Upgrade Your Kitchen: Must-Have Professional Kitchen Tools for Every Cook

The market is saturated with fancy-appearing kitchen tools that look beautiful but don’t deliver on quality. Home cooks don’t always realize that high-quality kitchen tools are what help achieve better cooking results. Basic tools can get the job done, but upgrading to professional-grade tools enhances efficiency, precision, and overall cooking experience.

This article will guide you on which tools to purchase and why professional-grade options make a significant difference.

Professional Kitchen Tools to Elevate Your Cooking

From mixing bowls to a kitchen knife to measuring spoons, there are pro tools that every serious home cook should own. Below are the most important of these tools divided into two categories: kitchen tools and kitchen accessories. 

Kitchen Tools

These aren’t new-age kitchen gadgets that make life easier. The following kitchen tools are the must-have cookware and prep items. 

• Chef’s Knife: A dull knife will cut you faster than a sharp one, making a sharp, well-balanced chef's knife an essential tool in any kitchen. It's vital in food preparation and improves your precision and speed.
• Carbon Steel Frying Pans: A true carbon steel pan lasts decades if maintained. You can rely on it to heat up quickly and maintain even heat distribution. Professional-grade pans like de Buyer’s Mineral B Country Fry Pan are ideal for searing and browning.
• Sauté Pan: This pan, with its straight sides and large cooking surface, can be used for everything ranging from searing to making sauces. 
• Large Pot: You need a large premium pot for stews, soups, and some breads. Whether it's a stock pot or a Dutch oven depends on your exact cooking preferences. 

Kitchen Accessories

Accessory doesn't mean unnecessary. While you may not actually cook up a meal with the following cooking utensils, they are key to making delicious dishes in an efficient, safe manner. 

• Measuring Cups: Don't settle for plastic—spring for the durable, metal measuring cups that nest in one another for simple storage. Depending on the type of dishes you're cooking, you may want to invest in a food scale, as well. 
• Cutting Board: A sturdy, spacious cutting board made of bamboo or wood lets you safely and simply chop, mince, and prep all your meals. 
• Tongs and Spatulas: You will constantly use tongs and spatulas for flipping, stirring, and serving. Purchase high-quality, durable kitchen utensils one time instead of running to the store for sub-par replacements multiple times a year. 
• Mandoline Slicer: This tool creates uniform slices of vegetables and fruits quickly, offering professional-level precision. A mandoline slicer is dangerous if used incorrectly, so read the instructions.
• Colander and/or Fine Mesh Strainer: A sturdy colander (skip the plastic) is a must for draining pasta and rinsing vegetables, while a fine mesh strainer is useful for sifting flour and making lump-free soups.
• Prep Tools: Technically, a chef's knife can be used in place of a vegetable peeler and even a garlic press. However, having these tools can make life a little bit easier. 

How Professional Kitchen Tools Enhance Cooking

Professional-grade kitchen tools improve your kitchen performance and offer the following:

1. Durable
2. Increase kitchen safety
3. Simplify prep time 
4. Create a superior result 

Ultimately, professional-level tools are designed to handle more demanding tasks and have the durability to last through extensive use. These are the tools that survive for years and years in a high-pressure, fast-moving professional kitchen. They can definitely handle the daily wear and tear of your home cooking. 

Professional tools also help you to level up your cooking abilities. Increasing your cooking repertoire or advancing your skills is harder when you're too busy wrangling poor-quality, low-grade tools into submission. These premium tools allow you to perfect your culinary craft. 

Tips for Transitioning to Professional-Grade Kitchen Tools

Below is practical advice for transitioning from basic kitchen tools to more professional options.

Start Slowly

Don't feel the need to upgrade everything at once. Not only is this incredibly expensive, but it's wasteful. Start with one or two essential tools and then replace them as they degrade. For example, when your old plastic tong becomes warped by heat, buy a sturdy metal tong to replace it. 

If your cheap cutting board is still working just fine, then keep it for another couple of months until it starts to degrade. This is a more sustainable cooking practice, which is part of what buying professional-grade is all about.

Research

You need tools that are durable and perform well. There are a few key factors to look for:

1. Reviews: Both individual user reviews and reviews from institutions like food magazines will help you determine whether this tool is the one for you. Take each review with a grain of salt and evaluate the tool based on the overall reviews. 
2. Material: Tools that are made of plastic, low-grade aluminum, or have specific coatings are not considered professional-grade. Look for items made of stainless steel, carbon steel, cast iron, and copper. Exceptions to the rule include your vegetable peeler. 
3. Consider Your Cooking Style: Choose tools that align with your cooking habits and the types of dishes you most often prepare. For example, while saute pans and frying pans are the ideal starter cookware items, if you're constantly cooking high-heat dishes like in East Asian cuisine, you'll need a wok as well. 

Prepare to Hand Wash

Your professional kitchen tools may or may not be dishwasher-safe. Always check the maintenance instructions before running tools through the dishwasher. Generally, all kitchen tools and accessories will last longer when you hand wash them, and it is the recommended maintenance practice. 

Practice

Once you have your new tool(s), it's time to practice. You may be surprised by how different it is to cook on your new high-quality carbon steel frying pan versus your old low-grade frying pan. It takes time to get used to how quickly things can cook and how precise your new tools allow you to perform.

Don't immediately host a dinner party. Slowly try out your favorite dishes using your new tools and adapt to this more refined way of cooking. 

Why de Buyer’s Kitchen Tools Are the Right Choice

For nearly 200 years, de Buyer has been engineering and manufacturing kitchen tools following only the most innovative and high-quality production requirements. The result of this craftsmanship is professional cookware and utensils that vastly improve cooking performance and can last you a lifetime. 

Cookware like the stainless steel ALCHIMY 3-ply line is crafted with a three-layer construction for even heat distribution and long-lasting durability. Tools from the carbon steel Mineral B Pro line are made with sturdy construction and a stainless steel handle; this cookware is built for those who are passionate about cooking. 

Looking for a one-and-done kitchen upgrade? Explore de Buyer’s cookware sets for top-quality tools. 

Upgrade Your Kitchen with Professional Tools

Investing in high-quality, professional-grade kitchen tools transforms the way you cook. You become more precise and efficient and have better overall results. 

With durable, well-crafted tools, meal prep becomes easier, safer, and more enjoyable, so you can focus on perfecting flavors and techniques rather than struggling with subpar equipment.

Explore de Buyer’s collection of premium kitchen tools and cookware today for professional cookware and utensils that last.