I know a lot of people have set a goal to cook at home more often this year and I love that! I’m the biggest advocate for cooking from home. When you cook at home you are more likely getting more nutritional dense food, appropriate portion sizes, and overall healthier food. Restaurants are in the business of making food taste good, your kitchen is in the business of not only making food taste good but to meet your nutritional needs. Below are my favorite kitchen tools and equipment that might help you cook better and/or enjoy cooking more.

Braiser When I use a pan for cooking 9 times out of 10, I’m reaching for a braiser. I love an enamel cast iron braiser because you get all the benefits of using a cast iron pan (like capability of using high heat) but the ease of cleaning and maintenance with the enamel. I actually have a braiser from Costco but when it’s time to replace it I’ll be getting one from Le Creuset because of the lifetime warranty and quality.

Mandoline I hate slicing things…especially when it should be thinly sliced. This mandoline makes it so much faster, and uniform.

Salt & Pepper Mill I bought a salt and pepper mill set from Peugot years ago and the brand is supposed to make the best salt and pepper mills…mine never worked that well and frequently got jammed. I replaced those with salt and pepper mills from Le Creuset and they work perfectly. I like to use freshly milled salt and pepper when I’m cooking so it’s important that they can withstand a lot of use. I also love the acryllic ones because I can be proactive about refilling them.

All-Clad 1.5 qt Saucepan When it comes to pots, I prefer using the All-Clad D5 line. I feel like I have a lot of control over the heat with this line. If you take proper care of the products they will easily last a lifetime. Since I mostly just cook for my husband and myself, I use the 1.5qt sauce pan most frequently.

Flat Whisk Most of the time I need to whisk something it’s either a sauce, dressing, or egg wash that really doesn’t require a standard French or Balloon whisk. This small whisk emulsifies everything so quickly.

Silicone Baking Mats I use these silicone mats almost every time I use a baking tray. They prevent the baking tray from getting damaged, prevent food from sticking, and I’m convinced I can get roasted vegetables crispier when I use these mats. They’re also great to use as a work surface with just a pinch of flour on it, when you are working with dough.

KitchenAid Stand Mixer KitchenAid Mixers are more versatile than you might think- I not only use mine for baking but I’ve used it to shred meats, make mashed potatoes, and to make sauces. From my experience, the 5qt is plenty…I’ve even made enough bread dough to make two loaves of bread.