GRUNDTAL Magnetic Knife Rack
Inventive homeowners have used it to organize everything from kitchen knives to small canisters of spices and from hand tools to Hot Wheels cars, which makes the 15-¾-inch stainless steel knife rack arguably one of the most versatile pieces in Ikea's line of kitchen accessories. But don't feel pressure to find a particularly clever use, because its number one job is in the cookspace. This wall-mounted rack keeps your most-used cutting utensils at arm's length during meal prep using strong magnets. Not only does this move declutter drawers, it also helps prevents your blades from dulling too soon by scraping each other in a crowded cutlery tray. Available at Ikea; $8.99.
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FALSTERBO Wall Rail with Hooks
Short on cabinets, drawers, and—more generally—square footage? Boost storage and style by mounting a row of six notched pegs along your backsplash. This slim rail is fit to hang a range of kitchen accessories from oven mitts, trivets, spoons, even mugs by their handles (as long as you've secured it to the wall well enough). Need more room? Line up to or more of the modular units end-to-end for even more storage. Plus, a picture ledge that spans the length of the rail can offer a resting space for salt and pepper mills or kitchen-themed framed prints, like a family recipe. Available at Ikea; $21.99.
Related: 12 Kitchen Gadgets People Always Regret Buying
MIXTUR Oven-Safe Dish Set
Hate washing pots and pans? The best way to reduce your dish-washing duty it to dirty fewer vessels. That's where the MIXTUR serving set comes in. The four glass pieces are dishwasher-safe and oven-safe, allowing them to go straight from the oven to the dinner table, then into the wash. Their multifunctional nature means you'll use fewer dishes and cut cleanup time. Available at Ikea; $9.99.
Related: 7 Tips for Quick and Easy Cleanup After Dinner
INTRESSANT Spice Mill
Whole spices have better flavor and a longer lifespan than their pre-ground counterparts, but to grind the goods, you need—nothing too fancy—just an effective, easy-to-operate tool. Enter Ikea’s INTRESSANT Spice Mill. The durable ceramic mechanism grinds spices and herbs in exchange for minimal effort. Fresh peppercorns, anyone? Available at Ikea ; $14.99.
Related: 10 Kitchen Gadgets That Will Help You Eat Healthier
SNUDDA Lazy Susan
If you look at the Lazy Susan as a quaint relic of yesterday's kitchen, you're getting it all wrong. Hip, contemporary, mega-popular home goods manufacturers like Ikea still make it a point to keep Lazy Susans in their lines—and not just because younger shoppers equate "retro" with "cool". It's mainly because you can't deny the sheer usefulness and versatility of modernity's answer to the wheel. Wherever there's a surface—countertop, island, cabinet shelf, breakfast table—best bets like the SNUDDA Lazy Susan bring the full depth of those surfaces within easy, effortless reach. Available at Ikea; $9.99.
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LEDBERG LED Spotlight
In a room that's almost—but not quite—perfect, LEDBERG LED spotlights add either visual drama or day-to-day utility. Whether it's one or the other depends on where exactly you decide to put these easy-install fixtures. In a living room shelving unit (shown here), bright, narrow-column lighting mainly serves an aesthetic purpose. But in the kitchen, installed beneath upper cabinets, homeowners agree that spotlighting delivers both virtues at once. Not only does it enhance the look of your kitchen at night, but it also eliminates under-cabinet shadows around the clock. Available at Ikea; $9.99 per pack of 4.
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STINN Oven Mitt
When handling hot dishes, you need something that not only protects your hands but also allows you to maintain a firm grip on whatever you're holding. Made out of silicone, the STINN oven mitt provides that strong hold while guarding your hands against burns. Even better, the rubber material is easier to clean than a cloth mitt. Just run it under water or put it in the dishwasher to remove any residue and spills. Available at Ikea; $3.99.
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KLOCKREN Silicone Colander
A colander makes from-scratch cooking a little easier by providing a convenient space to rinse veggies and fruits. When it comes to finding a spot to store a bulky colander, however, many home cooks will cede a sizable portion of cabinet space to the single-function tool. The KLOCKREN silicone strainer is different: It opens to three different heights depending on how much you have to wash, and collapses completely to slide into a small drawer or cabinet when not in use—although with multiple purposes (it works in a pot as a pasta insert and steamer), you may want to keep it somewhere that's even easier access, such as hung from a wall hook over your prep space. Available at Ikea; $7.99.
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MOSSLANDA Picture Ledge
There aren't many wrong ways to store your spices. As long as you keep them in a cool, dry place, they will keep fresh until the expiration date marked on the bottle (and beyond). Some storage spots, however, are more convenient than others. Take this MOSSLANDA picture ledge, for instance. When bolted to the wall and lined with spice jars, it becomes a clever open storage solution for your most-frequently used flavors, while saving cabinet and countertop space for other essential items. Available at Ikea; $9.99.
Related: 14 Pantry Goods That Basically Never Expire
TEKLA Dish Towel
Even if you prefer using paper towels, you should still keep at least one cloth dish towel in the kitchen. Cloth towels are more effective at drying dishes or surfaces and will pay for themselves over time the more you reuse them. When you choose an affordable and minimalist towel like the TEKLA, you'll start seeing those savings right away—the initial cost of a single towel is less than one dollar. Available at Ikea; $0.79.
Related: 10 Kitchen Favorites That Last a Lifetime
Don't Miss!
If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!
