11 Most Used Kitchen Products I Actually Use All the Time
There are kitchen products you buy because the internet tells you they’re life-changing.
There are kitchen products you buy because they’re pretty.
And then there are the things you reach for so often that you could probably find them in the dark.
This list is about that last category.
These are 11 of my most used kitchen products—the appliances, cookware, serving pieces, storage containers, and little helpers that have genuinely earned their real estate at Chez Sweetpea.
And when you live in an apartment, real estate is PRECIOUS.
One of these products technically lives in my coat closet. 😂
Some of these are investments I’ve owned for years. One costs approximately $2.56. A few aren’t even used primarily for what the manufacturer intended.
But every single one helps me cook, prep ahead, host people, or simply enjoy my home a little more.
And that’s my favorite kind of kitchen product.
THE SWEETPEA RULE: If it’s going to take up space in my apartment, it needs to be useful, beautiful, or—preferably—both.
[SHOP ALL 11 OF MY KITCHEN FAVORITES]
Affiliate disclosure here.
1. SMEG Coffee Maker — For Tea, Naturally
I should probably begin by acknowledging the obvious: I do not drink coffee.
I am an avid tea drinker, and every morning I brew my loose-leaf tea… through a SMEG coffee maker.
And y’all. It is SO GOOD.
I’ve brewed loose-leaf tea just about every way you can imagine: tea bags, little holders and infusers, teapots, strainers. But running the loose-leaf tea through the coffee maker produces a strong, beautifully brewed pot that tastes completely different to me.
It’s also wonderfully easy.
Tea goes in. Water goes in. Push the button. Carry on with the morning.
And because I drink tea every single morning, this isn’t one of those countertop appliances that exists mostly for decoration. She’s working for her keep!
How I Use It
This is part of my everyday morning rhythm. I brew a pot while I’m getting ready for the day, and there is almost always a cup of tea beside me when I sit down to work or write my Morning Pages. I love being able to set it the night before, then wake up to a fresh pot of tea for the day!
Sweetpea rabbit hole:
Afternoon Tea at Home
2. My Multicooker — The One That Lives in the Coat Closet
it’s done HOURS before I think it should be.
Welcome to apartment living, where the multicooker lives next to the coats. 😂
It doesn’t have a permanent place in my kitchen because it’s BIG.
But I pull this thing out multiple times a week, which tells you just how useful it is.
I use my multicooker for homemade chicken bone broth, shredded meats, collard greens, soups, braises—anything that benefits from cooking low and slow or under pressure.
What I particularly love is being able to do so much in one vessel.
I can sauté something first, add the remaining ingredients, switch cooking modes, and let the machine do its thing without dirtying several pans.
How I Use It
One of the biggest ways this appliance has changed my kitchen routine is homemade bone broth.
I roast a chicken, enjoy it for meals, then turn those bones into broth. It’s one of those little kitchen rhythms that makes me feel incredibly resourceful—and gives Future Me something wonderful to pull from the refrigerator.
Southern Collard Greens with Bacon are one of my go-to recipes I make every week or so. I love being able to make it all in the multicooker, and then go about my day.
3. Made In 6-Quart Saucier — The Workhorse
If I could only keep a handful of pans, my Made In 6-quart saucier would make the cut.
This thing almost never leaves my stovetop. [SHOP THE MADE IN SAUCIER]
The saucier shape has curved sides rather than the sharper corners of a traditional saucepan, which makes stirring, whisking, and scraping incredibly easy.
But the real reason I love it?
The SIZE.
I can make enough food for myself and have leftovers, or make something substantial enough to serve when people come over.
Sauces. Soups. Pasta. Bolognese. Chili. Braised things. Creamy things. Cozy things.
This pan has seen some things.
Give These Recipes a Try:
Honey BBQ Butter Corn
5-Ingredient Chili
4. Weck Jars + Ball Jars — Buy Them Once, Use Them Forever
I LOVE a glass jar. [SHOP MY FAVORITE GLASS JARS]
Weck jars, Ball jars—I have a place for all of them.
I use them for homemade bone broth, sauces, dressings, leftovers, little bits of meal prep, and whatever else needs containing at Chez Sweetpea. I drink out of mine consistently, and have so many Ball jars for my table!
Some of my Weck jars are around TEN YEARS OLD.
Ten!
They’ve moved with me, been washed approximately six billion times, held countless batches of food, and they’re still going strong.
That’s exactly the kind of kitchen product I want to own.
My Favorite Use
Bone broth.
There is something immensely satisfying about opening the refrigerator and seeing jars of homemade broth lined up and waiting for the week.
But they’re also fantastic for homemade salad dressings—which brings us directly to things like New Ranch.
Make a jar of New Ranch, store some Notecard Coleslaw, or make several quarts of Italian American Bolognese Sauce!
5. Lids for Half and Quarter Sheet Pans — HOSTESSES, LISTEN UP
This may be one of the least glamorous products on this list.
It may also be one of the smartest.
LIDS. FOR. SHEET. PANS.
If you entertain at home, you need to know these exist.
You can build almost an entire charcuterie board right on a quarter or half sheet pan, leaving off anything that shouldn’t sit overnight.
Snap the lid on.
Put the whole thing in the refrigerator.
When it’s almost party time, pull it out, add your finishing touches, and you’re DONE.
Future You just gained 20 minutes before the doorbell rings.
Why I Love Them for Hosting
So much of relaxed hosting is simply asking:
What can I do before Party Ashley needs to do it?
