When it comes to Ikea, I’m a big believer in making sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. Some of their items are better than others in terms of quality and price. Here I recap what I consider the top 10 best Ikea products!

1. INGEFÄRA Terracotta Plant Pots and Saucers

For anyone who gardens, you know that reasonably priced pots for your plants can be difficult to find. I think one of the best values for an everyday item at Ikea is their terra cotta pots. They are really great quality and for the price you get both the pot and the saucer that goes underneath. Plus, in the spring and summer months they have them in a plethora of sizes, which I especially love for bigger plants that will eventually need more room to grow.

2. BUMERANG Wooden Hangers

One of the simplest ways to upgrade your closet is to use all wooden hangers instead of the cheap plastic ones. I used to be a huge fan of those felted hangers they sell at Bed Bath and Beyond. But last year I made the switch to all wooden hangers. The felted hangers are touted as a great “space-saving” option, but honestly they were problematic because they made me feel like I could shove more clothes into my closet than I should. I took everything out of my closet and purged all of the items I hadn’t worn in the last year or so, which was quite a refreshing feeling. Then I replaced all of the hangers on the items I was keeping with white BUMERANG wooden hangers. It’s true that they do take up more space than the skinnier hangers, but I like this because it gives your clothes room to breath, and it makes you really consolidate your wardrobe down to the pieces that you truly love and wear regularly. Which is a great feeling!

3. KARLBY Butcher Block Countertops

Butcher block countertops are expensive. Like really expensive! And I think Ikea offers a great alternative to true butcher block countertops in their KARLBY line of counters. When my fiancé and I were finishing our kitchen pantry, we entertained a number of different options for finishing off the counters. I loved the look of butcher block, but we couldn’t justify the price of it in a house that isn’t our “forever home.” I stumbled upon Ikea’s KARLBY line and we went to the store to take a look. While they are not true butcher block counters in the sense that they are made from particle board that has been lined to look like a butcher block style, they still did the trick for our space. I have read a multitude of mixed reviews on these countertops, with some purchasers stating that the upkeep on the countertops is more than they would have liked. For us, it worked perfectly in this space because we do not prepare any food on these counters and they are  not subject to the normal every day “kitchen wear and tear.” I would recommend this type of counter for infrequently used surfaces, such as a pantries or laundry rooms. There are also two other lines in addition to KARLBY that replicate the butcher block look:

• KARLBY Countertops ($139-269)
• HAMMARP Countertops ($149-$189)
• EKBACKEN Countertops ($99)

Related: Our Home: The Finished DIY Basement Pantry

4. Candles

I love having candles around the living room and kitchen – I feel like it helps create a relaxing ambiance while we cook dinner. But candles can be pretty expensive! Which is why we pretty much only buy them at Ikea now. These are my two favorite options right now:

• SINNLIG Scented Candle in Glass. 25 hour burn time. $1.79 (7 cents/hour).
• LUGGA Scented Candle in Glass. 20 hour burn time. $2.99 (15 cents/hour).
• JUBLA Unscented Candle. 8 pack, 10 hour burn time. $9.99 (12.5 cents/hour).

5. Glassware

Let’s face it – every now and then a wine glass or a martini glass will be broken during a dinner party (or you know, just taking it out of the dishwasher). Even more often, your regular everyday glassware will break from time to time. Which means you need something affordable and something that will consistently be available in stores  in order to avoid having to replace your entire glassware set. I think Ikea offers some great options for glassware as well as glass storage containers. These are some of my favorites:

• FRASERA line: Whiskey glass ($2.49/ea.), Tumbler glass ($3.49/ea.)
• IVRIG stemless wine glass ($2.79/ea.)
• SINNERLIG line: Small bottle ($9.99/ea.), Large bottle ($11.99/ea.)

6. Gift Wrapping Supplies

It’s that time of year where we require a plethora of gift wrapping materials, including gift bags, wrapping paper, and tissue paper. And at the end of Christmas Day, most of that will just end up in the trash. Ikea’s line of gift wrapping supplies is perfect for this because they offer a ton of different styles and colors of papers and gift bags at an affordable price. Here are some of my favorites:

• Gift bag, red, white. $2.99.
• Gift bag, silver, gold. $3.99.
• Gift labels, set of 42, gold, silver. $0.99.
• Gift wrap roll, red, white, $2.99.

7. OMAR Bottle Shelf

One of my favorite purchases from Ikea was this wine bottle rack. It features a silver industrial style with room for 24 standard sized wine bottles, and at $29.99 it’s a steal! It is also very simple to assemble (hint: I put it together all by myself with no assistance from the fiancé – #nailedit!). Professional winos can check out their larger size, which holds 48 bottles for $59.98.

8. Food Storage

For anyone who has been reading the blog for a while, you already know how much I love my simple syrups and other assorted cocktail mixers and paraphernalia. And when it comes to storage, these items need airtight containers if I want to continue to use them for a few weeks. Ikea has asome great options for airtight  containers for both refrigerator-stored items as well as pantry items. For example, I use their KORKEN jars to store dry grains such as arborio rice and orzo in addition to my simple syrups.

• KORKEN Jar with lid, medium size ($3.49/ea.)
• KORKEN Jar with lid, large size ($4.49/ea.)
• KORKEN Bottle with stopper ($3.49/ea.)

Related: The Charming Detroiter’s Ultimate Guide on How to Make Simple Syrup

9. TEKLA Dish Towel

These are a classic staple Ikea item that has been around ever since I can remember  starting to shop at Ikea, but I still love these dish towels! I use them mostly as napkins for dinner parties, when I want the table to be elegant with a hint of casual rustic-ness. And at $0.79 a pop, it isn’t the end of the world if one gets stained or accidentally used as a dog towel! Here are some of my other favorite “use as napkins” dish towels from Ikea:

• ELLY Dish Towel, $3.99/4 pack.
• BESKUREN Dish Towel, $6.99/3 pack.

10. Food

And last but not least, I can’t forget about the delicious-ness that is the food at Ikea! But I’m talking beyond the Swedish meatballs! Here are some of my favorite food items:

• Flavored syrups: I absolutely love elderflower, and Ikea features a number of uniquely flavored syrups including elderflower syrup in their DRYCK line. At $4.99/bottle, these are a great way to add a unique flavor profile to your next cocktail party.
• Jams and condiments: Ikea has a plethora of delicious jarred goods. Some of my favorites are their SYLT LINGON Lingonberry preserves for $3.99/bottle, and their SYLT HALLON & BLABAR Raspberry and blueberry jam for $3.99/bottle also. 

Now It’s Your Turn!

What is your very favorite Ikea item? Let me know so I can check it out by commenting below! And don’t forget to enter my giveaway below!

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