Essential tools for cooks

One of the greatest pleasures for someone who loves to cook is browsing the aisles of a well-stocked kitchen store. The vast array of gadgets, tools, and equipment can be both eye-opening and envy-inducing. One can be mesmerized by the allure of a beautiful tool and take it home with visions of the delicious food to be made using it, only to be disappointed in its performance (or does that only happen to me?). Since everyone’s experience with gadgets varies, it’s always interesting to learn what the pros find to be essential equipment. Celebrated author Patricia Wells recently offered her advice to The Daily Beast on the what kitchen tools belong in every cook’s kitchen.  

The list is adapted from her soon-to-debut cookbook My Master Recipes: 165 Recipes to Inspire Confidence in the Kitchen with Dozens of Variations  (watch the EYB blog for an upcoming promotion for this book). It won’t come as a surprise to find that Wells likes Le Creuset cast iron pots and All Clad stainless pans, but a few of the items on her list, like a panini grill, aren’t as traditional. She likes her grill for everything from vegetables to toast, to the point that she’s gotten rid of her toaster.  Another item that might not be on everyone’s radar is a label maker. Wells is a profligate labeler, using the device for spices, soups, stocks, and even leftovers. If that seems a bridge too far, Wells notes that a roll of tape and a Sharpie will do in a pinch. 

One tip from Wells that I found especially helpful is her suggestion to buy several sets of measuring spoons and re-organize them by size, grouping all of the tablespoon measures together and so on down the line. As she notes, “When, ever, did you need to use all of those spoons on the ring at the same time?”