I work as a dietitian now, but in my past life I was a chef. I worked in restaurants, catering, and even as a personal chef. These are my ride or die kitchen gadgets, the things I refuse to live without. Most of them are super affordable, but there are a few I had to splurge on!
This post contains affiliate links 🙂
Food Processor
If you do not have a food processor in your kitchen, that NEEDS to be next on your list. You can see it’s at the top of mine. Everything from making hummus to grating cheese. Slicing carrots to blending soups. It’s not just a blender. It is a necessary item. This is the exact one we bought over 8 years ago and for $45 it’s a great find!
Get yours here: https://amzn.to/3mTkgT7
A Sharp Knife
The ONLY reason this wasn’t my top pick is because these can get a little expensive. But they don’t have to be! You don’t need an entire knife set. You really need a good chef’s knife, a serrated, and a paring knife (for most jobs). All the rest are just extra. Here are some of my favorite brands for knives!
Starter Knife – Mercer $18
Mercer is a great brand to build a knife collection because they are good quality and relatively inexpensive. These were the knife I received in culinary school and still use today. Be warned, these knives will need to be sharpened fairly often.
Get yours here: https://amzn.to/2JMTQUN
Mid-range – Victorinox Fibrox $40
Looking for something a little more? For it’s price the Victorinox Fibrox is an amazing knife. Seriously probably the best in this price range. If you are looking for that go-to chef’s knife but don’t want to spend a fortune, you’ve found it here.
Get yours here: https://amzn.to/39UtKKf
Top of the line – Shun $150
When I say top of the line, I mean top of whatever you might want or need. You can spend multiple hundreds of dollars on a knife. But really, if you want to splurge I would recommend Shun hands down. It is light-weight, super sharp, and stays sharp for a very long time. This is my favorite knife.
Get yours here: https://amzn.to/3mTNUIb
Mandoline Slicer
BEWARE: this gadget has been known to cut fingers so use with caution or use the guard! My husband and my mom both refuse to use a mandoline because of cuts they’re gotten, but I can’t live without it. Especially when slicing up squash or cucumbers. This little guy makes it so quick and it’s easy to clean! So use at your own risk. Sidenote: I only use to slice, it’s not the best for julienne style cuts. So don’t worry about that function and spend a fortune. All you need is a simple one like this one for $15.
Get yours here: https://amzn.to/3mW3faS
Simple but Useful
A Good Rubber Spatula $9 https://amzn.to/3gltvci
If you don’t currently own one of these, you can thank me later #lifechanging
Tongs $13 for a set of 4 https://amzn.to/37GfFgV
These DO NOT have to be super expensive or high quality. The cheap ones work. Pro tip: save your paper towel rolls to store tongs in (saves space in the drawer).
Meat Thermometer $18 https://amzn.to/39QCYar
I highly, highly, highly recommend owning a meat thermometer. Not only for perfectly cooked meat every time, but also for safety. You will know for sure that you aren’t undercooking meats (which can lead to foodborne illness)
It wasn’t until I wrote this that I realized just how many kitchen recommendations I have. This is really only the beginning and I will 100% be writing a part 2 soon!