Ed. note: This post was originally published on May 3, 2023; I have refreshed and updated it as of December 2025!
*****
This morning, I was unloading the dishwasher and drying rack and it struck me that many of the items we use heavily in our home are not necessarily standard-issue household kitchen staples. To be clear, some are — chopsticks, tupperware, tongs — but the versions we have boast unique design elements that make them (in my opinion) leaders of the pack. Other items, like the Chef’s Press and our hi-soft cutting board, are a bit more recherche and deserve more wide circulation!
01. PYREX GLASS STORAGE SET — The best! The sizes are really well-considered; we always seem to have just the right size dish for leftovers/prep. I also love that they are glass (never get cloudy/warp) and can be popped right into the microwave or freezer. I will say that the lids eventually crack (ugh) after years of heavy use, but still they are pretty long-legged. We’ve also tried those heavily hyped Caraway ones and while they’re gorgeous, we find the lids somehow are impossible to remove and at the same time never seem to fully close…perplexing?
02. RAMEN/PHO BOWLS — We don’t have this exact style, as we bought ours from a Vietnamese grocery up in Chicago, but we use these bowls ALL THE TIME. We do have pho or ramen frequently (at least once a week for lunch?), but they are also wonderful for serving side dishes, side salads, fruit salads, etc. Even good for popcorn and chips!
03. HI-SOFT CUTTING BOARD — Sushi chefs use these with their fancy knives, and I bought Mr. Magpie a few sizes for Christmas. He loves them! They have a kind of rubbery surface that keeps the board in place, and they are better on knives. You can feel it — the board kind of “gives” to them versus the occasional near-grind feeling you have when cutting on a wooden cutting board.
04. CUCKOO RICE COOKER — Widely considered the best (Mr. Magpie did a ton of research), we use this constantly. We probably have rice as a mealtime starch once or twice a week, and the kids love it. This is a wonderful set-and-forget option that yields a better output than stovetop rice, and definitely worth the expense if you make rice as often as we do. You dump in the water and rice, press “start” and have perfectly cooked rice on the way without doing a thing. It also keeps rice warm for hours.
05. EMILE HENRY BUTTER POT — We keep our butter out on the counter at room temp in one of these. (You fill the basin with water that creates a seal to preserve the butter.) I swear once you have room temp butter you’ll never go back — makes smearing on top of toast so much easier! We’ve turned multiple house guests onto this!
06. EMILE HENRY SALT PIG — The best design for grabbing a pinch whenever you need it! I think they may have stopped making these because they’re hard to find nowadays. I also love the modern design of this Year + a Day one. They key thing is having a wide mouth for easy pinching. It’s on sale for $24 in select colors for some reason here!
07. HAAND RIPPLE PASTA BOWLS — If you eat pasta as much as we do, you will love these. They are the perfect shape and dimension for a serving of pasta, and I love the organic “wave” shape. Get them in white — shows food better and you’ll never get bored of them.
08. CHEF’S PRESSES — These are patented by a chef and with good reason. They are brilliantly designed. You can layer multiple on top of one another if you need a heavier weight (say, for a chicken breast), or just one for something thinner (say, a tortilla you’re charring in a cast-iron skillet). They are designed to keep whatever you’re browning fully pressed against the surface of the pan to maximize and even caramelization. We use these close to every time we cook!
09. ROSLE TONGS — These are magical. They automatically lock when you point skyward and automatically unlock when you point downward. Sounds gimmicky but amazing if you’re cooking with one hand, which happens a lot more than you’d think!
10. CHOPSTICKS — OK, nothing spectacular technically about these, but I just love the vibrant colors. Why not have a set you love? I also love these fun ones from Sabre.
11. SPIDER WHISK — Great for removing ingredients from boiling water or fry oil, but I find we also use these as small strainers when in a pinch. I strongly recommend the style with the wooden handle — a lot of the whisks online have metal handles but you don’t want it conducting heat if you’re fishing things out of oil!
12. PEBBLE CHEESE GRATER — Like everyone else, we love our microplane, but this is a must if you serve a lot of dishes with parmesan or pecorino romano (e.g., on top of pastas and soups). It yields a wonderful texture that does not immediately melt into soup. It’s also really pretty! Worth the expensive shipping, trust me. Buy one for you and one for a foodie sibling/friend!
