The Best Kitchen Towels Cost Less Than $2 Each, So Stock Up

So if you buy yourself a set of these, not only will you have solved your dishcloth/kitchen towel problem, but you’ll also have morphed into the type of person who has matching napkins for a dinner party. TWO. FOR. ONE. BABY. That’s versatility. Listen: You have a combination phone case and wallet, because you’ve only got so many pockets, and cargo shorts are not coming back, no matter what your cousin thinks. (Editor’s note: This piece was originally published in 2018. We regret to inform you that cargo shorts are back.) You buy combination moisturizer and sunscreen because why have two bottles when one will do the trick? So why buy kitchen towels and cloth napkins separately when there exists a product that (1) serves both functions extremely well, (2) is reasonably chic, and (3) costs less than $2?

I’ll say it again louder. Each towel costs less than $2!

A 30-pack of Zeppoli Classic white kitchen towels is going to run you about $40 on Amazon. Less than $2 for the crème de la crème of kitchen towelry that also doubles as table linen? This is a tremendous deal. Perhaps you’re thinking, 30 cotton towels? Isn’t that a bit much? We think not. We’re convinced there’s no such thing as too many kitchen towels—in fact, we like to keep a minimum of two dozen on deck at all times. After you receive your 30-pack of Zeppoli towels, we recommend separating them according to future usage. Consider immediately setting aside a dozen for use as napkins (these are for company, not for mopping up red wine spills) and also trying to kick your paper towel habit. Keep a stack on hand for wiping down countertops, another for drying dishes or drying hands, some for throwing over your shoulder while cooking, and another one or two to use as pot holders or to buff mineral oil into your cutting boards. You can’t beat this price point for a set of kitchen towels that have arguably endless uses.

We’ve got a thing for kitchen towels. Here are a few other options we’re into.

Finding actually-good reusable paper towels that will help you reduce waste isn’t easy, but these compostable DII Swedish dish towels are up for the task. While BA contributor Alex Beggs hasn’t entirely eliminated paper towels from her home, she’s enjoyed having these reusables on deck: “I’m definitely using paper towels less than I was before, and I feel good about that dent.”

Maybe you’re here for a fancy kitchen towel upgrade that’s a cut above the much-loved $2 workhorse. Look no further than the Moku Light Hand Towels from Rikumo, which BA contributor Christina Chaey swears will change your life. “Everything about these towels is pleasing to me—the featherlight weight; the plush, supersoft feel of the cotton; the fact that they are at least twice as absorbent as they appear, yet dry in what feels like minutes,” she says.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published July 19, 2018.