38 Easy Ways To Upgrade Your Kitchen

May 01, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

From organization hacks to aesthetic upgrades, these improvements will give your kitchen the glow-up it deserves. ✨

BuzzFeed Staff

BuzzFeed Staff

Let small essentials rest on a magnetic stove shelf, perfect for smaller kitchens where counter space is at a premium (hello, everyone in NYC). This magnetic shelf attaches to the top of your stove with zero installation required, giving you a very handy spot to store spices, decor, and more while freeing up precious cabinet space.

And if you're looking for another way to update your cabinets, try a one-day cabinet makeover kit to give your kitchen that just-remodeled feeling for pennies versus what it would cost to replace them.

Stick small LED lights under and/or above your kitchen cabinets for a neat glow anytime the lights are off — you can program them to give off a classic white glow or all sorts of colors, and at variety of brightness levels. No more blinding yourself with the overhead lights every time you need a glass of water at 3 a.m.

Promising review: "Are you embarrassed for friends, relatives, and your mother-in-law to see your kitchen sink? Is your sink situation affecting your well-being? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, you may be in luck. Hope's Perfect Sink provides relief to those afflicted with sink stain shame. I spent about 10 minutes cleaning and polishing (note that it does take some elbow grease) and I now have a sink that I can be proud of. As a matter of fact, I find excuses to walk past my sink several times a day just to admire the shine. Even if my wife and kids roll their eyes whenever I talk about my sink polishing adventures, I think they secretly love it too. If your sink is in need of some love, just shell out the bucks and buy a bottle of this stuff. You won't regret it." —Rick B

Get it from Amazon for $8.90+ (available in multiple sizes and packs).

Promising review: "We moved into our house in late January and the previous owners were lazy. Upon opening the dishwasher you got hit with a 'yuck' smell. I tried a measuring cup filled with white vinegar, it helped but the smell was still there. I saw these on a BuzzFeed list. I ordered and threw one in our dishwasher without any dishes and ran it. The smell is gone!!! These are a great, inexpensive, and easy way to clean your dishwasher for sure." —Amazon Customer

Get a pack of six tablets from Amazon for $8.99.

Jenae: "I've used this before on my own kitchen tile, which had gross dark grout that stuck out like a sore thumb every time I walked in there. It takes a bit of time and patience since you have to go slow, but the instructions are very straightforward, and if you accidentally get some outside of the lines, you can just wipe it off. The end results are well worth it — the entire area looks newer and cleaner."

Promising review: "This pen was cheap and the backsplash in my new kitchen was an eyesore. I wasn't expecting much because of the price but I am absolutely stunned. My kitchen looks so much better! It was easy to use, no odor, and quick! I did two coats because the color was dark brown. Some places I did more but I didn't mind doing it because it was actually really satisfying. I used one pen for the area plus some. Definitely recommend this product!" —Kim

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two styles).

Promising review: "I bought it to clean the tiles and grout in the kitchen. My boyfriend inherited this house from his mother and the tiles and grout had not been cared for properly in years. I knew the grout was supposed to be white because of other areas that had been covered with rugs. I did as the instructions said — sprayed on and let sit for a few minutes. I used a wire brush on the grout and a softer scrub brush on the tile. WOW! I’m super impressed at how well this works! The tiles look brand new and bright! The grout is CLEAN! The cleaner cut through years of dirt, grease, and oil! Also, for those of you with sensitive noses, this stuff hardly has a smell at all." —AmazonAddict

Get it from Amazon for $19.98+ (available in a variety of size options).

You get five drawers and one egg holder!

Promising review: "I love these things so much. I just got my first apartment with my boyfriend and it looked so messy in our little fridge and now it looks really appealing and everything is easy to get to. The quality of them is so good, I’m honestly impressed they’re very sturdy and the egg holder is so cute and holds 14 eggs!" —Faith Sperry

Get the set of six from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in four colors).

