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100 Yen Shop Must-Haves for the Kitchen

Get An Organized Kitchen On A Budget

By Elizabeth Sok |
July 23, 2024 |
Lifestyle, Series, Shopping

From kitchen organizers to making your dinner prep easier, head to Japan’s 100 yen shops for your next kitchen upgrade.

Whether you’re outfitting your new home or updating a few things here or there, Japan’s 100 yen shops are great places to start. Depending on where you’re from, the thought of stocking your home with ¥100 items may seem like a questionable consumer choice. But Japan’s shops have a wide range of useful goods to level up your living space on a budget! Don’t believe us? Check out our articles on 100 yen shop must-haves for home decor and DIY nails—this is true for the kitchen, too.

Although big appliances like fridges and stoves might come to mind when it comes to the kitchen, there are a surprising number of little things that make your cooking space functional and efficient. This is where ¥100 stores shine. While you might think that your kitchen is already set, take a look at this list of must-have kitchen goods and find your new best friend.

Hanging Wire Baskets

These wire baskets from Daiso, which come in white or black, may look simple, but they are great organizing companions for your kitchen. With secure hooks to hang under shelves and drawers, they provide extra storage for your small kitchen. While some people stuff them with snacks, others sort them further with smaller bins inside the baskets. They can also be a convenient spot for storing dish towels, sponges, plastic wrap, aluminum foil and kitchen wax sheets.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Mini Cutting Boards

These mini cutting boards from Daiso are the ideal size for cooking for one or prepping small amounts of cut fruit or vegetables. They can also come in handy when making bento and carving ingredients into cute decorative shapes. Especially appreciated is the side lip of the board, which helps ensure that all of your produce stays on the board and not on the counter or floor when you’re transferring it. It is also dishwasher safe for easy clean up.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Stretchable Silicone Wrap

These silicone wraps from Daiso, available in a range of sizes from 10 cm, 15 cm and 22 cm are an upgrade on simple plastic wrap. Instead of wrestling with your plastic wrap dispenser, try these silicone wraps that can be stretched to seal the tops of glasses, jars and bowls. They create a strong seal, so you don’t have to worry about liquids or food spillage when placing your wrapped items inside your fridge. And once you are finished, you can wash them with soap and reuse them.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Mini Condiment Holders

These mini condiment holders from Daiso are going to be your fridge’s new best friend. Easy to clip onto the shelves inside your refrigerator, they are the perfect size for tubes and small jars of hot sauce, wasabi and karashi mustard. With these organizers, the little tubes will stay put as you open and shut the doors and are convenient to grab on the go. The condiment holders come in a range of sizes, so if you have larger or bulkier items, Daiso also sells more comprehensive holders in the same series.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Hanging Cooking Utensil Holder

Available from Daiso, this hanging cooking utensil holder with five hooks will help you locate and organize your essential cooking tools. Magnets are included on the back of the holder so you can hang them easily from your kitchen’s range hood. By hanging your bulkiest tools, like whisks and tongs, from the hooks, you can free up space in your kitchen drawers and counters. You can also hang other useful items, such as oven mitts and funnels.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Ice Tray for Bottles

Especially during the hotter months, this ice tray for your bottles from Daiso will be indispensable. To keep your drinks cool in the summer, you have probably tried to put regular ice cubes inside your bottles only to realize that the ice can’t fit through the opening at the top. This ice tray is designed to make one large ice block that will fit a standard-size insulated bottle. And since one large block of ice takes longer to melt than regular ice cubes, you can keep your drinks colder for longer.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Vegetable Pickler

If you like cucumbers, carrots, and daikon (Japanese radish), then you might want to try making tsukemono (Japanese pickled vegetables). This vegetable pickler from Daiso is conveniently sized to make enough for one-to-two people, but you can always double it if you plan on serving a larger group. To use, simply slice your preferred vegetables and place them inside horizontally, then add rice vinegar and seasonings. The container seals well, so you can feel at ease when placing your pickled products in the fridge.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Electric Bag Sealer

This bag sealer from Daiso helps you with the annoying task of closing up bags that you may have hastily torn open (looking at you, potato chips). Of course, you can easily use plastic clips and metal ties to seal the bag, but these tend to pop off. Once you place the two AA batteries inside the sealer, you just have to slide it along the top of the bag to close it like new. The sealer is easy to use and doesn’t take more time to use than a clip.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Mini Measuring Spoons

Measuring spoons are indispensable cooking tools whether you are preparing savory or sweet foods. An assortment of measuring spoons is available at ¥100 shops. These compact spoons from Can Do are particularly convenient for space-poor Japanese kitchens. The spoons are made of metal, making them easy to clean. They come in a key ring, so you can hang them on a hook and grab them whenever you need them.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Seasoning Jars

Cooking requires a range of herbs and spices, many of which can come in different types of jars from various supermarkets. With all the mismatch, it can get confusing to find what you’re looking for. If you want to organize the general clutter of your spice rack, try out these seasoning jars from Can Do. These jars are made from glass, which makes them easy to clean, as well as giving them a classy vibe as a bonus. You can also rotate the metal dispenser at the top, allowing you to sprinkle as much or as little seasoning as you like.

Price: ¥110
Shop: CanDo (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Foldable Silicone Funnel

Sometimes, you need to transfer liquids from a large pot to a bottle, and a funnel is really the best tool. At ¥100 shops, you can buy funnels of different sizes and materials, such as metal, plastic or silicone. Depending on your needs, you may want to try different options, but if you are looking for ways to save on space in your kitchen drawers, this foldable silicone funnel may be a good choice. It easily collapses and expands and can be hung on a hook when not in use.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Kitchen Timer

Kitchen timers are invaluable for cooking or baking and can double as a tool to delimit study time or measure productivity. Several kitchen timers are available at ¥100 shops. They come in a variety of colors and shapes, while some more expensive models also let you set an alarm and tell you the temperature and time. While I can’t speak for all models, I know that this super simple one I bought at Daiso over two years ago is still working well.