When it comes to baking, there are things I consider kitchen essentials and things I consider kitchen luxuries.ย Somehow, because I’m me, those lists have merged as the luxury tools become more essential than not.ย What can I say, I settle into comforts really well.ย I’m sure you do, too – so read this list with caution.ย ย Last week we talked about the Parchment Paper Sheets I can’t live without but here’s a more complete list of the easy elite splurges that keep me happy in the kitchen everyday!
โขย My mom has a magnet that says “an apron is a cape backwards” and I think about that every time I pull out the mixing bowls and tie an apron around my waist.ย I’ve worn all kinds of aprons in my day and I’ve narrowed it down to two favorites.ย I love a sturdy and structured Hedley and Bennet apron for it’s amazing quality made in Los Angeles.ย I also love these soft and sexyย Not Perfect Linen apronsย because they’re not all bulky layered over clothes and they wash so soft and relaxed.
โขย If there’s one item on this list that has been an absolute GAME CHANGER in my kitchen, it’s this Stretch-Tite Wrap’n Snap Plastic Wrap Dispenser.ย This was generously gifted to me by a Bakehouse student years ago. It’s also rumored that Ina Garten has this in her kitchen and considering her kitchen is also filled with good-quality olive oil and good-quality vanilla extract, this is a solid kitchen splurge.
โขย I think of a bench scraper as more of an essential rather than a luxury.ย It’s the tool I reach for to first scrape crumbs from the counter to the sink before reaching for a wet cloth.ย A bench scraper is a cleaning tool, a knife when I need to cut dough, heck… it’s also a ruler. But let’s make sure you get the right bench scraper.ย There are a lot of fancy scrapers on the market with beautiful wooden handles.ย I have a few that take up room in my utensil drawer. I always fuss over wood in the kitchen. I hesitate to throw it in the dishwasher so I consistently reach for this stainless steel bench scraper – sturdy and also dishwasher safe.
I also love a bench scraper’s cousin, the bendy plastic bowl scraper for scraping things like sticky cinnamon roll dough from the mixing bowl. Sometimes you need something more stiff than a plastic spatula but more flexible than a metal scraper, ya know?
โขย All the aesthetic girlies have a wooden lazy susan or several and I get it.ย I have a large spinning tray that takes up a good amount of real estate on my Houston kitchen counter but it’s worth every bit.ย It checks the chic and stylish box along with the use and function box.
โขย Once you have aย Kitchen Torch, you unlock the power to make Brรปlรฉed Doughnut Holes and this Raspberry Brรปlรฉed Rice Pudding.ย I’ve also been known to shove a chocolate chip in a marshmallow and torch it on a fork.ย There’s a low road and a high road that comes along with this torch and both ways are delicious.
โขย For the perfect dusting over Sugar-Dusted Beignets, I love this little powdered sugar shaker.ย I keep mine capped in the back of the pantry and the powdered sugar stays fresh. It’s not something I reach for everyday, but when I do, I’m so happy I set myself up for success.
โขย I love a cutting board that makes me happy because if I’m crying over onions, I at least want to make it cute.
โขย If we’re still measuring wealth in salt (and I’m pretty sure we’re not), I’d be wealthy.ย Really, I just splurged and spent $18 on a bucket of Maldon Sea Salt.ย This flaky sea salt is more of a finishing salt I sprinkle over everything from brussel’s sprouts to blondies.
โขย Speaking of elite ingredients, have you ever heard of vanilla bean paste? Buying expensive vanilla extract at the grocery store feels uninspired.ย I’m just can’t trust it’s imparting the vanilla flavor I’ve invested in.ย Vanilla bean paste is a thick syrup made of sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.ย It’s noticeably amped up vanilla flavor and the little specks of vanilla beans are really nice in buttercreams and batters.
โขย This is me never reaching for the food processor if I don’t have to.ย This small Cuisinart Spice and Nut Grinder is a definite luxury but I think I use it as often as I use the food processor!
