11 Best Kitchen Essentials To Buy At Home Depot (And 4 To Skip), Based On Reviews

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Home Depot is well-known for its top home improvement and garden tools. If you delve a bit deeper into the store aisles, you'll also find a large selection of home essentials, including kitchen supplies. Many of their kitchen items are highly rated, competitively priced, and worth checking out. However, there are a few bad eggs that you may want to leave on the shelf.

Below are 11 of the best kitchen essentials you can buy at Home Depot, as well as four items you should skip. To make our "best" list, these items had to meet several criteria, such as high ratings and copious reviews. If you're curious about the precise criterion, we expand on it further in our methodology at the end. Aside from explaining how they qualified for our list, we discuss what these items are for, their star rating, their popularity, and most importantly, what real customer reviews had to say. Read on to learn about the best and worst kitchen products Home Depot has to offer.

A mini fry pan and sauce pan are great for cooking individual meals or specific ingredients for recipes. The Caraway Home Mini Fry Pan and Mini Sauce Pan Duo make cooking and clean-up easy, and they're available in six trendy colors. This pairing is made of a non-stick ceramic, has an aluminum core, and features stainless steel handles. It's safe to use on any kind of stovetop: gas, induction, and electric. If you need a makeshift oven pan, they also roast food up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. As an added bonus, the sauce pan comes with a lid, though, it doesn't fit the frying pan.

This optimized pan duo has a 4.9-star average from over 7,000 reviewers. Out of those reviewers, 91% of them claim it's a 5-star product. One person sums up what makes this set so great, "This cookware is the bomb! The color is awesome. Clean up is so easy. And the set fits compactly into my cupboard."

Knife blocks are a traditional kitchen essential, and most households have one taking up space on their countertops. Pick a knife block that is both functional and stylish, like the Henckels Definition 14-Piece Self-Sharpening Knife Block Set. This knife block is made of vibrant ash wood and accented with stainless steel. It includes six specialized cooking knives, six steak knives, and a pair of kitchen shears. Each tool has a designated slot with a built-in ceramic honing wheel that sharpens it.

In short, this product stores and sharpens knives in one aesthetic package, and it's no surprise it has a 4.9-star rating. More than 4,400 people have rated the product, and 89% of them gave it a perfect rating. Many testimonials appraise both the sharpening block and the knives, "... these knives look and feel amazing! I've never owned a set of knives that feels as high-quality as these. I love that the block is self-sharpening, so I don't have to worry about resharpening them."

If you're trying to ditch plastic kitchenware for safer alternatives, a good place to start is with the Caraway Home 5-Piece Utensil Set. This light birch wood set includes a plastic-free scraper, server, spatula, spoon, and tongs. All of the utensils are pretty enough to leave on a countertop in chic and functional utensil holders, adding a touch of authentic coziness to kitchen decor. In addition to having a stylish aesthetic, these utensils are designed to be durable, but gentle on ceramic pans, ensuring you don't scratch other expensive kitchenware.

Due to their beauty and usefulness in the kitchen, over 2,400 people have reviewed this product. 84% of them gave 5 stars, resulting in a 4.8-star average. Many of the testimonials express that the cooking utensils are great all-around; "These are the best wooden utensils that I have ever used. They are very sturdy yet gentle on your cookware. I could not be happier with this product."

The Zwilling Pull-Through Knife and Shear Sharpener may not be a knife block-sharpener combo, but it is one of the best for the latter role. This tool has five slots: two for Japanese knives, two for Western knives, and one for kitchen shears. There are two slots per knife, because there are two grit options: coarse or fine. This ensures you can sharpen most knife styles as needed. The device also has a rubber bottom to keep it in place, so it doesn't slip and slide while working with blades.

The design works just as well as it looks, and over 1,300 Home Depot customers have reviewed it. 79% of them gave it 5 stars, and it has a 4.8-star rating overall. What's notable is that customers still gave it 5 stars, even when acknowledging it doesn't work as well as a traditional stone. In the words of one reviewer, "This sharpener is wonderful for ease and convenience. It doesn't hone the edge as well as a stone, but that takes time, and I often need a sharp knife to prep a quick dinner or put on a pot of soup."

It can be a hassle to collect essential but niche kitchen gadgets, especially if you want to ensure each one is a reliable product. Fortunately, Caraway Home boxed up all their best tools in a classy wood organizer. The Caraway Home 6-Piece Kitchen Gadget Set includes a 100% birch wood organizer and five stainless steel tools: a can opener, garlic press, ice cream scoop, pizza cutter, and vegetable peeler. In short, these are all the niche tools that make everyday food prepping easier.