These BPA-free plastic containers are designed with an airtight leak-proof seal with a secure latch to keep their contents fresh for longer. They're also designed to be stackable, making them space-efficient as well! Psst — you can get some very ~aesthetic~ labels for these as well if you want.

Jenae: "I upgraded to see-through containers for some of my dry goods forever ago and can't recommend it enough. It's SO helpful and looks great — I often get compliments from visitors on mine."

Promising review: "I previously purchased the Oxo push-button containers and I found that the lid just slipped off of the flour container because the flour coated it and made the rubber ring not grip. That will never be a problem with these containers because of the locking mechanism. They are fantastic! They have a lifetime warranty and are guaranteed not to leak. I highly, highly recommend these! I've already purchased a second set. And while not advertised strongly enough, they are MADE IN THE USA!!" —whosaysidontcook

Get the 20-piece set (10 containers with 10 lids) from Amazon for $49.67 (available in multiple sets).

See this "life-changing" drawer organizer on TikTok!

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Chelsea Stuart has used the cutlery organizer to make her kitchen feel more organized. She says: "Just got this, and it has freed up SO much space in our cutlery drawer that we can now store teas, small Tupperware, etc. vs. before it was just a mess of utensils."

Promising review: "I had never seen this before I bought it, and holy crap it changed my life. So. Much. Room. There is so much room left in my drawer now that I moved stuff from another drawer and I have an entirely empty drawer in my kitchen now. Now only HALF the drawer is silverware and the other half is spatulas and cooking utensils. It is great. It also seems very sturdy. Highly recommend." —van31050

Get it from Amazon for $11.24+ (available in three colors and another style).

Promising review: "This works great for my knives! I had a universal block on my countertop and 1) I hate stuff on my counter and 2) I hated shoving knives into the black filling. This works so perfectly, hides the blades completely, they fit, easy to put in and take out, and it looks nice. If you have an extra drawer buy this!" —Crista

Get it from Amazon for $26.74+ (available for 12 or 16 knives).

This block comes with 13 knives (included six steak knives), a pair of kitchen scissors, a peeler, and a two-stage knife sharpener.

Promising review: "I love everything about these!!! I NEVER put my knives in the dishwasher, it's the best way to destroy them! These will last forever! I love the variety of blades. The handles are sturdy and comfortable. The stand is unique and very convenient. The knives are very sharp and the sharpener is easy to use. I’m very satisfied!" —Dean Maikranz

Get a 17-piece set from Amazon for $44.99 (available in smaller sets and other colors).

Everneat is a Fairfield, Connecticut-based Etsy shop filled with natural cleaning products and tools.

Promising review: "Listen, this is THE only oven cleaner you need. This took YEARS of buildup off our oven from previous owners, even when the self-clean feature couldn't. The microfiber clothes are really nice quality too. Will be repurchasing and getting the stove top cleaner too!!" —Dee

Get it from Everneat on Etsy for $19.99 (available in three scents).

Promising review: "I expected to be happy, but I'm thrilled! Each mat is pliable and fits the entire width of my standard oven. When the mat is against the back wall, it extends up to but not over the front lip of the floor. On first use, pizza cheese and sauce dripped onto the front edge of the mat and onto that uncovered lip. The baked-on cheese and sauce slid right off the mat! Effortlessly! After I cleaned up the lip, I layered a second mat to cover the lip. These mats are so great that I almost want food to drip on them so I can show off how wonderful they are." —Artset Outset

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $11.99 (also available in a combo pack with two oven liners, a microwave liner, and a toaster oven liner).

This colander can expand from 14.5 to 19.5 inches. It's top-rack dishwasher safe as well!

Jenae: I have this colander in the pink color and absolutely love it! I don't leave it out on my sink permanently, but I've hung it right next to my sink using small Command hooks so I can quickly grab it and place it on my sink whenever I need to clean produce or drain pasta. I love being able to leave ingredients on it to drain while I work on other steps of a recipe, and it also leaves enough room in the sink for me to place dirty dishes or wash a pan without the dirty water going onto my clean ingredients. Highly recommend, especially for small kitchens!