โขย The best rolling pin to have in the kitchen is the one you’re most comfortable using.ย For me it’s this tapered French rolling pin because I think the tapered ends make the rolling pin easy to turn and adjust as I roll.ย I also really love how smooth the olivewood is. When floured it slips right along the dough.
โขย Every professional kitchen I’ve worked in has this exact kitchen scale and it’s what I have in my kitchen now.ย It’s not fussy.ย It’s accurate. It’s a workhorse!
โขย You gotta hydrate to be great and if one thing is going to keep me drinking water all day it’s these tall glasses with bamboo lids and glass straws.ย Do I need these to stay hydrated? Obviously not but somehow, yes very much.
โขย An elite bundt pan can make a simple boxed cake an event and Nordicware is, hands down, my favorite brand for their quality and beautiful shapes!
Now your turn, friends! What are your favorite luxuries in the kitchen? I feel like there are still a few cabinets to fill here in Houston! Can’t wait to hear your favorites from this list and from your own kitchen! xo
28 Responses
I have several of these things. I grew up in a chef family so itโs been a staple while growing up and now my home to get the Chef Store kitchen size plastic wrap with cutter built in. Itโs thinner wrap than other brands and I canโt do without. I splurged on a good coffee grinder too.
I recently spent a lot of money on the cusinart whisk one would think a whisk is a whisk. Not so. I bought it because I liked the rounded shape of the wires and I seem to be in search of the perfect whisk judging by the crock full that I have. But it whisks eggs and batters more thoroughly and quicker than any other whisk I have used. Not just a pretty face.
Also adore Tovola spatulas and spoonulas especially the little ones which I use constantly. The ones with the silicone handles are versatile and slide out of a jar full of other tools without sticking.
Also agree about reducing plastic wrap. Have cut mine down to occasionally use only. Use beeโs wax wrap. Jars and containers with lids for leftovers and bits. Also make good use of silicone lids of various sizes and reusable shower caps for covering bowls.
I will never be without my 6-in Tovolo whisk. It’s great for using in smaller bowls, as it is too short to fall out of the bowl and mess up the counter, but has enough wires to do the job well.
Ok. Iโve done it. I ordered the powdered sugar shaker and the lazy susan. . I couldnโt help myself. I love kitchen tools and this was an inspiring list. Thank you Joy!
I’m sure there are others I’m not thinking of, but we finally splurged on a Thermapen and, man. Just blow all other food thermometers out of the water.
Also, I need to get me one of those powdered sugar shakers!
Please, everybody, try to get by without plastic wrap. It’s a single use non-recyclable item and we really need to find other solutions. I recognise that professional cooking and baking uses plastic wrap in wild amounts per day, but we home cooks have to start doing better.
Covering a bowl? Beeswax cloth, kitchen cloth or even a plate or potlid. Keeping things in the fridge or wrapping something for transport? Re-usable lidded containers in all sizes and shapes.
Challenge yourself to go a day, a week or maybe even a month without plastic wrap and find out which solutions you come up with. Even if you just decrease the amount you use, that’s already better. My kitchen is plastic wrap free for a couple of years now and I assure you: it’s absolutely possible.
The GIR spoonula- sometimes you want a spatula that is spoon-y, sometimes you want a spoon that can spatula.
The Kuhn Rikon can opener. No sharp edges to slice your precious fingers.
The best thing I ever did was impulse purchase a 32 oz bottle of vanilla bean paste (back when it was a cool $40) late at night. Lasted me for a good 4-5 years.
Hi Joy!
Great recommendations! I am ordering the plastic wrap dispenser immediately. How did I ever live without it? I buy yeast in bulk and was thrilled to find the King Arthur Yeast Measuring Spoon. I wouldn’t call it elite at $3.95 but dang it’s useful.
https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/yeast-measuring-spoon
Iโm SO excited about that yeastspoon! On my way to buy one now. Love these comments. ??
My absolute favorite kitchen luxury is my bread board: https://breadtopia.com/store/wood-bread-board/
As someone who makes sourdough bread, bagels, pretzels frequently by hand, this is priceless for portioning out and shaping dough. No more cutting boards that shift around and never seemed to have enough space on them!
