Do you also get ads for a million different types of kitchen tools that claim to make life better? Because I sure do. But if those gadgets don’t actually make my life easier, faster, or less messy, it’s not worth a spot in my already cluttered drawers or cupboards.

Over the years, I’ve found a handful of kitchen tools that I actually reach for almost every single day. Whether it’s speeding up meal prep, helping with picky eaters, or just keeping things simple after a long day—these are the real MVPs of my kitchen.

If you’re a busy mom, a tired meal planner, or just someone trying to eat at home more often, this list is for you. And yes—every item here is something I personally own and use regularly.

So let’s dive into the kitchen gadgets I swear by—and why they might just make your life easier, too.

Kitchen Must-Haves for Meal Prep

If you don’t like spending all night slaving away in the kitchen preparing dinner, these kitchen tools are a must! I use these at LEAST once a week!

Meat Chopper

This small, inexpensive gadget has saved me time and frustration. I use it EVERY time I make ground meat (which is at least once a week). I used to use a spatula to break up the meat, but this tool makes it 10x easier. BONUS: it’s small and washes easily! If you don’t already have one, get one HERE and thank me later.

Vegetable Chopper

I mentioned this kitchen gadget before in my Wellness Tools Post, but had to throw it in again. I think I will forever love my vegetable chopper, especially during soup season! It saves me by cutting out all the chopping time. There are options for up to 9 different attachments, but I honestly only use the two specifically for chopping. I’ve linked the one I have HERE!

Kitchen Swaps

Now I’m not by any means trying to be a perfectly “non-toxic” household, but I have tried to make a few swaps. I’m all about making slow, simple changes to improve our quality of life, without getting caught up in fear-mongering from social media telling me I need to replace everything in my house. Here are two swaps I’ve made recently that were actually easy and didn’t break the bank.

Wood Cutting Boards

The first swap I made was to wood cutting boards. I hated the thought that while preparing food on my cheap plastic boards, I might be inadvertently mixing small bits of plastic into our meal. The wood have brought me some more peace of mind. I also love that I can keep them out on my kitchen counter, doubling as decor! You can grab these ones HERE.

Glass Tupperware

Do you have a cupboard or drawer where you throw all your containers and then have to search for a matching lid every time you put away leftovers? I sure did! The fact that these are glass has upped my organization game, because if I throw them, they break. 😂These glass containers fit inside each other perfectly, and I love the variety of sizes. I also have noticed that because they are so airtight, food seems to stay fresh for longer. And I can’t forget the to mention the ease of throwing the container straight into the microwave instead of needing to dirty another dish. Have I convinced you yet? Buy them HERE.

Kitchen Must-Haves for Busy Families

These kitchen gadgets are my true “sanity savers”. They save me time and make cleaning up so much easier!

Blender with Blender Cups

Smoothies are a go-to breakfast at our house. They’re quick, my kids love them, and I can easily sneak in so many good nutrients (I’ll have to do a future post with what we put in our smoothies). So a good blender is a MUST. But let me also put you onto the blender cups. We’ve tried the “on-the-go” blender cups, or the cheap single-serving blenders, and they did NOT cut it. While the idea of them sounds convenient, they all lacked in power and quality. The Ninja Blender with the cup attachments, however, is the best of both worlds. It has the strength of a full-size blender, with the convenience of the smaller size. We use it for single-serving smoothies, protein shakes, or even homemade dressings. We’ve had this blender for 6 years, and still love it! I’ve linked the exact one we have HERE.

Strawberry Slicer

I first saw this kitchen tool floating around social media, and was skeptical of how useful it actually could be. Then my Mom purchased it and RAVED about it. So I gave it a try. I’m willing to admit that I was wrong. This little tool saves me on time AND saves me an extra dish because I don’t need a cutting board. If your kids are like mine and will eat pounds of strawberries daily, you need this simple little tool to make life just a tad easier. You can get it HERE.

Hear me out…

These are kitchen gadgets I actually use and will buy again the second they magically disappear in my cluttered cupboard. So yes, take my word for it on these ones. And tell me what I’m missing. What are your “must-have kitchen gadgets”?