You can save a good amount of money on kitchen cookware and appliances by spending more upfront. The same is true for everyday kitchen essentials, like cleaning tools and food storage. While disposable goods like plastic wrap, tinfoil, and plastic bags are convenient, they cause a lot of waste for the environment — and your wallet. Luckily, plenty of innovative reusable kitchen essentials are worth investing in for a low-cost, high-reward solution.
If you tend to stock up on plastic straws or paper towels weekly, purchasing a reusable alternative could mean you’ll never add those items to your grocery list again. From reusable food storage bags to washable paper towels, I found crowd-favorite reusable kitchen essentials at Amazon to save you money, from $7.
Money-Saving Reusable Kitchen Essentials
- Stasher Silicone Reusable Storage Bag, $38, originally $55
- Swedish Dishcloths, $18
- Bee's Wrap Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps, $17, originally $18
- Longzon Silicone Stretch Lids, $16
- The Useless Brand Reusable Paper Towels Roll, $20
- Hiware 12-Pack Reusable Metal Straws, $7, originally $12
- Food Huggers Reusable Silicone Food Savers, $17, originally $18
Stasher Silicone Reusable Storage Bags
Whether you’re saving leftovers or packing a sandwich for lunch, Stasher’s reusable food storage bags are some of our favorites. The food-grade silicone is a long-lasting alternative to single-use plastic bags and is safe to put in the dishwasher, microwave, and oven. While the upfront investment isn’t cheap, the current deal on this 4-pack means you’ll pay about $10 per bag, which is not bad considering the brand predicts that each silicone bag replaces 260 plastic bags annually.
Swedish Dishcloths
These Swedish dishcloths are an innovative sponge and cloth hybrid. They’re gentle yet effective, whether you use them to clean dishes or wipe down spills on the counter. While they’re not infinitely reusable, the brand says each cloth can be used up to 100 times, replacing around 15 paper towel rolls. Plus, you’re only paying about $2 per cloth. You can stick these in the washing machine to clean them, and when you eventually throw them away, you’ll have peace of mind knowing they’re biodegradable.
Bee's Wrap Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps
If you want a reusable product with the scrunch and hold of tinfoil, these beeswax food wraps are an eco- and budget-friendly solution. The organic cotton cloths are coated in beeswax, organic plant oil, and tree resin, making them grippy enough to cover a bowl of leftovers or a block of cheese. As long as you hand-wash and air-dry these wraps, they can last up to a year and then go in your compost pile or be used as a fire starter.
Longzon Silicone Stretch Lids
Whether you’ve lost the lids to your food storage containers or want to save a can of soda for later, these stretchable silicone lids can fit a variety of vessels to keep your food airtight and preserved. With the lids’ easy pull tabs, you’ll never reach for plastic wrap or tinfoil again — and you won’t jam your kitchen drawers with those long boxes, either. Plus, this 14-pack comes out to about $1 apiece.
The Useless Brand Reusable Paper Towels Roll
Of all the single-use products in our kitchen, paper towels are a hard habit to kick because of their multifunctionality. These reusable paper towels from The Useless Brand replace your disposable paper towels with 12 machine-washable cotton cloths. They even come with a cardboard roll to conveniently wrap the towels around for easy access.
Hiware 12-Pack Reusable Metal Straws
Sure, you could get paper straws (or even pasta straws), but why not get a set of endlessly reusable metal straws instead? We like how these Hiware metal straws come in two different sizes and shapes, so you can use a bendy straw or a longer straight straw for your 30-ounce Stanley Quencher. The 12-piece set also includes two cleaning brushes and a carrying case, so you’re never left without a straw in your home or on the go.
Food Huggers Reusable Silicone Food Savers
Do you often find yourself stashing half a lemon in a plastic bag or tossing out half of a browning apple you forgot to eat? If so, these food-saving Food Huggers are for you. The circular silicone gadgets hug your half-eaten produce, creating an airtight seal to keep it fresher for longer. They’re dishwasher-safe, space-saving, and lead to less food waste.