mehungrynowEST
No. 2026
Latest/Tools & Equipment/Cat. №TL-024
· The gear catalogue · Cat. №TL-024 ·

The tools I
actually use.

Twenty-four kitchen tools that have earned drawer space. Each entry lists what it's for, the size and form I keep, and the three to six commercial versions I've tested against each other. No affiliate links; full prices paid; brands ranked by which one I'd buy again.

· The featured tool · Cat. №TL-001 ·Knives
Chef's KnifeTool № 01 · The fundamental
Knives210 mm · gyuto profile5 brands

Chef's Knife.

The 8-inch workhorse. The first knife to buy and the one you use most.

“Sharpening matters more than the brand. A $40 knife sharpened weekly outperforms a $300 knife sharpened twice a year.”

Best forEverything · 80% of cuts
The size I keep210 mm · gyuto profile
CategoryKnives
Brands tested5
Top picks, in order
01
Tojiro DP F-808$
Niigata, JP · VG-10 · clad · gyuto

The defensible default. Punches three price tiers up.

02
Misono UX10$$$
Seki, JP · Swedish steel · 210mm

Pro-kitchen standard. Light, sharp, ages well.

03
Mac MTH-80$$
Seki, JP · Western · 8-inch

The Cook's Illustrated darling. Easy to recommend.

§ 01 — The catalogue

Twenty-four tools, in order.

23 of 23 shown
CategoryAllKnivesCookwareBakewareMeasurePrepVesselsSpecialty
Paring Knife№02Knives

Paring Knife

Three to four inches. For the small cuts your chef's knife is too big for.

Best forShallots · garlic · trim work
Size I keep85 mm · spear-point
3 brands tested
Victorinox Fibrox$Tojiro DP Paring$Wüsthof Paring$$
Bread Knife№03Knives

Bread Knife

Long, serrated, with the smallest teeth you can find. The saw, not the slicer.

Best forCrusty bread · tomatoes · soft cake
Size I keep260 mm · offset
3 brands tested
Tojiro Bread Slicer$Wüsthof Classic Bread$$Mercer Millennia Offset$
Fish Spatula№04Prep

Fish Spatula

Thin, angled, slotted. The spatula that doesn't break the skin.

Best forPan-seared fish · eggs · delicate sears
Size I keep165 mm slot · stainless
2 brands tested
Wüsthof Pro Fish$$Matfer Bourgeat$
Cast-Iron Skillet№05Cookware

Cast-Iron Skillet

Black, heavy, indestructible. Heat retention you can almost feel.

Best forSearing · cornbread · oven-to-table
Size I keep10-inch · 2.7 kg
3 brands tested
Lodge 10.25-inch$Field No. 8$$$Smithey No. 10$$$
Carbon-Steel Pan№06Cookware

Carbon-Steel Pan

Cast-iron's lighter cousin. Heats faster, seasons faster, easier to handle.

Best forCrepes · omelets · stir-fry · everyday sear
Size I keep28 cm · 1.2 kg
3 brands tested
Matfer Bourgeat$$de Buyer Mineral B$$Made In Blue Carbon$$
Enameled Dutch Oven№07Cookware

Enameled Dutch Oven

Heavy enameled iron. The one pot for braises, breads, stocks, stews.

Best forBraises · no-knead bread · stock
Size I keep5.5 qt · round
3 brands tested
Le Creuset Signature 5.5qt$$$$Staub Cocotte 5.5qt$$$Lodge Enameled 6qt$
Stainless Saucier№08Cookware

Stainless Saucier

Curved-bottom saucepan with sloped sides. The whisk-friendly pan.

Best forRisotto · béchamel · custard · reduction
Size I keep3 qt · tri-ply
2 brands tested
All-Clad D3 Saucier 3qt$$$Made In Saucier 3qt$$
Half-Sheet Pan№09Bakeware

Half-Sheet Pan

Heavy aluminum tray, 13×18 inches. The one pan that does everything.

Best forRoast vegetables · cookies · sheet dinners
Size I keep13 × 18 in · uncoated
2 brands tested
Nordic Ware Naturals$Vollrath Wear-Ever$
Pullman Loaf Pan№10Bakeware

Pullman Loaf Pan

Sided, lidded, for square sandwich loaves. The American milk-bread shape.

Best forSandwich bread · pâté en croûte · pound cake
Size I keep9 × 4 × 4 in
2 brands tested
USA Pan Pullman$$Nordic Ware$$
Digital Scale№11Measure

Digital Scale

The single most-used tool in this kitchen. Weighs to 0.1 g.

