In a previous post, I listed the 10 Essential Kitchen Tools for Beginner Cooks. But after you’ve got your basics covered, it’s time to level up your cooking! Do you want to attack more recipes with ease and confidence? If you’re curious about what tools are worthy of taking up that precious real estate in your kitchen, then watch this video: 10 Kitchen Tools You Need To Make Cooking Easier.
These tools are my “honorable mentions,” like numbers “11-20” on my list when it comes to my top essential kitchen tools. They are slightly less obvious or often overlooked, but are must-haves that every home cook needs, especially if you’re just starting out in the kitchen. When you have the right tools in your arsenal, you’ll be more inclined to cook, because there won’t be anything standing in your way!
Not only will these handy kitchen tools help you attempt more recipes, but you’ll end up getting better results, which will only encourage you to keep on cooking, and help you feel like a pro!
1. Kitchen Scale (my recommendation)
A kitchen scale is the best way to get accurate results when following recipes, especially for baking. But I use mine even for general everyday cooking. With a kitchen scale, you can weigh out meat when marinading it, so you know for sure that you have the correct ratio of marinade to meat, like for my Korean Royal Barbecued Pork recipe.
I do this especially if I have more meat than a recipe calls for and want to make sure that the recipe comes out exactly as it should. And for baking, you’ll notice that in certain recipes, it’s highly recommended to weigh out the ingredients as opposed to measuring them out in cups. You’ll notice this happens often with a lot of macaron recipes, because having the correct amount of almond flour can make or break your recipe. Check the video for some helpful tips on how to use the scale properly.
2. Oven + Deep Fry Thermometers
Oven Thermometer (my recommendation)
Sometimes it’s hard to rely on your oven temperature by what it reads on the dial or screen. There’s always a chance it needs to be calibrated, because the temperature is incorrect, and an oven thermometer is the only way to know for sure. This inexpensive tool will save you a lot of heartache and guesswork when it comes to baking, or making that perfect roast. I definitely had to make sure my oven was on point when making Creme Brulee for Two, because the custard mixture was so delicate and I didn’t want to end up with scrambled eggs!
With an oven thermometer, you’ll be able to better follow the cooking times on recipes and have confidence that the recipe will turn out right. This is especially important when cooking things like turkeys, roasts, breads, or cakes.
Deep Fry / Candy Thermometer (my recommendation)
This little tool changed my cooking game because I was no longer scared to deep fry or make sure my boiling sugar was at the right temperature. I use it especially when making my Korean fried chicken recipe. You have to double fry the wings, so there’s a chance to mess up your oil twice! When the oil is just right, you get the skin nice and crispy as it should be.
I use this when making my Toasted Ravioli as well because I want to make sure the outside of the breaded raviolis get nicely golden brown, not burnt, while the insides are hot and fluffy. Making sure your oil isn’t too hot or cold is key!
3. Glass Nesting Bowls (my recommendation)
A set of glass nesting bowls is a space saver and super useful. These bowls are versatile and durable. I use mine everyday for mis en place, marinating, whisking, and mixing. You’ll see them in almost all my cooking videos, where I put them through abuse, such as when making my No Bake Nutella Cheesecakes.
I find a use for every single bowl in this set, even the tiny baby one, which I use to hold spices. I use the larger ones to mix up sauces, toss salads and pastas, melt chocolate over a water bath, and to whip up a batch of dalgona coffee.
4. Handheld Fine Sieve Strainers Set of 3 (my recommendation)
Fine sieve strainers come in handy when straining out lumps in sauce and gravy, or fishing out unwanted items when making a stock. Use it for sifting flour, or dusting on powdered sugar over baked goods. I even use mine to strain things out of frying oil. I usually place the sieve over a glass nesting bowl and catch the stock when I want to reserve it, like in my Jjapaguri recipe.
If you want to make sauces and desserts silky smooth, such as when making cheesecakes or Creme Bruleee for Two, definitely invest in some fine sieves. They will change the way you cook and give you confidence to tackle more recipes!
5. Spider Strainer (my recommendation)
This strainer is more like an actual cooking tool, useful for blanching, deep frying and handling delicate jobs where you need to nestle the food into the oil or water and then quickly fish it out again. I use it to cook pasta or noodles, blanch and shock vegetables, and deep fry Toasted Ravioli.
