9 Daiso Kitchen Items That Are Worth Buying

Daiso is deemed a cult-favorite dollar store of sorts because of its affordable prices. We are certainly huge fans and have many Daiso essentials throughout our home, but perhaps you're curious about some of its kitchen selections. While anyone can go there and grab a plethora of items that speak to them, we wanted to find out the crème de la crème of its offerings. So, we did some research to find out what's worth buying and compiled a fantastic selection. 

Each of the following products is a worthy purchase based on a few factors: It solves a problem or has a direct function, which means you'll get a lot of use out of it; it's very versatile and useful in how you can apply it in the kitchen, and bonus points if it looks nice. Therefore, next time you head into the store, you'll have a few specific items to seek out, rather than feeling completely overwhelmed by all the aisles. No need to check the snack section or the cleaning supplies, just head straight toward the kitchen area for these gems.

Milk frothers are nothing new, but for home baristas lacking a fancy coffee maker that froths your milk, a milk frother is particularly useful. Believe us, we've used one for years, since it gets the job done and makes drinks fun and elevated. Daiso offers various color options, including white and brown, but this may vary depending on the store location. It's easy to use, too: Simply pop in a couple of batteries, and it's ready to use.

Daiso's milk frother is compact and great for frothing milk or other liquids, which you can use for anything from a hot chocolate to a milk steamer to matcha lattes — there's no rule that it's solely for coffee beverages. Just remember, this Daiso device doesn't heat the milk; it only froths it. Some people even like to use these handy devices to scramble up their eggs or mix ingredients, such as when making meringue or pudding. We like that it has a little stand, so you can display it on the counter if you use it frequently. And if anyone needs some tips and tricks on how to use a milk frother, we talked to a barista to get the best and most useful insights. 

A kitchen timer or an egg timer is an absolute kitchen essential. They are something that people can get plenty of use out of, especially for those who are cooking up multiple things at once. Yes, you might have a microwave or a stove timer, as well as your phone, but having different timers can help you remember how long a food has been cooking when whipping up more than one dish. 

Daiso is a terrific place to find a kitchen timer or egg timer, particularly if you're looking for something a little cuter than the average variety. For example, we saw an egg timer that shows how long to cook the huevo based on whether you want it soft, medium, or hard — but it's not your basic timer, it's in the shape of an adorable chick. Other Daiso timers are sleek and compact or may come in shapes like a strawberry or a frog. These both serve a purpose and add whimsy to one's kitchen.

For those who don't eat rice regularly, it can be difficult to determine an appropriate amount to make — enough for the meal, but not so much that you're left eating it for days on end or forgetting about it in the fridge until it goes moldy. If you are seeking a small amount of rice to accompany a meal, then Daiso's ceramic rice cooking mug might be the perfect solution. 

We've seen a black and a beige version, but you'll have to see what your local store has available. We like that it looks like a chic coffee mug, so you can store it in your kitchen cabinet without taking up much space, as opposed to a bulkier rice cooker. Just add the rice and some water, put the lid on, plop it in the microwave, then take it out and leave it covered to steam up. Just follow any directions that come with the box for time frames or wattage. Once you get the hang of it, you can incorporate more flavor into the rice with ingredients like butter, broth, or coconut milk. 

Whether you've got a little one at home or you're trying to figure out chopsticks yourself, training chopsticks can be a fantastic starting point. They're also fantastic as an accessibility tool if it's difficult to grasp the standard non-connected chopsticks. Daiso's training chopsticks are approachable, functional, and — as we've come to expect with anything Daiso — cute. They have a connected end, meaning you don't have to worry about them separating, and there's a little finger grip for where the finger is supposed to go. 

They are easily washable and reusable, and depending on the store, you might have cute characters like a cat, a panda, a frog, or a bear. Once you or your little one has a grasp of how to utilize the training chopsticks, there's no need to get rid of them since there are lots of ways to use chopsticks in the kitchen, so they can have longevity in the home. Use them to scramble eggs for an omelette or as a tool to pit cherries or olives, and the best part is that you'll never lose a chopstick, since they're already together.

You can certainly buy a lunch tote at many retailers, but Daiso has particularly eye-catching versions for those who like cartoons, illustrations, and generally cute things. There are simpler designs as well, like a one-color bag, and you'll have to go to the store to see what your location currently has available, as these may change. But in general, they have a handle, a zipper to close the bag, and an insulated interior with enough room to place your lunch. There are various sizes and shapes available, such as tall and narrow or short and wide  

We'd recommend placing individual elements or smaller items inside Daiso's lunch totes, because a huge bento or lunch box likely won't fit. Small bento boxes are fair game, though, and you can also locate a bunch of these at Daiso. As for the bag designs, some are fairly basic with encouraging text, whereas others are more vibrant. Daiso also has a pretty awesome Disney collection, so fans might spot a Winnie the Pooh lunch tote, among others. Whichever one you get can remain a staple for your kitchen and food needs for years to come. Pack everything in ahead of time, close the zip, place it in the fridge, and then take it out when you depart in the morning.

