Cooking & doing chores would be so much easier if you tried any of these clever things

Pro chefs will give you a million different ways to judge the doneness of a steak, but the fact is, you’re gambling without a good meat thermometer. (And things can get dire if you’re guessing the doneness of chicken.) Offering precise temperature measurements within three seconds, this highly rated thermometer features a backlit LCD display that makes it easy to read even when grilling in the dark. A meat temperature chart is right on the handle for easy reference, too. Bonus: The bottle opener on one end lets you crack open a cold beverage while cooking.

It’s so easy to just order takeout when you look into your fridge and see that it’s a jumbled mess (there’s no way you’re tracking down all the ingredients for a recipe). These BPA-free organizer bins neatly store everything from fresh produce to eggs to sodas and condiments, so you can actually see what you have on hand. Not only will things be tidier, but you’ll be less likely to waste food or double up on items at the store.

Say goodbye to grimy toilet brushes and chemical cleaners that smell super strong — and say hello to this pumice cleaner. This reusable stone only needs water to work to effectively scrub away yellow rings on toilets, limescale in your tub, or rust in your oven. It’s gritty enough for effective scrubbing yet won’t leave behind a grainy residue or scratch your surfaces.

Slicing and dicing ingredients takes up a significant amount of time while cooking — but if you add this food chopper to the equation, you’ll seriously speed up your meal prep routine. It comes with a selection of three stainless steel blades, so you can easily dice or mince food by simply inserting one into the top of the container and pressing down on the lid. The generously sized BPA-free container gives you enough room to whip up dishes like salsa without having to use an extra bowl.

Putting away leftovers isn’t exactly fun, but when your food storage containers and lids are a disorganized mess, it’s downright frustrating. Remedy that situation with this lid organizer that has adjustable dividers, making it easy to sort everything by size and shape. BPA-free, it’s even designed with a center channel to keep the lids from rolling around.

• Available sizes: 3

Made from thick, high-density foam, this anti-fatigue mat is cushy and supportive, working to absorb stress on your feet and joints. Place this under your feet when you’re chopping ingredients, standing at the stove, or doing dishes, or use it while folding laundry or working at a standing desk. It’s nonslip and stain-resistant, and the beveled edges are designed to help prevent tripping.

• Available sizes: 3
• Available colors: 9

Keep your kitchen sink area neat and tidy with this sponge holder that doubles as a soap dispenser when you press down on it. Not only will your counter be less messy, but this gadget also help speed up dishwashing time — you won’t have to pause scrubbing in order to pick up a soap bottle to add a dollop of detergent to your sponge.

• Available colors: 4

Cut out a step in your laundry routine with this two-compartment hamper that lets you sort your darks and lights on the go. With a lid to keep your dirty clothes out of sight and out of mind, this hamper features reinforced handles that make it easy to tote it to the laundry room. Each of the bins holds a full load of laundry, and the fabric design adds an upscale touch to your room.

• Available colors: 6

This genius strainer collapses when not in use, taking up so much less space in your cabinet than a hulking colander. Just as good, the clip-on design fits onto pots and bowls of all sizes, allowing you to drain off liquids with both hands. Made from BPA-free silicone, it’s heat-resistant to 440 degrees Fahrenheit, and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.

• Available colors: 4

This dry-erase chore chart magnetizes to your fridge, so you can delegate tasks and keep track of appointments just by quickly jotting things down (it comes with six whiteboard markers). Available in two sizes, it has entries for every day of the week as well as a section at the top for notes. The set also comes with an eraser, so you’ll be ready to start all over again the next week.

• Available sizes: 2
• Available colors: 2

Break down tough-to-cut things like bone-in meat or butternut squash easily with the help of this cleaver knife. It’s made of one piece of German stainless steel for high quality at a budget-friendly price. This knife will maintain its sharpness with ease, but in case it (or any of your other knives) gets dull, this gift-worthy set comes with a handy two-step knife sharpener to keep your hands safe and your food perfectly prepped.

Laundry can seem like a chore that never ends: wash, dry, fold, repeat. This laundry folding board at least streamlines the process by turning out perfectly uniform results — that means less chaotic dresser drawers. It’s simple to use and works with shirts, sweaters, and pants. The folder itself folds up for storage when not in use.

• Available colors: 4

These highly rated dishcloths are popular for a reason: Made from eco-friendly plant cellulose, you can use them for anything you’d use paper towels for, but they wash up in the machine, so you can use them again and again. They’re highly absorbent, and when slightly dry, gritty enough for scrubbing dishes or stuck-on messes. They’re safe to use on most surfaces including wood, tile, stainless steel, and marble.

