Our 8 Favorite Tools for Making the Most of Apple Season

Apple season means different things to different people. For some, apple season is synonymous with taking friends and family to the local orchard to pick fresh apples; for others, it can mean spending time in the kitchen batching apple cider vinegar and apple butter for a flavorful winter (and beyond). Sometimes, however, you simply want a fresh apple pie. Whatever your end goal is, from preserves to pastries, it’s important to have the right kitchen gear to help you get there. 

Fortunately, Food & Wine is full of passionate apple lovers who spend the cooler months procuring and cooking apples of all sorts. Below, we talked to staffers about their favorite kitchen tools, gadgets, cookware, and more. From cast iron Dutch ovens and skillets to fermentation weights and preserving starter kits, here are our favorite products to pick up as apple season peaks. 

Best Kitchen Gear for Apple Season at Amazon

• Made In Enameled Cast Iron Skillet, $149
• Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, $420
• KitchenAid Fruit and Vegetable Spiralizer Attachment, $82, originally $130
• Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Bundt Pan, $44
• OXO Good Grips Chef’s Mandoline Slicer 2.0, $51, originally $100
• Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler 3-Pack, $14
• Ball 9-Piece Preserving Starter Kit, $40
• Fermentation Weights 4-Pack, $16

Made In Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

“For me, apple season means apple crisp! I’m especially fond of this recipe for skillet apple ginger crisp, which starts with sauteeing apples on the stovetop before baking them in the same vessel. Apples are acidic (as is the lemon juice that goes into this dish!), so my regular cast iron skillet won’t do — that’s where this stovetop-to-oven enameled number comes into play.” — Karen Shimizu, Executive Editor

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

“Many of my friends and family know that as soon as apple season comes along, we’re heading to an orchard. It is my birthday tradition, and I use those apples to make my famous apple butter every year. You need the farm-fresh taste of apples in an orchard and fresh apple cider to make the best apple butter. I use a Dutch oven to slow cook everything down with a few other ingredients, and because it’s such a limited batch, I really need cookware I can count on that won’t scorch or over-reduce the mixture. My Le Creuset Dutch oven is the best for the job. This pot has incredible heat retention without overheating and a knack for preventing sticking. My kitchen would never be the same without it — it’s so key!” — Kristin Montemarano, Food Commerce Writer

KitchenAid Fruit and Vegetable Spiralizer Attachment

“This handy attachment makes quick work of peeling, coring, and slicing apples for pies and crisps.” — Taysha Murtaugh, VP, Commerce

Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Bundt Pan

“Apple season is incomplete without a nice apple bundt cake. Whether it’s packed with spices and chunks of Granny Smiths or made with homemade applesauce to be moist and tender, the final product is undeniably homier — and crustier — when it’s made in a good Bundt pan. The Nordic Ware anniversary model is taller than most others, and it’s equipped with much-needed handles, making flipping and maneuvering less imposing. So, get your allspice and cinnamon, your brown-sugar caramel frostings, and your brand new Bundt pan ready — it’s baking time!” — Dillon Evans, Commerce Update Writer

OXO Good Grips Chef’s Mandoline Slicer 2.0

“One of my favorite ways to use up a bunch of apples is to make cinnamon-dusted apple chips. Last year, I invested in one of our top-rated mandoline slicers for faster, easier, and safer slicing, and it’s been a game-changer. I particularly love how precise it is, allowing me to really get thin slices for maximum crunch.” — Katie Macdonald, Director, News & Deals

Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler 3-Pack

“I’m a peeled-apples-in-my-apple-pie kind of girl, so vegetable peelers are indispensable in my kitchen during apple season. I love the Kuhn Rikon peelers, which are affordable and super sharp. I’m able to breeze through peeling apples so I can get right to dousing them in sugar and cinnamon. At just $14 for a three-pack, I even like to give them out as stocking stuffers.” — An Uong, Commerce Writer

Ball 9-Piece Preserving Starter Kit

“I love canning and wish more folks knew how easy it was! Canning does require a few specialized products to get started, and in my opinion, the most important are a jar funnel, a jar lifter, and a rack for inside your pot, but after you have the basics, you can do so much. I like this set because it has all the accessories, including the pot rack, which is usually sold separately. This is the set I use to make homemade applesauce, apple butter, and apple pie filling after apple-picking trips in the fall. Come summertime, I also use it for jam and pickling. If canning seems daunting and you don’t know where to start, this set and the resources on the Ball Jar site will get you going. “ — Nick DeSimone, Commerce Updates Writer

Fermentation Weights 4-Pack

“When I make applesauce, it generates a lot of ‘waste’ in the form of apple cores and peels. I hate wasting food, so a few years ago, I started making apple cider vinegar with the scraps from my applesauce and apple butter recipes. It’s really easy and basically only requires apple scraps and time. Keeping the apple scraps submerged is vitally important to keep the apples from going rancid, and since they float, fermentation weights are the best way to keep everything submerged. I like these because they have a handy knob grip and fit all kinds of wide mouth jars.” — Nick DeSimone, Commerce Updates Writer