Cook Like a Pro with These 15 Must-Have Kitchen Tools

All right, so you've been cooking for a little while and you're ready to level up your kitchen tool game, but you don't know what to grab or even what half of them do. Don't worry, I've got you covered. Here are 15 essentials that I use all the time, things I honestly can't live without. And once you start to use them, you won't be able to put them down either. First up on my list, the Swiss Peeler. It's a simple tool and different from a flat peeler as it allows for smoother, more efficient peeling and that produces minimal waste. This is due to its sharp, thin blade, which allows you to better follow the contour of whatever it is you're peeling, a potato, a carrot, other root veg. It's a simple tool, but this is what the pros use in the back of the house, in the restaurant industry to eliminate as much loss to their food as possible. Plus, you can pick it up for like five bucks. Always wash it by hand to help keep the edge, never in the dishwasher. The next one on the list is a must and I'll explain why, a wooden cutting board. One of the biggest questions I get are around cutting boards. Many folks tell me that my cutting board is unsanitary and the color-coded plastic ones are the only way to go. Well, I'm here to dispel any of those myths. Wood cutting boards, while heavy and requiring more effort for cleaning and upkeep, are super gentle on your knives. They can last a really long time and they're sanitary. There are plenty of studies out there that show wood absorbs bacteria and kills it relatively quickly, in under 10 minutes. As I always say in my videos, washing with hot water and soap is sufficient enough to remove any potential harmful bacteria. Keep them clean by hand and oil them up with food-grade oil that's low in unsaturated fats when done washing and drying it to preserve the life of it. Plastic cutting boards, on the other hand, while cheap and lightweight, absolutely destroys the edge of your knife, causing you to frequently sharpen them on a stone. They can also get pretty beat up from the knife scratches and bacteria can settle in there and can be harmful if it's not thoroughly cleaned. So my suggestion is do the upgrade for the longer-term, sustainable surface for all your cutting needs. And of course, I'm a booze block fan, but there are many great options out there for you to check out. Now, once you master the next one, it will quickly become your best friend in the kitchen, the carbon steel pan. So you've been using stainless steel pans, which are great, but you're looking to expand to something that can do it all. Fry an egg without sticking, sear a steak, while also being able to saute. Well, look no further than the carbon steel pan. It heats up incredibly fast, it evenly distributes heat, and it's lighter weight than a cast iron pan, even with it being 99% iron and only 1% carbon. Once it's seasoned, it's naturally nonstick. No need to ever worry about harsh chemicals again, in case you do. They also work on everything from induction to right over an open flame. Keep it clean with hot water and a paper towel, or if there are a few things that are stuck, scrub it with a little salt using a paper towel. Done. I promise you, this will be your new go-to pan for everything. And of course, I'll drop a link for all these things in the description. Next up, the offset ladle. This may seem dumb, but not all ladles are considered equal. Sure, there are those standard ounce ladles that are great for soups, but an offset ladle is just easier to handle, especially when going from a large pot into a smaller bowl. They also tend to have a wider mouth than a standard ladle, making it easier for pouring. It's also the main ladle I use for skimming stocks, transferring liquids from soup stews and braises, and my main component for plating up pasta, but more on that in a minute. Next up, the utility knife. This is one of my favorite go-to knives, whether I'm cooking outside or in. This is the midway point between a chef knife and a paring knife. However, the blade is small enough to get those precision cuts on produce and can also easily chiffonade fresh herbs. But it's also versatile enough that you could debone a chicken or easily thinly slice beef. Think of it as the pocket knife for someone who works in construction. It's always around and ready to be used no matter the task. Now, once you use this next one, you will be hooked for life, the chinois. Talk about a workhorse in restaurant kitchens. I probably use a chinois 10 to 15 times a day when I worked in the restaurant industry, and you've probably even seen it in my videos quite a few times. If you're unfamiliar, this is a very fine mesh strainer that has the ability to give anything you strain through it a silky smooth finish because of its ability to strain out extremely fine food particles. It'll stop just about anything you throw at it. And with its rugged design, it can easily be filled up to the top and take a beating. Just like everything else, hand wash it or it'll get destroyed over time in the dishwasher. Now, next up is number seven on my list, tweezers. And this is something of a new fad, but it definitely serves its purpose when handling delicate ingredients while cooking, and especially when plating up your masterpieces. While tongs will always have a place in professional kitchens and home kitchens, tweezers are now the go-to in the world of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants around the globe. They do definitely give off a bit of the bro cooking vibes when you see them in the videos, but they really are a great tool to always have on in your kitchen. From grabbing that one olive to delicately flipping steak, and my favorite, combining it with the offset spatula to make beautiful pasta nests. You want to impress some friends while cooking, break