The 10 Best Kitchen Items To Buy Secondhand

There are a lot of items to consider when you're putting together your kitchen. From cooking tools to dishware to utensils and beyond, the list of items needed to curate a well-rounded, functional kitchen adds up rather quickly. If you want to save some of your hard-earned cash along the way — who doesn't? — there are quite a few items that you might be able to acquire secondhand to help you cut costs. available on secondhand markets, like thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, and so forth, that easily help you cut costs.

While not all the items you find secondhand are things you want to bring home and start using in your kitchen — do you really want a secondhand toaster oven with caked-up goop on the bottom? — you can find plenty of new or like-new cooking and serving accessories that feel more like scoring big than settling for less. I love perusing thrift store kitchen sections and online marketplaces — in fact, I've even curated several kitchens doing exactly that. What you'll find below are some of the best, most beneficial kitchen accessories I've seen sold secondhand. Scooping them up for your home kitchen will not only serve you well, but also help make your bank account happy. Of course, you never know what you're going to find when you actually start looking, but that's part of the fun. Happy hunting!

Glassware is my absolute favorite kitchen item to score secondhand. Not only does it feel and perform just as good as new, but you know it's super clean (glass and all). Plus, the selection is something to marvel at. From fancy wine glasses to beer mugs to standard drinking cups and beyond, secondhand marketplaces have them all. If you're into vintage glassware, there's no better place to find it, either. They'll have your kitchen overflowing with grandma vibes in no time.

Odds are the glassware section in your local thrift store will make it worth making a special trip. Plus, the prices are unbeatable. Wine glasses that would often run $10 or more per piece cost as little as $1. The main drawback to purchasing glassware secondhand is that you may not get a complete set. However, what constitutes a complete set is completely up to you. Maybe all you need is a pair of matching glasses, not eight. There's something to be said for a more eclectic look, too. Not everything has to be perfectly matched, after all.

Shopping for cutlery and kitchen utensils secondhand is a smart move if you want to save some money. You can find everything from spatulas to tongs to large spoons to everyday sets of cutlery lining the shelves of thrift stores and flea markets. There is a fair amount of these types of kitchen accessories to be found online as well. So, if you need some forks, knives, spoons, and general cooking utensils, there's almost no better place to snag them on the cheap.

While a basic cutlery set more than suffices for most of us, you can also score elaborate collections with multiple forks, butter knives, and more secondhand. (You'll have to remember the etiquette for using them, of course, but you get the idea.) There are regularly complete — and in some cases, elaborate — cutlery sets galore at thrift stores, flea markets, and online. Do yourself a favor and get yours from one of these places. It'll save you a ton of cash, and you might even be able to get something much fancier than you'd even start to consider when shopping at your typical or even high-end kitchen store.

There's nothing better than cooking in a well-organized kitchen. When set up just right, it makes getting the job done quicker, easier, and, well, more enjoyable. Just ask Martha Stewart – she's a kitchen organizing pro, and I wouldn't dare question her authority in the realm. Regardless, secondhand markets are a fantastic place to pick up some much-needed kitchen organizational tools. Interestingly enough, the costs to buy them at a regular store can add up pretty quickly, too, so it's a win-win.

One of the easiest things to get at a thrift store, flea market, or in an online marketplace are storage bins and baskets. After reorganizing or redecorating, lots of people wind up with extra, so they wind up on the secondhand market. There's no limit to what you can do with them in the kitchen, either. Use them to store dish towels, organize pantry goods — whatever they can fit, wherever they can fit.

Wire racks to hold pots and pans upright in cabinets are also fairly easy to score secondhand. Tracking down canisters or in-drawer organizers for utensils should not be an issue either. If you're lucky, you might even be able to find airtight containers to help preserve pantry goods. Just keep your eyes peeled and think of what types of containers, bins, or racks can help you get your kitchen organized, and you never know what you'll find. Pro tip: Take measurements of your drawers and cabinets before you start looking, so you know whatever your find can fit into your space.

Decorative pieces are by no means a necessity, but they sure give a kitchen some finishing flair. With this in mind, spending top dollar on decorative items is hard to rationalize when you're on a budget. Have no fear, though — secondhand marketplaces are here for the win when it comes down to these final, aesthetically pleasing design pieces. Think about it: When a person or household is downsizing, these are the types of things that often get donated/resold first. So, whether you're shopping at a flea market, thrift store, or online (Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc.), there's usually no shortage — and at much better prices, too.

Something I always see a plethora of at thrift stores is vases. It makes sense — how many do you truly need? A minimalist home could probably get away with just one or two. However, adding a beautiful vase to your kitchen (with flowers, of course) does a whole lot for design. Ceramic bowls and candlesticks also adorn the shelves in great numbers. There are always kitschy figurines as well if you're into that kind of thing!

As far as shopping for decorative pieces secondhand, it's probably best to go in with an open mind. You may not be able to find something uber specific, at least not without a serious search, but chances are good you'll come across something that will easily boost your kitchen's decorative appeal.

Whether you fancy yourself a baker or not, having a few essential ceramic or glass baking dishes on hand is a kitchen must. Everyone loves a quick and easy casserole, to say nothing of lasagna, baked mac and cheese, and pie. Yum! It doesn't really matter what you use ceramic baking dishes for, though. Just know that the thrift store and other secondhand marketplaces are a fantastic place to score them without having to fork over a premium amount of cash.