Promising review: "I’m obsessed with this. I leave it in my sink always. It makes washing fruits or draining pasta so much easier and has such a simple cleanup. It also adds a nice pop of color to my kitchen. I highly recommend it." —Alyssa

Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (available in six colors and in two-packs).

Promising review: "I never write reviews but this product deserves a great review! I have been wanting to put subway tile in our kitchen as a backsplash since we moved in but didn't have the time or motivation to do it, not to mention the expense. I came across these and decided to try them. I have been blown away with how great they look and every person that has seen them after I put them up doesn't know they are not real tile. They are shiny like tile and have the texture of tile as well. They are easy to clean and relatively easy to install. It took me two afternoons only because I hadn't ordered enough and needed one more package (a total of three packages completed my L-shaped backsplash area). This was one of the best decisions I have made for my home and it looks great!" —Kyle & Noelle

Get a 10-pack of 12x12 panels from Amazon for $25.49 (also available in six other styles).

Promising review: "We did a kitchen facelift this summer, repainting and making everything look fresh. We were looking at The Home Depot version of these, which are more than double the price. We decided to go for these instead and they are amazing!! I put them up myself in about two hours. I did buy the adhesive spray just in case but it wasn't needed, even for the few I had to peel off and re-stick to center correctly. These aren't too difficult to apply but definitely require patience. It is 100% worth the buy for a DIY affordable update!" —Hope Consilvio

Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $29.60 (also available in another style).

You can choose between 80-bag or 120-bag stands with eight or 12 removable bins, respectively. Also, multiple reviewers split this in two to mount them all the way vertically as a DIY solution!

YouCopia is a woman-owned small business that specializes in home organization products.

Promising review: "Do I really need a tea bag organizer? That's what I was thinking when I ordered this. And when I took it out of the box. And when I filled the first little bag holder. But, as the pile of empty boxes grew larger, I knew the answer was yes, I do need a tea bag organizer. I was using a whole shelf and a half of jumbled tea boxes that I had to sift through to look for a specific tea. In the end, I think this held about eight or nine boxes of tea bags (I crammed some of them). I am so happy that I got this!" —Sarah C.

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in two sizes).

Pop them right out when you need to clean them!

This product is from the same small business as above, YouCopia!

Promising review: "This is one of my favorite things I've ever purchased from Amazon! The fact that they are so customizable allows you to cut them for any drawer size! I think this will be my go-to gift for all of my friends who love cooking as much as I do! Freeing up cabinet space and having something that can easily be rinsed off in the sink makes this a for-sure buy!" —momonono

Get a pack of six on Amazon for $16.99 (available in two colors.

Jenae: "This spice rack has three rows holding 18 glass bottles (which are included), and I've been using two of them stacked on top of each other since 2018. The height of two racks stacked has fit *perfectly* under the kitchen cabinet in both apartments I've lived in since then, and to secure the two together, I just used a couple of clear zipties on each side (shoutout to this reviewer for the idea) — they stack extremely well and are sturdy. But even if you only opt for one to hold your essentials, I can't recommend this spice rack enough. Its design is elegant and space-efficient (the latter being a major plus in my compact New York City apartment).

"You'll receive 48 blank labels with the spice rack, but you can also buy cuter labels separately if you'd like (I got round chalkboard labels and a chalk marker to make my own — this kit is similar to what I got). Anyone who's ever gone digging in their spice cabinet to find the exact spice you need will get the appeal of having all the labels facing your way and at grabbing distance, but it's also just a super cute thing to have in your kitchen. I've gotten countless compliments on my spice rack from visitors over the years, and I'm just as pleased with it as I first was years ago."

Get it from Amazon for $24.97 (available in two colors).

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Heather Braga has put this to the test! "After hearing what incredible things The Pink Stuff can do, I finally ordered it and tried it for myself. Honestly, wow! It really does work wonders. I tried it first on my Le Creuset cast-iron pan (seen above, right) and really was amazed at how just one pass with The Pink Stuff (and a scouring brush) took off almost every stain! I can't wait to try it on literally everything in my home that needs a deep cleaning."