Home Depot customers highly recommend this product, and 88% of the over 550 reviewers gave it 5 stars. The set has a 4.8 rating overall, and customers express that the tools work well and the organizer fits in kitchen drawers: "I won't admit to what was in my drawer before I purchased this utensil set, but I will shout from the rooftops that I have this in my drawer now! Such class. Smooth operation. Quality."

Salad spinners are a luxury kitchen item. They're excellent for drying leafy, green vegetables, keeping salads and recipes from being overly soggy and mushy. The OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner 4.0 is one of the best salad spinners out there and even has its own patented brake. The tool separates into several pieces, including a bowl and a colander. This makes it practical as more than just a niche kitchen device; you can also use it to drain other ingredients in the sink and serve the finished product.

There are over 440 reviews for this salad spinner, and 86% of them gave it 5 stars. It has a 4.8-star average, and people applaud the overall design and functionality, "We use this weekly to clean lettuce, keep it fresh, and to help clean fruit! The perfect size, works great, and so easy to use. Only wish I got it sooner."

Whether you're watching your diet or cooking with meticulous proportions, there's one overlooked home item you need in your kitchen. The Escali Primo Chrome Digital Food Scale provides exact ingredient weights, so aspiring chefs can master tricky recipes. There's a tare feature that subtracts the weight of whatever receptacle is holding the ingredients. Users can also swap between grams and ounces for weight. For extra convenience, this food scale powers off automatically to save the batteries.

Out of over 280 Home Depot reviews, 87% of customers gave it 5 stars. It boasts a nearly-perfect 4.9-star rating overall, and most customers are especially impressed by the tare feature, "This scale is amazing! It will measure grams and ounces. Best of all, you set your bowl on the scale and hit the button, and it goes back to 0 to measure your ingredients."

Every home kitchen needs a proper chef's knife to expertly slice through food ingredients. The Zwilling Pro Le Blanc Stainless Steel Chef's Knife is a gorgeous standalone knife sold at Home Depot. This blade is designed for comfort, as it's lightweight and has an ergonomic handle. The blade is forged from solid steel and curved for immaculate slicing.

Over 260 reviewers have rated this product, and not a single person has given it 1 star. In fact, 97% of people gave it a full 5 stars, resulting in a perfect rating overall. One commenter sums up how well this knife works for cutting all kinds of foods, "The knife is so well balanced and you can feel it when you hold it. It's got the right weight for you to have a sense of comfort that this can get things done. And boy did it. Neatly chopped up vegetables and trimmed meat with absolute ease. Love it!"

If you find the right pair of kitchen shears, this common household item should also have a genius hidden function. The best kitchen shears have two blades for cutting, and an oval-shaped gap for trimming kitchen herbs. The OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Kitchen and Herb Scissors has this herb-stripping feature and other qualities that make them one of the best. The handles are plastic, but padded, for comfortable handling. Stainless steel blades connect to each handle, and those two halves detach for easy cleaning.

Over 150 people have bought and rated this item at Home Depot, giving it 4.8 out of 5 stars. 87% percent of them gave it a solid 5 stars, leaving comments like, "Awesome product with many uses in the kitchen. Easy to clean and they stay sharp. I've never had any issues and even the plastic handles are durable."

When buying home essentials, don't forget about your outdoor kitchen too. Ensure future barbecues are covered with the Henckels Forged 8-Piece Barbecue Carving Tool Set, which features seven tools in a leather canvas carrying bag. This set includes a stainless steel buffet knife, carving fork, prep knife, rib knife, rocking santoku, and shears. There's also a set of bear claws, though they aren't made of metal. The tools are dishwasher safe, but the manufacturer recommends washing by hand. This is likely because dishwashers are rough on kitchenware, and hand-washing ensures nothing is accidentally damaged.

Out of 125 Home Depot shoppers, 91% of them gave this product a 5-star score. Not a single review rated below 4 stars, resulting in a 5-star rating overall. The testimonials make it clear as to why this barbecue tool set is so revered among meat enthusiasts, "Great set with everything you need to cut and shred multiple meat types. I am very impressed by the quality and balance of the knives as well how sharp they were out the box. Great set for the money."

