The Best Gear from Our Equipment Reviews, According to Serious Eats Staffers

The Best Instant-Read Thermometer

ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

$115 $92 at Amazon View on Thermoworks View on Kingarthurbaking.com

I was lucky to get my hands on a Thermapen ONE in 2021 when it was first released (and subsequently replaced the Mk4). I have used it very frequently ever since and felt validated when it won our instant-read thermometer review. It's lightning fast and pretty close to its stated ONE second (get it?) response time. It also has an auto-rotating screen and auto-backlight and can be recalibrated (not as common for thermometers as you might think). If you're still unconvinced why you need an instant-read thermometer, this might help. — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, senior commerce editor

Our Favorite Pasta Pan

Winco Stir Fry Pan

$41 $37 at Amazon $43 at Wayfair

I got my hands on this pan pretty quickly after Daniel recommended it, and it's probably one of my favorite pieces of gear in my kitchen. Despite its low price tag, it feels quite expensive, and excels at the task Daniel recommends it for: finishing pasta. It has a width and depth that make it perfect for holding your pasta, your sauce, and some starchy pasta water when tossing and stirring to finish. Thanks to the aluminum, the pan is also an excellent conductor of heat, making it great for stir-frying (which is what it was technically designed for) as well. — Yasmine Maggio, associate editor

A Super-Sharp, Nimble Knife

Tojiro Tojiro DP Petty/Utility Knife

$62 at Amazon

As a petite-framed person with near child-sized hands, sometimes an 8-inch chef's knife just feels too big. Which is why I love (and pretty much solely use) this petite petty knife from Tojiro for slicing and dicing. It's not only the perfect size for my tiny hands, but it's also incredibly sharp and nimble, making it adept at boning tricky cuts like chicken thighs as well as coring peppers. And it's still worth buying even if you don't have small digits, since it's so dang sharp. — Grace Kelly, commerce editor

An Incredible Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven

Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven

$799 $520 at Amazon $650 at Williams Sonoma View on Ooni.com

There's something truly magical about countertop-sized outdoor pizza ovens and, based on how often my friends ask me to make pizza for them, I'm not the only one who feels this way. The pizzas I've made in my Karu 16 have been truly fantastic, and because of the oven's ability to reach incredibly high temps, I'm able to crank out beautiful pies in mere minutes. The Karu 16 is also one of Ooni's more feature-laden models and lets you cook using either gas, wood, or charcoal, has a built-in thermometer that measures air temperature, and comes with a glass door and a chimney to help you control temperature and airflow. — Jacob Dean, updates editor

The Very, Very Best Coffee Grinder

Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee Grinder

$250 at Amazon $250 at Williams Sonoma $250 at Sur La Table

The Baratza Virtuoso+ has been our top recommended grinder for a long time, but also, I’ve personally used the Virutoso+ (and its predecessor, the Virtuoso) as my daily home grinder for more than 13 years. Baratza revolutionized home grinding by prioritizing grinding burr design, ensuring that home coffee fanatics could get precision grind consistency at home that matched expensive commercial grinders. Not only that, but every Baratza grinder is designed to be repairable. I’ve personally rescued over six Virtuosos from near death with a handful of $10 parts you can order on their website. It’s one of the best investments out of any gear we’ve ever tested, and your tastebuds will thank you for the upgrade as well. — Jesse Raub, commerce writer

The Best Air Fryer, By Far

Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer

$140 $80 at Amazon $150 at Williams Sonoma $15 at Walmart

When I reviewed air fryers, I became rather enamored with our winner from Instant Pot. Many months later, that love is still going strong. It crisps food exceptionally well and quicker than any other air fryer I tried and has loads of helpful usability features, like a touchscreen and dial for easily toggling the time and temperature. I use mine all the time: for air-frying tofu, Brussels sprouts, frozen foods, fries, and more. It's easy to clean, too (with a dishwasher-safe basket). — Riddley

A Nimble, Slim Serrated Bread Knife

Tojiro Bread Slicer

$49 $29 at Amazon $45 at Walmart

I've reviewed a lot of gear over the years, so picking a favorite is difficult. But the Tojiro serrated bread knife stands out in my mind, offering the rare combination of absolutely exceptional performance at a totally reasonable price. I remember the Tojiro beating the pants off knives several times more expensive, and I can say that my own continues to perform well even after many years of use. It's not a hefty knife, yet it manages to be just as good at delicate work like slicing a tomato paper thin and trimming tender cake layers as it is whizzing through a thick and crusty loaf of sourdough. As far as I'm concerned, it is the only serrated knife I'll ever need. — Daniel Gritzer, senior culinary director