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

You'll also get a large microfiber cloth with the bottle.

Former BuzzFeed Shopping writer Brittany Ross says, "I don't know what kind of fairy dust this plant-based spray is hiding inside, but it made my mucked-up fridge sparkle within a MINUTE! I was skeptical when I first sprayed it onto my fridge because it took a second for the streaks to start fading, but lo and behold, there was *zero* residue left behind after a super brief wipe sesh. Once I saw how downright dazzling my fridge looked, I decided to put it to the ~real~ test — my filthy dishwasher. Again, a minute of buffing with a microfiber towel was enough to make it look like a brand new appliance, and it worked wonders on the greasy stainless steel edges of my oven, too. Oh, and it legit smells like lavender, which makes me look forward to cleaning! I can confidently say I will never be without at least two bottles of this magic spray in my house for as long as I live."

Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (also available in packs).

Promising review: "We love our new strip lights so much that I decided to buy a second set. The first one was installed above the kitchen cabinets where we placed some artwork and vases. The second set was placed under the kitchen island top. Grandkids love speaking to Alexa to change the colors of the lights. Setup was extremely easy and it works with the Alexa app." —junin07

Get a 16.4-foot strip from Amazon for $25+ (available in four lengths).

Promising review: "Unbelievable results. This product surpassed our expectations. We were skeptical because it did not seem like enough paint. Wow, we did two coats and still have half a can left. We did prep the whole kitchen with tape and contractor protection paper. First coat went on very fast and I couldn't figure out the amount to apply, but after the first cabinet it became clear that it did not cover like the first coat of paint. It was thin like satin. When we applied the second coat, oh my gosh, it was just beautiful. We did take the doors off and painted them separately in the basement. We did no sanding, no top coat, because you do not need it. We did label the doors, which made the installation back easier. Would purchase this product again. Our neighbors cannot believe that we did the painting ourselves, because it looks professional. Transformation of our kitchen is priceless. Buy buy buy the product." —Brad Isley

Get it from Amazon for $79.95 (available in nine colors).

Promising review: "A doable task for any novice DIY-er. I was a but nervous to try this, but I figured I’d try it and if I hated it I could buy a new fridge (mine came with my house, which was purchased 18 years ago). I followed the directions and I’m happy with the result. It's a perfect holdover to match my other appliances until this fridge reaches the end of its life. I started on a Saturday night and wrapped up on a Monday afternoon, leaving time for drying and life :) Just follow the directions (especially stirring the paint and breaking up the stainless steel clumps before applying — paint starts off looking blue, but once you’ve patiently incorporated all the steel, it becomes the desired shade of metal)." —WC

Get it from Amazon for $89.95.

And when you move or change your mind, you can easily remove or reposition it!

Promising review: "Amazing job at updating my wall oven. I searched for months trying to see what would be an alternative replacement to my dated wall oven (25 years old). The thing is, my old oven has always worked very well, so I couldn't really justify paying $2,000 to replace my working double wall oven only because of cosmetic reasons. Then it dawned on me that maybe if I updated the oven with this metal covering it would look like real stainless steel. So for literally the cost of $10 I updated my oven. The update is virtually unnoticeable unless you tell someone, and what's the best thing of all, it leaves no fingerprints. Best $10 I ever spent." —B. Lenj

Get an 18-inch x 6-foot roll from Amazon for $13.82.

Promising review: "This stuff is worth every penny. My kitchen appliances look brand new! Easily removes old baked-on grease from stove and pots and pans. I’m most pleased with the stains it took out of the bathtub. I had been battling dark stains in the tub since I moved in my house two years ago. I tried everything! This product removed the stains almost effortlessly. I even used it on some of my jewelry." —AlleyCat

Get it from Amazon for $7.50.

