11 Desert-Island Cooking Tools, According to Pro Chefs

Chef’s Knife

“If I was on a desert island, one tool I would absolutely pack is a stainless steel, very sharp chef’s knife,” Mozza Group co-owner and 1990 Food & Wine Best New Chef Nancy Silverton told us at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, emphasizing the material to ensure it wouldn’t rust. She wasn’t alone in this choice: 2019 Food & Wine Best New Chef and Executive Producer Kwame Onwuachi also said he’d bring a chef’s knife, noting that he’d want to be able to cut down trees, fillet fish, butcher animals, and chop other ingredients.

We’ve tested dozens of chef’s knives over the years, and our top choice is this 8-inch hollow-edge knife from Mac. The super-sharp, dimpled stainless steel blade sliced through everything from dense sweet potatoes to delicate tomato skins. We loved the lightweight, balanced feel and the slip-free handle.

Small Set of Knives

TV chef and James Beard-nominated restaurateur Tyler Florence is also bringing a blade to his desert island, but his selection — a knife set from Benchmade — is slightly more survivalist.

“These are fantastic fishing and tackle knives, and the cool thing about them is they float in water,” Florence told us. “If we’re talking about an island, obviously there’s some water. I want to make sure I have a good knife I can wear on my belt, a good knife I can fillet fish with, and a knife that will stay sharp for a long time.”

Plating Chopsticks

Four-time James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern’s utensil of choice surprised us until he explained the many ways he’d use it. “The first thing I’d choose is my metal chopsticks,” Zimmern told us. “I can cook with them; I can plate with them; they’re sharp-pointed, so I can actually grill with them. I can check temperatures on beef, pork — any kind of roast — by inserting the sharp end into that roast, pulling it out, and touching it to my lip so I can tell whether or not that food item is hot or cold. You can have my metal chopsticks when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.”

While Zimmern recommended this $98 set from Chubo, we found a more affordable option on Amazon for $10.

Stockpot

“I’ve watched Naked and Afraid, so I’m taking a pot so I can boil water and have fresh water,” Onwuachi said, reasoning that you can live for a long time without food, but water is non-negotiable. 

One of our favorite stockpots from our tests is this 12-quart option from All-Clad. It heats evenly, is easy to maneuver, and the durable materials will last forever.

Microplane

Even if she’s stuck on a desert island, Silverton’s not forgetting flavor. “I also would not leave home without a microplane,” she told us. “I love microplanes for grating zest, cheese, garlic — it’s a simple way of adding great flavor to a dish.” 

She specifically recommends this fine grater from Microplane’s Gourmet Series, and we can back up her choice. No matter how many times we test zesters, this brand consistently comes out on top for its super-sharp blades, easy cleaning, and comfy handles.

Box Grater

Great — or should I say grate — minds think alike, because Zimmern’s also packing a grater for his desert island, albeit the box style. “Maybe it’s because I’m a little older, but I like a four-sided box grater like the old one with the bent handle my grandmother had,” Zimmern said. “I can grate potatoes, I can slice onions, I can grate cheese, I can do so many things with my box grater. It truly is an 80-in-one tool — can’t live without it.”

Having personally used the Zwilling grater he suggested, I can attest it works wonderfully. I especially love the interior drawer, which can be rotated in any direction to catch what you’re grating — whether the box is upright or on its side. When storing, a plastic cover keeps the grates covered (for safety and long-term sharpness).

A Big Cutting Board

“If I’m on a desert island, I gotta cut fish on something,” Florence told us. “Boos boards are my ride-or-die cutting boards that I use in all my restaurants, I use at home, and I use on my television shows.” 

We’ve long recommended Boos boards, which have consistently overperformed in our cutting board tests, so we couldn’t agree more. Florence called the maple cutting board from Boos “something you have to have for your kitchen,” adding that you should get a big one depending on what your counter space allows — ideally 24 to 30 inches. For his desert island, he’s going with the 30-inch board, which allows him to spread out and prep everything from veggies to meat. 

Twine and Cheesecloth

Onwuachi said he’d also pack twine and cheesecloth for their many uses for cooking and beyond. “You could start a fire with twine as well as cheesecloth,” he explained, adding that he’d also like to bring a lighter. “You can also fish and create a mosquito net — because I don’t fuck with bugs.” The cheesecloth could also help him filter water, he reasoned, while the twine could help him build a shelter.

Coconut Opener

For Florence’s third pick, he opted for a surprising yet smart tool: a coconut opener. “I’ve actually used these before because we have a restaurant in Hawaii, and these open up coconuts beautifully,” he said. “I’m going to be hydrating with coconut water, I’m going to be eating fresh yummy coconut meat, and I’m also going to be using coconut as a bowl to eat my beautiful fish ceviche out of.”

Mortar and Pestle

“I would want to make some sort of a pounded sauce while I was there,” said Silverton, so her third desert island tool is a heavy-duty, porcelain mortar and pestle like this one from Milton Brook.

Measuring 5 inches in diameter, it can hold about a half pint of ingredients and is also available in smaller and larger sizes. The unglazed finish is stain-resistant, and the bowl is safe for use in the oven, dishwasher, or freezer (not that our desert island has any of those things).

Immersion Blender

Zimmern’s final pick — an immersion wand, or stick blender — surprised us until he explained that, naturally, his island has a generator. However, he notes, there are also battery-operated and USB-rechargeable stick blenders. “Doesn’t matter which kind you get, just get one — it will change your cooking life. It emulsifies sauces like nobody’s business.”

The immersion blender he chose, the Breville Control Grip, just so happens to be one of our top picks. “It has different attachments,” he says. “It can whisk, it can chop, it can puree, and it does it all at the touch of a button.”