A Super-Accurate Kitchen Scale

OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale

$56 $50 at Amazon $56 at Williams Sonoma $13 at Walmart

If you don't have a good kitchen scale, you're missing out: on accurately weighing ingredients and avoiding any baking mishaps, on perfectly portioned meatballs, on actually getting the correct ratio of coffee to water for your auto-drip machine, and on so much more. And the best kitchen scale is our favorite from OXO. It's incredibly accurate, features a pull-out display (helpful for reading when a large mixing bowl's atop it), and easily switches between ounces, pounds, grams, and kilograms. — Riddley

The Best, Most Powerful Blender

Vitamix Professional-Grade Blender

$427 $350 at Amazon View on Vitamix.com $643 at Newegg.com

This Vitamix blender has been a longtime Serious Eats recommendation for good reason: it works incredibly well and couldn't be easier to use. I love its tapered blending jar (most blenders have wide jars), which effectively pulls ingredients down and creates a vortex. It blends! It purees! It pulverizes! It does it all perfectly! Plus, it just has a speed dial and a couple of switches. It's no frills, all power. — Riddley

A Reusable Paper Towel-Sponge Hybrid

Wettex Swedish Dishcloths

$10 $9 at Amazon $9 at Walmart $9 at Etsy

Swedish dishcloths are a bit of a sleeper hit. While they're often emblazoned with cute designs, (and aren't very expensive) if you've never used one before it's easy to pass them over. But take one home and get it wet and (much like with a Mogwai) you're in for a huge surprise. The thin, odd, almost cardboard-y sheets of fabric transform into durable, washable, ecologically-responsible replacements for paper towels that are perfect for a great many cleaning tasks all across your home. I've loved them since the first time I saw them while traveling for work in Sweden, and I think you will too. — Jacob

A Cast Iron Bread Pan for Sourdough

Challenger Bread Pan

$299 at Amazon View on Challengerbreadware.com

We’re big fans of a variety of cast iron bread pans, but the Challenger Bread Pan is truly the best-designed and easiest to use. It features thick cast iron walls that retain heat well and a tight-sealing lid that traps steam, allowing your sourdough to perfectly rise. The offset handles on the top of the lid make it easy to remove for the second half of your bake, and the overall shape is perfect for accommodating small boules, batards, and even two demi-baguettes side-by-side. I personally own an array of these bread pans that I’ve collected over the years, and the Challenger Bread Pan takes the cake. If the price point is a little steep and you’re just starting out in sourdough, the Lodge Double Dutch is also a great, more affordable option. — Jesse

A Bench Scraper You’d Be Remiss Not to Own

OXO Bench Scraper

$12 at Amazon $12 at Target View on Webstaurant Store

A really good bench scraper is one of those things you'll use all of the time: for cleaning off your cutting board, transferring prepped ingredients, portioning gnocchi, cutting biscuits, etc, etc, etc. And the OXO Bench Scraper is just really perfect: it has a grippy, silicone handle, a large blade, and plentiful measurements near the bottom edge. Plus, it's just $12. — Riddley

A Cheap, Inimitable Y-Shaped Peeler

Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler, Pack of 3

$14 at Amazon

Vegetable peelers are nearly impossible to sharpen, so I’m extremely grateful that we finally ditched our dull old standby for two new Kuhn Rikon peelers. They’re sharp as all get out, have a really comfortable handle, and, best of all, they’re cheap! I love using them for cocktail garnishes and prepping sweet potatoes, and their smaller size makes them great for peeling ginger, too—something our old peeler couldn’t manage. — Jesse

A Small-But-Mighty Mini Whisk

Williams Sonoma Stainless Steel French Whisk

View on Williams Sonoma

Okay—at nine inches, this whisk isn’t technically “mini,” even though it was included in our mini whisk round-up. At the same time, I can palm a basketball, and truly tiny whisks were hard for me to handle. With its narrow French whisk loops, this whisk works great for precision whipping but is long enough to handle most medium-sized jobs as well. I’ve owned one for over ten years (now I have two of them), and really love how it’s the only sized whisk I need. However, if you’re looking for something truly mini, the Tovolo mini whisk has wide loops that make it great for beating just one egg or two. — Jesse