I totally agree on the bench knife and dough scraper, also. I use them for baking but also for sweeping crumbs/misc. things from the countertop when prepping any old meal!
This is a great list. Looking at the dough scraper TBH. My husband found me a stainless steel bench scraper at the thrift store a couple years ago and itโs indispensable! Itโs at the top of my kitchen tools drawer since we use it so much. Iโm going to invest in some vanilla bean paste while Iโm thinking of it. We got my teen son a chef quality knife for his birthday and now i have a sous chef willing to chop ANYTHING. Another tool we use all the time is our silicone baking mitt. :)
Oh wow, that kitchen scale took me right back to my days as a baker for our local deli. Workhorse is the word, it never let me down!
Love this list, Joy! I need to up my apron game and you’ve inspired me.
I love having multiples of commonly used cooking utensils in my kitchen (an idea that I got from the great Ina Garten). For me, that means 2 sets of measuring cups and measuring spoons, multiple timers, and a plethora of scrapers (highly recommend this bundle of scrapers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08F2HSDZQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Last thing: I always have a very large box of kosher salt in the cabinet cuz of course you need so much salt for all the cooking, baking, and cleaning things in your life! (I recommend this brand: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011BPMUK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Several of the links need updated. ?
I just double checked, Dani and all the links work for me. I’m not sure what’s up on your end, sorry!
Ooo I love a good product recommendation list! My canโt-live-withouts-but-seem-optional are the Kuhn Rikon herb mezzaluna (it minces cilantro in a snap), Kitchenaid citrus juicer (the large un-fancy one- itโll hold the juice of 4 grapefruits), mini frother/whisk (because I put collagen in my coffee), Elevated Craft cocktail shaker (no frozen hands- hallelujah), and the Pampered Chef Salad Chopper (but I use it to shred chicken).
EXCELLENT, Shannon! You have an elite list!
Such a fun list! I got a Not So Perfect linen apron a couple of years ago after your influence and Iโm obsessed.
There are so many uses for an instant read kitchen thermometer, but I have started always checking cinnamon rolls, bread, basically anything thatโs not hollow, to avoid gummy centers. 200 degrees! Deb Perleman likes the Thermapop but I donโt trust our family with a $70 tool with a fragile stick coming out its end, so we have this one: ThermoPro TP03 Digital Meat Thermometer for Cooking Kitchen Food Candy Instant Read Thermometer with Backlight and Magnet for Oil Deep Fry BBQ Grill Smoker Thermometer https://a.co/d/0oY0AAs
I’m so glad you’re in the linen apron game with me!
This may seem a little odd but I LOVE my strap wrench. With a strap wrench I can open any and all bottles – no matter how stuck or tight they are.
They can be found in the tools section of the hardware store.
You’re absolutely right, Julie. I need to stop, drop, and get myself a strap wrench.
I love the silicon mat we have for rolling out doughs. Saw it originally on GBBO. It has measurements on the sides and concentric circles in the middle that make it so easy to measure and shape pie crust, cinnamon roll dough, etc and make it so much easier to transfer to the pan too. Love!
Oh that’s fantastic!!
Knowing that a scale would level-up my baking, I HAD TO HAVE the Joseph Joseph TriScale – folds up so itty bitty to stash in a drawer.
I love pretty much anything from Joseph Joseph! My other kitchen luxuries include a spoon rest by the stove and one on the counter, more mini silicone spatulas than I think I should need, precut tin foil and at least three sets of measuring spoons. I just seem to cook/bake all in the same day and I canโt be bothered to wash up constantly!
I love these Carol. You’re so right about the spoon rest and many many mini spatulas and measuring cups!
Oh yes. I canโt live without my plastic wrap dispenser but I was gifted my first one by my chef dad. Now I get refills at the chef store. Also have the vanilla bean paste, kitchen scale and bucket oโ salt. All very nice things to have for a better kitchen experience!