The bamboo handle makes it easier to maneuver, because it’s so light, which makes it better for handling delicate jobs, like flipping beignets.
6. Box / Cheese Grater (my recommendation)
Not only is a box grater useful for grating your own cheese when it comes to mac & cheese, Skillet pizza, and Lasagna for Two (grating your own cheese ensures it melts better), but you can also use it for veggies!
Shred up zucchini for zucchini bread or fritters, make hash browns, and cauliflower rice! I like to use mine especially to grate carrots, like in my Spaghetti Squash with Easy Meat Sauce Recipe.
Look for ones made of stainless steel, with 4 sides to slice, shred or grate. Mine has 6 sides, but I honestly use only 4 of the sides. A box grater will come in handy for countless recipes. Also see my cool tip on how to clean a cheese grater in our 10 Ways to Use Lemons in Your Kitchen video.
7. Meat Mallet (my recommendation)
A meat mallet is good for making chicken or pork cutlets thinner, making sure they’re even in thickness, which also cuts down on cooking time. I do this method in my Chicken with Tomatoes and Dill and Pork Chops with Balsamic Apples recipes.
The meat mallet that I’m recommending isn’t actually the one that I currently own, but it’s something I plan to upgrade to soon! You’ll see that it looks different than what’s pictured. The one I’m recommending is an ideal tool for flattening all types of cutlets into a uniform thickness for even cooking without damaging the meat. I like that you can have more dexterity and a lighter touch with this offset handle design.
8. Salad Spinner (my recommendation)
This baby helps you with prep…from salads to herbs, which will help you grab for them more readily when cooking! I use it in my Thanksgiving prep videos several times, as well as for my Kale Salad with Garlic Croutons and Kale Cobb Salad.
Not only will it help you to get your greens bone dry, but you can even store the lettuce in the salad spinner and pop it right in the fridge as a crisper! Having crisp dry greens are essential when making a salad, because the dressing will stick better to them. And no one wants soggy lettuce in their sandwich!
9. Ricer (my recommendation)
If you make a lot of mashed potatoes, this tool comes in handy because it saves you a step. You don’t even have to peel the potatoes before boiling! You can see how I do that in my Thanksgiving cook with me video. Use it for sweet potatoes as well. I use mine for making gnocchi, but you can also use it for mashing up homemade baby food! Ricing makes for a fluffier consistency and removes lumps so you don’t have to use all your muscles mashing. I also used this a whole lot during our underground supper club when we made our signature dish of black sesame gnocchi with miso cream sauce.
10. Citrus Squeezer (my recommendation)
A citrus squeezer comes in so handy, especially if you love lemons and limes as much as I do! It catches the seeds, and ensures you get every bit of juice out without waste. I use mine in too many recipe videos to count, like for my Mussels in white wine sauce, Korean cole slaw, and Soba noodle Salad recipes.
This has saved me angst when having to squeeze a bunch of citrus, or even just a scant amount. Mine has been with me forever, but I’m planning to upgrade to the one I recommend in my video.
*BONUS!
Handheld Mandolin Slicer (my recommendation)
You will need this hand-held mandolin for making potato gratins, potato chips, thin slices of zucchini, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, or carrots! It’s also important to make thin even slices to provide an easy first step for julienning. Get those slices while reducing hand fatigue. You can either use it angled on a cutting board, or placed right over a bowl. This one features a nonslip handle and is dishwasher safe. I just got one for myself!
All of the tools I mentioned are ones I personally own or have researched at length and found to have great reviews. The ones I don’t own yet will definitely be ones I aim to upgrade to over time, but I still wanted to share them with you to get you on the right foot from the beginning, so you don’t have to waste time and money on the wrong things.
What I didn’t mention in this video are other important tools like items for baking or special equipment like a food processor. Those are for future videos and different roundups. And trust me, even though I’m a chef and am cooking all the time, even I don’t have everything I need or want yet. You gotta build up your toolbox slowly and be realistic about the way you cook and what you’ll actually use. Just make sure that whatever items you get are going to last you a very long time. By the way, these products are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you do end up purchasing this product at no extra cost to you. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about these products.
