21 Kitchen Products That Are Not Only Effective, But Incredibly Pretty

Maybe their good looks will even convince you to keep 'em clean.

There are few things more thrilling than finding a beautiful item for your kitchen that actually works well. It’s basically a smaller version of hitting the jackpot. You get to achieve the dream of creating the perfect Pinterest-worthy kitchen while still being able to make breakfast in the morning.

Here are 21 kitchen gadgets, tools and accessories that basically have both beauty and brains.

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1
A compact Balmuda toaster
Balmuda
According to reviewers, this toaster can take a 99-cent baguette and turn it into a boulangerie-worthy loaf.

The sleek Japanese appliance surrounds your food with a thin layer of steam that holds in moisture while also toasting its exterior. While its "Artisan Bread Mode" is the most talked about feature, it also has settings for sandwiches, pizza, pastries, and overcooking (during which it toasts more strongly from above).

Promising review: "Holy moly! Best toast I have ever made. I did a comparison taste test with the Balmuda toaster vs. my cheapie $60 toaster oven. You can really taste the difference in the toast when it comes to texture and moistness. Hands down the Balmuda blew my other toaster out of the water. So happy with this purchase!" — JL

Get it from Amazon for $329 (available in three colors).
2
A set of gold measuring cups and spoons
Amazon
These won't melt when oops! you accidentally leave them too close to the stove.

Promising review: "These are so beautiful and just as pictured. The quality is great. Very sturdy. I absolutely love them." — AHEV

Get it from Amazon for $20.99+ (available in 7-, 8- and 10-piece sets and in four colors).
3
An Our Place Always Pan
Our Place
Pretty sure this will quickly become the Swiss Army knife of your kitchen. The gorg pan can replace up to eight pieces of cookware as it braises, sears, steams, strains, sautes, fries, boils, serves and stores. (Just keep in mind that it's NOT oven-safe.) You also get a nesting beechwood spatula with integrated spoon rest and custom stainless steel steamer basket.

Promising review: "This pan is EVERYTHING! I went from making pasta in the basket to steaming broccoli in it and then finishing my meal in there. Then I forgot about cleaning it because I’m lazy and the nonstick cleaned up so easily. The sponge they include is incredible, I do all my dishes with it now. Also it looks really cute sitting on my stove all day." — Darby S.

Get it from Our Place for $145 (available in seven colors).
4
An iconic Le Creuset Dutch oven
Le Creuset
One reviewer calls this "the Bentley of cookware," and you can't really dispute that...

Promising review: "I love this Dutch oven. I got the 7.25-quart size for four people, and it has been an irreplaceable pot for soups and stews and coconut chicken adobo. I have also used this to bake bread, too, and it worked well. I have had to stop myself from buying even more!" — Austin

Get it from Le Creuset for $160+ (available in four sizes and 14 colors).
5
A gooseneck electric kettle
Fellow
This is entrancing enough to help you wipe the sleep from your eyes every morning.

The cult-favorite Fellow design features a fluted, no-drip spout and a degree dial that allows you to set the temperature between 135 degrees F and 212 degrees F and even hold it there for a full hour.

Promising review: "We waffled about getting this kettle. Surely the cheapie electric one we had would do the trick for amateur pour-over enthusiasts? No. Wrong. This is superior in every aspect. The temperature holding feature is amazing — no more heating up the water, forgetting you started and having to heat it up again. Definitely more consistent in temperature, creating more consistent cups of coffee." — Emily A.

Get it from Fellow for $169 (available in seven colors).
6
A Material cutting board
Material
Made from three parts recycled plastic and one part renewable sugarcane, this cutting board proves sustainable can be sexy.

BTW — Material is a direct-to-consumer brand with high-end options that cost a fraction of the price of those you'd find in big box stores. Their industrial-leaning cookware marries modern design and premium materials and caters to everybody from professional chefs to those who subsist off Kraft mac n' cheese.

Consider the colors Reimagine Justice (deep green) or To Pó-Po, with Love (beige) and 50% of the profits from your purchase will be donated to Heart of Dinner and Drive Change. Respectively, the two community programs provide culturally appropriate meals for low-income Asian-American homebound elderly and offer paid culinary fellowships for formerly incarcerated youth.

Promising review: "I have the yellow board and absolutely love it. I have always preferred plastic cutting boards to wood — they seem easier on the knife edge and I feel like when cutting meat, I can clean them more thoroughly. BUT they are ugly! These boards are not. I like that it is thin but sturdy — easy to wash and put in my drying rack. The board has a slight give which I feel is good for my knife and it hasn't stained or shown any wear. I'm definitely getting another one soon so I'll have two of these." —Bernice T.

Get it from Material for $35 (available in seven colors).
7
A set of colorful Food52 knives
Food 52
These look like they were stolen from the prop table of a Wes Anderson film.

A full set comes with an 8-inch chef's knife, a 9-inch serrated knife, and a 3.5-inch paring knife but if you don't need all three, you can also choose to buy them individually. In terms of what they're good for (probably useful info, no?) the first is ideal for cutting meat and veggies, the second comes in handy with crusty loaves of bread, and the third is for mincing, dicing, and slicing softer fruits and veggies.

