You know how the saying goes: buy cheap, buy twice. But let's be honest, that's easier said than done especially with the proliferation of fast homeware and the pinch on all of our pockets in recent years.
So what's the antidote to a kitchen filled with products that will only last a few years or worse, mere months, when shopping for the best saucepans and the best non-stick pans?
For me, there's one very valuable resource that I've come to rely on: the Buy Me Once online marketplace. Exclusively selling long-lasting products, everything you can pick up from Buy Me Once has been independently vetted to ensure that it's made to last. It's an ethos that we have here at Ideal Home too, with our policy on featuring products that we've actually tried and tested.
If you also want to shop longer lasting buys for your kitchen, these are the picks that I love from the fantastic Buy Me Once shop, including a few of my own tried and tested long-lasting faves as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor.
Cookware favourites
Picking the right cookware is a huge decision, especially if you're a keen cook who will be reaching for a pot or a pan multiple times a day.
That's why I love these picks below, as they're all selected thanks to their longevity. Many of them also have fantastic guarantees, so that you can have peace of mind for many moons to come.
Another great feature on Buy Me Once is the ability to sort by bestsellers, so you can see what other customers have been loving too. And they love this Stellar pan, which has the world's most versatile shape in my opinion. Oh and we've reviewed it – so we know how good it is too!
If you invest in the best cast iron cookware, you get a pot that's true heirloom quality, which means it'll run and run in your kitchen. This enamelled one, from Saveur, is a fantastic choice if you want to buy your first ever cast iron piece for your future collection. I've tried this one at the Ideal Home test kitchen - the double-walled lid is a triumph.
I'm currently on the hunt for one of the best woks for my kitchen and I love the look of this one, again from Saveur. It's made of carbon steel and will need to be seasoned once you purchase it, but after that it'll give you years of use as per Buy Me Once's house testing program.
Star kitchen buys
There are so many product categories on Buy Me Once, from bed linen (all of the Piglet in Bed pieces are on my wish list) to travel essentials, but my favourite is all of those kitchen buys you never even knew you needed. Here's the ones that will go the distance and scratch that itch to invest in your cooking space.
The reviews on this mixing bowl and colander set speak for themselves, with all 5-star ratings at the time of writing. The quality stainless steel material is built to last for your kitchen and the colander nests into the mixing bowl, so you can stack and store them with ease.
This bowl has cult status of its own, as my piece on it starring in Mary Berry's kitchen proves, but it's also built to last – not just a trend piece. With its chip-resistant material, this is one of the true stars of my kitchen. I reach for it every time I mix or bake!
I have the lucky job of testing out the best coffee machines, but I'm seriously lacking when it comes to good double-walled glasses. I've had my eye on these glass tumblers for cappuccinos and lattes for an age and they look like they'll do the perfect job.
Whether you're looking for some inspiration for Plastic Free July or just interested in a marketplace that gets to the point when it comes to quality, then I can't recommend Buy Me Once enough.
Will you be checking out the different tried and tested buys?
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