• Available colors: 10

There’s a reason why cleaning the toilets is a common punishment in so many military and boarding school movies: It stinks, literally and figuratively. With these automatic toilet cleaners from Lysol, you can put it out of your mind, making the bathroom a much easier room to tackle. The device hooks over the rim of the toilet bowl and cleans the bowl with each flush, while also releasing antimicrobial protection to eliminate odor-causing bacteria and leaving behind a fresh scent. Each unit lasts for four weeks.

Keep your spatulas, slotted spoons, tongs, and other tools close at hand while you’re cooking with this utensil holder. Made from stainless steel, it rotates 360 degrees, so you can reach all of your tools without a lot of hassle, and the weighted base keeps it firmly in place on your counter. Dividers inside the caddy let you organize your utensils in whatever way works best for you.

• Available colors: 4

With a handle that telescopes out from 26 to 32 inches, this scrubber lets you reach even the highest corners of your shower. The head is made from a gentle but abrasive material to scrub off soap scum and stains, and it’s antimicrobial so it won’t mold or mildew. Plus, the head has a unique angled tip that lets you get into those pesky corners to give them a complete cleaning. Last but not least, OXO’s trademark ergonomic grip is comfortable in your hand.

This chopper and masher may be a bit odd-looking, but it’s a super versatile kitchen tool. Use it to break up ground meat in the pan, mash potatoes, mix batters, and much more. It features angled blades that make it easy to scrape the sides of your pots, pans, and bowls, but the BPA-free nylon material is gentle on your nonstick cookware. Dishwasher-safe, it has an ergonomically designed handle that prevents hand fatigue while you work.

Whether you’ve lost your kitchen sink stopper, or need one that seals up your garbage disposal, this universal kitchen sink stopper is for you. The 100% rubber gasket creates a watertight seal, so you can do a load of dishes without worrying about silverware, bones, and other stray items sneaking down the drain. The universal fit means it’s compatible with nearly all sinks.

• Available colors: 3

Why use a sponge or a dishcloth when you’re doing the dishes when you can just pull on these scrubbing gloves that are covered with hundreds of scouring bristles? Made from food-grade silicone, the heat-resistant gloves make it easy to use just your fingers and palms to get a thorough clean. Get an extra pair to use for washing your car or giving the dog a bath.

• Available colors: 3

Neaten up your utility closet or garage with this wall-mounted rack that holds brooms, rakes, or mops, so they don’t tip over and fall to the floor. Made from stainless steel, it also has four hooks for your gloves, a baseball hat, or smaller cleaning items like dusters and rags. The rack can hold up to 50 pounds, and all the hardware needed for installation is included.

With its classic good looks and multi-functionality, this marble cutting board is the ultimate utility player in your kitchen. It’s the perfect surface for chopping and slicing, keeps dough cool when working with pastry, and works well as a display board for cheese and charcuterie. Crafted from richly veined white marble, it’s equipped with nonslip rubber feet, so it won’t budge while you work.

• Available sizes: 4

There’s no need to sacrifice your back while you’re sweeping the floors — just use this broom and upright dustpan that keeps you from having to stoop over to scoop up all the dust and debris. The broom’s pole extends up to 4 feet in length, making it easy to reach under appliances, and the dustpan’s rubber bristles whisk away dirt and debris from the broom. When not in use, the two pieces snap together for upright storage.

• Available colors: 5

It can be impossible to remember what spices you have when they’re all lined up behind each other in a cluttered cabinet — and before you know it, you’ll have three jars of cayenne pepper. This two-tier lazy Susan spins 360 degrees, so you can easily browse all of your seasonings to see what you have on hand. Made from durable stainless steel, the double-decker design increases vertical storage space, which means you can store more spices in your cupboard.

If you don’t have at least one cast iron pan in your cookware collection, now is definitely the time to add this cast iron skillet to your cart. Cast iron is known for producing amazing results, thanks to superior heat retention with no hot spots — plus it’s durable enough to last for decades. This skillet comes pre-seasoned to infuse your food with more flavor, and the 12.5-inch size is ideal for everything from browning meat to frying chicken to making small batches of cornbread.

Do you get busy and find it difficult to remember to water your plants, or neglect them when you go on vacation and come back to sad, brown hulls? These self-watering bulbs make it possible for everyone to have a green thumb. Made from hand-blown glass, they’re simple to use: Just fill the globes with water, then stake them into the soil. They’ll slowly release water to keep your plants hydrated — without ever swamping them.

• Available sizes: 2

Getting moist, level cakes with no cracked tops and no weird drying around the edges is easy when you have these cake strips. Made from polyester, you soak them in water before each use, then secure them to the sides of your pans, just like a belt. Heat-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, they insulate the pans to get that critical even bake — i.e., no more leveling off the tops.