Promising review: "Razor sharp and beautiful to look at — love the brass. They have a solid weight that I love, too. They don’t feel too delicate — you can easily cut through hard foods like squash or break down a chicken." — Tina

Get them from Food52 for $49+ (available in three individual sizes or a set of three as well as five colors).
8
A KitchenAid stand mixer
Crate & Barrel
If you've been dreaming about owning one of these for a while now, this is your sign to just go for it. It's just begging you to try your hand at every Christina Tosi creation. Imagine a world in which you perfect Milk Bar's signature birthday cake, and you can eat it whenever you want.

The heavy-duty mixer needs no introduction but here's a fun fact: its spiral beater hits 67 touchpoints in order to thoroughly mix whatever you're making.Not only do you get the mixer, but also a coated flat beater, wire whip, coated spiral dough hook and pouring shield.

Promising review: "This mixer has changed my life for two reasons: 1). It has made recipes so much easier! The time saved is so, so nice. 2). Everyone tells me how much they love the shaded palm color and I love that. A lot. Regardless of color, though, get one of these mixers. They are worth every penny since they're a long-term investment and a statement piece. Enjoy!" — waitimsohungry

Get it from Crate & Barrel for $429.99 (available in 19 colors).
9
Or a four-slice retro toaster
Amazon
Designed with enough room to crisp sizable, NYC-style bagels, this toaster has both beauty and brains.

Promising review: "Is it possible... a toaster can be... this sexy? Yes. Absolutely yes. This sexy toaster fit right in my farmhouse-style kitchen with it's cool mint green color and retro vibes. Pros: Four slots and they are the wide and long type meaning those fancier breads fit without squishing the sides of your slice. It has a bagel setting, as well as a nifty reheat button so your toast doesn't get burnt or overly crispy if you aren't hovering over it and miss it pop up and have to retoast it. It is fairly easy to clean, just dump the tray, so no worries about crumbs or bits of bread burning in the bottom and ruining the perfect taste of your slice. The knobs have a neat texture and are adjustable so you can time it just right for Pop Tarts, toast, or toasted sandwich bread. Cons: My husband is a little jealous of how much I love this toaster, and has been asking me if it is better than him. What could I say? I mean it makes TOAST, all he makes is methane gas so... Maybe consider ordering a couples therapy workbook to go with this toaster when purchasing." — Alice R.

Get it from Amazon for $53.99 (available in three colors).
10
A sleek, five-speed KitchenAid blender
Amazon
This won't even blink twice at whatever ingredients you like to add to your smoothie. If your current setup shudders at the thought of a single ice cube, it's worth the investment.

Promising review: "Does a wonderful job. I didn't realize that the smoothies I was making with my old blender weren't really 'smooth' until I made one with my new blender. And no more battles with my husband over who has to clean it because I couldn't always get the blade portion off the old one. This is a dream!" — Marilyn

Get it from Amazon for $179.99+.
11
A pour-over Bodum coffee maker
Amazon
Made with a permanent filter, this coffee maker has room for a substantial eight cups of get-up-and-go juice.

Promising review: "My wife and I have used almost every coffee and espresso-making method under the sun and Bodum's Double-Wall Pour Over is by far our favorite for 'regular' coffee. French presses taste amazing but often leave a bit of grit in the cup. Chemex arguably tastes even better without the extra grit, but they are expensive, require special paper filters, and don't keep second and third cups of coffee warm for you. Enter Bodum's pour over. It costs about the same as a Chemex, but the double-walled design keeps your extra cups of coffee hot for MUCH longer. I know what you are thinking: 'Doesn't it use a metal filter instead of the paper one?' Ah, yes, but here is a secret: You can use a regular, conical paper filter inside the metal filter and coffee is identical to that made in a Chemex. Seriously, you cannot tell a difference. Plus, if you happen to run out of paper filters, you can always just use the metal filter by itself." — Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $19.89+ (available in four sizes and five styles).
12
An Aarke carbonator
Amazon
This is so sleek, it straight up looks like you lifted it from your fave watering hole. If you enjoy the sweet, sweet burn of a carbonated beverage sliding down your gullet, this guy will be well-loved.

The second-generation model hooks up to a 14.5-ounce CO2 cylinder (just like a SodaStream) so you don't have to worry about batteries or plugging it into an outlet. Just fill the included bottle with water (to the marked line), pop it into the machine, pull down the handle to release carbonation, and voila, you're done!The set includesone carbonator (sparkling water maker), one PET Bottle and one user manual (gas cylinder is a separate purchase).

Promising review: "Extremely easy to use and exactly what I wanted. Having become addicted to La Croix and other sparkling waters, I wanted a way to be able to make it myself. I appreciate the different levels of carbonation you can create and overall how easy it was to figure out. Small detail, but it's great that you do not have to plugin, and that it runs just off the tank. Looks great on my counter and excited to continue to use and find other drink combinations. I have been able to limit the amount of flavored water I purchase which is cost-effective and eco-friendly with fewer single-use cans and plastic. Highly recommended if you enjoy bubbles in your water :)" — Lacey F.

