Kitchen Items Worth the Splurge

I have a confession: Bed, Bath & Beyond is one of my favorite stores, ever. There’s one super close to my apartment, and I love just browsing through shelves of kitchen gadgets and home-and-bath essentials. Have you seen all the cool stuff they have? That place is a wonderland. Anyway… digression… kitchen supplies can be a little finicky sometimes. While some items you can get away with buying cheaper versions, some items are really worth splurging on, because they’re annoying when they break super easily, and/or they last a really long time. After living in apartments for the last few years, I’ve started learning which items to buy cheap, and which to save up for and buy fancy, nicer versions. These are my 5 kitchen items that I think are worth the splurge.

{1} Coffee maker – Especially if you are a huge coffee drinker like me! Y’all know I love my Keurig and I will swear by that thing for as long as I drink coffee. There are other great coffee makers that aren’t single-cup brewers. I recommend looking at Cuisinart if that’s what you want. {2} Tupperware & storage containers – If you cook and have a lot of leftovers, or cook/bake in bulk, you really want to invest in a good collection of storage containers. I bought a set of Rubbermaid containers at Sam’s before I moved into my apartment in Blacksburg, and they’ve held up really well. My 40-piece set was only $19.99. Definitely a great investment. {3} Cooking utensils – These wear out way quicker than you think, so if you cook a lot (or are going to start cooking a lot), I definitely suggest grabbing a good set of utensils: spatulas, large spoons, tongs, etc. My parents graciously gave me their used (but still in great condition) Calphalon set when they replaced their pots and pans. BB&B also has silicone utensils available in all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes.
{4} Stand mixer – I can’t exactly speak for myself on this one yet, but my mom loves her stand mixers and says they are so worth spending a few extra dollars. We had a giant white mixer for the longest time–in fact I remember getting my hair caught in it once when I was really young–and we just replaced it several years ago. When I get to the point of investing in a stand mixer, I’ll be sure to do my research and get a good, sturdy one that will last me for a while.
{5} Measuring cups – I seriously underestimated how useful a good, sturdy set of measuring cups could be. I bought a cheap, $4 set at Target when I moved in, and they snapped and broke within two weeks of me using them. So you can probably guess what my first stocking-stuffer request was this year.

What kitchen & home items do you splurge on the most?