these out and let the oohs and ahs fly. Next up on my list, the fish spatula. And I know this may seem gimmicky unless you've attempted to flip over a piece of fish and it sticks or completely breaks apart. Super frustrating. I was introduced to the fish spatula back in culinary school and it's designed in a way where it's thin enough to easily get under whatever it is you're cooking and has an angled lip so that you can do it with ease in a pan. It will 100% help you remove and flip over a piece of fish without tearing it. It's goofy, I know, but it works like a charm. And for 10 or 12 bucks, it's absolutely worth it. Now once you start using this next one, you'll never guess your way through cooking again. The thermometer. If you're getting to the point where you are reverse searing steaks or even cooking or smoking large roasts like pork or beef, you'll quickly learn that it's more about internal temperature and less about the time it takes to cook something. A good instant read thermometer for those sous vide steaks or a thermometer that goes in the oven or smoker for roasts, this is a must have. And I love my meter. No, this is not an endorsement. This will get you to that perfect internal 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare every single time without all the guesswork. I cannot recommend either of these enough. All right, number 10 on my list, the spider strainer. This is a long handheld strainer that acts like a colander, making it perfect for retrieving deep fried foods like fries or chicken tenders, but it also works well when you have green beans blanching in water or even tortellini. We used to fight over getting these when we first got into the restaurant every morning to get our tools in order. I promise, once you start using this, you're gonna find a million more uses for it. And now for one of my number one requests of my equipment that I use, the steamer basket. You've seen me use it when I'm poaching vegetables or cooking pasta. It's a simple mesh basket that's got some feet on the bottom for steaming in a small amount of water with a handle making it easy to take in and out of boiling water. I like this so I can keep dunking things in that boiling water with easy access to it by simply lifting up and also without having to pour it all out or try to go fish out every single thing that's in it. Just makes things easy. Now, the one I use is by Polder, but it's really hard to find, if at all, anymore. So I picked up this eight-quart basket by Salbry on Amazon and it works just the same. Now, once you get your hands on this next one, it'll change the way you cook forever. The Rondeau Pot. This is my favorite thing in my kitchen, hands down. If you've been following me for any amount of time, then you've undoubtedly seen me break out my Rondeau. It's my absolute go-to pan whenever large quantity of food is involved. First and foremost, while it has the volume of a large pot, it has a shorter sidewall and is spread out, allowing for more surface area for searing. And not to mention, because of this, things will cook quicker. So whether you are searing beef for a soup or even chicken for a stew, this is my absolute powerhouse pot I cannot live without, going all the way back to my days in catering. They range in sizes and cost and are almost always stainless steel. You can't go wrong with any of them. Now, before we get to the perfect knife cut, let's talk about citrus. Number 13 on my list, the juicer. For so long, I used a wannabe kung fu grip to extract as much juice as possible while using my other hand to try and catch any seeds that fall out. Yeah, I quit doing that years ago because I could never get everything out that I needed, then back to the store to get another lemon. This is until the citrus squeezer stole my heart. This firm, well-built tool will easily press out 100% of the juice that's in it every single time. It's a solid tool, and if you take care of it, it'll last you a lifetime while saving your forearms and hands from trying to do it yourself. And now for the pen ultimate tool on my list, the mandolin. Knife skills are incredibly important to master to get those perfect knife cuts, but when you're ready to go to the next level for the most even cooking and beautiful, aesthetically pleasing food that you can make, then you have to go with the mandolin. First and foremost, it's a time saver. Second, you will get the exact same consistent slice over and over again, no matter what you're cutting. There are cheaper restaurant versions like I use or even the OXO one I was given years ago. Both do the exact same thing, just a matter of preference. Now last but not least, and number 15 on the list, the rack. It may seem trivial, but the benefits are huge. It's used for letting your beef, chicken, and pork, whether individual portion cuts or big roasts, the opportunity to properly rest. It allows for the air to escape from the protein from all sides without worrying that they could overcook. On the flip side, it's amazing for roasting large cuts of meat because it can get that coveted brown maillard crust on all sides because the hot air from the oven get to the underneath parts of it, thanks to that rack. One of my favorite uses for it is during the dry brining process where meat is pre-seasoned and left uncovered in the fridge to help that outside of the meat form a pellicle for better browning. It's simple, but it's a game changer. And there you have it, 15 kitchen essentials that will absolutely help elevate your mise en place and cooking. Sure, there is an investment, but if you treat these tools right, they will last you for years, some even long enough to pass down to the next generation. So you've got the tools and now you wanna elevate your cooking? Check out my video for 10 insider tips that I learned in the restaurant world. I'll see you on there.