These 8 Kitchen Tools Take the Stress Out of Meal Prep — and Are Helping Me Avoid Takeout in 2026

I still haven’t broken my New Year’s resolution (shocking, I know), and I largely credit my success to a few clever, time-saving kitchen tools.

This year, I vowed not to order takeout or delivery, and to only eat out if it’s a social activity like dinners with friends or family and date nights. Meal prepping is my key to staying on track, ensuring I have nutritious and appetizing meals for quick breakfasts, lunches, and dinners when my schedule gets hectic. I consistently reach for gadgets like my portable blender, silicone freezer molds, vegetable chopper, and more to streamline my Sunday prep and one-off meals throughout the week. 

Writer-Approved Kitchen Tools at Amazon

• Easy Freezer Meals: Souper Cubes Silicone Freezer Molds, $22
• Time Saver: Yoyouth Chicken Shredder Tool, $14 (orig. $15)
• 40k+ Just Bought: Fullstar The Original Pro Food Chopper, $26 (orig. $50)
• Ideal for Cooking for One: Souper Cubes Stoneware Single Portion Baking Dishes, 2-Pack, $40
• Lowest Price: Awlkim Meat Thermometer, $7 (orig. $10)
• Leak-Proof: S Salient 18-Piece Glass Food Storage Container Set, $34 (orig. $36)
• Quick Cleanup: GoodCook Everyday Nonstick Baking Sheets, Set of 3, $17 (orig. $18)
• For Sauces, Dressings, and Smoothies: Hamilton Beach Portable Blender, $20 (orig. $25)   

S Salient 18-Piece Glass Food Storage Container Set

It’s not possible to prepare meals and save leftovers if you don’t have anywhere to store them, so naturally, food storage containers are at the top of my list. I once owned plastic containers, but after switching to all glass, I’ll never go back. Unlike plastic, glass doesn’t contain harmful microplastics, doesn’t stain, and it withstands extreme temperatures in the oven or freezer.

This set includes a total of nine containers with matching lids in four different sizes — enough to store meals and snacks for several days. The containers stack together for space-saving storage and are dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. 

Souper Cubes Silicone Freezer Mold

These silicone freezer molds are a new addition to my meal prep routine, and they’ve proven to be so handy for freezing single portions of soup, broth, and mashed potatoes that can be easily reheated. This pick in particular has four flexible, food-grade silicone compartments, each with a one-cup capacity and a lid to protect against spills and freezer burn.

The cubes are oven-safe up to 415 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can even reheat leftovers in the same container, but I often transfer my meals into the brand’s stoneware baking dishes. Other sizes are also available, including a tray with two larger compartments that I also own and a smaller tray ideal for tomato sauce or minced garlic. 

Fullstar The Original Pro Food Chopper

Slicing, dicing, and spiralizing fruits and veggies is tedious, time-consuming, and unfortunately required for many recipes. Luckily, there’s a tool that can cut those efforts in half, and it’s ideal for those, like myself, whose knife skills could use some work.

The chopper has four stainless steel blade attachments: a fine dicer, medium dicer, spiralizer, and a ribbon blade to tackle a variety of tasks, plus a catch tray with a 5-cup capacity — all of which are dishwasher-safe. 

Eager to cut down on takeout without spending all of your free time in the kitchen? Snap up these handy kitchen tools. Then keep scrolling to shop more of my top Amazon picks below. 

Yoyouth Chicken Shredder Tool

Souper Cubes Stoneware Single Portion Baking Dishes, 2-Pack

Awlkim Meat Thermometer

GoodCook Everyday Nonstick Baking Sheets, Set of 3

Hamilton Beach Portable Blender