12 Professional Chefs on the One Item They Tell Every Home Cook to Buy

Attempting to sort through the millions of kitchen tools for sale at Amazon is overwhelming. There’s chaff, there’s wheat, and there’s everything in between that can be helpful on those rare occasions when pitting pounds of fresh cherries or poaching eggs without vinegar but take up precious space otherwise. The ability to balance what you need with what you want comes with experience, an asset the 12 professional chefs interviewed for this article have in spades. Read on to shop the 11 kitchen tools, including Nordic Ware baking sheets and Vitamix blenders, that private chefs, caterers, restaurant chefs, and bakers tell everyone to buy, starting at $7 at Amazon. 

Metal Fish Spatulas 

Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula 

Hot, greasy, dangerous kitchens require tools that are “cheap but dependable,” says Chef Tyler Fenton of BATA Tucson, which is why he recommends getting a fish spatula. Kelsey Leland, owner of Pretty, Healthy Foods in Los Angeles, Calif., agrees, adding that it’s “thin and precise enough to quickly turn seared proteins or toss roasted vegetables without losing those delicious browned bits that tend to stick to the baking sheet.” Both recommend Winco’s affordable stainless steel model, which costs less than $8 but pays dividends in the kitchen.

Wooden Kitchen Utensils

Earlywood 3-Piece Wood Utensil Set 

Tiny Spoon Chef-owner Janice Carte swears by the 3-piece utensil set from Earlywood, calling the handmade wooden tools “beautiful, functional, and lovely additions to any kitchen.” She uses hers for a multitude of tasks, including serving salads, tossing stir-fries, stirring soups, flipping crab cakes, and nabbing toast from the toaster oven “before disaster strikes.” These wooden utensils are also a favorite of Food & Wine editors for their simple practicality and easy-to-clean exteriors. 

Paring Knives 

Messermeister Petite Parer Trio Set 

“One of the tools I cannot live without are these petite paring knives from Messermeister,” says executive chef of Perry’s in Washington, D.C., Masako Morishita. “They are so great for smaller-sized ingredients as well as tomatoes, okras, and other vegetables.” The set includes three styles of knife: 4.5-inch serrated tomato, pointed 3-inch, and curved 2.5-inch bird’s beak (also called tourné), which is ideal for tasks like peeling vegetables or hulling strawberries.  

Microplane Graters  

Microplane Classic Zester Grater 

Of course, no list would be complete without a Microplane grater. Top Chef alum Chef Brother Luck calls it a “must-have for adding bright citrus zest, shaved cheeses, or finely grated spices” to dishes. Karen LuKanic, owner of Chef Zorba’s in Denver, Colo., likewise relies on her favorite grater “to get the most aromatic scent and taste” out of the many “fragrant herbs and spices” that flavor Moussaka and other Greek specialties. Both love how the simple tool can elevate and enliven food.

Rice Strainers 

Inomata Plastic Japanese Rice Washing Bowl and Strainer 

Jeff Osaka, chef and owner of Sushi-Rama and Osaka Ramen in Denver, suggests Inomata’s plastic rice washing bowl and strainer as his family eats a lot of Japanese rice that requires several rounds of rinsing. He prefers models “with a solid bottom” and a “strainer on the side” for ease. One Amazon shopper out of the 4,000 that gave it perfect ratings “noticed a clear difference” in their cooked rice since using this product.    

Blenders 

Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender

Osaka also recommends a Vitamix blender, calling it “one of the workhorses” in his home kitchen, making “smoothies super creamy” and giving “any soup that velvety texture.” With more than 6,300 five-star ratings at Amazon and the stamp of approval from Food & Wine product testers, there’s no doubt that people love it. Add the blender to your Amazon cart while it’s over $100 off for a limited time. 

Baking Sheets 

Nordic Ware Naturals 2-Pack of Quarter Sheet Pans 

Nordic Ware baking sheets are also popular among chefs and product testers. Both Ashley Lonsdale, chef-in-residence at ButcherBox, and Leland use them for everything from toasting nuts to roasting vegetables. While Lonsdale prefers a larger size with a “nested wire rack” when resting steaks or cooling cookies, Leland uses the quarter and eighth sheets more often to cook “multiple small quantities of food” at the same time. Whichever size you choose, Lonsdale cautions people to always wash them by hand since “they can last for ages” when “handled with care.”  

Bread Ovens

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Bread Oven 

Australian pastry chef Adriano Zumbo swears by Le Creuset’s enameled cast iron bread oven, dubbing it a “versatile” tool for “any home kitchen.” He credits the lid with creating a great rise when baking bread, adding that the base doubles as a skillet. It comes in a range of colors, any of which would look beautiful in a kitchen.    

Cake Testers 

Ateco Set of 3 Stainless Steel Cake Testers 

“A cake tester is a simple tool that only costs a few bucks but can be used in the kitchen in surprising ways,” shares Joey Edwards, executive chef at Three Sisters at Blackberry Mountain in Tennessee. “I use them to test the doneness of thick vegetables like salt-baked celery root or whole smoked cauliflower, and also insert them into meat to feel the temperature inside. And, of course, we use them to test the doneness of cakes and other baked goods.” Chef Tim Lu of Noisette Restaurant and Bakery in Denver also relies on a cake tester for all of the same tasks. He calls it his “favorite tool, and arguably one of the most essential in a kitchen.” 

Cookie Scoops

Homure H 3-Piece Cookie Scoop Set 

For anyone bitten by the baking bug, Laura Calderone, founder of Relish Catering in Washington, D.C., highly recommends purchasing cookie scoops. “From scooping ice cream to cookie dough, these versatile [tools] maintain a consistent shape and size, ensuring a visually appealing outcome,” she says. This 3-pack has multiple sizes, over 3,000 five-star ratings, and is on sale for only $17.  

Whetstones 

Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone 

Chef Luck also urges home cooks to invest in a knife sharpener, calling it “a crucial tool for any professional or amateur chef.” As the No. 1 bestselling model at Amazon with more than 18,200 perfect ratings, the overwhelming consensus is that in addition to sharpening knives extraordinarily well, it’s also easy to use. One shopper called it an “affordable, effective, and intuitive product” that they “highly recommend.”