Wood cutting boards provide a safe place (no microplastics!) to chop food and elevate your kitchen countertops. The John Boos Block Maple Wood Reversible Cutting Board is a slab of hard maple wood, which is one of the best species of wood to use for cutting boards. Premium maple holds up better and is gentle on knife edges. If oiled routinely, hardwood cutting boards should last for years. This board is also more than meets the eye, and there are hidden, integrated hand grips for moving and flipping it over as needed. On a final note, the natural wood grain adds a gorgeous natural touch that enhances kitchen spaces.

Like the BBQ tool set, not a single review falls below 4 stars. There are 50 reviews total, and 92% of them gave it the maximum star rating. It has a 5-star average as a result, and every reviewer is overjoyed with this item: "This cutting board is massive, I love it! It's a very good quality board, that's for sure. I can tell that it will last me for a long time."

Although many of Home Depot's kitchen items are revered by customers, some items, like the Granitestone Signature Series Multi Slicer Pro, fall flat. This combination kitchen item seems like every chef's dream. The device includes three interchangeable blades for grating, shredding, and slicing. The blades are made of stainless steel and dishwasher-safe.

Despite looking like the ultimate three-in-one kitchen tool, this Granitestone device has an average rating of 3.5 stars from 19 Home Depot shoppers. Ratings and reviews have especially declined this year. Many complain that it is cheaply made and falls apart during use. One past customer explains everything that's wrong with this device, "You can't put any downward pressure or it will pop off of the stand. The spout is so short try and grate the cheese and it will pour onto the stand and not the bowl. After moderate use, the plastic ring around the grating ring broke off and is now unusable."

Instead of buying a dozen different decorator nozzles for icing cakes, cookies, and other pastries, many people seek out a combination device. The Hutzler 23-Piece Cookie Press and Food Decorator Set looks good from afar with its BPA-free plastic cookie press. It comes with 16 discs and six nozzles, along with recipes and instructions. The toolset is also dishwasher-safe for easy clean-up.

As convenient as it looks, the 30 Home Depot reviewers aren't very pleased with this product. It has a 3.6-star average, and many of the reviews are negative, especially from the past year. Even happy reviewers call it "tough to get to operate." The general consensus is that it doesn't push all the way through, which causes dough to get stuck in the bottom of the press. One reviewer puts it plain and simple; "Very poorly made. Cheap plastic. Lever didn't work right. Would not recommend this item. Useless."

A full cookware and bakeware set is the perfect purchase or gift for a new homeowner. The Granitestone Classic Blue 15 Piece Cookware and Bakeware Set includes 15 aluminum pans, pots, and trays, and several even come with lids. The manufacturer claims the set is built to last, is dishwasher-safe, and can even withstand oven temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

This Granitestone Set looks like a great deal — 15 pots, pans, and trays for just over $100. However, you should look at other Home Depot options or Costco's top-rated pots and pans for under $200 instead. There are 79 reviews for this set, ending up with a 3.7-star rating. Customers who purchased the set as far back as 2021 and 2022 have returned to express their dissatisfaction. The pans don't last as long as the manufacturer claims, and many people report chipping, peeling, and scratching within a few years. One person explains, "I have treated each piece with kit gloves, no dishwasher, no harsh cleaners, use silicone utensils, and every pan is scratched and marred. Even the cookie sheet coating on the edges is flaking off. Ad says can use metal utensils. The few times I may have used a metal utensil, scratches developed. Also, tapping the edge of the pot leaves dent marks."

The As Seen on TV Nutri Chopper 5-in-1 seems too good to be true with its five interchangeable slicers. It makes thick, thin, wedge-shaped, diced cuts, and "more" according to advertisements. The whole device is very compact and portable, and it's dishwasher-safe.

Despite the proposed features, this device doesn't have a good track record with its average 3.4-star rating. There are 417 reviews for this item, and nearly a quarter of them gave it one star. This device is designed to replace kitchen knives with more convenient chopping methods, but a reviewer argues that it does the opposite, "I do not like it, I can not get the parts apart easily and am concerned I will cut myself while trying. The ad also implies it can cut most things, and the instruction booklet says only to use on soft things ... a knife is easier and safer than this product."

Believe it or not, it was easier to find the best kitchen essentials than it was to find the ones not worth buying. We narrowed down our list of best items based on review statistics. They had to have at least 4.8 stars, over 50 ratings total, and 75% of those ratings had to be 5 stars. Each item also had to have a glowing testimonial that highlighted what makes it a good buy.

On the other hand, we also had to decide how four items were worth skipping. Each one had at least 10 ratings to go by and a below 4-star average. We also ensured that the testimonials were critical for legitimate reasons. In other words, we made sure they were actual complaints about the products. We didn't include comments about shipping times or the Home Depot shopping experience.