Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

As the year winds down, it’s time to reflect. And here at Serious Eats, that means considering our favorite kitchen buys of 2025. After looking through the list (and checking it twice), I’m not being a braggadocio when I say that our team has good taste—we’re avid cooks that put our money where our mouth is. And lemme tell you, we’ve bought some great items this year.

These are the 16 pieces of kitchen gear that stood out—things that we use on the regular and can’t imagine being without. Our top picks include an affordable wooden cutting board, a NutriBullet blender, and this wildly popular citrus juicer.

• **Absorbent, Under-$30 Kitchen Towels: **Zeppoli Classic Kitchen Towels

• **An Affordable, Reversible End-Grain Cutting Board: **Yes4All Durable Acacia Cutting Board

• The Cheap Citrus Juicer Our Team Swears By: Chef’n FreshForce Lemon Squeezer

• **A Drip-Free Oil Dispenser: **OXO Good Grips Precision Glass Oil Dispenser

• A Compact But Powerful Nutribullet Blender: Nutribullet Pro

• **A Set of Le Creuset Pasta Bowls Under $80: **Le Creuset Vancouver Stoneware Pasta Bowl Set

• If You Love Your Saucepan, You’ll Love This Saucier: Made In Stainless Clad 5-Quart Saucier

• The Best Blender Ever: Vitamix 5200

• **A Frozen Treat Maker: **Cuisinart Fast Freeze Frozen Dessert Maker

• A Big, Fast Electric Kettle: Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch 1-Liter Electric Kettle

• **An Air Fryer with a Glass Basket That Impressed a Skeptic: **Ninja Crispi Pro Air Fryer

• **A Sleek Coffee Machine: **Cumulus the Coffee Machine

• **A Handy, Non-Toxic Vegetable Bin: **Artewein Pine Wood Veggie Bin

• **A Fancy Ice Cream Machine: **Whynter ICM-220CGY 2-Quart Capacity Automatic Compressor Ice Cream Maker

• **A Sleek, Modern Flatware Set: **Made In 20-Piece Flatware Set

• **A Reliable Air Fryer: **Ninja 6.5-Quart Air Fryer

Amazon

“For years, I worked begrudgingly with a random collection of kitchen towels that always left my hands feeling damp and my dishes with streaks. I finally caved a few months ago and got a pack of our winners, and I’m so glad I did. They wick moisture away quickly, don’t leave lint behind when drying barware, and come in a large enough pack that I always have one (or 10) ready to swap out. I got the gray ones to hide stains better, plus they look chic hanging from my oven handle.” — Ashlee Redger, writer

Serious Eats

Amazon

"This cutting board might not be a thick, maple beauty, but for everyday prep tasks (and easy cleaning), it’s a great option. I like that it’s reversible; it has a juice groove on one side that comes in handy when I’m carving a particularly juicy roast. It’s also lightweight, so I don’t have to wrangle it into the sink for a cleaning."—Grace Kelly, senior editor (hi, it’s me!)

Serious Eats

Amazon

“I’ve written about this citrus juicer for years—why it’s great, how everyone should own one—but for some reason, I never took the plunge myself. I squeezed every lemon, lime, and orange by hand! I had no clue how ridiculous that was until I finally bought a manual juicer for a big batch of maple limeade. (I chose the Chef’n because it won our review.) If you’re still squeezing citrus with your own elbow grease, let me be real: This tool is so much better. It’s so much easier on my wrists, and I get a ton more juice out of each piece of fruit. I do wish I’d gotten one a long time ago.” *— Rochelle Bilow, editor *

Serious Eats

Amazon

“I had a fancy, fairly expensiveoil dispenser, and it stunk. It was a pain to refill and dribbled all over the place. Recently, I replaced it with our under-$20 winner, which is infinitely better. It has a wide opening and a precise spout that drizzles oil exactly where you want it to.” — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

Serious Eats

Amazon

“I lived many years thinking I had all the blenders I could ever need or want—a great stick blender (our winning one) and a powerful, pro-grade Vitamix. But at some point, I became aware that there was a real disincentive to get out the bulky Vitamix in my small New York City kitchen unless I absolutely had to, and a stick blender just can’t do some things. I caved and bought a Nutribullet, the kind of wellness-influencing, homeopathy-espousing, yoga-pantsing product I tend to swiftly dismiss (am I judgmental? Just a little? Naahhh). It’s been undeniably useful. We use it for smoothies—despite my condescension, my kids (and sometimes even I) do drink smoothies from time to time—but I also grab it to whip up quick herb sauces, vinaigrettes, and anything else that needs a blitz. It lives on our countertop, and I have to admit I’m glad it does. If you have an extra minute, I also have some yoga pants to tell you about…” — Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Serious Eats

Amazon

"If you told me a few months ago that I’d fall in love with a set of pasta bowls, I’d scoff and say, ‘What even is a pasta bowl?’ But now that I’ve used them, I 100% understand their merits: They’re shallow and keep your noodles saucy, whether it’s a tangle of tagliatelli, a scoop of scungilli, or a swirl of soba. They also double as the perfect vessel for containing runny dishes, like a stew or curry. Good ones, like this set from Le Creuset, have hard, durable enamel, so you can tackle your noodles with a fork without fear of scratching. And this set is under $80—a fantastic deal for Le Creuset."—Grace