13. DINER STYLE PORCELAIN MUGS — We own and adore these. Coffee afficionados claim that porcelain is the best material out of which to drink coffee — something about the flavor and heat transfer. I also like that the diner style ones are not too thin-lipped, though. It makes for such a wonderful morning coffee drinking experience!
14. RICE BOWLS — Not our exact style (again, we bought from a Vietnamese grocery in Chicago up by Tank Noodle) but we find we use bowls this size constantly, whether for rice (as intended), dipping sauces, small sides.
15. 1/8″ SHEET PAN — I’ve made this claim a lot in the past, but I find I use the “mini” sizes of kitchen items all the time — mini cutting board, mini baking sheet, smallest pot, etc! This baking sheet is so handy for toasting nuts or bread, or prepping a handful of chicken nuggets for kids. I also find these baking sheets handy for ingredient prep. We are constantly using them!
16. FIVE GAL PAINT BUCKET — We use this for compost. It is really effective at containing smell, super cheap, holds a lot (we usually empty it into our compost pile once a week), easy to clean with a hose, and not precious in case it gets destroyed. We keep ours underneath the second sink in our kitchen so it’s out of sight.
Not seen above, but something I must add post-publication: these enormous metal bowls by the Vollrath brand. My husband and I are obsessed with these for mixing salads, prepping big batches of things, marinating, mixing! The bigger the better. They also feel very easy to clean. Lightweight, simple, non-precious. These are in constant use in our home.
What about you? Any kitchen essentials you feel are under the radar or that you have found “the best” version of? Please share in the comments!
P.S. My favorite baking gear.
P.P.S. A fun cocktail recipe to try.
P.P.P.S. We compiled all Magpie recipes into beautiful cards for your kitchen! Get the recipe card collection in your inbox here.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.
Image via Retrouvius.
So we had heavy duralex glass nesting bowls for years BUT they are now retired from meal prep because I use exactly 2 options: the two sizes of stainless steel bowl with suction cup bottom I’d bought for baking with the kids (it’s like having an extra hand) or my beautiful Villeroy and Boch metro chic salad bowls, which take up far less room in the cabinet, are beautiful to serve in, and aren’t too precious for the dishwasher, I plan to buy a third this year. I notoriously consider every square centimeter (we didn’t have a toaster for about a decade) and I’m very willing to break up a set and stick the all clad pot I never use on the local buy nothing.
Our heroes may be our silver stainless Ahimsa dishes: bought for the kids, but the round silver plates and tiny snack bowls are gorgeous. I use them to serve guests or even as tiny trays on the bathroom counter. They have a lovely weight to them and they look gorgeous after two years of heavy use. I give gift sets to all my friends with weaning babies.
I cannot cook without my fish spatula or my beautiful Carl Victor cast iron pan. The wood handle unscrews if I want to use it in the oven.
Wait I’m obsessed with these Ahimsa dishes! I wish I’d known about them sooner because Landon and I quickly abandoned all silicone dishwear/cups for our kids because they taste terrible after being run through the dishwasher. We switched to melamine with some heavy plastics instead and these would have been a much better and chicer option!!! I think I might get some of those purposeful plates! Thanks!
Also, co-sign on the fish spatula!!
xx
You can buy silicone replacement lids for the Pyrex bowls! They are much more durable and can be machine washed.
!!!! Major unlock — TYSM!
May not be considered a kitchen essential, but love a good beverage dispenser. Great to have on hand. We have an inexpensive one from target, but serves us well. It’s great for filling with fresh water, sliced lemons and limes or strawberries and basil and situate on the kitchen island for guests to serve themselves during parties. I filled it with a spiked holiday punch, along with orange slices, fresh cranberries and rosemary for our Christmas party last year. It was a big hit and made for great presentation.
Oo fun! I need one of these! Love the way you gussied up the punch last year!
xx
May not be considered a kitchen essential, but love a good beverage dispenser. Great to have on hand. We have an inexpensive one from target, but serves us well. It’s great for filling with fresh water, sliced lemons and limes or strawberries and basil and situate on the kitchen island for guests to serve themselves during parties. I filled it with a spiked holiday punch, along with orange slices, fresh cranberries and rosemary for our Christmas party last year. It was a big hit and made for great presentation.