If you're just starting your ceramic baking dish collection, I recommend choosing three in various sizes and shapes so no recipe is off limits. My ideal three? A square, a rectangle, and a round ceramic or glass baking dish. Fortunately for us, these are pretty easy to find at just about any thrift store. If you manage to find colored ones or some with fun patterns, you can also use them as serving dishes — even better if they come with lids as well. Ceramic and glass baking dishes are sturdy, clean up to pristine condition (so there's no yuck factor), and once acquired, they can be used to help you prepare countless recipes.

Small kitchen appliances are beyond handy, but the cost of adding some to your space piles up quicker than you'd think. When was the last time you priced a stand mixer or a top-notch food processor? Yikes! Luckily, these types of appliances are all over secondhand marketplaces. You can find everything from stand mixers to air fryers to blenders and beyond, and my experience has always been that they still work just as well as the brand new ones. Steamers, pressure cookers, and even pasta machines are fairly easy to track down, too, and opting to buy them secondhand will undoubtedly save you a ton of cash. Oh yeah, don't forget Crock Pots, either. Everyone needs one of them.

You can find all different kinds of small kitchen appliances at thrift stores, but this is one kitchen good I'd recommend looking for online. When you search a platform like Facebook Marketplace or something similar, you'll be amazed at how many appliances are listed. Plus, it makes tracking down specific devices much simpler. Plus, the stuff you find in online marketplaces often tends to be in better condition than what you'd find at a thrift store. After all, if the seller thinks they are still worth buying, why would they donate it without trying to get some cash in return first?

Similar to decorative pieces for your kitchen, there's no shortage of unique decorative table settings to be found in thrift stores and on secondhand markets. I'm not just talking about candlesticks, either (we already covered that). I'm referencing things like tablecloths, table runners, and place mats. Oftentimes, people pick up these types of kitchen goods for a specific occasion, so they don't get used regularly. As a result, the ones you find in thrift stores are in outstanding condition. I'd still wash anything you can before using it, but that's a minor detail when you consider how much shopping for table settings secondhand can save you.

Again, these types of items are more like finishing touches, but they sure have what it takes to bring a table together. Actually, adding these flourishes takes a standard table setting and turns it into something worthy of a special occasion, like a holiday, celebration, or any time you simply want to impress some guests. So, if you want to save some money but look like you didn't, head over to your local thrift store and see what you can find. Whether you're looking for something holiday-specific or a bright and fun set for a party, chances are good you'll find several interesting options.

Serving dishes are another score you won't want to pass up when browsing thrift stores, flea markets, and other secondhand marketplaces. As I keep saying, you never know what you'll find, but often the stuff you come across is super unique or maybe even vintage, so you likely won't see it anywhere else. That's always a plus, right? Obviously, it all comes at a seriously discounted price, too. Honestly, though, the stuff I've seen would pique anyone's interest, budget or not.

In my experience, holiday-specific serving dishes are basically overrunning the shelves at thrift stores. So if you want a turkey or Christmas-shaped platter, you'll likely be in luck. That just scratches the surface, though. You can find serving platters (a must-have item for every kitchen) of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Charcuterie board, anyone? Gravy bowls, butter dishes, and decorative salt and pepper shakers are easily attainable as well. And don't even get me started on tea sets, complete with teapots, teacups, saucers, sugar bowls, and all. They are enough to make any grandma or child squeal with joy. If you're looking for some elevated serving dishes, secondhand marketplaces are just the place to get them.

No kitchen is complete without dishware. I mean, how else are you going to eat the delicious food you prepare? Heck, even if you're just heating stuff up, having plates and bowls on hand is a must. And as you might've guessed, buying them secondhand is a great way to save some money when you're on a budget. Actually, budget be darned. Considering the large selection and outstanding prices, secondhand dishware is an outstanding idea for everyone.

Nothing is guaranteed when shopping secondhand, but finding complete dishware sets with matching saucers, plates, bowls, and more isn't off the table, either (see what I did there?), especially if you only need two to four settings. You can even find the kind of dishware sets that beg you to put all of your table manners and dining etiquette to good use. You know, the ones that feature several plates in varying sizes and maybe some gold or silver embellishments around the edges? Whether it's something fancy, everyday, or, well, neither, thrift stores, flea markets, and online secondhand marketplaces have your back when it comes to stocking your kitchen with dishware on the cheap. In fact, inexpensive might be a better way to describe it, because if you look around enough and choose wisely, it certainly doesn't have to look or feel cheap.

There's no doubt that stainless steel pots and pans cost a pretty penny. Not when you shop for them secondhand, though! The same goes for sturdy colanders, which every kitchen needs. This is one area where your chances of finding a matching set aren't very high, but as long as the pots and pans you pick up allow you to cook food, who cares? It's not like you have to keep them on display or anything.

When looking for a basic setup of pots and pans on the secondhand market, I recommend picking up a medium and a large size of each. This should cover all your bases as far as pulling off most recipes. As for colanders, thrift stores always seem to have a ton (and I'm not entirely sure why), which makes them a great place to get one. Personally, I'd opt for a stainless steel colander if possible; the plastic ones have a bit of an ick-factor for me because they scratch and deteriorate much more easily, but to each their own. Whatever you do, don't buy any non-stick cookware with scratches — these pans are well on their way to the trash already. And just like shopping for any other kitchen items secondhand, keep an open mind with pots and pans, because you truly never know what you'll come across.