Cooking Equipment Essentials
If you've ever asked me what cooking gear I keep on hand in my kitchen—the pots, pans, tools, and gadgets I reach for most often—this page is it: my personal go-to list of essentials. This guide contains all of the core tools, utensils, bakeware, cookware, and appliances I rely on day-in and day-out. Whether you’re looking for great gift ideas, upgrading a well-worn setup, or just curious what a “real-home-cook” uses, this reference gives you the baseline gear you need to cook, bake, and create whole-food meals.
Disclaimer: Most of the links below are affiliate/referral links. If you purchase anything through these links I will likely be compensated for the purchase. With that being said, I will only recommend products that have used, or am willing to buy and use myself.
Tools & Utensils
- OXO Good Grips - Balloon Whisks
- OXO Good Grips - Silicon Spatulas
- OXO Good Grips - Silicon Basting & Pastry Brush
- OXO Good Grips - Cookie Scoops
- OXO Good Grips - Measuring Cups & Spoons
- OXO Good Grips - Bench Scraper
- ThermoPro - Digital Candy Thermometer
- ThermoWorks - Thermopen Instant-Read Thermometer
- Meater+ - Wireless Digital Thermometer
- OXO Good Grips - Spider Scoop & Strain Skimmer
- Danish Dough Whisk
- Cooking Tongs
- Kitchen Tweezer Tongs
- Farberware Cookware - Ground Meat Chopper
- Wooden Spurtles
- RSVP International - Olive Wooden Spoon
- All-Clad - Stainless Steel Kitchen Utensils
- Riverwood Trading Co. - Artisan Wooden Spoons
- Pyrex - Glass Mixing Bowls
- OXO Good Grips - Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
- OXO Good Grips - Double Rod Strainers
- Pot Strainer
- KitchenAid - 4-Sided Cheese Grater
- Pyrex - Glass Measuring Cup (4-Cup)
- Pyrex - Glass Measuring Cups (1, 2-Cup Set)
- OXO Good Grips - Fat Separator (4-Cup)
Cutting Boards
- OXO Good Grips - Plastic Cutting Board
- STEELPORT Knife Co. - Steelcore Cutting Board (18"x12")
- John Boos - R-Board Walnut Cutting Board (24"x18")
Knives
- ZWILLING Pro - 7-inch Boning Knife
- Cutco - 8-inch Chef Knife
- STEELPORT Knife Co. - 10-inch Bread Knife
- STEELPORT Knife Co. - 8-inch Chef Knife
Peeling & Zesting
- Microplane - Zester & Cheese Grater
- OXO Good Grips - Swivel Vegetable Peeler
- Dreamfarm - Lemon Fluicer
Pots & Pans
- Le Creuset - Enameled Cast Iron Braiser (3.5 qt.)
- Le Creuset - Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven (7.25 qt.)
- Made In - Stainless Steel Stock Pot (8 qt.)
- All-Clad - Stainless Steel Sauce Pot (3.5 qt.)
- All-Clad - Stainless Steel Sauté Pan (3 qt.)
- Made In - Carbon Steel Griddle
Mixers
Bakeware
- USA Pan - XL Sheet Pan
- USA Pan - 9-inch Round Cake Pans
- USA Pan - Loaf Pan (9"x5")
- USA Pan - 8-inch Square Cake Pan
- USA Pan - XL Cooling Rack
Countertop Appliances
- Vitamix - Explorian E310 Blender
- Vitamix - 5-speed Immersion Blender
- Cuisinart - Pro Custom 11 Cup Food Processor
- Instant Pot - Pro 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker