The $7 Cleaning Gadget Real Simple Editors Swear By

Most of us tackle dirty pots and pans with dish soap and a brush or the scrubby side of a sponge. But there’s a nondescript-looking, 3-inch piece of wood that gets the job done a whole lot better: the Organic Bambu Pot Scraper. “It’s one of my absolute favorite tools,” cleaning pro Christine Dimmick, founder of the Good Home Company, recently told us. “It’s the best fix for burnt pans and drippings on cookie sheets, and it also removes stickers and wax from any surface.”

So we tried it out—and quickly became addicted. “It’s this little flat piece of wood that reminds me of a guitar pick. But when you gently rub it against caked-on food, it clears it all off the pan without damaging the finish,” says home director Betsy Goldberg. “The other night I had a sink full of pots covered with waxy melted chocolate—a situation that normally calls for a lot of soaking in sudsy water before you can even attempt to tackle it. But this time I used the scraper, a squirt of dish soap, and some running water, and all the gunk came right off.”

Related: The $4 cleaning gadget Real Simple editors are obsessed with

Each of the scraper’s four corners is a slightly different rounded shape, which means you can get into any kind of crevice. It works on all types of surfaces too (stainless, nonstick, cast iron). Not only is it a hit among cleaning insiders and editors, but it’s also gained a following among everyday shoppers: In a recent sampling of Amazon reviews, a number of customers raved that they’ve even given out this no-frills kitchen helper as a practical Christmas present.

Order a set of four on Amazon ($14.99).