31 Kitchen Products That May Trick People Into Thinking You're A Chef
Ina Garten, is that you? Judging by those snazzy knives and that pasta press...it's gotta be.
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1. A seven-piece knife set, each made with matrix powder steel and a fused design (the handle and blade are one solid piece). The first time you cook with these you're gonna know splurge-worthy knives are truly a ~cut~ above the rest.
I own two Hast knives and I've gotta say, they've turned me into a true knife snob. I had no idea how hard I was working to prep vegetables/meat/bread before. Now that I have lightweight, sharp knives, I can really feel the difference. My wrist doesn't get tired and prep work is done much faster. Whether you're wanting the whole collection or, like me, starting with a few and building up, I highly recommend getting Hast knives into your home!
Promising review: “This knife is so amazing to use. It feels comfortable to hold in my hand, and it is so incredibly sharp that it will glide through anything. Whether I cut onions, tomatoes, carrots, or other vegetables, it slices them all easily. It doesn't seem to dull with use, like most knives do. It is really easy to clean as well, just rinse it off after each use and you're done!” —Michelle W.
*Set includes a chef’s knife, a bread knife, a utility knife, a boning knife, a paring knife, a tailored ceramic honing rod, and a cylinder glass knife block.
Get them on sale from Hast for $569 (originally $649; available in two colors).
2. A genius tofu press so you can efficiently drain tofu to get the perfect texture and taste, mess not included.
BTW locals, TofuBud is based in San Fransisco, California!
Promising review: "I was resistant to getting a tofu press. Another kitchen gadget! But this little guy does not disappoint. It saves time and is clean, fast, and easy. I thought I would want something made of wood or metal — but really this is just the thing. It’s cute, rinses out licketty split, and gets the job done without messing up towels or having to boil off extra water. My countertop stays clean. I’ve been a vegetarian all my life and this little gadget is already indispensable." —Maria Lewis
3. A bottle of ultra-fancy olive oil with smooth tasting notes of nut, green tomato, and green pear that's sure to turn a simple plate of pasta into sheer perfection.
Brightland is an Indian American-owned business that aims to make superb olive oil. The fancy elixir comes from hand-picked Coratina and Frantoio olives and is made in-house by a certified organic mill. The bottle is even UV-coated to protect the oil from damaging light. Grab this and give your tastebuds something to talk about.
Get it from Bespoke Post for $37.
4. A partyclette for cold nights when a hearty, warm meal sounds sensational. Remind me, who is the ~cheesiest~ chef in your home? That's right, YOU are!
Promising review: "This works just as described and produces delicious cheese for melting on veggies and bread. I love how portable and small it is — that's so much of the appeal, to not need a giant apparatus for something so simple and delicious. The cheese tastes amazing, the device looks cute, and the presentation is perfect to impress for dinner parties or just to use alone at home." —Em Addison
Get it from Amazon for $32.98.
5. A mandolin slicer with a precision grip handle and safety cap that'll help you chop 'til you drop, with no worries of a single cut or nick. You're about to become a prep cook professional.
Promising review: "This works perfectly. It's a very good price compared to similar products and the gripper seems to grip anything." —Martha
Get it from Target for $14.99.
6. And a rotary peeler with the choice of three different blade types, for perfectly peeling all your favorite fruits and vegetables — helping you ~produce~ some seriously impressive slices.
7. A mini KitchenAid stand mixer — if you're worried your shoebox-sized apartment won't fit a mixer worthy of your big baking dreams, think again. You're gonna be pleasantly surprised by this little guy!
Promising review: "We bought this for my granddaughter whose kitchen has small counters. I like the fact that it fits under the counter and you can open it up under the counter and not have to lug it around or put it in your pantry. It’s beautiful and I have had mine for over four years with no worries." —Carol
Get it from Amazon for $299.87+ (available in two colors).
8. A bestselling pair of kitchen shears for anyone who realized they've been doing their prep work all wrong after watching Always Be My Maybe.