Best forBread · pastry · brines · coffee
Size I keep0.1 g · 3 kg max
3 brands tested
Escali Primo P115$Acaia Pearl$$$OXO Good Grips 11lb$
Instant-Read Thermometer№12Measure

Instant-Read Thermometer

The only honest way to know if the chicken is done. Reads in two seconds.

Best forMeat · custard · bread · oil
Size I keepThermocouple · 0.5 sec
2 brands tested
Thermapen ONE$$$ThermoPro TP19H$
Oven Thermometer№13Measure

Oven Thermometer

A dial that hangs from a rack. Tells you what the oven is actually doing.

Best forBaking · roasting · calibration
Size I keepBimetal · 100-300 °C
2 brands tested
CDN ProAccurate$Taylor Classic$
Microplane Zester№14Prep

Microplane Zester

Photo-etched stainless. The way to get just the zest, just the cheese.

Best forCitrus zest · parm · nutmeg · garlic
Size I keepClassic · 31 cm
2 brands tested
Microplane Classic$$Microplane Premium$$
Y-Peeler№15Prep

Y-Peeler

Y-shaped, sharp, plastic. The cheap tool no one upgrades from.

Best forVeg peeling · citrus zest · cheese shavings
Size I keepSharp swivel · 18 cm
2 brands tested
Kuhn Rikon Original$OXO Y-Peeler$
Mandoline№16Specialty

Mandoline

Adjustable slicing blade with two settings: paper-thin and dangerous.

Best forPotato chips · cucumber salads · gratin
Size I keep0.5 – 8 mm · plastic body
2 brands tested
Benriner$OXO Chef's$$
Spring-Loaded Tongs№17Prep

Spring-Loaded Tongs

Twelve inches, stainless, scalloped tips, locking ring. The third hand.

Best forTurning meat · plating · everything in the pan
Size I keep12-inch · stainless
2 brands tested
OXO Good Grips Tongs$Edlund Heavy Duty$
Wooden Spoon№18Prep

Wooden Spoon

Olive wood, beech, or boxwood. Doesn't scratch the pan, doesn't conduct heat.

Best forStirring · scraping · folding
Size I keep30 cm · flat-edged
2 brands tested
Wood & Stone Olive Wood$$Mario Batali Beech$
Mortar & Pestle№19Vessels

Mortar & Pestle

Granite or marble. The only honest way to make pesto, aioli, harissa.

Best forPesto · spice paste · aioli · salt blends
Size I keep20 cm · 4 kg granite
2 brands tested
Thai Granite Mortar$$Marble Mortar (Italy)$$$
Stainless Mixing Bowls№20Vessels

Stainless Mixing Bowls

Nested set, 1 qt to 8 qt. Light, indestructible, the only bowls you need.

Best forMise · whisking · bread doughs · everything
Size I keepSet of 5 · stainless
2 brands tested
Vollrath Pro Set$$OXO Set of 3$
Glass Prep Bowls№21Vessels

Glass Prep Bowls

Six little Pyrex bowls. The system that makes mise en place real.

Best forMise · spice mixes · sauces
Size I keepSet of 6 · 4 oz
1 brands tested
Pyrex Glass Custards$
Pasta Roller№22Specialty

Pasta Roller

Hand-cranked. Eight settings from sheet to angel hair.

Best forFresh pasta · pici · pappardelle
Size I keepAtlas profile · 8 settings
2 brands tested
Marcato Atlas 150$$Imperia SP150$$
Stand Mixer№23Specialty

Stand Mixer

Heavy planetary mixer. The bread machine that also makes meringue.

Best forBread doughs · cookies · meringue
Size I keepTilt-head · 4.8 qt
2 brands tested
KitchenAid Artisan$$$KitchenAid Pro 600$$$$
Mexican Citrus Press№24Specialty

Mexican Citrus Press

Hinged cast aluminum, color-coded. Squeezes a lime in one motion.

Best forLime · lemon · orange juice
Size I keepYellow · 9-inch
2 brands tested
Imusa Mexican Press (yellow)$Chef'n FreshForce$$
§ 02 — Frequently asked

Tools, asked and answered.

5 questions · answered

Why this list, what to buy first, and the position on affiliate links.

Every tool here has lived in my kitchen for at least a year. The brands listed have been tasted-against — typically three to six commercial versions per category — and the ones that earned drawer space are the ones in the table.