3 Budget-Friendly Kitchen Upgrades for Home Cooks

We’ve all been spending a lot more time in our kitchens for the last eight months, so a kitchen-related gift has never felt more relevant than in 2020. But you may be stumped when it comes to figuring out what your loved one actually needs. Idea: What about something they don’t even know they need? A little upgrade to the most basic kitchen tools they already use every day? A little something that can help bring more joy and efficiency to their daily life in the kitchen? Or what about three little somethings?

Here are three better, but still budget-friendly kitchen tools that will make people wonder how they ever got by with something else.

1. Epicurean Kitchen Series Medium Spoon, $10

When we say this is the last wooden spoon your loved one will ever need, we mean it. Although it’s technically not wood. See, it’s made of a wood composite that is extremely durable and non-porous. (The company got its start making eco-friendly skate parks using the same material!) That means it won’t crack or stain like traditional wooden spoons. And it can go in the dishwasher day in and day out without damage.

Photo Credit: Jerildine Mobley

2. Material The (mini) reBoard, $25

We fell (very) hard for the reBoard when it came out last summer. Made with only recycled plastic and renewable sugarcane, we’ve found that it’s not only gorgeous, it’s also incredibly resistant to stains and discolorations. Now, just in time for the holiday season, there’s the (mini) reBoard. It’s 25 percent smaller than its big sister and ideal for those little tasks like slicing up some cheese, wedging a lemon, and mincing garlic. It’s also 25% off through December 1st, with the option to to donate part of that discount to Heart of Dinner or Drive Change.

3. Great Jones Holy Sheet, $35

Every home cook needs a good, quality baking sheet — not just for cookies but also for sheet pan dinners, roasting veggies, homemade pizzas, and more. Ideally, that means a baking sheet that’s neither warped or discolored. Enter: the Holy Sheet, a standard half-size aluminized steel sheet pan that’s reinforced with steel rods and finished with a special nonstick ceramic coating. It launched about a year ago in a striking deep blue and saw a level of fame that no other baking sheet has ever seen before. As of November 10, the Holy Sheet is now available in a festive “Broccoli” green that definitely feels Christmas-y.