Promising review: "These are simple and solid. They are heavy duty and they cut through just about anything. They will last a long time." —d.kerkhoff
Get them from Garret Wade for $33.40.
9. A professional cream whipper that'll fill your dessert-loving heart to the brim (much like the bowl of whipped cream you eat after getting this).
Promising Review: "I've made both regular whipped cream and coconut milk whipped cream and this charger works great. It's well worth the price if you love fresh whipped cream that takes only seconds to make!" –Aaron Ganowsky
Get it from Amazon for $87.01 (available in two sizes).
10. A gorgeous wood pasta cutter sure to help you get on a ~roll~ with your handmade pasta goals. I can already see the proud tears in your grandparents' eyes.
Get it from Food52 for $52+ (available in two colors).
11. A craft wok – it's gonna keep you from feeling ~fried~ while making stir fry. Tiny pans just don't cut it!
Promising review: "This wok is absolutely beautiful. I love the hand hammered look of it. I wish I had space to leave it out on display in my kitchen. It's very well made. I feel this could be handed down through generations. I've used this wok at least two times a week for almost a year now. It is a bit heavy but the handle grip makes moving it around easy. It's large enough to make a large stir fry but not too big too pull out for making dinner for one or two people. I don't use a ring with mine. It wobbles a little on our gas stove but works just fine without a ring." —Amy
Get it from Amazon for $59.75.
12. A pizza stone so you can improve on your delivery pizza life. Get ready to become a true crust-texture snob, because the results from this pizza stone ~rock~.
And if you want some gorgeous leoparding on your crust, then you've gotta invest in a pizza oven. Worth it.
Promising review: "This stone is awesome. It's not thin like most and it didn't take long at all for the natural seasoning of the stone. I have used my stone several times now to make my naan bread and it turns out awesome every time. I would recommend this to anyone searching for quality. The price is great." —Julia A. Crawforth
Get it from Amazon for $39.95.
13. A DIY kimchee kit for making probiotic-rich kimchee at home. This step-by-step kit is a great way to give you confidence in the kitchen and, after your first batch, the tools are there for you every time you get a hankering for some delectable sour cabbage.
The kit includes a half-gallon glass fermenting jar, a pair of rubber gloves, brining sea salt, an airlock, two airtight lids, one jar of kimchee paste, and instructions. BTW, this POC-owned business was started by Kheedim Oh, who wanted to bring real, quality kimchee to NYC. And he did!
Get it from Kimchee Rules for $45 (available in three flavors).
14. A cookie gun, so you can singlehandedly redefine the term "cookie shot."
This kit includes 14 different steel disks, six decorating tips, a storage box, recipes, and it's dishwasher safe!
Promising review: "I bought this press a few years ago and have used it several times. I just got it out for this year's batch of Christmas cookies, and was reminded again of how well this works compared to others I have used. I have owned four other presses, one electric and three manual, plus I remember fighting with my mother's manual press many years ago. This one makes perfect cookies! One squeeze of the handle dispenses the correct amount of dough for the cookie. It is easy to fill, easy to change cookie molds, and easy to clean. I would definitely buy this for a gift." —Laura M. Young
Get it from Amazon for $30.
15. A heat proof pastry brush that'll help you ~brush up~ on your basting skills like a master chef.
Promising review: "I love the feel, texture, and quality of these basting brushes. I've used them on the grill, air fryer, and stove top and they proved to be solid. I was a little concerned about the ease of removal of bristles but honestly they stick solidly to the handle. This is light, easy to clean, and safe in high heats!" —City Chick
Get it from Amazon for $13.89.
16. A three-in-one Ninja kitchen set that's gonna blend and process just about every treat you can think of (looking at you, cookie dough).
This kitchen system comes with a 1,500-watt base, an 8-cup food processor bowl, a 72-ounce pitcher, and two 16-ounce to-go cups with lids.
