Breville Sous Chef Food Processor

If there is one appliance in my kitchen that constantly earns its keep, it’s my Breville Sous Chef Food Processor. This isn’t just a food processor—it’s a mandoline, a cheese shredder, a slicer, and so much more thanks to its impressive collection of attachment blades. Whether I’m shredding cheese, slicing vegetables paper thin, prepping ingredients for a large dinner party, or cutting down on weeknight meal prep, this machine saves me an incredible amount of time. It’s one of those appliances I didn’t realize I needed until I had it, and now I can’t imagine my kitchen without it.

InstantPot Dutch Oven

This is one of the hardest-working pieces of cookware in my kitchen. What I love most is its versatility. The cast iron Dutch oven sits in an electric heating cradle, allowing me to use it as a slow cooker for soups, stews, braises, and Sunday gravy. When I need to sear, sauté, or finish a dish on the stovetop, I can simply lift the Dutch oven out of the base and use it like traditional cast iron cookware. It’s the best of both worlds and saves me from having multiple appliances cluttering up my kitchen. If you love meals that simmer low and slow, this is a piece you’ll reach for again and again.

VitaMix Immersion Blender

This is one of those tools that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, but I use it all the time. Whether I’m blending soups until they’re silky smooth, pureeing sauces, or bringing together a quick dressing, it gets the job done without having to transfer hot ingredients to a traditional blender. Fewer dishes and less mess is always a win in my book. I especially love it for soups, where I can blend everything right in the pot and go from chunky to creamy in minutes. It’s compact, powerful, and one of those tools that quietly becomes indispensable once you start using it regularly.

Le Creuset Rice Pot

I’ll be the first to admit that for years, rice and I had a complicated relationship. No matter what method I tried, it never seemed to come out quite right. Then I discovered the Le Creuset Rice Pot, and it completely changed the game. What makes it unique is the stoneware inner lid, which helps circulate steam and control moisture during cooking, resulting in perfectly fluffy rice every single time. It takes much of the guesswork out of the process and delivers consistently beautiful results. Whether I’m serving rice alongside a weeknight dinner or preparing a meal for guests, this is the pot I reach for every time. If you’ve ever struggled with rice like I did, this piece of cookware is worth its weight in gold.

VitaMix Blender

If I could only keep one blender in my kitchen, it would be my Vitamix. This powerhouse does far more than smoothies. I use it to make silky soups, sauces, dressings, marinades, and even homemade purees. One of my favorite features is the soup setting, which blends ingredients at such a high speed that it actually heats the soup as it works, making homemade soup incredibly easy. It’s powerful enough to handle tough ingredients with ease and consistently delivers smooth, professional-quality results.

Another feature I absolutely love is the self-cleaning setting. After using it, I simply add warm water and a drop of dish soap, run the cleaning cycle, and it’s ready to go again in just a minute or two. No taking apart multiple pieces or struggling to reach the blades. Between its versatility, power, and easy cleanup, my Vitamix has earned a permanent place on my countertop and is one of the most-used appliances in my kitchen.

If I could only own two knives…

A great set of knives can make cooking more enjoyable, more efficient, and even safer. If I had to narrow my collection down to just two, it would be my Shun chef’s knife and serrated bread knife. The chef’s knife is the workhorse of my kitchen and handles everything from chopping vegetables and herbs to slicing proteins. The serrated bread knife is perfect for crusty artisan loaves, but I also reach for it when slicing tomatoes and other delicate ingredients that can be crushed by a traditional blade.

What I love most about these knives is how sharp they stay and how comfortable they feel in my hand. A quality knife is one of the best investments a home cook can make, and these two have earned a permanent place in my kitchen. Whether I’m preparing a simple weeknight dinner or cooking for a crowd, these are the knives you’ll find within arm’s reach.

Knife Sharpener

A sharp knife is one of the most important tools in any kitchen. Not only does it make prep work faster and more enjoyable, but it’s actually safer than working with a dull blade. This knife sharpener has become my secret weapon for keeping my knives, including my beloved Shun knives, in top condition. With both 15° and 20° angle settings, it works with a variety of knife styles and helps maintain the proper edge with very little effort.

What I love most is how simple it is to use. It takes the guesswork out of sharpening and helps me extend the life of my knives between professional sharpenings. While I firmly believe quality knives should still be professionally sharpened from time to time, using a sharpener like this for regular maintenance keeps them performing their best and greatly extends the time between those visits. Since investing in quality knives, I’ve learned that caring for them is just as important as choosing the right knife in the first place. This is one of those small tools that makes a surprisingly big difference in the kitchen.

A Good Quality Cutting Board

A quality cutting board is one of the most-used items in any kitchen, and this Etu Home board is the one I reach for every day. Not only is it beautiful enough to leave out on the counter, but it’s also incredibly functional for everything from chopping vegetables and slicing bread to serving charcuterie when guests come over. The generous size gives me plenty of room to work, and the solid wood construction has held up beautifully over time.

As someone who loves to cook and entertain, I appreciate pieces that are both practical and beautiful, and this board checks both boxes. It’s just as at home prepping ingredients for a weeknight dinner as it is serving appetizers at a dinner party or Friendsgiving gathering. If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve probably seen this board make an appearance in countless recipes because it’s truly one of the hardest-working pieces in my kitchen.

Microplane Zester

his is one of those small tools that I use far more often than I ever expected. Whether I’m zesting lemons for a sauce, adding Parmesan to pasta, grating garlic into a marinade, or finishing a dish with a little extra citrus, my Microplane is always within reach. It creates an incredibly fine texture that blends seamlessly into recipes and brings out flavors in a way that larger graters simply can’t.

If you’ve made many of my recipes, you’ve probably noticed how often I call for lemon zest. A Microplane makes quick work of it and extracts all of those fragrant citrus oils without the bitter white pith. It’s compact, easy to store, and one of those inexpensive kitchen tools that delivers a big impact. For such a simple gadget, it earns its place in my kitchen every single day.

Digital Kitchen Scale

As a former bakery owner, I learned early on that weighing ingredients is far more accurate than measuring by volume. While I used a large commercial scale in the bakery, I wanted something more compact and aesthetically pleasing for my home kitchen. This scale gives me the precision I need without taking up valuable counter space.

I use it for everything from baking and bread making to portioning proteins and measuring pasta. The tare function makes prep quick and easy, and once you start cooking with a scale, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one.

Instant-Read Thermometer

If there’s one tool that can instantly make you a more confident cook, it’s an instant-read thermometer. Gone are the days of cutting into a piece of meat to see if it’s done. Whether I’m cooking steak, chicken, pork, fish, or even checking the temperature of bread, this little tool takes all the guesswork out of the process.

I use mine constantly because it helps ensure food is cooked perfectly every time—not overcooked and dry, and not undercooked either. It’s one of those inexpensive tools that can dramatically improve your results in the kitchen. If you’ve ever wondered why restaurant-quality proteins are cooked so consistently, the answer is simple: they rely on temperature, not guesswork.

Cooking Spoons & Spatulas

If you spend much time in the kitchen, you’ll quickly learn that you can never have too many good cooking utensils. While I still reach for my silicone spatulas daily for scraping bowls, folding batters, and making sure every last bit of sauce makes it into the pan, I’ve recently fallen in love with teak cooking utensils.

Not only are they beautiful enough to leave out on the counter, but they’re also durable, gentle on cookware, and made from natural materials. I find myself reaching for them constantly when sautéing vegetables, stirring soups, or serving family-style meals. Sometimes the most-used tools in a kitchen aren’t the expensive appliances—they’re the simple utensils you reach for multiple times a day.