10 Must-Have Cooking Tools That Are Worth Every Single Penny

Ever wonder why some dishes turn out better than others? Sometimes, it's not just the chef's skills—it's the tools. High-quality cooking tools can transform your kitchen into a place where culinary magic happens.

Table of Contents

1. Immersion Blender
2. Bench Scraper
3. Vegetable Peeler
4. Stainless Steel Bowls
5. Spatula
6. Pressure Cooker
7. Multi-Use Grater
8. Frying Pans
9. Thermometer
10. Cutting Boards
11. Surgical Hand Brush
12. Digital Scales
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1. Immersion Blender

One home chef says theirs is the best thing in the kitchen, especially during winter when they make many soups. I can’t live without my immersion blender. Who wants to use a cumbersome stationary blender when they can do it by hand? Moreover, immersion blenders are good for smuggling vegetables into sauces without kids knowing.

2. Bench Scraper

It might sound like something a park warden would carry, but a bench scraper is a stainless steel scraper chefs use to clear their chopping board. It is an effective scooper for chopped produce and saves your expensive knives — if you have expensive knives. Bench scrapers are also used for cutting and portioning dough.

3. Vegetable Peeler

Chef peeling potatoes — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Anyone who enjoys cooking must get themselves a strong, sharp vegetable peeler. There is nothing more satisfying than stripping down bags of carrots. Furthermore, if you are in the market for a new peeler, spend a little extra — the cheapest version will invariably fall apart within a few months.

4. Stainless Steel Bowls

Many home chefs choose to have a variety of different-sized stainless steel bowls. These bowls keep things organized while cooking, preventing too much chopping board clutter. They are ideal for mixing when baking, steaming couscous, or whipping egg whites.

5. Spatula

Silicone Spatula — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

There are different types of spatula, and both are equally important. The first type is soft silicon-headed, for cleaning down the edge of bowls and saucepans; the other type is for flipping eggs. I will use the former to fry onions and garlic or keep sauces from sticking.

6. Pressure Cooker

Pressure cookers are genius inventions that aid culinary time travel. Instead of slow-steaming or long braising meats, you can half the cooking time with a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker also eliminates the need to pre-soak your legumes, though be warned: the beans’ appearance will suffer somewhat.

7. Multi-Use Grater

Grater and cheese on wooden board — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Cheese graters cannot just be one form because cheese has such a variety. Some types of cheese need a smaller shredding hole; others need a zester (as do citrus skins). In addition, a microplane (a skinny mini-hole grater) is perfect for dusting chocolate powder, truffles, or parmesan cheese over things.

8. Frying Pans

While some chefs are happy to use one pan for everything, having one for meat and a separate one for fish is good. My repertoire includes a paellera, a skillet, a carbon-steel pan, a mini omelet pan, and a wok. That should cover it! Furthermore, induction hobs are no good with woks, so invest in a separate gas burner.

9. Thermometer

Meat Thermometer — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

One thread poster asserts that knowing your food’s temperature is essential for any high-ambition chef. He has two: an instant-read thermometer for general use and one that has a wired probe for monitoring inside oven-roasted meats. Those with the loose change can afford a Meater wireless thermometer.

10. Cutting Boards

Cheese on Cutting Board — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

My mother drives me crazy with her lack of chopping board use, even though she has a giant, beautiful oak chopping board in her kitchen. I have a range of different boards, depending on the ingredients. One for meat, fish, and vegetables, and a giant wooden one because it looks nice.

11. Surgical Hand Brush

An ingenious cook raves about their doctor’s brush they bought from a medical supply. This device is good for cleaning all kinds of vegetables — even one’s hands. The description that it is soft enough to clean off dirt but not tear the skin has me sold.

12. Digital Scales

Anyone who enjoys baking will need a good quality set of measuring spoons and cups, but those who enjoy baking will need a digital kitchen scale. Of course, you can attempt the plastic analog kind, but so many tests have shown these to be inaccurate — heresy for the science of bakery.

Source: Reddit.