kitchen tools: Whether you plan your meals weeks in advance or 15 minutes after walking in the door, every home cook knows that the right kitchen tool can save you valuable time. It might be tempting to stock your kitchen with all sorts of special gadgets that you’ll only use once before quickly forgetting you own them (hello avocado slicer), but don’t. Instead, we recommend that you choose a multipurpose kitchen tool that will help you be a more efficient cook. To find the best, we asked chefs from around the country to share the kitchen tools they can’t live without. The best part? They all cost less than $35.
Fish spatula
It’s not just for fish! You really can’t beat the versatility of a fish spatula. We use it to turn eggs and flip pancakes. “It’s the unsung hero of the spatula,” says David Figueroa, executive chef and founder of Melinda’s Hot Sauce. He uses it to break up hamburgers and to gently flip tender fish fillets.
Pliers
Whether you’re cooking a simple weeknight meal or preparing an elaborate dinner, you’ll be using your tongs. The pliers offer a long reach and a firm grip, making them practical for many tasks. They’re essential for flipping vegetables on the grill, tossing salads, tossing pasta, serving noodles, and even elegantly plating dishes, says Tamara Earl, baker and executive chef at Delectablez in Wilmington, Delaware.
Kitchen scissors
While on the higher end in terms of cost on our list of multipurpose kitchen tools, kitchen shears are a must. Reid Shilling, chef and owner of Shilling Canning Company in Washington, D.C., uses them to cut strings, thin-walled sheets, ends of blueberries, snow peas and green beans, splits lobster tails right on the shell without cutting the meat, and forms shrimp. without removing the shells and more. Some cooks even prefer to use kitchen shears over a paring knife to chop herbs (in a measuring cup or similar container).
Offset spatula
After the fish spatula, the offset spatula is one of the most useful multipurpose kitchen tools. It’s often used to spread frosting and fillings, but another useful way is to pick things up, either from a tray or something from a pan. It’s small and allows for a lot of control and stability, says Donald Young, Michelin-starred chef and owner of Duck Sel in Chicago. He says you can also use it as a spoon to stir or taste things.
Potato masher
Obviously, this kitchen tool is great for mashing potatoes, but the design of the potato masher lends itself well to other kitchen tasks, says Ashley Lonsdale, ButcherBox’s resident chef. He recommends it for effectively grinding minced meat in a pan while cooking, smashing avocados or mashing bananas for banana bread.
