I’m a firm believer in only having the tools you need and use (yes, this means I don’t like little gadgets that can do exactly one thing—they take up valuable space!). Here are the tools I use again and again, and would recommend for any home cook to keep in their kitchen. Having the right tools on hand can make cooking much faster and enjoyable.
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Knives & Other Blades | Cooking Tools | Pots & Pans | Organization | Appliances
Knives & Other Blades
THE Knife - This cleaver-like knife is what I reach for most often. It’s great for everything, from microchipping salads to cutting meat.
Paring Knife - Great for cutting smaller or fewer produce.
Serrated Knife - I love this little one for cutting bread and tomatoes.
Tomato Knife - Like the above, great for thinly slicing ripe summer tomatoes and bread.
Kitchen Scissors - A good pair that can do anything (cut herbs, break down meat, cut pizza) is so helpful in the kitchen.
Mandoline - Watch your fingers!
Microplane - How I make dressings bursting with garlic but without huge pieces.
Y Peeler - A good peeler is essential.
Cooking Tools
Wooden Spoon - Perfect for soups and sautés.
Wooden Tongs - I use these for just about everything, including toast and meatballs.
Long Metal Tweezers - Same as above.
Metal Tongs - Great for toast or mixing salads.
Pastry Brush - Get just the right amount of oil on roasted veggies with an easy-to-clean brush.
Whisk - I love the grip on this handle.
Salad Spinner - Perfectly wash and dry everything, like lettuce, herbs, leeks, and more.
Citrus Juicer - My favorite!
Can Opener - Adi bought this for me so I’d stop cutting myself on the one we had.
Spatula - Scrape everything out of a bowl, blender, or food processor.
Bench Scraper - A great mess-free way to transfer chopped onions, carrots, garlic, etc. from board to pan.
Mixing Bowls - Good, lightweight mixing bowls make cooking and cleaning so much easier.
Cutting Board - I use this wooden board most of the time; for meat, I use these bamboo boards.
Measuring Spoons - Or just measure with your heart.
Pots & Pans
Stainless Steel Pan - I use this for just about everything. It’s great on the stove and in the oven.
Griddle - Perfect for pancakes!
Baking Sheets - My go-to bakeware for just about anything.
Muffin Tin - A must-have in my kitchen.
Braiser - A deeper pan like this is great for one-pot meals and braising meat.
Stock Pot - For soups and stocks.
Square Pan - I use mine for snacking cakes, brownies, and blondies.
Organization & Cleaning
POP Containers - These keep everything in my pantry perfectly fresh. Great for all dry goods!
Jars - We get a lot of spices from the shuk in Israel, so it’s great to transfer them from bags into containers.
Turntables - These hold SO much. I use mine for various olive oils, vinegar, and other bottles to make them easy to find.
Sponges - These sponges are a lifesaver to get stuck-on grease off my stainless steel. (And they’re made by my dad. Hi, Dad!)
Appliances
Food Processor - I love that this has a smaller footprint than larger food processors so it doesn’t take up as much space.
Blender - I use this every day; it’s a great investment. If you want something smaller, I also like this one.
Stand Mixer - A must-have if you want to bake a lot of bread, cookies, etc.
Hand Mixer - Requires more attention than the stand mixer, but great for shredding chicken.
Air Fryer - Having this is like having an extra oven—which makes cooking so much faster and easier.
Kettle - Ours is electric, so we can keep the stovetop open while we cook (plus it looks great on our counter).
Pizza Oven - This is definitely more of a nice-to-have than a must-have, but we LOVE ours if you have the space.
Are you looking for specific recommendations? Let me know and I’ll include them in a future round-up!
I selected these products because I genuinely love them, and hope you do too. I may get a commission if you purchase something through these links. Items are sold by the retailer, not me!
Photo: Ashley Sears