Promising review: "Let me say this — there is nothing out there that can clean your electric cooktop surface better than this! PERIOD! If you have an electric stove, please do yourself a favor and just buy this. I use a regular paper towel to do the cleaning and no matter how dirty, messy, stained, or greased the stovetop gets, this will make it BRAND-NEW every single time!" —ItsJustBlah

Get it from Amazon for $12.99.

StoveShelf is a US-based small business that specializes in stove shelves for various sizes of stoves.

Jenae: I picked up the StoveShelf in the white 20-inch apartment size a while back, and I'm *obsessed* with how it uses and fills the space above my teensy stove. The magnets under are S-T-R-O-N-G, but you can still move them around with ease. That's a good thing, because if your stovetop is curved (or straight-up dented on top, like mine...lol), you may need to adjust the positioning of the magnets so that the StoveShelf sits flat on top and items don't slide off. (I found that positioning the magnets near the front allowed the StoveShelf to sit further back and maintain a flat level position.) As a backup option, though, I found that it works just as well when you put it on backwards so that the lip on the back faces the front — this keeps any items on top from sliding off!

Promising review: "This is amazing, and I have no idea I didn't buy one of these years ago!!! My new stove wouldn't get close enough to the wall to allow me to rest anything on top without it falling behind. This was absolutely PERFECT. I am very happy that the magnets provided were able to be moved. This allowed me to place them perfectly for maximum hold because my top was slightly curved." —JStill

Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in six colors and three sizes from 20" to 30").

Promising review: "I've been using this product for about three years now, and it has become a routine part of my cleaning obsession. I am grossed out by drain flies, so I'm always trying to keep my drains clean. There is no fragrance to it either. This is my go-to! And let's be real, the 6 year-old in me really loves to watch the cleaning foam rise!" —Miss E

Get a bag of four from Amazon for $3.22.

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Heather Braga owns one of these and says, "I bought this for myself (since I'm clearly a REAL adult) and OMG. This thing REALLY works. Usually when my husband makes sauce from scratch I'm left with chunks of tomatoes throughout my sink and water that WILL NOT drain — that was until I bought the SinkShroom. My mom was so impressed she bought one, too. It's a serious game-changer."

Promising review: "I’ve been a fan of the SinkShroom and TubShroom, and this is the best product from the line so far. My kitchen sinks simply do not clog any more, so there's no more reaching into a bunch of water to unclog anything with my hand." —Brady Amerson

Get it from Amazon for $9.98 (also available with a stopper and in a two-pack).

McMaster3D is a Langhorne, Pennsylvania-based Etsy shop that specializes in 3D printing.

Promising review: "We have a tiny tiny kitchen so we try to utilize all of the available space we have. These attachment hangers are perfect! Sturdy and well made." —Carrie Hartley

Get the set of three from McMaster3D on Etsy for $9.90+ (available in a variety of colors).

This cute macrame hanging basket is handcrafted by Knapps Knots, a San Diego-based macramé and wood craft shop run by Anastasia Knapp, who is originally from Ukraine.

Jenae: I personally own this macrame basket (in the Cactus shade) and *highly* recommend it if you're looking to add a cozy touch to your kitchen. As someone with a relatively small NYC kitchen, I need every bit of counter space I can get, and this lets me keep produce out without having to take up space with a fruit basket or banana stand. I'm a big fan of utilizing vertical space as storage, and this does just that; plus, it allows for ventilation to help your fruit stay fresh for longer. I'm constantly cooking with onions or grabbing an apple as a mid-day snack, and having them right there at an arm's reach is sooo nice. BTW, these come with hooks that screw directly into a cabinet, but if you (like me) want to avoid that damage, I recommend using Command hooks — I'm using four of these small toggle hooks and they've held up the basket *with* produce in it wonderfully.

