. I got the 9x12x6 inch size, and mine are filled with fruit snacks, granola bars, candy, and more. These crates are so affordable, so I have like 15 of them. They’re so sturdy and durable, and I can tell they will last for a very long time! I love the natural wood look, but they could also be painted if you wanted something a little more fun. You can shop these crates HERE.

PINEAPPLE CORE TOOL

I love pineapple, but hate cutting it. My dad introduced me to this awesome tool, and I no longer fear cutting pineapples. It’s so easy to use and literally makes cutting pineapple take less than 5 minutes. All you do is cut the top of the pineapple off, twist this pineapple tool down the middle, and then cut the fresh pineapple rings into small chunks. That’s it! It cuts off all of the skin and hard inside without having to do any work. If you ever eat pineapple, you need this tool. You can shop it HERE.

GLASS SPICE JARS

Another fun project I took on during the last few months was making my spices look cute. These are the kind of projects that spark so much joy inside of me….I know, it’s weird. I scoured the internet for the cutest, most perfect spice jars. I finally found the most perfect ones at Target! They are really minimal looking and have a cute copper lid. They also have the little shaker top under the copper lid so your spices don’t just pour out. I bought like ten of them because they’re so cheap – under $1.50 each! I plan on doing some cute hand lettering on each one at some point. You can shop my Target ones HERE!

THE FOOD NETWORK COPPER POT + PAN SET

I picked up this pot and pan set at Kohl’s a few years ago on Black Friday. I have never loved a pot/pan more! The inside of the pots and pans are ceramic, so you don’t have to worry about everything you hear about how bad copper is to ingest. I use them multiple times a week, and they have held up beautifully over the years. They still look brand new! And the best part is….they are so easy to wash. We don’t have a dishwasher, but thankfully these are super easy to hand wash. It sounds gross, but even if you leave a dirty pan in the sink overnight, the food comes right off when you wash it the next day with no scrubbing or soaking! They’re amazing and so worth the investment. You can shop them HERE!

GLASS SYRUP JAR

I picked up a glass syrup jar to spice up our Sunday morning breakfasts. I love putting things in cute jars and organizers to make my kitchen look more clean and simple. I couldn’t find a link to the exact one I have, but I linked some other great ones HERE and HERE.

CLEAR DRAWER ORGANIZERS

I’ve loved using clear acrylic organizers for as long as I can remember. I use them all over my house – to organize my desk, makeup, closet and pretty much everything else! Of course, that pattern continued in our kitchen. Now that we have new cabinets and drawers, I felt the need to completely re-organize all of them. I got THIS awesome affordable set of 3 acrylic drawer organizers from Amazon. I got the 12x6x2 inch size, but they have tons of different sizes so there’s one for every inch of your drawers. I’m obsessed with them!

MINI SPATULAS

These are something I never really though I would use. My mom got me a few of them when I moved to college, and I quickly became obsessed with them. They’re so small and cute! I use them every time I cook. They’re great for stirring mac and cheese, scraping soup out of the can, and pretty much anything else you could ever imagine! HERE and HERE are some that I love.

AVOCADO TOOL

I really love Avocados, but I really hated the hassle of having to cut them (I know, first world problems). I got this tool for Christmas and it has changed my life! It’s a 3 in one tool that lets you cut the avocado, take out the pit, and dice up the inside so it’s ready to eat. If you ever eat avocados, you need this. You can buy one HERE or HERE!

SILICONE UTENSILS

I will never switch back to wooden utensils after I bought silicone ones. They sell them pretty much everywhere these days – I have some from both Walmart and Target. I’m sure it’s an irrational fear, but I always used to worry that bacteria and gross stuff was getting stuck deep into my wood utensils no matter how well I washed them. These silicone ones give me peace of mind that I am getting them totally clean, and they are also dishwasher safe. I also love that they won’t damage ceramic pans because they aren’t metal. They’re so cute and make the perfect addition to your home. You can shop some fun ones HERE and HERE!

SOAP DISPENSER

I finally got a soap dispenser for my dish soap a few months ago. Since I hand wash everything, it drove me crazy to have the dish soap out on the counter all the time, and it made me equally as crazy having to shove it in the cabinet every day just to take it out again the next night. THIS cute soap dispenser is from Target, and it made my whole kitchen look so much nicer! I leave it out right next to my hand soap now, and I’m not gonna lie, it kind of gets me excited to do dishes. HERE is a link to the cute one I got at Target, and HERE and HERE are links to a few others!

OXO CONTAINERS

These are probably my favorite part of my kitchen. Since these containers are on the pricier side, I’ve been building my collection for a few years now. I have mine filled with baking stuff like flour and sugar and treats like goldfish and cookies. They look soooo pretty! To me, they are totally worth the price. They’re airtight, so things don’t get stale quickly when you use them. I have most of my OXO containers out on my shelf in the kitchen so they are on display because they make me SO happy! HERE is a link to my most-used size of OXO containers, but they also have pretty much every size you could ever imagine available. A little life hack – they are cheaper on Amazon than anywhere else!

SHELF ORGANIZER

These organizers are so great for small kitchens. In our old cabinets, we had hardly any storage. I bought a few of these organizers that basically divide each shelf into two shelves! They saved my life. Even though we have new cabinets, we still needed a little extra space. I love using these to divide up my stacks of plates and bowls, so every size is easy accessible. They’re also great for doing two layers of cups in your cabinets. You can shop some great dividers HERE and HERE!

EXPANDABLE DRAWER ORGANIZERS

These drawer dividers are also really great for a small kitchen. I picked up a few of these (they come in sets of 2) at Target. They are made from wood like my silverware organizer, and they’re really high quality. They extend so nicely and fit really snug in pretty much every drawer. My most recent project was using two of them in one of my skinner drawers to store all of my flat cup lids (yes, I have enough cups that the lids take up a whole drawer). I really love these dividers – they give you the freedom to cater your drawers to exactly what goes into them without making any permanent changes! THESE are the Target ones I have.

WOODEN SILVERWARE ORGANIZER

When I moved out from my parents house, this is the first adult purchase I made for my kitchen. I am so happy I bought it, and it still makes me so happy when I think about how far my kitchen organization has come since that day! It held up pretty nicely over the years, although the wood is starting to crack a little bit. I have been using it for almost 5 years though! It’s really nice quality and so pretty looking. I definitely recommend getting this to organize your silverware. You can shop my exact one from Target HERE!

You’ll notice that a lot of my favorites are from Target. My other go-to’s are Amazon, The Container Store, and Ikea. Another pattern you’ll probably notice throughout this post is silicone! I love using silicone tools and utensils – they look beautiful and they are so easy to clean. I am so obsessed with my kitchen! I must really be getting old, because I never would have imagined how happy a clean, organized kitchen could make me. Leave me a comment if you have anything else to add to this list!

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