When you’re looking for a space-saving way to store your kitchen tools while still keeping them within easy reach, this magnetic knife bar is the perfect choice. Made from stainless steel, it’s embedded with ultra-strong magnets that secure knives, whisks, kitchen shears, and other metal implements. Boasting a near-perfect 4.8-star overall rating, you’ll also love this bar for tools in your garage or craft room.

• Available sizes: 6

Nix the cleaning fluid and use this hard-surface steam cleaner that utilizes high-temperature vapors to help eradicate germs and loosen stuck-on messes. It comes with seven attachments, including a variety of brushes, a grout tool, a scraper, and an angled tool that helps you reach into tight corners. Not only will you find a million uses for it around the kitchen (sinks, stovetops, counters), but you’ll also be able to use it to deep clean the bathroom.

Enjoy your toast without tearing up the bread with this butter keeper that keeps the stick fresh and spreadable. You simply place 0.5 inch of water in the base of the glazed stoneware container, then load a stick of butter into its top. The water creates a seal on the surface of the butter, keeping it ready for use. The best part? The rustic design is nice enough to keep out on the table.

Meal prep just got easier: This cookbook stand lets you check recipes at a glance. You can adjust its display angle from 0 to 90 degrees and there are built-in feet at the bottom to hold your book open at the correct page. The real standout feature, though, is a set of interchangeable plastic sheets that include conversions for units of measurements, cooking temperatures, and even calories to take the hassle out of calculating on the fly.

Take the pain out of cleaning your floors with this spin mop set that boasts a 4.6-star overall rating after 140,000 reviews. The microfiber mop head is fluffy and absorbent, and the bucket features a pedal mechanism — step on it with your foot to spin-wring the mop until it’s damp. A splash guard ensures that the water stays inside the bucket, making for a mess-free cleaning session.

Put your cookware in order with this pan rack that makes it quick and easy to get your hands on the exact pot or pan you need. The five tiers separate each pan, so you can grab one without having to unstack all the rest. Boasting sturdy steel construction, this organizer holds up to 50 pounds, so it works with even your heaviest cast iron. Use it inside your cabinets or on your countertop for quick and easy access.

• Available sizes: 2
• Available colors: 5

Wooden cutting boards can dehydrate and split over time if you don’t maintain them — which is why you might want to consider picking up this mineral oil that’s earned a 4.8-star overall rating after 36,000 reviews. All it takes is a few swipes to moisturize and condition wood, as well as protect it from futher dehydration. The food-grade oil is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, so it won’t interfere with the flavor of your ingredients.

• Available sizes: 2

Save yourself the hassle of ironing by using this clothes steamer that removes wrinkles effortlessly. Suitable for use on a variety of fabrics, it heats up in under two minutes and features a heat-resistant nozzle panel to prevent scalding. The steamer has a 9-foot cord for easy maneuvering, and it’s compact enough to stash in your suitcase for travel.

Everyone loves pancakes, but goodness, they’re a mess to make. This pancake batter dispenser streamlines things. Mix your ingredients right inside the generous 4-cup container (there are measurement markings on the side), then squeeze the handle to dispense the perfect amount of batter. It’s also ideal for muffins, cupcakes, and crepes.

With this canister set, you can standardize your dry goods storage, so you can both see your ingredients and keep them fresh. Made from durable glass, they’re topped with stainless steel lids that are airtight to lock in freshness and block out ants and other pests. The clear design lets you keep track of what you have left, and the matching design upgrades the look of your pantry.

Put your cordless drill to work as a housecleaning tool with this set of scrubbing brush attachments. Each brush in this three-piece set is designed for a different task, so you can tackle stove grates, bathtubs, outdoor furniture, and more. An extended-reach attachment is included to give you access to hard-to-reach places. Choose from a variety of sets that have soft or hard bristles.

• Available colors: 3

How many times have you asked yourself after dinner, “Are these dishes clean or dirty?” Put an end to the question with this reversible magnetic sign. After emptying the dishwasher, simply flip it over to the “dirty” side, then flip it back to “clean” when you run a load. With a design that complements any kitchen decor, this little addition may save hours of debate in your household.

• Available colors: 2

Most everyone’s dealt with the issue of disappearing socks, but it can easily be remedied with the SockDock that lets you load your dirty socks onto it before you throw them in the wash. Compatible for both washer and dryer use, it keeps each pair together, so you’re never left with a matchless sock. The device is outfitted with a hook that lets you hang it on a doorknob or closet rod.

• Available colors: 5

Whether you’re making pizza from scratch or simply heating up a frozen pie, this pizza peel can help keep it intact when you take it out of the oven. Made from thin but durable stainless steel, it’s equipped with a long handle that folds down for storage. It’s dishwasher-safe, and also makes for a fun way to present hot appetizers to guests.