Innovative kitchen tools any cook will appreciate

The stars of the modern kitchen may be gleaming appliances and designer cookware, but the real heroes of any well-appointed kitchen are the small—often unsung—innovations. These less glamorous kitchen tools can be the difference between an arduous task and a seamless one, a daunting cooking proposition and an inspired culinary endeavor.

The products featured below are distinct for offering small, but significant, improvements upon tried-and-true kitchen tools. Whether cutting board, meat thermometer or storage vessel, these aren’t the products likely to be displayed on countertops to impress and wow guests. Rather, these kitchen additions are the invaluable, behind-the-scenes workhorses that make big things possible.

Kizen Digital Meat Thermometers for Cooking

Get an accurate temperature reading in as little as 3 seconds, with the Kizen kitchen thermometer. This digital thermometer features a probe and a flat handle that’s been fitted with a large LED display. Simply insert the probe, and watch the screen light up with the temperature. Whether used indoors or for outdoor grilling, whether roasting meat and chicken, baking bread or heating oil, the Kizen thermometer is a convenient, efficient device that delivers an accurate temperature gauge within seconds.

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Heritage Wooden Pizza Peel

Home-made pizza is a welcome treat, but moving a hot, cheesy treat from oven to table can turn messy quickly. Enter the Heritage Acacia Pizza Peel, which cleanly lifts the pizza from stone or pan in one neat step.The extra-large size and tapered edge means even large pizzas are no sweat for this pizza spatula, and the long handle keeps the user safe from white-hot heat. The best part: this wooden pizza paddle is handsome enough to double as serving platter. Just arrange with sliced pie, and place on table.

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Plastic Carving Board with Groove

Nothing showy about this kitchen must-have. Commercial grade plastic, comprised of Solid High Density Poly (HDPE), gives this clean and simple contemporary carving board a long and useful life. The helpful grooved perimeter traps liquid, preventing messy countertop spills, and its solid, stain-resistant (and cut-resistant) surface makes sure it ages remarkably well. Best of all, just slide this board into the dishwasher for a spanking-clean start to your next cutting or carving task.

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Checkered Chef Cooling Rack

A cooking and cooling rack that streamlines baking, roasting and broiling, this solid stainless steel oven rack fits most standard ovens. It’s an ideal tool for elevating a whole chicken, ribeye, or pork shoulder above roasting pan, allowing fat and drippings to collect below. The solid stainless steel construction prevents warping, and the tight grid pattern encourages airflow while keeping cookies and other small goodies from sliding through the gaps. When done, simply pop this cooking rack in the dishwasher, and watch it go from greasy to gleaming.

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Coffee Gator Coffee Canister

Listen up, coffee aficionados. Keeping those pricey coffee beans in a sealed paper bag is no way to treat your morning luxury. But the Coffee Gator Canister is. Don’t let this stainless steel vessel’s good looks fool you; it’s as supremely functional as it is handsome, thanks to an airtight lid and nifty built-in date tracker that ensures the freshest coffee possible. A magnetic measuring spoon sticks to the canister’s side, guaranteeing a neat and tidy start to the day.

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Cooking, as an art form, can ignite true passion in some, and may be a necessary evil for others. Still, anyone who spends more than a few hours a week in the kitchen, whether novice or experienced cook, is bound to appreciate a thoughtfully designed tool that makes mundane tasks easier, and may even enhance the overall cooking experience. The kitchen products we’ve featured above offer all that—at prices that are just as easy to appreciate.