There’s a trend going around right now with kitchen tools are worth the money and when I tell you I’m a sucker for a cool tool…. So if you’ve heard of it I’ve probably tried it, and I’ll be honest most of them are single-task gimmicks that end up collecting dust in your drawers. I don’t believe cooking should require a counter full of gadgets, but I do believe in saving time and effort, so I’ve a few tools that, while they may not be necesseary, they DO definitely help in the kitchen.
Here are 14 kitchen tools from my archive that I actually use every day. Ones that actually save time or energy, and some that just make cooking feel a lot more seamless.
microplane
I use mine pretty much every single day for either garlic, ginger, parmesan, or citrus zest. No tedious chopping or smelly garlic fingers. Mine is over two years old and still razor-sharp and it saves me from pulling out a bulky box grater.
immersion blender
So much better than dragging out a massive stand blender just to purée a quick soup or sauce. Pro tip: It’s also an incredible shortcut for whipping cream in seconds with almost zero cleanup.
y-julienne peeler
A really and quick and dirty way to julienne your vegetables. Not necessarily the best way to do it - I’d go for a mandoline for precision, but when I’m in a pinch/don’t want to pull out the mandoline/risk my life, this is super easy to use.
spider strainer
No need to haul out a giant colander every time I make pasta when I can just scoop it right out of boiling water and into my sauce pan. Saves a dish AND automatically preserves that precious pasta water so I won’t run out.
bench scraper
Probably my most asked about tool. Normally for baking (which you know I don’t heck with often), so I use it to swoop up chopped veggies off the board in one clean motion. Plus it doubles as the ultimate tool for scraping down messy stuck on bits on the counter.
scrap bowl
Old me would shove everything in the sink or have to open the compost door constantly AND IT WOULD GET SO DIRTY. Now, I pop a compost bag in a bowl, and pop it right beside me for scraps and it saves so much time and effort.
hand citrus juicer
As my grip strength gets worse, I’m all for using a juicer. This one in particular has a little bowl to capture the juice so I can use force and press it down onto the counter and it catches the juice. Get’s out way more juice and no seeds!
cookie scoops
Not just for baking! These are the best tool for portioning out perfectly uniform meatballs. They come in different sizes so you also use them for cleanly measuring sticky, tricky ingredients like cream cheese or peanut butter without the mess.
metal tongs
You don’t need anything fancy, but getting myself a few simple, cheap metal tongs made things so much efficient. Having a few pairs so I always have a clean set ready when flipping protein, tossing pasta, or roasting veggies really makes a huge difference.
refillable oil sprayer
I have gone through so many oil dispensers and this one is by far my favorite. It’s refillable, it SPRAYS and pours and it does not get clogged up. Easy to clean and most importantly I think she’s cute!
instant-read meat thermometer
I literally never cook meat without one. It completely eliminates the guessing game, taking me out of the “is it done yet?” loop and guaranteeing I never dry out a piece of chicken or steak again.
a good knife and a sharpener
Having one solid, sharp chef’s knife speeds up your prep and makes cooking feel so much more professional. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a great one, but you do need to keep it sharp. Pair it with a simple pull-through knife sharpener so you’re never struggling through a tomato again. This sharpener is good for Ina, it’s good enough for me.
salt cellar
Nothing makes me feel more like a pro chef than grabbing a pinch of kosher salt straight from an open counter cellar.
a reggie ;)
Keep your space clean with a professional cheese collector who also checks cheese for poison…. trust me, best tool yet!
Let me know if you try any of these recipes in the comments!
This is amazing! Thanks!
Didn't know I needed an oil sprayer...but I do! Also, amen to the spider strainer.