These Kitchen Gadgets Will Save You Time During Back To School Madness

Going back to school can be a relief for parents who are excited to have their kids out of the house, but it’s also a time that requires a lot of preparation. Lunches don’t pack themselves, after all. From Instant Pots to super convenient pantry organizers, we’ve rounded up a few kitchen gadgets that will help you stay organized while moving all of your meal prep along as quickly as possible—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Shop all of our selections below.

Instant Pot DUO Plus, $89.96 on Amazon

Instant Pot DUO 8-quart pressure cooker multicooker

Amazon

If you haven’t invested in an Instant Pot yet, back-to-school season is the perfect time to make the jump. This pressure cooker holds up to six quarts and can be used as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, warmer, or sterilizer. It’s perfect for meal preppers who want to make a big batch of shredded chicken or pork to use in lunches all week, and for quick weeknight dinners (whether or not you assemble all of the ingredients ahead of time). Check out some of our favorite Instant Pot breakfast recipes too.Buy Now

OXO Little Salad And Herb Spinner, $27.99 at Target

Target

This small salad and herb spinner makes it easy to prep single or double servings of greens, or wash and dry produce like grapes (school lunch box essentials). It has a pumping knob at the top that makes it super easy to use, and it’s completely dishwasher safe.Buy Now

Hamilton Beach Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper, $44.99 on Amazon

Amazon

Food processors can save you a lot of time in the kitchen. This one can hold up to 10 cups so that you can make enough hummus, sauces, nut butter, or whatever else you need to last throughout the week. It can also act as a food and vegetable chopper (good for slaw, salad, sautes, and even grinding your own meat blends), and comes with a convenient bowl scraper attachment that will help all of the ingredients blend evenly.Buy Now

OXO Good Grips Egg Slicer, $9.99 on Amazon

Amazon

Boiled eggs make the perfect fast weekday snack and a big batch can be turned into various meals throughout the week. This tool cuts them into perfect five millimeter slices for salads and sandwiches (slice them again crosswise for perfect egg salad cubes!), and it’s dishwasher safe so that it’s easy to clean. (Pro-tip: Make Instant Pot boiled eggs—you can do up to a dozen at once.)

OXO Good Grips 5-Piece POP Container Set, $39.99 on Amazon

Amazon

This five piece airtight storage set comes with containers in a variety of sizes that are perfect for holding snacks, cereals, and other dry foods. They are stackable and clear, making it easy to spot certain items from the second you walk into your pantry—no more rummaging around. (If you can’t get enough organizing inspo, check out “The Home Edit” show coming soon to Netflix.)Buy Now

MoKo Magnetic Menu Board for Kitchen Fridge, $14.95 on Amazon

Amazon

This magnetic meal planner comes with eight colored chalk markers and fits perfectly on your fridge. It’s great for mapping out weekday dinners or lunches, the first step to meal prepping like a pro.Buy Now

OmieBox Bento Box for Kids, $39.50 on Amazon

Amazon

This box may say it’s for kids, but it’s perfect for adults as well. It comes with an insulated, leak-proof container for hot or cold food that would be great for carrying soup to work in the winter. It also has two temperature zones and comes with a thermos. Pack the cold stuff ahead of time and you’re almost ready to go in the morning.Buy Now

mDesign Modern Plastic Water Bottle Holder Stand, $22.99 on Amazon

Amazon

At this point it’s safe to say that nearly everyone has more water bottles than they know what to do with. This organizer makes it easy to display all of the options so that you’re actually putting some of them to use (just be sure to clean them often enough). It’s perfect for your pantry.Buy Now

NutriBullet Blender, $49.88 on Amazon

NutriBullet blender 12 piece system

Amazon

If you love a good smoothie on your way out the door in the morning, the NutriBullet will make it so much easier. This high-powered little blender makes the perfect serving size and quickly mixes any ingredients you can throw at it. It’s also handy for making small batches of sauces or dressings to pack with lunch.Buy Now

Sorbus Fridge and Freezer Bins, $34.99 on Amazon

Amazon

We all know that feeling of the fridge getting way too overcrowded. These clear containers will help you stay organized and make it so much easier to clean off shelves. They also perfectly display all of your food items so that you waste less by not letting them languish (or forgetting you have ranch and buying a brand new bottle you don’t need yet).Buy Now

Related Reading: The Proper Way to Store Food in Your Fridge

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