After the kitchen cabinet tour I shared two weeks ago, I was not prepared for the number of questions I’d get about where I got something! For example, our knife block is quite popular! It dawned on me (probably while cooking), that I should create one giant list of every single kitchen tool that I use and love with you guys so that it’s easy to find sources. Plus, I’ve added a few new kitchen tools to my line up that are awesome and definitely deserve some mention!
My Essential Kitchen Tools — AKA Every Single Cooking Gadget I Love & Use
Picture this: I am currently writing this post standing up in the kitchen, opening each drawer and cabinet! I want to make sure that this list functions as a comprehensive list of all the kitchen tools I’ve accumulated over the years. As I get more and more into cooking, I’ve honed my collection and feel confident in the function and use of each thing about I’m to share.
Kitchen gadgets
- All-Clad measuring cups and spoons
- wooden spoons — I have about 5-7 of these on hand at any given time in a variety of shape and size.
- OXO wooden turner
- OXO silicone turner — my favorite tool to get the last bit of sauce out of a jar.
- spatula
- OXO can opener
- OXO silicone tongs — I use these nearly every day… they are SO good.
- Microplane zester/grater — my favorite way to use this is to grate garlic so that it’s in smaller pieces.
- 4-inch Swiss peeler
- silicone whisk — I use this to avoid chipping/scratching any non-stick surface and the inside of my Dutch ovens
- wood-handled French whisk — this is my favorite whisk actually. I love the way the wooden handle fits in my palm and the length of it is perfect.
- Williams Sonoma silicone spatula
- OXO mandoline slicer
- silicone ladle — this is the best ladle EVER. I love that it’s squishy and gets the last bit of soup out of the corner of my pot.
- slotted spoon
- skimmer
- ice cream scoop
- OXO citrus squeezer
- wooden lemon reamer
- small funnel — I use this to refill my spice jars
- perfect egg timer
- Fiskars all-purpose shears — these are good because they come apart and are easy to clean.
- ThermoPro digital meat thermometer
- corkscrew — from Muji when I went to Taiwan, but I can’t seem to find a link to it to actually buy
- brass salad servers — I literally cannot find a link to these and the artist didn’t sign them well enough for me to see their name. This set is pretty similar.
- olive oil cruet — I picked this up in Florence… and proceeded to carry it around with me all day while touring!
- garlic keep
- pinch bowl filled with Maldon
- MENU grinder set — I only use the pepper one because I prefer to pinch my salt.
- tray to the right of my stove
Knives and knifeblock
My favorite chef’s knife is from a tiny shop in Italy where they hand-made each piece on site, so I don’t have a link to that. Here are a few other knives that I use less frequently + supporting kitchen tools:
- Material The Stand — the prettiest knife block ever, you guys.
- Lamson dough scraper — I put this with knives because I use it to scoop up anything I’ve just chopped. It’s also great for baking, too.
- Zwilling J.A. Henckels paring knife
- Zwilling J.A. Henckels bread knife
- Zwilling J.A. Henckels 6″ Cleaver
- Wusthof hand held knife sharpener
Prep tools and mixing bowls
- stainless steel colander
- marble mortar and pestle
- Duralex set of 10 prep and mixing bowls — these were the first real ‘splurge’ buy when I graduated from college, which means I’ve had them over 10 years! They’ve never broken and they are just total perfection.
- Pyrex 2 quart glass measuring cup — this size is SO GOOD. It looks massive, but it’s my favorite mixing bowl.
- Pyrex 2 cup measuring cup
- OXO salad spinner
Pots, pans and bakeware
- Ballarini 10-inch non stick pan — I have never used a non-stick pan as good as this. The size, shape, quality of the materials… it’s so good.
- Staub 12″ fry pan — my FAVORITE cast iron pan to cook with
- Ballarini 11-inch stir fry pan
- Le Creuset 2 1/4 quart saucier pan — my favorite pan to make rice.
- Le Creuset signature Dutch oven — this is my daily use Dutch oven because it’s just so good. If you’re going to put it in the oven (like to make bread), switch the plastic knob to be metal.
- The Dutchess — I love this Dutch oven for more ‘wet’ dishes, like soup, curry, etc
- Staub cast iron petite French oven — my favorite for toasting nuts and melting butter. I also use it for smaller portions of rice or quinoa.
- All-Clad Tri-Ply 4 quest sauce pan — I LOVE that the handle of this pan does not get hot
- Fellow Stagg pour over kettle
- ramekins
- muffin pan
- OXO silicone egg poachers
- IKEA splatter screen
- Nordic Ware aluminum baker’s half sheets
- AmazonBasics silicone baking mat sheets
- cooling racks — honestly, just get these from a thrift store since they are usually cheaper. I only get un-painted ones because I put them in the oven sometimes.
- 10 inch bread banneton proofing basket & liner
- bread lame
Appliances
- KitchenAid 7 cup food processor — check out my full review here!
- KitchenAid 3 speed hand blender — the best way to get creamy soups
- Vitamix Professional Series 750 blender
- Dualit toaster — hear me out on this one… I know it’s a very expensive toaster, but it is so well-made and so even in it’s heating. I wanted this toaster for years and years, so now that I have one I absolutely love it.
- KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 quart stand mixer
- digital kitchen scale — I have one and I don’t love it. I’m in the process of replacing my crappy one.
- SodaStream Aqua Fizz — I got so tired of buying La Croix and throwing away cans. This has been such an awesome addition to our kitchen!
- De’Longhi burr grinder
- Chemex
- Spice jars
Food storage
- glass food storage containers
- Le Parfait Super Terrine, 750 ml
- Le Parfait Super Jar, 2L
- Weck juice jar
- Ball Mason jar wide mouth, 16 oz
- Ball Mason jar wide mouth, 32 oz
- canister with wood lid
- plastic squeeze bottles
- 1/2 gallon Stasher bags
- cheese vault
- 6 quart commercial food container — I use this to hold bread dough
Cutting boards and serveware
- commercial grade plastic cutting board — I loooove a huge cutting board for cooking prep. One day, I want to upgrade this to a John Boos block.
- OXO utility cutting board — I use this for raw meat only
- cork trivets — I use these for everythinggggg
- Fortessa oval coupe serving bowl
- Fortessa oval platter
Dinnerware, glassware, and flatware
- Fortessa Modern Coupe dinner plates
- Fortessa Modern Coupe salad plates
- Fortessa bowls — I think these are the same ones I have.
- Molly Hatch Daisy Chain 8″ plate
- Fortessa Arezzo black brushed flatware
- Laguiole steak knives
- Duralex tumblers — mine are vintage and pink
- Schott Zwiesel Forte wine glasses
Cookbooks
- Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer
- The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
- Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman
- Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson
- Small Victories by Julia Turshen
- The Minimalist Kitchen by Melissa Coleman
- Bread Baking for Beginners by Bonnie Ohara
- Mastering The Art of French Cooking
After compiling this list of every single thing in my kitchen, I realized just how much of an investment it is to fully stock a kitchen. By no means is this a shopping list of must-haves that you need to go out and buy immediately. Instead, use this post to stock your kitchen like I did: over time and with care and consideration. Many of the big ticket items were actually gifts to me during the holidays or for a birthday, which honestly just makes them even more special to me. I also believe in filling my home with things that will last. Often that means things are a bit more expensive, so it’s a longtime commitment to invest in a full arsenal of really good kitchen tools.
I hope you found this list helpful!