If I can wash it, chop it, assemble it, portion it, set it, or refrigerate it beforehand, I’m probably going to.
These lids make that ridiculously easy.
I love making Sweetpea’s New Lasagna, but I shred the cheese right onto a sheet pan, then use one of the lids to store it in the fridge until I’m ready for assembly!
6. The $2.56 Walmart Plate
From one of the least glamorous items to one of the least expensive.
This plate was something like $2.56 from The Walmarts.
And I LOVE IT. [SHOP THE PLATES]
It has a subtle lip around the edge, which means several of them stack beautifully. More importantly, that little lip makes this incredibly useful as a serving plate.
I can pile appetizers on it. Serve sandwiches. Arrange something for happy hour. Add cookies. Use it underneath a bowl. Whatever needs serving can probably go on this plate. It’s what I make up my Dippy Dinners on often!
Your Serving Pieces Don’t Need to Be Expensive
This is something I want to shout from the rooftops:
You do not need a collection of expensive serving ware to invite people into your home.
Look around the house.
Use your dinner plates.
Use a sheet pan.
Use the $2.56 plate from Walmart.
Nobody has ever left a wonderful dinner party saying,
“Great evening, but unfortunately her crudités were served on a DINNER PLATE.”
Invite the people over.
7. SMEG Tea Kettle — Yes, I Bought It Because It’s Pretty
We can admit things here.
I bought the SMEG kettle because I liked the aesthetic. 😂
There! I said it! (I actually bought two of them… I needed the copper AND the mint green, okay?!) [SHOP THE SMEG KETTLE]
Fortunately, this is one of those rare instances where the pretty thing turned out to be incredibly useful, too.
Obviously, I use an electric kettle for tea. But boiling water quickly comes in handy for SO many things in the kitchen.
Cooking, soaking something, cleaning something—you’d be surprised how often you reach for it once it’s sitting there.
Useful + Beautiful Is Allowed
I don’t think everything we own needs to be purely utilitarian.
Your home is where you LIVE.
If the kettle sitting on your counter makes you smile every morning, I think that counts for something.
And if it also boils water beautifully?
Even better.
8. Made In Baking Slab — My Favorite Use Isn’t Baking
Yes, baking on the Made In Baking Slab is incredible.
[SHOP THE MADE IN BAKING SLAB]
But do you know what’s REALLY fun?
Putting it into the refrigerator overnight.
Then serving shrimp cocktail on it.
The slab stays beautifully cold, which makes it such a fun serving piece when I want something chilled on the table.
And this is exactly what I mean when I talk about products earning their space in my kitchen.
If I’m going to store something, I want to find MULTIPLE ways to use it.
Bake on it today.
Serve from it tomorrow.
Sweetpea’s Parker House Rolls are baked to golden brown perfection on the slab!
9. Niimbot Label Maker — Because Apparently I Label Things Now
I cannot adequately explain how often I reach for this little label maker.
You know how you buy something thinking,
“That could be handy.”
And six months later you’re wondering how you functioned without it?
That’s this.
Pantry containers. Storage. Freezer organization. Bins. Random things around the house.
Label it.
I especially love having it around for my homemade convenience freezer because a freezer full of beautifully prepared food isn’t terribly convenient if you have no idea what’s inside the container.
[SHOP THE NIIMBOT LABEL MAKER]
10. Kitchen Stickin — The Refrigerator’s Best Friend
The Niimbot makes the nice little printed labels.
Kitchen Stickin is for the everyday chaos. 😂
I’ve had the SAME ONE stuck to my refrigerator for about two and a half years.
I have yet to run out of tape.
The marker hasn’t dried up.
And the whole contraption hasn’t fallen off my refrigerator.
I use it for quick notes, dates, labels, reminders—whatever needs to be written down right then.
It’s one of those ridiculously simple products that solves a tiny problem over and over again.
11. L’Occitane Hand Cream — The Little Luxury
Technically, this is not a kitchen product.
But it lives in my kitchen, so I’m counting it.
When you cook a lot, you also wash your hands A LOT.
Cooking. Cleaning. Dishes. More cooking. More dishes. More hand washing.
My L’Occitane hand cream is one of those little luxuries I absolutely adore.
I keep it in my kitchen.
I keep one in my purse.
I keep one at my desk.
And even though it feels luxurious, I only buy it once or twice a year because a little bit goes such a long way.
Host Yourself First
I actually think this belongs on the list for another reason.
Your kitchen shouldn’t exist only for what you produce from it for other people.
Put something there that’s just for you.
The good tea.
The hand cream you love.
The pretty kettle.
The little ritual that makes an ordinary Tuesday morning feel lovely.
Hospitality starts at home—and sometimes you’re the person who needs hosting.
The Best Kitchen Products Are the Ones You Actually Use
You do not need every gadget.
You don’t need matching cookware.
You don’t need an enormous kitchen, a butler’s pantry, twelve sets of dishes, or a cabinet dedicated exclusively to small appliances.
Goodness knows I don’t have room for all that.
What I want are things that help me use my home.
Things that make Tuesday night dinner easier.
Things that help me make Friday night’s cheeseboard on Thursday.
Things that let me turn Sunday’s chicken into Monday’s bone broth.
Things that help me put good food on the table and then sit down with the people I invited there.
And occasionally, things that are just really pretty and make me happy.
That’s allowed, too.
Because ultimately, the point of all these kitchen products isn’t to have a perfectly stocked kitchen.
It’s to cook.
To gather.
And to live well at home.
From my table to yours,
Ashley
Sweetpea Lifestyle