Promising review: "I love love love this! It adds a lot of charm to our kitchen, and it's super functional. The macrame is very high-quality, and it shipped fast." —Rachel Amity

Get it from Knapps Knots on Etsy for $27.90+ (available in two sizes and 12 colors)

Promising review: "Moved into a new home with less space for display of dishes. I had to place my plates and such in a drawer. This pegboard separates are the best. Sturdy, easy to assemble, and adjust. My drawer was not a size offered, but they were easy to have cut to size. Highly recommend!" —Dorothy C. Vuono

Get it from Amazon for $91.87+ (available in three sizes).

Promising review: "When I’m standing at my kitchen sink, my view is my neighbors whenever they are on their deck. With this window cling on part of the window, now the neighbors have privacy and I have beautiful rainbows all over the counter and sink. It makes me happy! Great product! Great price! Easy to install!" —W. Macindoe

Get it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in 11 sizes).

It has an about six-step installation process and includes all the parts you'll need. The brace adjusts to any size between 4" and 6" and fits the standard base sockets. They can be used on sloped ceilings up to 45˚, works in damp locations, has a 50-pound maximum load rating, and is paintable with no visible screws or hardware.

Promising review: "This was a pretty easy installation considering the work is on the ceiling. I've been wanting to change out the two can lights over my sink for years, so I started investigating the easiest possible way to do so. Ran across this item, and watched the video on YouTube. What the heck, I thought! Rewatched the video before installation, looked at the directions on both the converter kit and the pendant light, gathered the necessary tools described in all instructions, and set upon my mission. The hardest part (for me) was getting the self-tapping screws started. I'm pretty pleased with the outcome, I must say! By the way, I'm a 55-year-old female who has worked at a bank all of my life. Yes! It was that easy. I would highly recommend it." —Trisch Reeve

Get it from Amazon for $18.67.

These foam liners help cut down mold by absorbing excess water and providing your fruits/veggies better air circulation.

Promising review: "I can't say enough good things about this product! I absolutely love them. I’m a big fan of prolonging the life of my fresh produce, and these def have helped in that quest! I use them in both my fridge drawers and in my hang baskets for my other produce. It keeps my apples fresher for longer at room temperature, and I even noticed I got an extra day or two from my avocados while using these!" —Ibeth

Get a set of four from Amazon for $13.99.

It fits standard wine bottles (not jumbo ones). Of course, you don't have to use this in the fridge — others set it up as part of their bar cart!

Get a look at it on TikTok!

Promising review: "I have wine that was taking up too much space in my fridge. Now that it is stacked, it works a lot better! Plus, the wine bottles would roll around on my glass shelf and drive me wild. No more rolling bottles, and now, there is room for more food! The holders are plastic, but seem pretty durable." —MindSetOnBeach

Get a set of two from Amazon for $15.49.

Promising review: "I simply love these trivets. I used them as a decoration on my kitchen wall. When needed, I just place them on the table for my hot dishes. They clean in a breeze and the color is great. The price is so reasonable that if I didn't need them, I still would have bought them. You will not be disappointed with this item." —redhead

Get a set of three from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in eight colors and also in sets of six).

Promising review: "These are really cute and they can hold a ton of plastic bags! I had an entire cabinet where we would throw bags every time we came home from shopping. I stuffed all of those bags into these and now I have a free cabinet to use! I love these little things!" —Maquillaje by Mollie

Get a set of two from Amazon for $15.99.

Some reviewers recommend using a buffer like cork or packing foam to muffle the sound of cups and spoons clanging when you close the cabinet door!

Promising review: "First, I do love this. I really dislike rummaging though a drawer or cabinet for measuring spoon or cups. So, this was perfect. Perfect, except the clanking noise when cabinet door is open. So, I took some packing foam, cut to size, and put behind the plastic cups and metal spoons. No noise when cabinet opens! Also, the measuring strips words were too wide to put next to each other, so I stacked them." —Florence, az

Get them from Amazon for $14.99.

And while you're at it, pick up a 20-pack of small adhesive hooks at Amazon for $13.99 to hang your measuring spoons and cups like they did above! Some of the reviewers mention using them for this exact purpose.

Note: Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.