Shopping Caret Right Home Caret Right Kitchen · Posted on Jan 21, 2023 30 Kitchen Gadgets That Chefs Actually Use Including a rice cooker, food processor, cut-resistant gloves, and more items professional chefs think are *chef's kiss* great. by Abby Kass BuzzFeed Staff Facebook Pinterest Twitter Mail Link We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Some may have been sent as samples, but all opinions and reviews are our own. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication. 1. A peeler made specifically with a swiveling double blade to make peeling tough-skinned fruits and veggies so easy you won't have to give up on the recipe, or worse, hurt yourself while trying to do it with a knife. Amazon Plus, it's dishwasher safe! Promising review: "I've been a chef for 20 years, and I have used these countless times. They're totally reliable and useful for even the most amateur cook. " — Chef Chaz Get it from Amazon for $5. 53 . 2. A cast-iron skillet enabling you to whip up a delicious dinner of anything from pasta, to steak, to even roasted veggies that will impress just about anyone. It's designed to heat up quickly and retain the heat, meaning if anyone goes back for seconds, the food will still be just as good as when you served it the first time. Amazon The skillet is not dishwasher-safe. It should be hand-washed before first use and dried immediately. After use, wash in hot soapy water with a sponge and liquid soap. After it's dry, rub with a light coat of vegetable oil. Promising review: "It's not light; it's cast-iron. If you clean it properly, you can give it to your kids. My wife and I are professional chefs and use this every day. To clean, put it on the stove with salt. Then scratch with a ball of aluminum foil. Or, if fire alarms aren't an issue, spin upside down and burn out before scratching with foil. Lightly season with salt and you are set. We use this for roasted vegetables, steaks, and any non-sauce-based reheats. Get it, love it, look after it, and give it to your kids when you don't use it anymore. " — Brendan Lee Get it from Amazon for $10. 99+ (available in four sizes). 3. A Misen essentials knife set , which includes a chef's knife, serrated knife, and paring knife, aka the three knives you'll reach for again and again while prepping dinner. Misen Misen is a small business focused on selling directly to customers (and ~cutting~ out the retail middlemen) to bring high-quality kitchen tools at fair prices. The brand started as a Kickerster back in 2015 and has since grown to include all kinds of kitchenware — from knives, to cookware, and prep tools. Promising review: "I picked up the five-piece set for work. On a very professional level, these knives 100% get me through the day! I work in a high-prep kitchen. These knives are very sharp. Hold a great edge, hand comfy. I wish they had more knives! Best knife for the price by far. " — Corey B. Get the set of three from Misen for $170 (originally $205; also available in two other set sizes and in blue and black). 4. Some Maldon sea salt flakes because one should never ~flake~ on flavor when it comes to cooking, and every chef knows that. This specific salt will add a delicious flavor (and crunch) to your food. amazon. com , Amazon Promising review: "Excellent flavor and perfectly sized flakes for the final touches on culinary masterpieces! I am a highly experienced personal chef. I use these flake salts as a final mild condiment while plating foods that require just a hint more salt. The flakes add the slightest crunch to the eating experience and explode the food being eaten with a flavorful enhancement. Maldon has made an EXCELLENT flaked salt and I will continue to use the brand, having had a great experience with their product. My guests have also very positively commented on the flavoring. This is a clear 5-STAR rating for me and an honest and very hearty recommendation. Take your cooking presentation to the next level! Bon Appetit!"— Frank E. Trinkle Get it from Amazon for $9. 08 . 5. A vacuum sealer that won't ~suck~ the life out of your food. Instead, it will keep meat, produce, and even prepared food fresher longer so you can actually enjoy all the food you buy and make without it going bad. amazon. com , amazon. com Not only does this come with the vacuum sealer and air suction hose, but you also get a wine stopper cork, five medium-sized vacuum bags, and one extra-long vacuum bag roll. Both sizes of the bags are reusable and washable. Promising review: "This is now the second one I am ordering. I'm a chef and have bought this for home use. I was very impressed with how easy it was to use. The suction works very well at taken put all the air. It's fast as well. It's lightweight and easy to store. I now bought a second for the restaurant I'm the head chef at. There is no doubt in my mind this thing will do the jump. Awesome price as well. " — Joe Get it from Amazon for $59. 