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Having the right tools for chopping, roasting, braising and serving your next recipe is key. Prepare dinner with Cookware Which heats unevenly or a knife With bad balance and you are already behind. No one knows the importance of reliable kitchen tools better than professional chefs, and these professional chefs can spot any gimmick from a mile away.
So, what gadgets and gadgets deserve a place in your cabinets and drawers? I asked a group of professional chefs, and they didn’t hesitate. What these kitchen masters have in common is their preference for basics—prioritizing classic all-purpose kitchen tools over one-trick ponies.
Think herb peelers or meat slicers: The job these tools are designed to do can be done just as well, or better, with a basic kitchen tool you already have.
while Some kitchen utensils We are undervalued, Many of them simply aren’t worth the space they take up. To separate the essentials from the unnecessary or completely useless, I asked culinary pros to share the tools they swear by and the ones they skip. Their advice will help you avoid falling into the trap of flashy products and instead invest in items you’ll reach for every day.
Masaharu Morimoto
Famous chef and restaurant owner
Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most underrated kitchen tool.
1. Mandolin
Chef Morimoto encourages you to hone your knife skills to create thin, uniform slices of vegetables.
Why: “Although it makes good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision, and safety in the long run. Mandolines can be bulky, difficult to clean, and risky if you’re not very careful. Relying too much on a mandoline or tools like an apple corer or tomato peeler can hold you back from developing true technique. Taking the time to learn how to handle a sharp chef’s knife or Japanese blade will help you with almost every recipe.”
What to try instead: MAC 8-Inch Japanese Chef’s Knife.
Eric Rose
Trained head chef Culinary Education InstituteLos Angeles
Culinary instructor Eric Rouse knows a kitchen contraption when he sees one.
2. Onion owners
Why: “These look like a weapon for Wolverine enthusiasts; they’re meant to help you grab a whole onion and ‘slice’ it. Alternatively, cut the bulb in half to create a flat surface so it doesn’t roll away. If you’re trying to cut off the rings, save $14 and insert a fork into the root and hold the fork.”
What to try instead: Learn that Slice onions properly The old way.
3. Onion glasses
Save your money—and some dignity—and skip the onion-tinted glasses.
Why: “It’s a waste of money because it doesn’t form a great seal around the eyes to prevent sulfur compounds from getting into your eyes and making you cry. Keep your knife sharp and open a window or turn on a fan instead of.”
What to try instead: CNET’s Peter Butler shares Tips for cutting onions without crying.
4. Metal, glass, stone and acrylic cutting boards
Glass, stone and metal slabs are suitable for serving, but when cutting and dicing, wood is the perfect solution.
Why: “Cutting on hard surfaces is Bad for your knives; Instead, choose wood or polyester.”
What to try instead: Our list of Best cutting boards Features plenty of knife safe options.
5. Cutting the chicken
All you need is two forks to successfully shred chicken.
Why: “I can’t think of anyone needing a dedicated tool for cutting chicken outside of a restaurant, and even restaurants don’t use them. This item only has one purpose so I’ll skip it.”
What to try instead: Two forks.
6. Weed stripper
Why: “I love thyme but I hate stripping it. When I was little, I thought this tool would help me… It’s been sitting in my closet, laughing at me for almost a decade.”
What to try instead: For the most heartfelt Herbs Like rosemary and thyme, just use your fingers to slide down the stem, unlike the way leaves grow.
7. Wireless Bluetooth probe thermometer
Instant Meat Reading Sensors work quickly and don’t require a difficult Bluetooth connection.
Why: “It’s a great tool but it can be expensive. I can see myself losing it, breaking it, dropping it, accidentally throwing it, or dropping it in the coals.”
What to try instead: ThermoPro Instant Read Lightning Thermometer
Peter Sum
Cookbook author and lifestyle expert
Cookbook author Peter Som didn’t hold back when asked about his least favorite kitchen gadget.
8. Electric can opener
Manual can openers are cheaper, work great, and are less likely to break.
Why: “Most of us grew up with an electric can opener permanently placed on the kitchen counter, as if it were a vital appliance. But in reality, it’s more nostalgia than necessity. It takes up space, can be difficult to clean and often has difficulty with irregularly sized cans. A good manual opener is compact, reliable, and gets the job done without needing an outlet or user manual.”
What to try instead: OXO Soft Grip Can Opener.
Richard Ingraham
Personal chef to Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and author of Love: My love expressed through food
Richard Ingraham avoids certain kitchen utensils when cooking for celebrities like Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union.
9. Avocado slicer
Why: “A knife and spoon do the job just as easily, and a specialty tool rarely fits all sizes of avocados correctly. It’s a one-trick pony that clutters up drawers.”
What to try instead: A paring knife is as good as That’s $35 USD
10. Egg separator
Manually separating an egg is not so difficult that it requires hardware.
Why: “Using only a tool to separate the yolks is not necessary for most home cooks.” It may be the only exception thisEven this is for yolks only. Wrong, I mean disgusting.
What to try instead: Crack an egg and use the shell in half or your fingers also works.
11. Garlic peeling tube
Why: “Rolling garlic cloves in a silicone tube may work but requires storing a single-purpose tool.”
What to try insteadSmashing garlic cloves with a chef’s knife is faster and more reliable.
12. Pizza scissors
Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night.
Why: “A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster. These scissors are cranky, inconvenient to clean, and take up more space than they’re worth.”
What to try instead: KitchenAid Stainless Steel Pizza Wheel.
13. Grass shears
Why: “They’re difficult to clean and don’t offer much of an advantage over a sharp chef’s knife. Plus, they tend to crush delicate herbs more than chop them.”
What to try instead: 8 inch chef knife made by N.
14. Electric egg cooker
Why: “Boiling eggs in a pot is simple and flexible. The electric version adds mess unless you boil eggs frequently and hate using the stove.”
What to try instead: this One minute hack To prepare hard-boiled eggs in the microwave.
15. Butter cutter and dispenser
A good butter knife works just as well and requires less space and maintenance.
Why: “It cuts butter into slices… but why? The knife works instantly and you don’t have to load a plastic utensil and clean it for it.”
What to try instead: Williams Sonoma Breakfast Butter Blade.
16. Pasta scale
Why: “It’s a plastic disc with holes in it to tell you how much spaghetti to cook. Just look at it or figure out the coarse weight by experimenting. It’s not worth the drawer space.”
What to try instead: A Kitchen scale For accurate measurements.
17. Oil Master
Why: “They often clog, spray unevenly and require constant cleaning. A teaspoon or brush does the job with less frustration.”
What to try instead: Olive oil jug in the global market.
18. Electric potato peeler
All you need is a sharp vegetable peeler to peel a batch of potatoes.
Why: “It takes up a surprising amount of space and peels slower than a regular peeler. Plus, it’s overkill unless you’re peeling dozens of potatoes at once.”
What to try instead: OXO Rotary Peeler.
19. Bagel guillotine
Why: “They are sold as a safer way to cut bread but they take up a lot of space and are difficult to clean. A serrated knife does the job just fine.”
What to try instead: Opinel 8-inch bread knife.
Jackie Carnesi
Executive Chef, Kellogg’s restaurant
Jackie Carnesi
20. Oven gloves
There’s a reason professional chefs don’t use oven mitts.
Why: “Oven mitts are the most useless item in a home kitchen. A sturdy kitchen towel serves the same function, and is likely to be washed regularly. I don’t know many people who wash oven mitts frequently enough… Many seem to have viewed them as an item that doesn’t require regular cleaning. It is.”
What to try instead: Stock a large number of Kitchen towels.