I am pretty passionate about my kitchen tools. I believe every good cook needs to have the right tools on hand to be a wizard in their space. The tools I've listed are my most commonly used items and what I use every single day. I'm talking about tools that will cut your time in half, tools that will zest up your dishes and basic essentials that need to be in any chefs kitchen.
This is an on-going list, but I would love to know, what are your favorite kitchen tools?
Favorite Kitchen Appliances
Cuisinart 12 Cup Food Processor: A true powerhouse, I have had mine going on 10 years. I use the blade options to shred potatoes for latkes and the large bowl for anything from dough to Tahini Sauce.
Mini Food Processor: I use this for when I don't want to pull out the big food processor. This size is perfect for smaller batch sauces and salsas.
Vitamix, 64 ounces: This is such a strong blender, it makes the creamiest soups, the smoothest smoothies and is worth the investment.
Favorite Kitchen Tools
Wusthof 6 inch Chef Knife: Because everyone needs a good chefs knife. I've had this knife for over 7 years and is my go-to.
Large Wood Cutting Board: with rubber feet so it stays put.
Plastic Cutting Board: Also ahs rubber gripping to stay put. I use this board for prepping raw proteins.
Measuring Spoon: (Tablespoon): One spoon that adjusts to different measurements and saves space!
Measuring Spoon: (Teaspoon): Same as the tablespoon above, but for a teaspoon!
Glass Nesting Bowls: All purpose bowls that can handle heat, such as over a double boiler and great for prepping.
Pyrex Measuring Cups (Set of 3): Also heat resistant and used for measuring liquid. I also use these for whisking eggs and salad dressings.
Bench Scraper: Perfect for scooping up prepped vegetables and for cutting dough, to name a few.
Silicon Spoons: These are my favorite spoons to cook with! They are silicone so can be used on non-stick, heat resistant and most importantly, is one solid piece, so there's no risk of the spatula seperating from the handle like other spatulas and spoons.
Tongs: These are my favorite tongs, and I have had a number of them! Invest in a few to have on hand. You get good control, the spring is just the right pressure and they work well using one handed.
Microplane: One of my most used kitchen tools. I use this every single day for citrus zesting, grating garlic and grating Parmesan cheese.
Hand Grater: Ok, so this may look similar to a microplane, and technically it kinda is, but this hand grater has larger holes and is perfect for grating fresh Parmigiana and larger pieces of citrus zest.
Pizza Stone: Perfectly cooked, crispy crust for my Spring Pizza with Pesto, Asparagus and Fresh Lemon Zest under 10 minutes! We leave ours at the bottom of our stove and turn the stove to 500 degrees Fahrenheit about 30 minutes before we're ready to bake pizza.
Meat Thermometer: A must for checking internal temperature of proteins. For instance, beef wellington which can be hard to gauge unless you know the internal temp.
Silpat: These are so great to use over and over instead of parchment paper.
Fish Spatula: My favorite spatula because it's thin and flexible. Perfect for turning delicate fish to eggs and latkes.
Kitchen Shears: Sharp enough to cut through chicken for spatchcock chicken and I also use them to chop chives.
Shellfish Scrubber to scrub the outside of clams, mussels and crab.
Favorite Cookware
Le Creuset 8 Quart Oval Dutch Oven: This is an investment piece for sure. I use this sized dutch oven for big batches of bolognese or braises, such as braciole.
Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet: Medium sized skillet that we use for so many things such as searing and roasting salmon.
Large Stainless Steel Skillet: Great for sauces and shallow frying.
All-Clad Non-Stick Skillet: These are the best non-stick skillets and I love the high sides.
Favorite Specialty Foods (Non- Perishable)
Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is my all time favorite olive oil. I DO NOT cook with this and use it only as a finishing oil or to dress salads where the olive oil can shine.
Villa Manodori Balsamic Vinegar: If you are looking for the most delicious, concentrated balsamic, this is it! I don't cook with this either, only use it as a dressing, finishing or serve with cheese. The small batch vinegar is made in Italy from famous chef Massimo Bottura and there is nothing like this sweet balsamic!
Pomegranate Molasses: Tart and rich, this is used in a multitude of Mediterranean recipes such as drizzled over roasted kabocha squash or in a pomegranate vinaigrette.
India Gate Basmati Rice: This is the BEST basmati rice I have ever had and yes, we do buy the 10 pound bag! We use this rice for Persian rice and it makes the lightest, fluffiest rice.
Alaska Gold Seafood: A fisherman owned cooperative based in Alaska that produces some of the best quality, wild-caught fish! Wild King Alaskan salmon, halibut and Sablefish are some of our favorites!
Tools you can live without but still deserve to have a shout-out
Mandoline: We have one and it is fun, but you can can live without it. Mandolines are perfect for slicing thin, even slices. Think chips or a potato crust for a quiche.
Immersion Blender: I love this tool, but again, I think you can live without it. It's great for pureeing a large pot of soup without having to pour the whole batch into a blender.
LeBeau says
Love this! Very well-written. This is a useful and excellent share. Will definitely share it with people I know.
Kellie@foodtoglow says
I like your list & although I wouldn't have all of those as must haves it is fun to see what other cooks use the most. I would definitely have immersion blender in my top five as when I make soup it's usually for about 20 people! My Kitchen- Aid standmixer also gets heavy use & saves loads of time
Samantha says
Hi Kellie...I was thinking about the immersion blender and some others also said they get heavy use. Not sure why I don't? Maybe I need to find more recipes for the immersion blender?
sunithi says
Have to add the pizza stone & microplane to my collection. I am quite addicted to my Vitamix & of late the immersion blender. Good post !
Dorothy at ShockinglyDelicious says
A small offset spatula. I use it every day, several times a day, from spreading peanut butter on bread to smoothing batter. I seriously reach for it 5 times a day!
Audrey's Mamma says
We love our baking sheets. They are Pampered Chef and heavy. We use them for making cookies, roasting vegetables, pressing foods (they are heavy), and baking pizzas.