A Stovetop Burner Converter For Woks

WokMon Burner Converter

View on Wokmon.com

My husband bought me a WokMon for my birthday last year and, no kidding, it's changed my life. This little gadget redirects the flow of gas and creates a powerful flame that evenly heats up your wok, making it possible to achieve wok hei at home. — Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

An Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven That’ll Last Forever, Practically

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven

$420 at Amazon $260 at Williams Sonoma $420 at Food52

A Dutch oven is an essential piece of cookware that you'll have pretty much forever (at least by cookware standards). It's an incredibly versatile pot: capable of boiling, braising, searing, simmering, deep-frying, and baking. And this Dutch oven from Le Creuset is one of our top recommendations (we tested 20 of 'em). I love its wide, looped handles and light interior that allows me to easily monitor fond development. I have 5 1/2-quart and 7 1/4-quart pots and use them both, but recommend the former for most home cooks. — Riddley

A Toaster Oven That’s Great for More Than Toast

Breville Smart Oven

$270 at Amazon $25 at Walmart $270 at QVC

The one piece of equipment I’ll always keep on my counter is a Breville Smart Oven (our recommended toaster oven). I’ve had one in near-daily use since 2009, and use it for everything: reheating pizza, roasting potatoes, making croutons, baking cookies, frozen pizzas, toasting bread—you name it. It’s quick to heat up, more accurate than my large gas oven, and the convection fan makes it a decent stand-in for an air fryer (though we still think air fryers do a better job at those tasks). When it gets hot in the summer, its heat output is minimal and we switch to the Breville Smart Oven full time to avoid turning our kitchen into a sweatbox. If you want to splurge a bit, there are also newer models with more features. — Jesse

A Fun and Fizzy Water Subscription

Aura Bora Flavor of the Month

View on Aurabora.com

If there's one thing I require to be a productive employee on the daily, it's a fun little drink. I don't consume caffeine after my morning cup of coffee, but I swear flavored sparkling water is just as good of a pick-me-up. When Riddley recommended the Aura Bora Flavor of the Month subscription in this review, I was sold. My favorite flavor so far has been March's Banana Bergamot—it's not nearly as weird as it sounds! — Rochelle Bilow, commerce editor

An Giant Insulated Tumbler

Owala 40-Ounce Tumbler

$38 $31 at Amazon $38 at Target View on Owalalife.com

Nothing helps me drink more water than a big insulated tumbler with a straw. I like that its tapered base easily fits in a car cupholder, too. — Riddley

A Nifty Drip Coffee Maker

Technivorm Moccamaster KBT Coffee Brewer

$339 $237 at Amazon $238 at Williams Sonoma $238 at Sur La Table

As a self-proclaimed NON coffee snob (I just add milk and sugar to it anyway), I’ve been surprised by how much I love the Moccamaster KBT. I’d never thought I’d say this, but the coffee brewed in it really does taste better thanks to its fast boiler (it gets water to 205° in under a minute) and simple spray head, which evenly saturates the grounds. — Grace

A Simple, Effective Probe Thermometer

ThermoWorks ChefAlarm

View on Thermoworks

I'm a big fan of reverse-seared meats (steak, chicken breasts, pork chops), and a good probe thermometer is essential to getting internal temps right. I love this simple offering from ThermoWorks, which features a single probe, a magnetic base, and high and low temperature alarms. It's easy to set, and it won't let you forget (to check on your meats). — Grace

A Classic Butter Dish

Le Creuset Heritage Butter Dish

View on Lecreuset.com

I'm pretty sure I was picking pieces of butter wrapper out of my oatmeal the moment Grace published this review of butter dishes. I'd gotten into the habit of leaving the wrapped stick out on my cutting board, which meant I had spreadable butter... and pieces of paper that flaked off into my food. I decided I'd buy the first butter dish Grace recommended, which explains why a Le Creuset Heritage Butter Dish is currently making the journey to me from an Amazon warehouse somewhere! — Rochelle

Some Darn Good Measuring Cups

OXO Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

$23 at Amazon $23 at Macy's $23 at Oxo

I've owned these measuring cups for many years and I love how easily they nest together for storage and that they have magnets in the ends of their handles. Their printed markings have also held up remarkably well after countless trips through the dishwasher. — Riddley

Storage Containers That Are Surprisingly Fun to Use

OXO Good Grips POP 5-Piece Canisters

$55 $48 at Amazon $55 at The Container Store $55 at Crate & Barrel

I've owned these dry food storage containers for several years and keep all manner of things in them: beans, rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, energy gels for running (just me?). Their pop-button lid will never not be satisfying to press. — Riddley