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Kitchen tools
Here are eight of our favorite upgraded kitchen tools and why we love them. (Photo: Jakob Schiller)

Elevate Your Cooking with These 8 Kitchen Upgrades

Our favorite tools for making quick and healthy food

Published: 
Kitchen tools
(Photo: Jakob Schiller)

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It’s funny how those of us who love the outdoors are willing to pay $300 for a jacketand $800 for a pair of skisbut often find a way to skimp on kitchen products. Oldcoffee grinders, cheap blenders, and ܱԾmight seem like an appropriate trade-off for some, but I’m here to tell you that upgraded kitchen tools—just like improvedoutdoor toys—are worth the investment. They make cooking easier, faster, and more fun.Here are eight of our favorites and why we love them.

Victorinox Swiss Modern Santoku Knife ($80)

Kitchen tools
(Jakob Schiller)

Salads are a pain the ass to make if you have the wrong knife. Chopping vegetables with a dull, low-quality cutteris like postholing through knee-deep snow. Upgrade to something like , which has an ultrasharp stainless-steel blade with ridges to shed sticky vegetables and a beautiful, ergonomic walnut handle. Suddenly, you’ll look forward to effortlessly slicing through cabbage, carrots, and bell peppers like fresh powder. The Santoku does well with meat and other foods, too.


Farmhouse Pottery Live Edge 15-Inch Walnut Cutting Board ($95)

Kitchen tools
(Jakob Schiller)

If you have a good knife, you also need a good cutting board. , wooden versions are not more prone to trapping bacteria. In my opinion,it’s waymore pleasant to chop on a wooden surface—itfeels more natural. I’d also rather put my food on a nice piece of wood instead of a mass-produced piece of plastic. I usethiswalnut board. No two are built the same, and fifteen inches is big enough for almost every project. It’s great for presenting hors d’oeuvres and isa showpiece on your counter when it’s not in use.


Smithey Ironware Co. No. 12 Cast Iron Skillet ($200)

Kitchen tools
(Jakob Schiller)

You can get a similar panat Target for a fraction of the price, butyou should go with this one instead for several reasons. First, the pan is partially handmade in the United States from premium cast iron, so it’sdurable and will last well beyond your lifetime. Second, it comes with a fine polish and deep seasoningthat, if cared for properly, ensures you get a smooth, easy-to-cook-with nonstick surface that makes perfect runny eggs and just-right sautéed vegetables. I’m also a fan of the large 12-inch size because it allows you to cook for company or meal-prep for the week. Bonus points for the grease pour spouts and a midweight build that allows you to wield it with just one hand.


Vitamix E310 Blender ($350)

Kitchen tools
(Jakob Schiller)

Do you know how I get my kids to eat vegetables? I blend them ina . Kale becomes completely indiscernible in a smoothie, thanks to bombproof blades and a two-horsepower motor that will liquefy anything way beyond what you’re used to with normal blenders. A Vitamixisso damn powerful that if you throw in a bunch of vegetables, spices, and some hot stockand then blend everything on high speed for six minutes, you come out with soup. You can go the other way and make creamy frozen yogurt by blending yogurt, frozen fruit, and a little honey. Mix togetherpeanuts and a little salt and you have peanut butter.This thing is so durable thatyounever have to worry about bending your blades. I could keep going, but you get the point: a Vitamix is expensivebut expands your palate and is worth the investment.


HMM Japanese Ceramic Pour Over ($50)

Kitchen tools
(Jakob Schiller)

Good coffee takes a little work and the right equipment. To make a high-quality pour-over, start with this ceramic cone,designedwith internal ridges to ensure the water gets evenly distributed over the grounds in your filter. Ilove that it’s made from that will never affect the taste of the coffee and looks really nice sitting on a mugin the morning sun. The cone will probably break if it falls to the floor, but it’s durable enough to rattle around in a Rubbermaid bin, so you can take it camping, too.


Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee Grinder ($249)

Kitchen tools
(Jakob Schiller)

A cheap coffee grinderdoes a lousy job of evenly grinding your beans, which means it’s hard to create the right grounds for whatever device you’re using. If you prefer a French press, you need your beans coarse. If you have a coffee maker or love your Aeropress, you’ll need themfiner. With the ,you can nail it every time. It has specificpresetsand high-quality conical metal burrs that ensure the beans are exactly the right consistency fora balanced and rich cup of coffee, no matter the brewing method. The Virtuoso+ model also comes with a setting that grinds the exactamount of coffee for however many cups you want to brew.


ThatInventions Deluxe Meat-Thawing Board ($80)

Kitchen tools
(Jakob Schiller)

Say you forgot to take those chicken breasts out to thaw before you went to work. That’s not a problem with thiscrazy device. Made from food-grade aluminum and filled with proprietary and food-safe liquid, the thawing board sucks the cold out of your meat while simultaneously warming it up. Chicken, steak—whatever you want to thaw—is usually ready to grill in tenminutes, even if it just came out of the freezer. (Stop using the microwave, which zaps flavor from your food.) I also dig the angled design that sends any juice from the meat into a collecting tray so you don’t end up with a puddle on your counter.


Cuisinart Stainless-Steel 13-Cup Food Processor ($180)

Kitchen tools
(Jakob Schiller)

After you use a food processor for the first time, you’llwonder how you lived without one.They’re great for preparingsalsabut also speed up almost any other dish you want to make. Do you need shredded cheese for a homemade pizza? Check. Minced veggiesfor zucchini bread? Done in less than a minute. Creamy soups? Easy. You can even use it to combine the ingredients for your favorite pie crust (no more hand-chopping cold butter). All the parts that get dirty can go in the dishwasher, and the stainless-steel base—which looks professional on your counter—is also easy to wipe clean when liquidsor anything else lands on top.

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