Promising review: "This is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets! I haven’t really used the smoothie cups too much, but the food processor bowl and blender are a three to four times a week thing. With the blender, fill it up with ice, turn it on high and in seconds it has made snow, makes awesome daiquiris. The food processor bowl is really neat. It’s for a set of reduction gears in the base to slow down the blades. Homemade salsa in seconds, and it works very well for mixing cookie dough, pizza/bread dough, and ice even used it to mix beef/pork/veal for meatballs." —William Allen Horton
Get it from Amazon for $159.99
17. A tortilla press kit made in Mexico out of old Singer sewing machines...seriously. You'll be hard pressed to find another tortilla maker this high quality *and* lovely. Go ahead, leave this useful piece of decor out on the counter.
This woman-owned small business was founded by a mother and daughter, Jules and Jacquie. They curate products for their shop that are "made in the country of origin using traditional practices." Verve Culture is based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Promising review: "This tortilla press is SO cute and lets you make delicious tortillas super easily. I love the pop of red on my counter and guests always give me compliments when I take it out for Taco Tuesday!" —Carly
Get it from Verve Culture for $48.
18. A cake slicer so you can easily serve up perfect portions of your famous cake, because we all know that smushing a wine glass into a cake (trend-setting as it may be) doesn't exactly leave a cake looking lovely.
19. A fancy kitchen scale to make your kitchen look VERY professional — your parents will constantly ~weigh in~ on who got you to be so grown-up.
Promising review: "I'm a baker and I develop recipes at home for production to sell in these stores. I've had some of the most expensive scales sold on Amazon and at places like Williams-Sonoma, and this is far more sensitive (lighter weights to capture things under a gram), and reliable. I highly recommend it." —MH
Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in two sizes).
20. A bread maker that'll help you bake perfect loaves of bread using only one container. The partially closed design allows steam to circulate to keep your bread from drying out, while the openings on the side help heat disperse evenly, creating a golden crust. This lil' tool will help you ~rise~ to the occasion any time an occasion calls for baked bread.
This is both microwave- and dishwasher-safe. It's capable of withstanding temperatures up to 428 degrees.
Promising review: "I love this. It's very easy to use and to clean. I have been trying to make fresh bread every week and this is much easier than using my dutch oven. I have been trying different recipes with this bread maker and so far all have come out great!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $25.28.
21. A compact air fryer, because if roaming around on TikTok has taught you anything, it's that air fryers are gonna be the new ovens. Ovens are out, people. Sooo old school.
Promising reviews: "This is hands-down the best $70 I have spent for something in the kitchen. Brussels sprouts, potatoes, chicken — you name it, and chances are there’s a way to air fry it." —lyssanicoleh
"Delicious crispy snacks that taste deep-fried but aren't! I have made healthy sweet potato fries and zucchini chips!" —m458a64ca7
Get it from Amazon for $49.99 (available in five colors).
22. A garlic twist for getting a perfect mince in a matter of seconds.
This works with ginger, olives, chili peppers, onions, herbs, nuts, and more! You can also adjust it for coarse to fine mincing.
Promising review: "I got it as a housewarming gift, and it’s so great that I gave a bunch as Christmas presents. No more mincing sticky garlic, and it works for tear-free shallot mincing, too!" —Ellen S.
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
23. And an herb stripper so you can easily separate each herb from its stem, cutting your prep-time in half.
Promising Review: "I have been growing herbs for culinary and medicinal use for years and just learned about tools like this last year. I used it for the first time this past weekend on fresh oregano. It stripped AND CHOPPED it like a champ. Feeling emboldened, I then used it to strip the stems from two bunches of kale with NO problems! It was amazing! Best purchase in a long time. It saved my aching fingers and back for sure!" —Rainstorm9
Get it from Amazon for $6.79.
24. An Always Pan designed with a slippery nonstick surface, a vented top, a steaming basket, and a wooden spoon that hooks onto the handle for folks who want a pan that truly does it all.
