Kitchen Gear and Tools We Think You Should Have Two (Or More) Of

Two strainers (or more, of varying sizes)

Rösle Stainless Steel Round Handle Kitchen Strainer

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Yummy Kitchenware 9-Inch Fine Mesh Strainer

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RSVP International Endurance Stainless Steel Colander

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If you're going to have one strainer, it should be afine-mesh strainer,capable of so much morethan just straining pasta and other things we rinse or boil in water. But strainers are one of those items that can't really be substituted for anything else—at least not well or comfortably. We've all—or maybe this is just me—tried to strain pasta water out of a pot by holding the lid and carefully pouring out the water, only to a) have lots of pasta water still leftover in the pot or b) splash yourself with hot starchy water. Simple tasks can become unnecessarily cumbersome if your only strainer is out of commission for any reason (i.e., running merrily through the dishwasher, as we mentioned before).

Along with my pair of fine-mesh strainers, I also havea colanderwith larger holes, which isn't quite as much of a workhorse, but can handle larger batches of pasta and strain large pieces out of stock. I also have asmall mesh strainerperfect for double-straining cocktails and tea drinks, along with straining out oil and water solutions for things like olives and pickles.

A handful of quarter and half sheet trays

Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum Quarter Sheet

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Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet

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Quarter-sheet pans are my go-to for dry-brining meat. As you can probably guess, they're half the size ofhalf-sheet pans.

Half-sheet pans are great for cooking and roasting, but I find quarter-sheet plans ideal for prep work and storage. I've gotten a little creative with my quarter-sheet pans (I have three), using them instead of half-sheet pans when I can, mostly because quarter-sheet pans fit in thetoaster oven, which cooks food quicker for meals when I’m just feeding myself or one other person. But I also use quarter-sheet pans to wrap up leftovers I know are destined to be thrown in the oven (I'll cover the top with reusable beeswax covers or, in a pinch, aluminum foil).

Multiple sets of measuring spoons and cups

Le Creuset Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons

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Norpro Stainless Steel Measuring Cups (Set of 5)

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Oxo Good Grips 3-Piece Angled Measuring Cup Set

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It is quite annoying to be going through a recipe and realize the measuring spoon you need is, say, slick with oil and not suitable for measuring spices until it's washed. It's worth having at least two (maybe three!) sets ofmeasuring spoons. The same can be saidfor dryandliquid measuring cups. Having multiples around will save you a whole lot of time when prepping.

100-plus mini measuring cups

OXO Mini Angled Measuring Cup

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Ok, maybe not 100, but I have at least 10 ofthese small measuring cups by OXO. Having multiple measuring cups makes recipe prep a breeze: you don't have to wash out your measuring cups as you set up ingredients, which can be particularly annoying if you measure out something liquid or viscous, like olive oil, and then realize you need the measuring cup or spoon for dried spices.

I like the OXO mini measuring cups, which hold about 1/4 cup of liquid; the cups also display measurements in milliliters, ounces, and tablespoons, so you can use them to measure almost anything. They have a flat bottom and can serve as vessels for your prepped ingredients.

A few cutting boards

The Boardsmith Maple End-Grain Cutting Board

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OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board

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OXO 2-Piece Cutting Board Set

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For cutting boards, you need at least one largewooden one, one largeplastic one, and one small plastic one. No arguments! After that, a very large wooden one is nice to have as well, as it can also act as a serving board. Having multiple cutting boards is great for keeping food prep safe, e.g. cutting meats on one board and saving vegetables for another to avoid cross-contamination.

Two-plus pairs of tongs

OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs

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OXO 12-Inch Silicone Tongs

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How many pairs oftongsdo I have? Don't ask. I have no idea, but it's more than two. Tongs can stir, scatter, and mix. Tongs can also pick stuff up and flip it, like a giant, dry-aged porterhouse steak. I've found myself in situations where I've used two tongs to flip over particularly large items, using the second set of tongs almost like a lever.

Sauce spoons

JB Prince Sauce Spoon

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This is actually a pick from senior culinary directorDaniel Gritzer: "I own one long-handled serving spoon, but I often find it annoying, since with home cooking I rarely need a metal spoon with such a long handle given the smaller pot size. It's nice to have one on occasion and for the table, but that's about it. Otherwise, sauce spoons that restaurant cooks use, both regular andslotted/perforated, are the way to go. They're less clunky thanks to their shorter handles, and make an easier transition between kitchen and dining table since they can be used in both places. And given how much use one gets out of this kind of spoon both in the kitchen and on the table, having a couple of each, or at least a couple of the solid (non-slotted) ones is very useful."

Silicone spatulas

Tovolo Flex-Core All Silicone Spatula Turner

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GIR Ultimate Spatula

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我曾经认为silicone spatulaswere only useful for baking—and I was wrong. Now silicone spatulas are what I'll use to scrape clean any plate, bowl, or dish. Why have just one!? Why have just two!?

Two Microplanes

Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester/Grater

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Microplane Classic Series Stainless Steel Zester

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Microplanes can be challenging to clean, so I have two. One I use for things like garlic, ginger, and citrus. The second I use for cheese, mostly to prevent cross-contamination with the items listed above, which get stuck easily in a microplane. Cheese is also something I might just grate a small amount from a larger block, so I try to keep anything that’s touched strongly-scented or flavored things away from them. How you categorizeyour Microplanesis up to you: if you bake a lot, you might want one for whole spices like nutmeg, for example.

A couple of vegetable peelers

Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler

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Our favorite super-affordablevegetable peelersare well worth having a few stashed in your drawer. Maybe you're peeling two different things, maybe you want to enlist a peeling partner, maybe you're a fan of different colors! Don't even ask about swivel peelers—Y-peelers areway better.

Wooden spoons

FAAY Teak Cooking Spoon

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You probably already have more than one wooden spoon, but if you don't get on it! They can be used for scrapping, stirring, and scooping—all things helpful. Plus, if you care for them (i.e. hand wash-only), they'll last a very long time. We have a few wooden spoonswe recommend here.

Stainless steel prep bowls, of all sizes

FineDine Premium Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls

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This doesn't need a lot of explanation: you need a ton ofprep bowls. We like stainless steel ones. You can get a set like the one above or just go to a restaurant supply store (if you go the latter route, we recommend getting a lot of small ones).

Two pepper mills

Fletchers' Mill Federal Pepper Mill

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If we're getting really granular, having twopepper millson hand is a very nice thing—one for black and one for white pepper.

Multiple ice cream scoops

Homure H Portion Scoops, Set of 3

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For portioning out cookies, cupcakes, and muffins and scooping ice cream, it's helpful to have a few of these scoops on hand. You can also just go to a restaurant supply store to get these, but, either way, they shouldn't cost you a lot.

A couple of bench scrapers

Oxo Bench Scraper

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For transferring ingredients to prep bowls, clearing off countertops and cutting boards, cutting and portioning soft doughs (of the biscuit and gnocchi variety), and even lifting delicate cookie dough cutouts, you'll wanta bench scraper. And because it's so dang helpful, having a couple of bench scrapers on hand (so you don't have to pause, wash, and dry one) is a great idea. After testing eight of them, our favorite model is from OXO.