99+ (available in four colors). 6. A pair of cut-resistant gloves to prevent any future flesh wounds when you get a little too knife happy. Amazon Promising review: " I'm a seasoned chef of 25 years and nobody is perfect. I recently picked up a Benriner Almond wide mandolin and was slicing frozen steak for an Asian dish I was prepping when my thumb slipped right into the brand new blade slicing the tip off. Now we all know that our hands are our main tools so I decided to pick these up due to the fact that in a kitchen we sometimes are multitasking and our minds are going a million miles. These gloves are perfect. I tested them out slicing frozen steak and purposely slipped and thank God, My thumb was saved. No more stitches. Thanks for a great product. " — Micah L Get them from Amazon for $11. 49+ (available in four sizes and five styles). 7. A 5-in-1 countertop cooker perfect for preparing burgers, salmon, and even grilled veggies without an outdoor grill. Plus, you can use it as a panini press to craft the perfect grilled sandwich. Yummm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about all the delicious food you're going to make with this thing. Yes, this means you can even have a barbecue in the middle of winter. And how cool is that? amazon. com This combines a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, and half grill/half griddle into one counter-space-saving device. So yes, you can use it to grill burgers on Friday night *and* make pancakes Saturday morning. Promising review: "I absolutely love it. It's very high quality. I love it so much that I make everything in it. I can't seem to make a soup or a tea work out yet. . . just kidding. I'm a chef, and I love spending time in the kitchen. This griddle just simply rocks. Hot sandwiches, meats, burgers, etc. Get it, and you will love it. " — Husband, Dad, and Entrepreneur Get it from Amazon for $99. 95 . 8. A kitchen scale so you can stop guesstimating every recipe and wondering why it doesn't turn out exactly right. Measuring your ingredients will make sure that the ratios are absolutely correct. amazon. com Promising review: "This is my second one of these scales, and I would definitely recommend it. I work as a pastry chef in a professional kitchen, and I use it all the time. It's small and portable and doesn't take up a lot of space. It's very easy to clean since the top is all one smooth level. It's great for weighing out recipes, but it does have an 11-lb capacity. I haven't had any problems with the accuracy so far, and I've been using it for a while. It's a fantastic price, and I love the colors!" — Rylee Get it from Amazon for $8. 88+ (available in nine colors). 9. A citrus zester and cheese grater you'll have a ~grate~ time using because it will give the perfect final touch to your dish — no matter if that's some Parmesan cheese or lemon zest (or maybe a bit of both, depending on the recipe). Amazon Promising review: "As a sushi chef, I love this tool. It is so convenient for me every time to need to grate citrus on top of my dishes. Good grip, easy to clean, and nice cover to come with it. " — Hieu ho Get it from Amazon for $10. 98 . 10. A veggie chopper, slicer, and spiralizer because in my opinion, cutting veggies for the recipe is, in fact, the worst part, and this device makes that SO easy. Now you won't have to blame your tears on the onion, when in fact you're really not enjoying cutting another pepper. . . oh wait, that's just me. amazon. com It comes with a small dice blade, large dice blade, spiral blade, and ribbon blade that are interchangeable and gives you the option to chop, slice, and julienne vegetables. Plus, you get a lid with a built-in chop and a storage container to hold the veggies. Promising review: "I'm a chef, and I love to cook. And while slicing and dicing come with cooking, this made chopping onions, celery, almost anything as easy as one push. Highly recommend!" — Jerry Avenaim Get it from Amazon for $34. 99 . 