I own this pan and I'm pretty sure I'll never need to own another ever again. The spoon rest is genius, cleaning is a cinch, and it cooks all my ambitious Pinterest attempts perfectly. I'm not the only one who loves it here! Read my BuzzFeed coworker's full review to learn even more about this lovely kitchen staple (#1).
Promising review: "Absolutely amazing! It is so versatile and easy to clean. It's not overwhelmingly big but it handles one pot meals like a champ. I am blown away." —Aileen R.
Get it from Our Place for $145 (available in six colors).
25. A handcrafted mortar and pestle — an unnecessarily stunning multi-use kitchen tool that'll help you create pastes, crush spices, and infuse flavors into your meals (like ginger and chilis) with ease.
This POC-owned small business is run by Aahlada Chennupati, who carries a collection of must-see home goods. The shop is based in San Fransisco, California.
Promising review: "Great quality and fast shipping!" —Rebecca
Get it from The Artisan Variety on Etsy for $45.
26. A microplane because when it comes down to it, zesting your lemons with a box grater isn't gonna cut it.
Promising review: "This is my go-to zester. It tackles all the jobs I need. The blades are sharp and it handles citrus and ginger with ease." —Terry S.
Get it from Sur la Table for $14.95 (available in eight colors).
27. A pack of cheese storage paper that'll even make your leftovers look professional.
The paper recreates the environment cheese is aged in by breathing just the right amount and maintaining perfect humidity.
Promising review: "Before I bought this cheese paper I would do the cheese search in the refrigerator. After buying cheeses, opening them, and then rewrapping them in heaven knows what (namely plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and plastic containers), it was always the same result: moldy cheese. This box contains the paper in sheets plus some stickers that you can write on with the name of the cheese and the date it was wrapped or even sell by date. There are also pictures of a sheep, cow, and goat so the source can be identified by circling or checking one of them! What I also like is that the cheeses can be rewrapped after use and amazingly the stickers still stick! The paper can also be cut to size to wrap smaller cheeses. So far I have noted that the cheeses have stayed fresh with not a trace of mold. I highly recommend this product to all cheese lovers!" —Prairie Woman
Get a pack of 15 sheets from Amazon for $9 (also available in larger packs).
28. A nitro cold brew maker sure to make you espres-so excited about your daily cup (or, um, cups) of coffee. If you're stuck at home all the time, be your OWN barista.
Promising review: "This product is wonderful. I would buy it for every coffee lover in my life. You can mix and match flavors of coffee for a unique taste every refill. This product is meant to sit in the fridge (it's a cold brew!). My fridge isn't huge by any means but, while the coffee pot sits in the fridge, it never seems to be in my way! The coffee comes out delicious every time. It's very easy to use and easy to clean. I cant imagine a morning without a cold cup of this brew!" —Brooklyn
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $200.
29. A rice cooker that'll be a lot more consistent than simmering rice over the stove. With this, you'll get *chef's kiss* perfect results every time.
This Zojirushi rice cooker has a three-cup capacity with settings for white/sushi, mixed, porridge, sweet, and brown rice.
Promising review: "I always used to worry about under- or over-cooking my rice, but now I can plug my rice cooker in and let it work its magic." —Alyssa O.
Get it from Amazon for $149.99.
30. A hot chocolate kit with a handmade ceramic mug and molinillo and Oaxacan chocolate tablets — with these tools, even your desserts can be handcrafted.
The chocolate tablets come in almond, classic, and semisweet flavors and the kit includes a recipe. This shop is owned by Brenda Chaparro and based in El Paso, Texas.
Get it from The Mexi on Etsy for $38.25.
31. And finally, a smoking cloche — a suuuper snazzy way to infuse unique flavors into food and drinks. This is gonna prove your cooking skills are ~smokin'~ hot.
Promising review: "We have used this for smoking cocktails and it works exactly as advertised. You use just a tiny bit of wood chips, so the jar that comes with it the cloche will last for many uses. We are looking forward to trying to smoke a few cheeses as well." —Happy in Texas
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $200.
My stomach after reading this post:
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.