As predictable as a Thanksgiving turkey, kitchen products come along promising to make it easier to get dinner on the table. The hand-held mixer is indispensable for soups and the rice cooker, for some reason, makes the preparation of perfect rice seem less intimidating. The KitchenAid Stand Mixer—God, please let me inherit, win, or receive one someday—makes you feel like you could bake like Barefoot Contessa.
However, most gizmos lose their luster: the electric carving knife, the pizza stone, and—within a few years, I predict—the Panini press. But some essentials remain essential just the way they are. They don’t need to be reinvented or rethought. They don’t need a fresh look or a new marketing angle. They make it easier to turn raw materials into yummy food and that’s all that matters.
“They are tried and true, work very well, and after all these years can’t seem to be improved upon,” says Mary Moore, founder and CEO of The Cook’s Warehouse, a trio of Atlanta cookware stores that are places of worship among foodies. “Customers go for electrics for larger tasks, but these items either can’t or haven’t been electrified because that is what people are used to. And, they just work.”
1. Cast iron skillet
Great cooks put their cast iron skillets in their wills. They get better with age. No two are exactly alike. They’re versatile. And you really can’t make cornbread without one.
2. Corkscrew
Those of us who toiled in the restaurant business prefer a simple wine key. There are other options, such as the butterfly opener, but they can be fiddly and hog precious drawer space.
3. Measuring cups and spoons
The best ones have the quantity engraved, not painted on. The paint will chip and fade over time. Multiple sets are good to have, because the one you use the most, such as the half-cup, will always be in the dishwasher. Measuring cups and spoons haven’t gone high tech, but the new ones made from silicon take up less storage space, Moore says.
4. Pizza cutter
Parents of toddlers rank this at the top. It’s indispensable for cutting anything from sandwiches to waffles into toddler-size bites. It’s safer to have around than a knife. Even if you don’t have kids, a pizza cutter is great for whipping up stylish appetizers.
