Peelers, blenders, whisks…Every chef has a go-to kitchen item, one that speaks to his or her cooking style or household needs. We asked five area chefs to share their essential gadgets. Here are just a few of their favorite tools of the trade.
⬆ D. Scott Phillips, Balaban’s
“My girlfriend and I use a Cuisinart blender—nothing fancy—to make smoothies with mangoes, bananas, pineapples… I’m hoping to upgrade to a Vitamix soon.”
⬆ Vince Valenza, Blues City Deli
“My go-to item is my cast-iron skillet, one of those big, black, heavy iron skillets—the kind you don’t know where it came from, but you’re glad you have it. My family cooks all kinds of breakfast items on it: hash browns, eggs, bacon. My Stir Crazy popcorn popper is also great, and they sell them everywhere. We buy organic popcorn from Vitacost in bulk. And a thermometer probe is just one of those essentials that’s important to have in the kitchen—a must for safely cooking meats.”
⬆ Carolyn Downs, Sugarfire Pie
“My KitchenAid stand mixer is way better than the old-school hand mixer that your mother or grandmother used. It was the first piece of professional equipment I ever bought, and I use it for everything. I use it to make pie crusts, cakes, cookies… I’ve been baking with one for 40 years.”
⬆ Adam Gnau, Acero
“I have several styles of chef knives for different uses, but my favorite is the MAC Professional Mighty Chef’s Knife. I’ve had it for about eight years and use it practically every day. I also use a Microplane grater for everything from Parmesan to nutmeg. It’s a great tool for spicing up a dish.”
⬆ Ben McArthur, J. McArthur’s
“If I could keep only one thing from my kitchen, it would be my Dutch oven. My wife and I use it for braised chicken thighs in white wine over the stove, but it’s also oven safe. And our Griddler by Cuisinart panini maker—it’s double sided, with a griddle, a grill, and a temperature dial—is one of our favorite wedding gifts.”
