Can Openers, Pizza Wheels, and More Unitaskers That Are Worth The Drawer Space

The humble cheese grater is something that you may not think you need until you absolutely need it. This allows you to grate your own cheese for pasta or use it to grate onions to cook down for sauces. It’s also good for baking, as you can grate chocolate for melting or frozen butter for your batter. This one from OXO folds flat for easy storage and can be split apart for easy grating at any angle.

When it comes to cooking pasta or grains, attempting to strain it without a strainer is a massive headache. The beauty of a strainer is that it’s made for one job and it’s a job that gets done on a fairly regular basis. The way to get the most out of your strainer is to, well, get two. A mesh strainer (I’d recommend getting a three-pack like this Cuisinart one) will help with small grains like quinoa while something like this collapsible strainer that will expand across your entire sink will help with larger pasta.

Maybe you make homemade pizza, maybe you don’t. But a pizza wheel is something that you can use for so many different applications, not just slicing through crust. Cut pasta into strips to be quickly boiled, slice dough into the right shape for baking, and chop through lettuce leaves without bruising them. They're also great to mince dried or fresh herbs easily. You can even get one with an ergonomic grip and a protective blade guard.

You may think that a microplane seems superfluous if you have a cheese grater, but this thin grater is key to unlocking so many flavors. Finely grate nutmeg to put into mac and cheese, use it to pulverize ginger and garlic for salad dressings, zest lemons or limes for a bright pop of citrus. You can even use it for cheese as it’s a great way to get a fine layer of parmesan on any dish you choose.