5 Kitchen Items You Should Never Buy at Thrift Stores, According to Designers

• Don’t thrift plastic containers since they can have discoloration from food stains or lingering odors.
• Skip cutting boards and glass and ceramic items because they can have open cracks or uncleaned surfaces.
• Some old small appliances can have technical issues, so try to test them directly in the store by plugging them in.

The thrift store can be an excellent place to pick up items for the kitchen—but they have to be the right kinds of items, such as small pieces of artwork, pretty serving trays, or cute mini lamps for the countertop.

As it turns out, there are many types of kitchen items that interior designers suggest that you refrain from buying secondhand—and some of them may come as a surprise to you. Below, three pros chime in with five common kitchen goods that you’re best off purchasing brand new, even if that means paying more of a premium.

Plastic Containers

While purchasing plastic containers at the thrift store may not seem like the worst idea (after all, it’s a sustainable practice), you won’t want to go the secondhand route when buying vessels that you will use to hold food, Elana Mendelson, the founder of Elana Designs, says.

“Plastic containers easily discolor and absorb smells making the lingering odors or stains hard to remove,” Mendelson says.

That said, you can still feel ok about purchasing pre-loved plastic containers that you’ll be using to store things like tools and art supplies, as these bins will likely get dirty pretty quickly regardless.

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Small Appliances

It may seem exciting when you’re walking down the aisles of the thrift store and spot a small appliance that has been on your wish list for quite some time. However, Mendelson suggests holding off on buying something of this nature secondhand, even though she acknowledges that it may be tempting to do so.

“Their age and internal condition are completely unknown, leaving much to question,” she says. “Wiring could be faulty, parts may be missing, and the appliances might not work efficiently, if at all.”

While some thrift stores make it easy to plug in electronic items like lamps to quickly test them out, it isn’t so easy to test the functionality of a coffee maker or air fryer when you’re standing in the middle of a store. Since many thrift stores make returns challenging, the safer bet is to save your pennies to buy that appliance you’ve been lusting over brand new (and worry-free).

Additionally, small appliances may be wrought with stains that are difficult to remove over time, Giovanna Fiorello, the founder of Fiorello Designs, adds explaining it’s best to just start fresh.

Cutting Boards

When you come across a wooden cutting board at the thrift store, do not add it to your shopping cart, Fiorello instructs. For one, she shares, the stray wood fibers on cutting boards may prick you or fall into the dishes you’re preparing. Secondly, you don’t know how well a wooden cutting board has been cleaned in the past.

“Wood is porous and can hold bacteria over time, so it is important to purchase only new cutting boards for those reasons,” the designer says.

Glass or Ceramic Items

Unless you have lots of time at the thrift store to inspect items closely, you may be wiser skipping any secondhand glass or ceramic purchases, Fiorello explains. Why, exactly? The designer expresses a concern about possible cracks and chips that may not be immediately obvious.

“This could be dangerous if it breaks, or someone if uses it and doesn’t notice and gets hurt,” she says.

Prevent your guests from having to grab a bandaid mid-dinner party and buy these items brand new.

Vintage Pewter

You can buy vintage pewter pieces at the thrift store, but be sure to not use them for food, Liz Fraser, the co-founder of Ashdown Studio, notes.

“Unfortunately, lead was used in the making of vintage pewter and it should not be used as a serving piece,” she says.

That said, the designer loves to style kitchens with these types of items. If you have open shelving in your kitchen that you’re looking to jazz up with a bit of decor, vintage pewter can be an excellent option in that sense.