Before our Ikea opened in the Kansas City area, I borrowed a trailer, drove it empty 20 hours to Washington DC, filled it full at Ikea, then drove it home. The Chicago Ikea was closer, but we were going to DC to visit friends anyway and it seemed like the perfect combo. My first visit to the store was overwhelming and I was thankful to have my friend with me to help me navigate the displays, know what proper Ikea manners were, and figure out how to steer the cart.
For Ikea newbies, my first tip is to go with a friend who has been there before. Ikea is not a shopping trip, like a trip to Target. It’s more of a destination, like a trip to the zoo or a museum. The top floor is set up in little model apartments and display areas showing how to use the products. There is very little to actually take with you and buy on this level. It’s just for inspiration and it’s so much fun! Plan on at least 2 hours your first few times. After that, if you are in a hurry you can create a shopping list with the online app, stay off the 2nd floor displays and just go grab your stuff. When I plan to do that, it never fails that they have changed all the displays and I walk around just to see everything anyway. Now that Ikea is in Kansas City, sometimes I just go to walk around for inspiration and log steps in my tracker.
My house is full of Ikea products. If I were a true home decor blogger I might be embarrassed about how much comes from one store, but it’s affordable and works well. At first I was going to do a basic post on my favorite Ikea items, but there are TOO many. I decided to break it up into categories to help keep the post an appropriate length. So without further ado, here are my top 10 kitchen favorites. I often buy some of these and put them together for a wedding shower gift along with some toxin free cleaning products.
Gubbrora Silicone scraper spatulas. It seems so basic, but I find myself wanting this scraper over all the other brands in my kitchen. It doesn’t stain, goes right in the dishwasher and does a perfect job. At only $.99 each it’s a perfect addition to a wedding shower gift as well. They could improve it with better color combos. For now, I always grab the black and white.
Rort Beachwood Spoons in regular and flat tip. These are sturdy and smooth and season well with food grade mineral oil. I got rid of all my other wooden spoons after trying these.
Pabjuda whisk set. My favorite whisk is the tiny one! It’s so great for making a 2 egg omelet or other small mixes like salad dressing. The large size is just right for gravies. The only other whisk I have now is a silicone one for my special non-stick pans. I much prefer these when I’m cooking with stainless steel.
Produkt Milk Frother. This is my most recent Ikea purchase and I LOVE it. I use it to mix hot cocoa or protein powder into hot drinks. Be sure it’s near the bottom of the cup before turning it on or the powder on the surface will fly everywhere. It creates this mini-vortex in your cup that will completely mix everything together. I don’t use heavy cream in my drinks, so I’ve never had foam rise to the top or had the drink actually whip.
Proppmat Beech Cutting Board. This is my favorite board hands down. I grab it for everything except raw meat.
Upphetta French Press. This simple steeper can make a quart of coffee or loose tea and strain it without bits in your cup. It’s easy to clean and dishwasher safe. I love that it is light and fits in my cupboard and doesn’t have to sit on the counter.
Efterfragad Stainless Steel Vacuum Food Container. I bought one of these for each of my kids for packing soup and other hot foods for lunch. It has a nice wide mouth, is a nice size for easy cleaning, dishwasher safe, keeps food hot until lunch, and has never rusted. It’s easy not to get the lid tightened all the way, and then it will leak. Just make sure theres no gap between the black and silver portions and you’ll be ok. Previously I paid more money for stainless steel thermoses off Amazon and they rusted after the first washing. I’m much happier with these.
Smula Tray. I use these trays to help clear off the table after a meal, to take food outside for campfire cooking or grilling, and as general project corrals to clean the table off in the middle of crafting for a meal.
Direkt Nylon Utensil Set. I love them so much I have 2 sets and got rid of all my other similar items. Perfect for non-stick cookware.
Sotvatten drinking straws. These are the wider straws for thick smoothies. One pack lasts us forever because these straws go through the dishwasher in the utensil holder. They wash and reuse over and over again. Ikea also has smaller bendy straws that I keep on hand for when one of my kids is sick and must drink lying down. They don’t wash as well as the fat straws and have more of an environmental impact. We definitely use them less, but they have their purpose.
That’s my current line up of favorites. They aren’t new earth shattering technology, just hard working basics that I use every day. Do you have some favorites that aren’t on my list? Tell me about them in the comments. I’d love to try something new!