Serious Eats

Made In

“Sauciers always seemed like they belonged on the stove of some fancy French restaurant, not my tiny townhome galley kitchen. After scrubbing pastry cream out of the corners of my 15-year-old saucepan for the umpteenth time, though, I realized no one was going to check my "chef card" or quiz me on the mother sauces if I bought one for myself. After using it for a few weeks, I’m here to tell you: Sauciers belong in every kitchen. They make reducing sauces, tossing pasta, and, yes, keeping pastry cream from burning in the corners easy, plus they’re a cinch to clean. The lesson here? We all deserve to feel like fancy French chefs.” —* Ashlee*

Serious Eats

Amazon

“I finally made good on my years-long threat to get myself a Vitamix during Cyber Monday. I’ve unboxed it, but I haven’t even used it yet, but based on conversations with everyone I’ve told I got this model (top-rated by Serious Eats for years), I am going to be loving the extravaganza of perfectly puréed smoothies, soups, hummus, salsas, and more.”** — Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

Serious Eats

Amazon

“Okay, full disclosure: Cuisinart sent me this frozen dessert maker to try. And you know what? It’s as fabulous as it sounds. It makes frozen desserts—think ice creams, sorbets, fruit purées—so fast and is so easy to clean. My toddler has never been happier!” — Genevieve Yam*, senior editor *

Zwilling

“I finally caved and bought an electric kettle, simply because I was fed up with constantly cleaning our stovetop kettle, which would get greasy from all our cooking. This kettle was on sale, and it boils water spectacularly fast. Its 1-liter capacity is just the right size for my family, but you can size up if you want!” — Genevieve

Serious Eats

Amazon

"Confession time: Until I reviewed this Ninja air fryer, I’d never used one. What can I say, I’m the annoyingly anti-trend person you know (what’s TikTok?). But I got a big fat slice of humble pie when I tested it, because it’s freakin’ awesome: It cooks food quickly and makes wings and fries crispier than my flat-ironed hair in the winter. I’ve been using it a ton, making things like air-fried halloumi and, of course, golden brown, crunchy French fries. It’s fast, easy to use, and I love the glass baskets, which let me keep an eye on foods so I can give them a shake at just the right time."—Grace

Serious Eats.

Cumulus Coffee

“I’m a new parent, which means I’m exhausted. I also reside in New England, so iced coffee’s a staple year-round.The Cumulus Coffee maker makes the best instant iced coffee, cold brew, and cold espresso. It’s so smooth and flavorful, and I even bought more of the pods as astocking stuffer for my husband. If you sign up for the company’s ‘Mystery Discount,’ the Cumulus is $100 off.” — *Riddley *

Serious Eats

Amazon

“This bin has been a game-changer for storing onions, potatoes, and as many heads of garlic as one could possibly need. It doesn’t fit my kitchen’s aesthetic, but we placed it on the back of the pantry door so I couldn’t care less. It comes fully assembled, too.” — Riddley

Amazon

“I tested some of our favorite ice cream makers recently, and I very quickly decided I needed this model for myself. First of all, it comes in a pretty Champagne-colored finish, but even more importantly, it makes fantastically smooth and sumptuous ice creams. Since it’s got a self-chilling compressor, I can churn whenever I want without having to spare the time (or space) it takes to freeze a bulky canister ahead of time. I churned over 10 gallons of ice cream for our tests, but with this machine now in my permanent collection, I’m just getting started.” — Ashlee

Serious Eats

Amazon

“Technically not a purchase, but a birthday gift—one I hinted heavily about wanting. This Made In flatware set is sleek, with a style that’s not so modern it feels cold, but far from outdated (looking at you, floral motifs). It’s timeless, with just the right amount of weight in the hand. I’m so happy to have it in my flatware drawer finally.”* — Laila Ibrahim, associate culinary editor*

Serious Eats

Best Buy

“After years of testing air fryer recipes in professional kitchens, this was finally the year I bought an air fryer for my home—and I have no idea why I waited so long. I use it almost every single day, whether I’m roasting veggies for the kids, reheating pizza, or making a lightning-fast grilled cheese. I’ve even baked cookies in it. It’s the rare appliance that’s genuinely convenient, consistently good, and endlessly versatile. I can safely say I’m now an air fryer person.” — Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

Serious Eats

More Kitchen Gear We Loved This Year

Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

• These under $30** **Le Creuset pinch bowls that nearly caused a fight at my gift swap.
• The Breville Bambino Plus has remained our favorite espresso machine, even after years of testing.
• A Zojirushi travel mug that keeps liquids hot, hot, hot!
• Check out the Serious Eats Gear Awards for more of our favorite gear of the year!

FAQs

Do we test everything we recommend?

Yes! Our team conducts hands-on tests of dozens of kitchen items every month—and we re-test our favorite kitchen gear again and again.

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats.
• She’s tested more than 300 pieces of kitchen gear this year alone.
• Her colleagues have excellent taste.