Where can I buy a spatula without going to Target, Amazon or Walmart?!

Finding kitchen stuff from better companies

I used to go to Amazon all the time to buy random shit I needed for my kitchen. But, now that I’m avoiding Amazon, Walmart, and Target, it’s a lot harder to find those little things. So - to the research machine! Let’s find where to shop for Kitchen Stuff.

But first - Behavior Exercise

Create your own shopping directory by saving them in a dedicated bookmarks folder.

I’ve found a ton of other places to shop, but then trying to remember them again later is a bit of a nightmare. To make things easier, I’ve started a dedicated “Shopping” folder within my browser bookmarks, with subfolders for each category like Home, Cleaning, Books, etc. This has saved me a ton of time searching my email for past purchases or trying to Google a company that I remember half the name of.

You can keep it as simple as you’d like, even just creating the shopping folder itself to save links to or categorizing like I have. Whatever system works for you is great, as long as it makes it easier for you to find those places again. If you’re in a rush and just want to find something quickly, having your shopping alternatives in one place and easy to find can stop you from going to Amazon or wherever by default.

Category Deep Dive: Kitchen Stuff

Local, Direct, and Non-Shopping Choices: A lot of smaller kitchen items like spatulas or can openers can be found at your local grocery store in the cookware section. If you need only 1-2 common items, shopping there might be easier than ordering online. If there’s also local stores near you that have kitchen items, check ‘em out!

• Direct: If there’s a particular brand you like, see if they have online shopping available at their website. For example, you can buy Le Creuset directly.

• Free/No Purchase: As always, check out your local buy nothing group! Some of the larger thrift stores also have kitchen items.

Shopping options: Most of these companies did not have anything about DEI on their websites, but I could not find any news of them rolling it back. It seems more of a lack of information than removal.

• OXO.com: Owned by Helen of Troy Limited, which is a publicly traded conglomerate with several home, outdoor, beauty and wellness brands. Their largest shareholders are institutional investors. OXO is pretty affordable and their items are high quality, and you can order directly from their site vs. going through a retailer. I have a ton of OXO stuff and shopped their site a few weeks ago with no order issues.

  • Shop at OXO for: Utensils, gadgets, storage & organization, coffee and barware, outdoor grilling

• Chef’n, Farberware, Taylor: Owned by Lifetime Brands, which is publicly traded and institutional investors are the largest shareholders. Chef’n has a ton of kitchen gadgets for general use but also has a great selection of more health-focused ones like nut milk makers. Farberware is a well-known cookware brand, and Taylor specializes in kitchen measurement.

  • Shop at Chef’n for: Utensils, gadgets, juicing & other healthy eating prep items

  • Shop at Farberware for: Pots & Pans, cookware, bakeware

  • Shop at Taylor for: Thermometers, food scales, and timers

• Zyliss: A Swiss brand owned by DKSH Holding Ltd, a publicly traded company in Switzerland. They have been around for 70 years and focused on applying Swiss expertise to whatever you’re doing in the kitchen.

  • Shop at Zyliss for: Knives, gadgets, utensils, storage, cookware, bakeware

• Vermont Country Store: Family-owned and based out of Vermont. They sell a wide variety of kitchen, home, and other items. They have a lot of the basics and also more vintage-style items, but selection can be limited.

  • Shop at Vermont Country Store for: Utensils, gadgets, storage, cookware & bakeware, coffee & bar accessories, servingware

Less wonderful options:

• KitchenAid: Owned by Whirlpool, publicly traded and institutional investors are the largest shareholders. Whirlpool has an Inclusion & Diversity program and an Equality & Fairness action plan. In 2021/2022 the IRS won a case against Whirlpool for trying to rework its corporate structure across Mexico and Luxembourg to avoid taxes, so they’re a bit sketchy. Whirlpool faces a lot of quality concerns around their larger appliances, but KitchenAid seems to have avoided similar issues.

  • Shop at Kitchenaid for: Appliances, Bakeware, Cookware

• Cuisinart: Owned by Conair Corporation, which is then owned by private equity firm American Securities. I can’t find anything on Conair’s site about DEI or inclusion. I don’t like that they’re owned by private equity but I have had several Cuisinart products that I’ve loved, so I can understand if you still want to shop there.

  • Shop at Cuisinart for: Appliances, utensils, gadgets, cookware, bakeware, outdoor grilling

• Restaurant Depot: If you need to completely restock your kitchen, you can get a 1-day pass as a consumer (vs. business) to shop their physical store and you do not have to purchase in bulk.

Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments and what you’d like me to tackle next. Follow me on TikTok for recap videos, and subscribe to see more category deep dives with behavior exercises every Friday. Thanks for reading <3