Stop Buying Gadgets: These Are the Kitchen Tools You Really Need

Walk into any kitchen store and suddenly you’re convinced you need a special tool to slice an avocado.

Then another one for strawberries.

And apparently your bananas need their own equipment too.

I love a good kitchen tool, but your drawers do not need to look like the gadget aisle of a department store. Some of the best tools in the kitchen are simple, inexpensive and useful for about a hundred different things. If you’re trying to cook more at home, skip the gadgets that only have one job. These are the kitchen workhorses worth making room for.

1. A Really Good Chef’s Knife

If you’re going to invest in one kitchen tool, start here.

A good chef’s knife can chop vegetables, slice meat, mince herbs, dice onions, smash garlic and tackle most of your everyday prep. You do not need a giant knife block filled with 17 knives you never touch. Find a chef’s knife that feels comfortable in your hand, learn how to use it properly and KEEP IT SHARP.

Yes, I’m yelling that last part. A dull knife makes cooking harder and can actually be more dangerous because you have to use more pressure to cut. Treat your knife well and it will become one of the hardest working tools in your kitchen.

2. Tongs

If you have ever watched a chef cook, you have probably seen a pair of tongs nearby. There’s a reason. Tongs are basically an extension of your hand. Flip chicken. Toss vegetables. Turn something on the grill. Move pasta. Toss a salad. Grab something hot from a pan. You will find yourself reaching for them constantly. Just make sure you get a sturdy pair. Nobody has time for flimsy tongs when there is a steak on the line.

3. A Microplane

Small tool. Big personality.

A microplane takes up almost no space and can completely change a dish. Use it for lemon zest, lime zest, Parmesan, garlic, ginger, nutmeg and chocolate. A little fresh citrus zest can wake up an entire dish without adding more salt or fat. Freshly grated Parmesan over pasta? Always a good decision. This is one of those tools that makes you wonder how you cooked without it.

4. A Bench Scraper

This humble little rectangle deserves more attention. A bench scraper is fantastic for working with dough, but that is only the beginning. Chopped a mountain of onions? Scoop them up with your bench scraper. Need to move chopped herbs from your cutting board to the pan? Bench scraper. Flour all over the counter after making bread? You know what to do. It is especially helpful because you can move ingredients without dragging the sharp edge of your knife across your cutting board. Your knife will thank you.

5. An Instant Read Thermometer

Please stop cutting into your chicken to see if it is done. There is a better way.

An instant read thermometer takes the guessing out of cooking meat. Chicken, pork, steak, burgers and even fish become much easier to cook when you know the actual internal temperature. It also helps prevent the classic home cooking mistake of cooking something for an extra ten minutes “just to be safe.” Safe is good. Dry chicken is not.

6. A Cast Iron Skillet

A good cast iron skillet is the kitchen tool that just keeps going. Sear a steak. Cook chicken. Roast vegetables. Make cornbread. Fry potatoes. Bake a giant cookie. You can start something on the stovetop and move the entire pan into the oven. And if you take care of it, cast iron can last for generations. It does not need to be fancy. It just needs to be seasoned, used and loved.

7. Kitchen Shears

Kitchen scissors are seriously underrated. Cut herbs. Trim chicken. Snip green onions. Cut pizza. Trim parchment paper. Open stubborn packaging. They are especially useful when you are working with foods that are awkward to cut with a knife. Just do me a favor. Buy kitchen shears specifically for the kitchen. We do not need the scissors from the junk drawer that were last used to open an Amazon box anywhere near dinner.

8. A Fine Mesh Strainer

You might think a strainer is just for draining something. Not even close. Use a fine mesh strainer to rinse grains, drain small pasta, strain sauces, remove seeds, dust powdered sugar over desserts and create smoother soups. It is simple, inexpensive and earns its cabinet space. That is exactly what I want from a kitchen tool.

9. A Vegetable Peeler

No fancy spiralizing, rotating, multi blade contraption required. Just get yourself a good vegetable peeler. Peel carrots and potatoes, of course, but keep going. Make ribbons of zucchini or cucumber for salads. Shave Parmesan. Create chocolate curls. Peel strips of citrus for cocktails. A simple peeler can do a surprising amount of work.

10. Your Hands

Yep. Your hands might be one of the most useful tools in your kitchen. Toss a salad. Mix meatballs. Knead dough. Rub seasoning onto chicken. Feel the texture of dough. Check produce. Cooking is incredibly tactile. Learning how food should feel is part of becoming a better cook.

Just wash those hands first. And wash them again. Probably one more time after that.

The Best Kitchen Tool Is the One You Actually Use

There will always be another kitchen gadget promising to chop faster, peel easier or magically turn a vegetable into something resembling spaghetti. Some of them are fun. Some of them are useful. And some of them will live in the back of your cabinet until your next garage sale. Before buying another gadget, ask yourself one question:

How many things can I actually do with this?

The best kitchen tools are usually the ones you reach for again and again. A great knife, sturdy tongs, a thermometer and a few simple workhorses can take you a long way. You do not need a professional kitchen full of equipment to make great food. You need a few good tools, quality ingredients and the confidence to get in there and cook. And maybe a microplane.

Seriously, get the microplane.

Come Cook With Me

Of course, owning the right tools is only half the fun. Learning what to do with them is where things get delicious. My cooking experiences are all about getting hands on, learning new skills and having a great time while we do it. Join me for a cooking class, catch one of my pop ups around town, plan a culinary team building experience or gather your favorite people for a private event. Come hungry. We’ll take care of the rest.