11. An anti-fatigue kitchen mat made to relieve pain in feet, knees, backs, and shoulders so standing in the kitchen for hours at a time won't end up hurting your body. amazon. com , amazon. com P. S. Reviewers also say this mat is great for anyone working from home with a standing desk! Promising review: "I’m a personal chef, standing all day in kitchens, and this past year I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis and sore, painful feet. I bought this mat and another mat from another brand. This one is a godsend!!!! My feet sigh a breath of relief when I stand on the mat . Also, it’s soft enough that I can feel my ankles and feet working to balance, ever so slightly. . . . which is good conditioning for them as well. These mats, along with physical therapy, are enabling me to heal and be pain-free again. " — Shelley A. Rahim Get it from Amazon for $45. 95+ (available in three sizes and 13 colors). 12. An electric peeler here to revolutionize the way you make your famous mashed potatoes or apple pie because you won't have to spend an ungodly amount of time hand peeling every single one. amazon. com , amazon. com Promising review: "I am a home personal chef and love to use potatoes, yams, etc in my dishes but hate the time and mess peeling veggies make. This was the answer I was looking for. Just adjust the height for what you want to be peeled and flip the switch. Peel comes off in a neat ribbon for easy cleanup. Peels everything you could ever think of including citrus. Can be used with included AC adapter or batteries, which makes it easy to use if no outlet is available. " — TVITOM Get it from Amazon for $25 . 13. A set of stainless-steel mixing bowls that will make prepping your ingredients and cooking so simple, because you'll have a place to put all the different ingredients you need for the recipe. Plus, the biggest bowl is the perfect size to hold popcorn during your next movie night. We love the versatility. Amazon Promising review: "I've been looking for a set of stainless steel mixing bowls for a while, but I'm always afraid to pull the trigger. Most stores' offerings were too small or flimsy. This set was more than I thought I wanted. I was only thinking about a set of three, but I have certainly used the other sizes too. For cooking, they are great to hold chopped items or as mixing bowls. They are light but very sturdy. As a chef and restaurant person, I was looking for the kind we use professionally, and these are the same weight and style. The biggest one is perfect for popcorn, and the smallest one about cereal bowl size for reference. Good stuff!" — abbshurz Get a six-piece set from Amazon for $24. 99 . 14. An AeroGarden because you'll truly feel like a chef when you add herbs (or even veggies) that you grew in your own home to your meals. Yes, that's right, you don't even need an outdoor space to have a garden thanks to this ingenious device. amazon. com The Aerogarden includes an herb seed kit with six pods, including basil, parsley, dill, thyme, basil, and mint and a bottle of natural plant nutrients that will last a full season of growth. Plus, it's super easy to use as it will remind you when to add water and plant food. It automatically turns the lights on and off, so even if you don't have a green thumb, you can grow herbs at home. Promising review: "As a chef, I love having fresh herbs in my kitchen to cook with. I also love that it makes enough ambient light in the evening, that you don’t need additional lights on. " — Corey Wilsey Get it from Amazon for $89. 95+ (available in two styles and four colors). 15. A pack of nonstick silicone baking mats that fit perfectly into a baking sheet so you don't have to grease the sheet before cooking ever again. Plus, you'll love them even more when it's time to do the dishes, and you don't have burnt on food stuck to the sheet. amazon. com Plus, these are oven-safe up to 480 degrees and fit on half-sheet size pans. Promising review: "These are super similar to Silpats. I must say, they are not the same. Just don’t feel the same but man for the price?! You can’t beat it! Also, I was a professional chef and have worked exclusively with Silpats. And for the home cook, these are great. Do not. I repeat DO NOT cut on them! None of these baking sheets are meant to be cut on. You will ruin them. . " — Alyssa Get a pack of two from Amazon for $16. 79 . 16. A steel odor absorber good to have on ~hand~ to help you get rid of the lingering garlic, onion, or fish scents that come with crafting a delicious meal. And it's super easy to use — just use it like you would a regular bar of soap! Amazon Promising review: "My wife got me this since I am a chef and always have a scent of items like garlic, onions, etc… I was skeptical, but this is a great product that I think did help remove the