The Most Useful Kitchen Tools

Some of the best advice I ever got was: "Always use the right tool for the job."  I got that advice about power and mechanical tools, which I have plenty of, being the handy person that I am.  However, the same advice goes double in the kitchen.  Here are a few tools I have that I use daily to improve my performance in the kitchen.

I have this Lodge Reversible Cast-iron Skillet that I use almost daily.  The flat side is perfect for pancakes or tortillas.  (I don't know how people cook pancakes without it.) The grill side is excellent for steaks.




I also use a number of other cast-iron skillets like this 13-inch round.

This Kitchenaid Stand Mixer is something I longed after for a years.  Finally I received one as a gift from my adoring boyfriend, lover of shallots and asparagus.  I have the stainless steel bowl, which is appropriate for my level of clumsiness.  However, how cool would it be to have the glass bowl to see if your eggs are fluffed up all the way?





Too rich for your blood?  The simplest, most useful kitchen tool I own is simple unbleached parchment paper.  I use it to roll out pizza dough or pie crust.  I use it to bake bread on.  For gluten-free cooking where the dough is more delicate and difficult to handle it's an essential, and not too pricey.




Another really inexpensive but really useful tool is a pastry brush.  I use it to brush the tops of scones and loaves of bread before baking.

An instant-read thermometer is an essential tool for baking bread, and it's inexpensive as well. 

 

The tool that I rely on the most is my Salter digital Kitchen Scale.  Measuring by volume is out of style.  Be in vogue with a better tool for measuring your gluten-free flours.  You just can't get accurate measurements without a scale. 


I used every single one of these kitchen tools just this weekend.  What tools do you rely on the most in your kitchen?