If you're like us, you've probably spent a pretty penny on drawer dividers only to find they don't quite fit your specifications. They either don't fit in the drawer itself or can't accommodate your cutlery, such as that long ladle or chunky potato masher. That is where Daiso comes to the rescue with drawer dividers that can be cut and customized to any size. Simply snip the plastic divider to your preferred length, and then interlock it in the little slot to keep it in place. 

Inefficient use of space is a big kitchen organizational mistake that many people make, and Daiso's drawer dividers mean you can finally fit those various wonky-sized kitchen utensils that have just been messily piled up in a drawer, allowing you to organize better and put like items with like. You might even have some leftover pieces to make small compartments for something really miniature. Buy a couple of (or several) packs and then make smaller compartments for items like small silicone cups, food picks, and so on. We recommend keeping a couple on hand since they're useful to store random things throughout the kitchen and house.

Daiso has a wide selection of silicone dish cups worthy of being added to your kitchen arsenal. They come in various shapes, colors, and even characters, allowing you to mix and match as desired or even create a collection. Some have variety in one pack, such as shades of pastel-colored, flower-shaped mini cups, so you don't have to buy a bunch. Your store might have square or circular cups, but you'll have to go in and see. 

Of course, these are fantastic to incorporate into lunchboxes to keep things separate when you don't want foods to touch, such as separating blueberries from cheese. But you can always serve these up at meal time, using them instead of small dishes or ramekins for sides like sauces or dips. They're also great for storing in the utensil drawer, especially paired with Daiso's customizable drawer dividers. 

The little silicone cups can comfortably house tiny kitchen essentials like food picks, twist ties, thumbtacks, and more. These are wonderfully versatile and eye-catching for any kitchen and cooking needs. We like that they're stackable and compact, so you can keep them handy without them taking up a bunch of valuable retail space in a drawer or cabinet (one of the top rules of kitchen organization).

Rachael Ray's advice to keep a kitchen trash bowl handy while cooking has been a lifesaver. Depending on your kitchen layout, walking back and forth from the cooking area to the trash can may be cumbersome, distracting you from the task at hand. While the cooking queen herself sells a fancy garbage bowl, there are other ways to manage the same idea at a better price point. The most obvious is simply using a bowl that you have at home — we've certainly done this, but inevitably, you need the bowl back, or it's too small for the scraps. But we have an even better, more functional option from Daiso: the expandable hanging mini trashcan. 

Simply slide it onto a drawer opening, allowing you to quickly tidy or scoop detritus from the counter. Then just remove it, dump the food in the trash, give it a rinse or a thorough wash (depending on what kind of food scraps you had), and you're good to go. It also saves you from spilling and subsequently sweeping up crumbs and other leftovers from the floor. This is definitely worth picking up to solve a very common kitchen and cooking problem. 

We love a handy veggie chopper. It can streamline cooking and be a time-saver, something we can never take for granted in today's busy world. If you can save a few minutes from chopping onions, garlic, and other small items, it all adds up. Some veggie choppers are quite bulky and pricey, or perhaps you want an alternative when you don't want to dirty up a larger food processor. Daiso's mini veggie chopper is charming and petite when you only need smaller quantities. 

Daiso's mini veggie chopper can't chop a whole onion at a time, but it's ideal for small amounts, such as for a garnish for your chili or tacos. The blade is sharp enough for slicing potatoes and chopping walnuts, pecans, strawberries, and more. Simply press down repeatedly until you get the cut that you're looking for: The more you do, the finer the chop. As one commenter on Instagram put it, the chopper is "not a want but a need." This kitchen tool saves time, but doesn't take up much space, so you can tuck it away until you need it again.

We pored through Daiso U.S.A.'s social media channels and website to find some amazing kitchen items. To be deemed worth buying, they had to be versatile, functional, solve a problem, and/or be aesthetically pleasing (Daiso generally has affordable pricing on its side). The inventory may range from store to store, so we mentioned general items or a few from a category, rather than pinpointing one specific item by name. 

No matter which one of these you choose, your kitchen will be all the more streamlined. Each of these solves a unique problem, so the average person might not need all the products, but there's someone out there who certainly could benefit from them. We also omitted prices simply because they can vary by store and item.