Top Five Kitchen Tools

If you've walked into any kitchen store, you know how overwhelming the business of kitchen tools can be. Beyond a solid knife (should have been on the list, but I'm mentioning now), below are five of my go-to kitchen tools. Some are cheap, some are an investment. These items are the five I use every day. The items I'm obsessed with and always tell people about.

1. Microplane Zester

I feel like my life forever changed when I purchased this handy tool. There's nothing quite like a fresh grate of hard cheese. Of course, the fun doesn't stop there with this tool. Grate citrus zest, use it with garlic/ginger, or finish your holiday desserts with freshly grated nutmeg. Epicurious also has a few other ways to use this under $20 tool! My favorite zester >

2. Wood Spatulas

Obviously spatulas are an indispensable in the kitchen but these Earlywood Spatulas have pretty much been life changing. If you've ever tried to scrape out a cast iron skillet before, you know it's not always the easiest task to perform. Enter these flat, wood spatulas. Less food waste and easier clean-up; I'm sold. My favorite wood spatulas >

3. Kitchen Scale

My second job out of college was working in a bakery. I went from working the front counter, to head baker who also spent a lot of time in the new dedicated Gluten-free kitchen (this was 2008- the world of GF was SO small and fairly new at a commercial scale). I realize for non-Americans, this is a duh item but I can't live without my kitchen scale. I weight everything (even my morning coffee!) My current kitchen scale >

4. High-Speed Blender

These last two items are bigger-ticket items but between the two, I can make pretty much any recipe on the site. I used to be a die-hard food processor person but now it just collects dust (unless I need to shred cheese or slice vegetables). I'm so smitten with my blenders. I have a Blendtec and a Wolf Gourmet (one at home, one at the studio): both are powerhouses that can perform almost any task. They are pricy but it's a worthy investment. Check out my Blendtec or my Wolf Gourmet.

5. Flour Mill

I saved this one for last because I realize this won't be for everyone. But, when you write a book about grinding flour at home, one has to expect a flour mill is a large part of the kitchen. Home-ground flour is amazing and it allows me to keep items on hand (like oats) that live in one form. The groats keep longer and I can easily turn them into flakes (oatmeal) or flour. This is the mill I have but I also know people love this mill.