Chefs Recommend These 9 Tools to Home Cooks, From $9

To cook the delicious food you enjoy in their restaurants, you might think chefs use expensive, inaccessible kitchen tools and gadgets that regular people can’t have at home. What restaurants don’t want you to know, however, is that if you stock up on the right gear (and much of it is surprisingly affordable), you can achieve restaurant-quality results in your own kitchen. We talked to several great chefs and restaurateurs about the items they rely on most in the kitchen, and their answers were exciting. With these useful tools and appliances from Ninja, Winco, KitchenAid, Nutribullet, and more, you can make perfect, precise dishes at home — and with items that cost as little as $9. Your path to a James Beard award starts here. 

Best Tools for Restaurant-Quality Food

• Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula, $9, originally $10
• Etekcity Kitchen Scale, $14
• Ninja Prestige Smart XL Air Fryer and Toaster Oven, $230, originally $330
• Lavatools Javelin Digital Meat Thermometer, $23, originally $27
• Nutribullet Personal Blender, $60
• Puckway Offset Spatula, Set of 2, $10
• KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Stand Mixer, $250, originally $350
• Grillart Grill Brush and Scraper, $23, originally $30
• Benreiner Mandoline Slicer with 4 Blades, $36

Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula

Chef-owner Andy Bruch of Point Easy in Denver says that a fish spatula is an essential kitchen tool that all chefs he works with use, because it’s “useful way beyond just cooking fish,” he said. “Once this is in your utensil collection, you’ll find yourself reaching for it more and more.” According to Bruch, Winco makes an excellent and affordable option.

Etekcity Kitchen Scale

“A digital scale is an absolute must for any modern baking or pastry needs,” says Alec Schingel, chef-owner of Robin Restaurant in St. Louis. “Measuring by volume just doesn’t lead to consistent results in a professional kitchen, so once you switch to weighing flour, sugar, and butter, your results will be far more consistent.” He went on to point out that a precise approach using a scale is also very useful with savory foods. This scale is the No.1 bestselling digital kitchen scale at Amazon, with over 122,000 shoppers giving it a five-star rating.

Ninja Prestige Smart XL Air Fryer and Toaster Oven

Most home cooks don’t have as much space as a full restaurant kitchen, meaning you need appliances and tools that can successfully take on multiple tasks. “I love the ability you have with a smart toaster oven nowadays,” said chef Cliff Blauvelt of Denver’s Odie B’s. “You can air-fry, bake cookies, and toast your bagel to perfection with minimal oversight and less room for errors.” Chef Blauvelt recommends Ninja’s Prestige Smart XL, which is big enough to fit multiple baking trays or a 12-pound turkey.

Lavatools Javelin Digital Meat Thermometer

Bruch points out that a great thermometer is one of the most underrated tools in the kitchen. “It’s a myth that professional cooks use almost any other method for temping food besides a thermometer,” he explained, adding that once you learn to properly measure a protein’s temperature, you’ll never miss when it comes to doneness. “Lavatools makes an excellent product,” he said. “[It’s a] bonus that they’ve come down in price dramatically, and that the probe itself folds into the thermometer body.” 

Nutribullet Personal Blender

Nutribullet blenders are great for smoothies, sure, but they can do quite a bit more. Blauvelt likes this blender for a number of reasons, “but mainly its ability to make silky smooth sauces and purées.” This blender has a powerful 600-watt motor and is super easy to clean, making it an excellent way to achieve restaurant-quality components for your dishes.

Puckway Offset Spatula, Set of 2

“The three tools that I have in my hand more than anything else are my knives, spoons, and an offset spatula. They are just as useful for putting a perfect piece of terrine on a plate as they are for spreading cream cheese icing on a carrot cake,” Schingel said. “Once you have a couple, you’ll wonder how you lived without them for so long.” Indeed, you’ll feel like a pro chef once you use these 6- and 8-inch spatulas for lifting and flipping delicate proteins and veggies or preparing some restaurant-quality toast with impossibly smooth peanut butter, jam, or hummus atop.

KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Stand Mixer

Stand mixers are some of the most useful tools you can find in a chef’s kitchen, especially since they allow you to do so much more than just mix. “The mixer itself is incredibly versatile, with restaurant-style attachments like a pasta roller and sausage maker that bring professional-level functionality into your home kitchen,” says Shane Chartrand, chef, cookbook author, and contestant on Top Chef Canada, Iron Chef Canada, and Chopped Canada. “I always tell home cooks: Don’t cheap out on a lesser mixer unless you really know what you’re buying. KitchenAid’s engines are powerful and often come with a lifetime warranty.” This 4.5-quart KitchenAid stand mixer is currently on sale for $100 off.

Grillart Grill Brush and Scraper

Being a great chef isn’t just about cooking — you also have to be excellent at cleaning your kitchen and equipment. Chef Mike Saperstein of Florida’s Sunshine Provisions is a high-end meat purveyor, helping folks across the country grill delicious steaks, seafood, burgers, and more. “It’s imperative to keep a clean grill; otherwise, all of those high-end meats you buy will be wasted and the flavor won’t be high-quality,” he said. “My go-to gadget is a really good grill brush.” 

Benreiner Mandoline Slicer with 4 Blades

Mandoline slicers are the best way to get uniform cuts on your food, and Schingel recommends Benreiner’s. “They are the industry standard for a reason,” he said. “If you need perfect slices for your apple pie, potato gratin, or making cucumber pickles, you’ll be amazed how often you reach for a good mandoline.”