Get it from Amazon for $327.89.
13
A Carraway cookware set
Caraway
Not only does the set come with every pot and pan one could need, but storage solutions in the form of magnetic racks and a canvas lid holder.

The set includes a fry pan, sauce pan with lid, sauté pan with lid, Dutch oven with lid, modular pan rack, and three-slot canvas lid holder.

Get it from Carraway for $395 (originally $495; available in eight colors).
14
A Great Jones casserole dish
Great Jones
Pretty sure this dish is ready and waiting for you to bake up your signature dish: Frito pie. It may not be the most photogenic fare, but this baby will put in serious work as soon as it's placed in front of a camera.

If you haven't heard of Great Jones before (welcome to the party!), they're a direct-to-consumer brand from foodies and first-time entrepreneurs Sierra Tishgart and Maddy Moelis. Their brand — named for cookbook author/editor Judith Jones — looks to bring home cooks everything they need to take to the kitchen more confidently.

Get it from Great Jones for $75 (available in three colors).
15
A Welly water bottle
Amazon
This water bottle keeps things cold for sooo long, you'll never have to drink room-temperature water again (blechhh!).

Promising review: "I bought this water bottle because I love myself some ice-cold water with lemon! This bottle ended up being perfect for me and keeps my water nice and cold for hours... and I mean hours... like a whole day! If you're looking for a water bottle that will keep your beverage nice and cold then this is the bottle. It not only keeps the beverage inside cold, but it is easy to carry due to the handle. There is a little part that you stick at the top of your water bottle that is good for teas to place fruit, too. This is an all-around good water bottle that is also pleasing to the eye! I recommend." — Kylie Carlquist

Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in 12 colors and patterns).
16
A pack of bamboo chopsticks
Christopher Kimball's Milk Street
You can keep these in color-coordinated pairs or mix and match like the twinless socks in your drawer.

Promising review: "We love these chopsticks. The colors are fun but understated and the design is nicely minimalistic." — Seth B.

Get a set of five from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street for $28 (available in two colors).
17
A wooden egg holder
Amazon
You can use this to keep your stash in easy view so you never have to deal with the day-ruining ordeal that is going to make banana bread and pulling out a near-empty egg carton.

Promising review: "We love this egg holder. We have seven hens and a wide range of egg sizes — all of them look beautiful in this." — smiely

Get it from Amazon for $16.90.
18
A set of ceramic salt and pepper grinders
Anthropologie
You've probably seen these all over Instagram. Yes, they're LOL expensive, but look at 'em.

Promising review: "These were completely worth it! They grind so easily and you can change how course you want the salt or pepper." — AngelinaD

Get the pair from Anthropologie for $80 (available in two colors).
19
A set of bamboo plates
Xenia Taler
Using these will make you feel like you walked onto the soundstage of "Saved By the Bell" and straight into The Max — Bayside High's uber-cool hangout.

BTW — Xenia Taler is a Toronto-based artisan who specializes in housewares and decorative objects. She is dedicated to using eco-friendly and sustainable materials.

Get a set of four from Xenia Taler for $44 (available in 12 mix-and-match colors/patterns).
20
An eight-speed immersion blender
Amazon
You can use this to froth milk, whisk eggs or create your own baby food. Pureed chicken, anyone?

Not only do you get the mixing wand, but also milk frother, egg whisk and a two-year warranty.

Promising review: "I've used this blender a handful of times now. I made my own mayo using the immersion attachment and worked like a dream. The two speed options are nice and it does get pretty fast. I used the whisk to make pickle dip. Near the end, the blender did get a bit warm but I was using it on high speed for a good 30 minutes. I haven't used the frother but my roommate did to make us lattes and they turned out well. Overall 10/10 would recommend!!" — Kim

Get it from Amazon for $36.99.
21
And a Breville espresso machine
This will allow you to live out your barista fantasy in the comfort of your own home. No need to take a daily trip to Starbucks when you can whip up your own delicious latte in minutes.

This coffee shop-worthy setup features a built-in conical burr grinder, digital temperature control, integrated milk frother and settings for single and double shots (the latter is where it's at).

Promising review: "After working as a barista for four years, the thought of leaving the cafe to go to grad school was upsetting. As an early birthday gift slash cafe departing gift, my mom purchased this machine for me. It does everything I need it to in order to prepare any coffee shop drink! It makes perfect single or double espressos and includes a steam wand with acceptable pressure, a tamp, a nice size water tank with a good filter, a hot water spigot for americanos, a nicely sized milk pitcher, a hidden storage tray, a built-in burr grinder which works just as well as a separate one, and a shot splitter on the portafilter. I really love this machine and after using it four times a day for the last two months, I still have yet to need to clean it with the tablets provided due to all of the self-cleaning the machine does. Water is a great temperature for brewing and steaming, and it’s not piping hot but plenty hot enough from the water spigot. This machine is kind of a 'why on earth not?' kind of deal." — Samantha Stangl

Get it from Amazon for $699.95.

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