Genius Fall Kitchen Tools to Shop at Amazon, from $10

Fall is literally next week, which is hard to believe. I’m happily inviting this change since it’s my favorite season for its celebration of harvesting, cooking and baking. I find that I use my kitchen more this time of year, experimenting with fall recipes and circling back to those healthy and warming fall dishes we know and love. 

I also find that the change in cooking always means I am reaching for different kitchen essentials. I couldn’t go without a Dutch oven, a zester or a set of pasta bowls—plus more. They’re clever and fun to have but also irreplaceable in terms of how much easier they make fall cooking. I’m sure it’d be the same for you, so I rounded up all of the essentials I’d grab if I could; that way, you’re prepared for any recipes to come. Shop picks from Cuisinart, Le Creuset, Lodge and more top brands (including tested favorites of ours), starting at $10. 

Fall Kitchen Essentials 

• Microplane Classic Zester Grater, $16
• Cuisinart Chef’s Classic 5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, from $74 (was $100)
• GIR Premium Silicone Spatula, $13
• Y Yhy 6-Piece 30-Ounce Pasta Bowl Set, $30 with Prime (was $50)
• Spring Chef Magnetic Measuring Spoon Set, $10 
• Hamilton Beach Portable 6-Quart Digital Programmable Slow Cooker, $75
• Mueller Multistick 5-in-1 Immersion Blender, $30 with coupon (was $50)
• Le Creuset Stoneware Heritage Covered Rectangular Baking Dish, $135
• USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan, $24
• Lodge 3.6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Oval Casserole, $78

Microplane Classic Zester Grater

While seemingly simple, this Microplane is an incredibly unique kitchen tool everyone should have. It’s all in the name—it zests and grates with ease. Similar to a cheese grater, it has a stainless steel surface marked with openings. These openings are much finer than your average grater making it the perfect tool for specific tasks that we often do during cooler months. Think grating fresh nutmeg, topping dishes with snowy piles of cheese or zesting winter lemons and grapefruits into desserts. It’s also great for other everyday ingredients like garlic and ginger to get a very fine, even texture on them. 

Cuisinart Chef’s Classic 5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

You need a Dutch oven in the fall but don’t need to spend hundreds to get one. In fact, this model from Cuisinart is our favorite one on the market after testing. Depending on the color you pick, you can score it for as low as $74, though its original $100 price tag is still an incredible buy. Nothing beats the versatility of this pot, and based on its performance, you’ll be able to whip up soups, stews, sauces and bread with ease. We’d know since we used it to test things like seared chicken and rice. We love how durable the enameled cast iron is and found that it was comparable to models double the price. Grab it in a few colors in a range of sizes, including 5-quarts, which is a versatile pick. 

GIR Premium Silicone Spatula

This GIR spatula isn’t like any old spatula. It has the perfect design with a lot of consideration behind it. It’s stiff enough to handle heavy mixtures but flexible enough to get into tight spaces for scraping. The shape is also fantastic because you have a sharper, longer edge for getting into corners and cutting into mixtures for folding and a softer edge for gentle scraping and mixing. Another (often overlooked) perk is that it’s one piece from top to bottom, so there are no nooks and crannies to worry about when cleaning it. I own this 11-inch size, though you can grab it in other sizes too. It’s the best investment for fall baking, but it also goes a long way with savory dish prep. 

Y Yhy 6-Piece 30-Ounce Pasta Bowl Set

A set of pasta bowls will change your life, at least when it comes to eating, serving and even prepping. This set is one of my favorites for its size and price point. The 30 ounces is big enough to hold pretty much everything, but especially soups, stews, casseroles and pasta. I also love them for serving and have even used them to measure ingredients while baking. This set is easy, too, since it’s dishwasher- and microwave-safe. It comes with size bowls, and at just $30 for Prime members, you can’t beat the $5 apiece price. 

Spring Chef Magnetic Measuring Spoon Set

I have a set just like this one, and I use it to measure spices, yeast and extracts when I’m baking or cooking. It’s genius in quite a few ways. I love the dual-ended side because the round one is perfect for measuring liquids, while the tapered end is great for getting into jars. With the two ends, you don’t need to wash the spoon between uses if you’re going from wet to dry. The magnetic design keeps them together for storing, but makes it very easy to grab the spoon you need. Oh and the leveler is great for accuracy, too. I’d recommend a multi-color pack, since it makes the measurements easily identifiable.  

Hamilton Beach Portable 6-Quart Digital Programmable Slow Cooker

This Hamilton Beach slow cooker has all the bells and whistles you need to craft the perfect soup, stew or sauce. It also ranked on our list after testing, standing out for its locking lid, which makes it easy to transport. This perk is key if you plan on taking a dish on the go for a holiday gathering or a tailgate. It’s programmable with a digital display to make selecting the time and temperature you need easy. It also comes with a nifty temperature probe to make sure your ingredients are cooked properly, which we really appreciated in our tests. It’s a total must-have that’ll save the day anytime, whether for weeknights or big gatherings. 

Mueller Multistick 5-in-1 Immersion Blender

Gone are the days when you need to spoon soup into a blender just to put it right back in your pot. Immersion blenders go right in to whizz up recipes from pumpkin soup to silky sauces. We found that this Mueller one is one of the best picks on the market, specifically for its versatility. The blender tackled all of our tests with ease, making it a great choice alone, but all of the added accessories make this $30 tool all the more worthy of a purchase. It comes with a blending cup, a whisk attachment and a frother attachment for a multi-functional tool that makes a range of recipes easier this season. 

Le Creuset Stoneware Heritage Covered Rectangular Baking Dish

From casseroles to desserts, a 9-by-13-inch baking dish is essential for the fall and the holiday season. There are two reasons why I think this Le Creuset dish makes for a great buy: its material and its lid. The brand’s stoneware is known for its durability and performance, evenly baking whatever’s inside; that way, you end up with perfect results every time. It’s stain-, odor- and scratch-resistant too. The lid is a huge plus because you can use it to lock moisture in while your recipe is baking, to prevent something from browning too much while it’s baking or to keep a dish warm before serving. The lid also makes it easy to transport, and its display-worthy design makes it worthy of any holiday tablescape. 

USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan

Sheet pans make one-pan dinners and holiday cookies possible, among heaps of other tasks. I’m a big fan of USA Pans bakeware, and this sheet pan has the same material as some of my favorite pieces. It’s made with aluminized steel, which is a popular material for a reason. It helps evenly bake ingredients while retaining a durable, long-lasting design. Another huge hallmark of USA Pan is the ridges in its bakeware, which you’ll see at the bottom of this pan. This is to help air circulate around your food more for better results and also helps to release ingredients from the pan.  

Lodge 3.6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Oval Casserole

When it comes to seasonal casseroles, braises and baked goods, this cookware piece is a great buy. It’s like a skillet but has a little more depth to hold ingredients inside with ease. Use it for dishes like slow-cooked chicken thighs, quick lasagna, macaroni and cheese, cornbread and more. From Lodge, it features the brand’s enameled cast iron for even heating and quick cleaning. The helper handles allow you to easily take it from your stove to the oven (or the table). It comes with a nice lid to lock in moisture. Score it for under $100 before the season officially kicks off.