My Top 20 Favorite Kitchen Tools
The best kitchen tools for home cooks as tested by a professional cookbook author. These are the cooking tools that can hold up for over 20 years of heavy family cooking.

I've been cooking for my husband and kids for over 20 years.
I started as a new bride with a fairly well stocked kitchen thanks to the wedding registry I researched and obsessed over for months. (Raise your hand if you're a Virgo, too.)
But at some point in the last 5 years, my average home kitchen went essentially commercial.
Recipe testing for 3 cookbooks is no joke.
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I've given this kitchen and everything in it a major work out. Some day I'll tell you about how I used my oven so much, it basically imploded a week before a cookbook deadline (and about 2 days before Christmas) . . .
Some things failed the test, other things rose right to the top of my Most Loved, Most Used, Most Essential items to keep in your kitchen.
Maybe you're a new bride or groom obsessively researching what to add to your registry (hey there, fellow Virgos!).
Maybe you've been married for 20 years (or more) and have finally decided to give all those broken items in your drawers the boot and splurge on an upgrade.
Either way, I've got the list of the BEST things to treat yourself to for a kitchen makeover that you'll love working in.
The Best Cooking Tools for Family Chefs
Cooking for a family? Setting up your wedding registry and want the best tools that will last a lifetime?
These are the things in my kitchen I absolutely love and couldn't cook without.
ALL CLAD 3 Qt. Universal Pan
I use this pan for every dinner I can. I love how it browns meat and it deglazes like a dream. You can start a dinner on the stove top and finish it in the oven.
The short handles are less likely to get bumped by family in my busy kitchen. It sits on my stovetop and gets used several times a week.
GreenPan Healthy Ceramic Nonstick, 8" and 10" Frying Pan Skillet Set
If I'm making grilled cheese, grilled sandwiches, or anything with eggs like scrambled eggs or omelettes, I grab these nonstick skillets.
The eggs slide out so smoothly and the sandwiches get perfectly toasty brown.
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven
The 5.5 qt size is the most practical for most families. I use this to get amazingly crispy edges on my favorite pulled pork shoulder and to brown the beef before building my easy beef stew.
Soups, stews, roasting large meats for long periods of time, there are tons of ways to use this pan that will last you a lifetime.
WรSTHOF Asian Chef's Knife
My husband bought me this santuko knife when we were first married and I've used it almost every day since. I love the balance in my hand, how easy it is to chop and scoop up food from my cutting board, and how it can be sharpened right at home.
Nordic Ware Jelly Roll Pan
I have four of these pans in my cabinet because they get used for just about everything. At any given time you might find one in my fridge or freezer, on the counter, in the oven, next to the stove, or by the grill outside.
We use them as a cookie sheet, roasting pan, meal prep surface, broiler pan, flash freezing pan, refrigerator storage, drip catcher for marinating meats in storage bags in the fridge, prep station for grilled items, and so much more.
Immersion Hand Blender
I love using my immersion blender to puree soups right in the pot or make creamy tomato sauces or finish my Instant Pot Butter Chicken or Tomato Bisque Soup.
So much easier and neater to use than trying to transfer something to a countertop blender.
The Best Peeler Ever
For such a small gadget, you might be surprised to see this on my list but this is truly the Best Peeler Ever. I have tried other models and I hate how thick they peel, this one lets me whip through a veggie in no time at all. I keep two in my drawer so I can always have a helper working alongside me.
King Arthur, Pre-Cut Baking Parchment Paper
As much as I love my Silpat silicone baking mats, we started using these pre-cut parchment papers during the recipe testing for The Ultimate Bread Machine Book and I fell in love.
It is so handy to just grab a sheet that perfectly fits my jelly roll pan. For the amount of baking and recipe testing I do, this has been a wonderful shortcut.
Cutco Classic Steak Knives
We got these as a wedding present and they were used so frequently I finally buckled and bought a second set so I'd always have one handy.
They are the perfect size and shape to use for cutting cherry tomatoes, slicing an apple, slicing a brick of cheese, or cutting up food for your toddler.
Between this set and my chef knife, I almost don't even need any other kitchen knives.
We toss ours in the dishwasher daily for the last 20 years and they're still going strong.
WรSTHOF Classic 9" Bread Knife
The last essential knife in my drawer is this long, serrated bread knife. If you make any kind of breads at home, this is what you need to get nice neat slices.
French White by CorningWare
Another multi-purpose tool I use for everything! My mom always used this set and it was one of the first things I registered for when we got married.
The dishes are freezer-friendly, oven safe, and all ceramic/glass. We use these not only for baking but for storing leftovers of all kinds in the fridge, marinating meats, and even sometimes as mixing bowls.
Classic white easily goes straight to the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set
I LOVE that I can just use one or two of the spoons from this set without getting all the spoons dirty. One side goes into spice jars easily, the other side is great for liquids.
I actually have two sets in my drawer so I don't have to stop to wash a dirty measuring spoon if I'm in a rush. They pop right into the dishwasher at the end of the meal.
5-Speed Electric Hand Mixer
As much as I adore my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, in the last few years I've gotten lazy about hauling it up from the island cabinet. Grabbing this lightweight hand mixer is so much faster and easier.
I use it for pudding, frosting, cake batters, brownies, and tons of the dip recipes on this site.
Lemon Squeezer
I cook with fresh citrus A LOT. I love, love, love, lemons, limes, and oranges.
When I'm making our favorite chicken soup or lemon curd, I need to juice 5 or more lemons, and this juicer saves me so much time. I don't keep many gadgets in my drawer but this one earns its keep.
Microplane Classic Zester Grater,
Before I juice those lemons, I zest them with this handy grater. It also works for nutmeg or hard cheeses like parmesan, too.
Meat Chopper
I shouldn't love this gadget as much as I do but I love it so deeply I own two.
If you make any ground meat recipes like tacos, spaghetti sauce, Hamburger Helper-style skillets, or crumbled sausage, this tool is Ah-Maz-Ing.
Digital Meat Thermometer
This probe thermometer gets used on every meat dish that comes from my kitchen. My husband is obsessed with food safety and we rest easy knowing nothing is ever underdone.
Fun Fact: We used it to test the internal temps on the breads we baked for the recipes on this site. It's a handy way to know if your baked goods are finished, too!
Pampered Chef Mini-Serving Spatula
This handy little spatula is just what you need to get a single brownie or bar out of the baking pan. My mom always hunts it down in my kitchen during the holidays because she loves how easy it is.
Pyrex 3 Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set
I measure all the ingredients for sauces and marinades right in these cups and then whisk them together right in the cup. They are one part measuring cup, one part mixing bowl. I even use them for melting butter in the microwave. I use them as ingredient prep containers to help keep my cutting board neat as I chop veggies, too.
Crazy sturdy, dishwasher safe. I use all 3 sizes several times a week.
If you do any cookie decorating with royal icing, I'd recommend getting several 1-cup cups, too.
Pizza Stone (For Regular Pies, too!)
This rectangular shaped pizza stone will definitely help you get the crispiest crust on a homemade pizza, but if you plan to ever bake anything with a pie crust (like a fruit pie or even a chicken pot pie), this is a baker's dream.
Preheat the stone with the oven and then place your pie in its metal pan directly on the hot stone. It will ensure you get a perfectly baked bottom crust right through to the middle of the pie.
Essential Bread Baking Tools and Equipment
And if you're a bread baker like I am, you won't want to miss this essential list of my favorite bread baking tools and equipment for baking with your bread machine.
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