Yet Another Top Ten Kitchen Must-Have List

I know this is a topic that is beaten up constantly, but I wanted to switch up my posts and write about the tools that I believe are most important in the kitchen. Especially since I’m tired of seeing avocado slicers, garlic mincers, herb scissors, and strawberry hullers (all incredibly stupid and unnecessary tools). This is my list of tools and gadgets that I constantly use, and I believe at least they make the quality of life for a home cook that much better. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Stand Mixer

The stand mixer is in itself is something you could build your whole kitchen around. Especially if you stick with the KitchenAid stand mixer, which has a ton of easy to use attachments that hold up very well. I currently have the pasta maker and the meat grinder with all of the accompanying accessories. The grinder works very well, and I’ve even used it to grind up tougher game meat with no issues. With a good mixer, it makes mixing up bread or pasta dough extremely easy. I have even recently used it to quickly whip up a batch of mayonnaise, which saves you a lot of manual whipping. Of all the things on this list, a stand mixer might be the one item that everyone should have. I have linked the stand mixer that I personally have, but you can’t go wrong with any of the KitchenAid stand mixers.

Pasta Attachment for Stand Mixer

The pasta attachment for the stand mixer allows you to take the dough that you make in the stand mixer using the dough hook and roll it out into either pasta sheets or further cut the sheets into pasta noodles. The pasta sheet maker allows you to change the thickness of the sheets if instead of pasta noodles you might want to make sheets for lasagna. I have also used the pasta maker to make ramen noodles since the process is much the same. There is also a pasta maker attachment that allows you to make hollow noodles like penne and the like. If you find yourself making lots of plates of ravioli there is even an attachment for that. I linked below the pasta attachment that I have. I have noticed there are even some off-brand attachments, but I can’t speak for those.

Knife Set

I’m currently typing this with a bandaged up middle finger because I can’t seem to go at least a month without nearly slicing off one of my fingers. The middle finger is especially annoying to try to type with a bandage on it. Ironically a good knife set would prevent this, but I wasn’t using my personal set. A sharp knife prevents slipping off of what you are attempting to cut. Also using the right type of knife for the right job helps as well. Knife sets come in all manner of combinations whether its in a block or in a bag. I recommend at least finding a set with a chef’s knife, paring knife, serrated knife, and a bread knife to cover all of your bases. I linked below the set I have, and actually just received it for Christmas from my in-laws.

Silicone Spatulas

With spatulas, there are all types of materials you can go with but I believe silicon to be a much superior material. Silicon is more durable than plastic and it holds up to much higher heat. When looking for a spatula set make sure you find one that it one piece instead of two. The two-piece spatulas don’t seem to hold up as well. I recommend having multiple kitchen tools made of silicone. I linked below a decent set that should hold up well.

Silicone Presentation Spoon

Along with a silicone spatula, I also recommend a silicone plating/presentation spoon. This is a spoon that you would use to spoon a sauce or glaze over something that you are plating. I bought a set with two angled presentation spoons. Again I choose silicone because it is super durable. I linked a set below that is similar to what I have. I couldn’t find exactly what I have because I have yet to find anything like them.

Instant Pot

I might have to put the instant pot up at the same importance level as the stand mixer. This is another kitchen gadget that is extremely versatile and honestly replaced multiple appliances on its own. With the instant pot, you can pretty much donate your old rice cooker, and you won’t have any need for a slow cooker since the instant pot can also cook food at ambient pressure. I have cooked multiple meals with multiple elements using the instant pot. In fact, one of my next posts will be a short rib and mashed potato experiment that I attempted to cook the whole meal using my instant pot. For multiple meals in the instant pot, it helps to have multiple inserts. I have the standard stainless steel insert along with the non-stick insert. I typically use the stainless insert for searing and pressure cooking meat, and the non-stick insert for everything else. I linked below both the instant pot and the non-stick insert.

Wooden Spatula

Now while it is nice to have a silicone spatula they aren’t always the best for scraping bits off the bottom of the pan while deglazing a pan. For this, I use a wooden or bamboo spatula. Wooden spatulas are strong enough to scrape the bottom of the pan without marring the metal itself. These are cheap, and when they get too worn out it’s not a problem to just replace them. I have linked below a decent wood spatula.

Cast Iron Pan

I think before I really got into cooking my pan of choice was the standard non-stick pan. A non-stick pan is effortless to use, and it makes for easy cleanup due to the fact that as its name says food doesn’t stick to it. The problem with nonstick is that because it doesn’t allow food to stick it is nearly impossible to sear a steak on it. For this, I recommend a cast iron pan. Cooking on a cast iron pan is extremely easy and not intimidating at all. After a simple seasoning of oil and ensuring to clean only with hot water after scraping it is incredibly easy to maintain and use a cast iron pan. The best way in my opinion to cook a steak is in a cast-iron skillet with a bit of grass-fed butter and seasoned only with salt and pepper. If the steak cooked in the skillet is of the thicker variety you can then after searing for a few minutes each side stick it in the oven to finish it off. Just make sure after cleaning the pan to always coat the surface with a layer of oil to prevent rust. I have linked a pan similar to the one I use.

Stainless Steel Pan

Now let us say while I am using my cast iron pan to sear some steaks I might want to carmelize some onions and mushrooms to accompany them. In my opinion, this is best done with a stainless steel pan. I like to my stainless pan if I am cooking chicken or pork chops, and I will be using the pan to use the drippings in pan gravy. Using my wooden spoon and a bit of beer or wine I can then scrape up some of the bits of chicken or pork to add to my stock or broth. My favorite thing to make in my stainless steel pan is smothered chicken or pork. I have linked a well-reviewed stainless steel pan below.

Cutting Board

Last but not least is something I could probably never have enough of. I have probably at least five cutting boards and I prefer all of them for different things. If I am salting some beef, pork, or chicken ahead of time I like using my large bamboo cutting board. If I cutting up vegetables I prefer one of my plastic cutting boards. If I have a large piece of meat that I need to rest or when finished slice up I have a very thick butcher block cutting board that I actually use on a portable cart due to its large size. I’m a big fan of bamboo/wood cutting boards as well as their plastic counterparts. They both have their uses and it’s up to preference to decide which ones you like. For wood cutting boards you can’t go wrong with the John Boos brand. I have linked a few different examples below.