The Cooking Gadgets Under $25 These Chefs Can’t Cook Without

This can opener is one of the simplest ones out there. “I keep one on my station during service. I always find a use for it, whether it’s opening a can of coconut milk or tomatoes or punching holes in olive-oil cans so they flow nicely,” said chef Eli Collins for the Philadelphia 76ers. He also uses it to slice open cardboard boxes and says it’s much easier to clean compared to tabletop-mounted can openers: “It requires a little bit of technique, but it’s analog. You have to pierce the can as you work your way around it. It’s satisfying once you get the hang of it. Also, no moving parts!”

Some chefs, especially ones who cook most often outdoors, prefer a straightforward meat thermometer over a cake tester. OXO’s is “perfect for off-grid grilling or at home in your kitchen,” said chef Justine Ma of Bougie Farmer in Kea‘au, Hawaii. She considers it reliable in guaranteeing that proteins are cooked to perfection. She recommends that you “pull meat a little early, approximately 20 degrees Fahrenheit before the desired cooking temp, and let it rest and cook in its juice.” After about 15 minutes, “check the temperature at the thickest part to ensure it’s cooked through before serving.”

There are also chefs who are constantly switching between metric and English units, especially if they work in pastry. “One of my favorite kitchen gadgets is an instant-read thermometer that reads Fahrenheit and Celsius,” said Jin Gorian, the executive pastry chef at the Dixboro Project in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “I always use it to make delicate items, such as meringues and mousses, to get exact temperatures.” Gorian also uses this precise thermometer to “check the temperature of our flour and water to get exact dough temperatures.”

While many chefs rely on tweezers, chopsticks are far more common and cheaper. They’re also not restricted to use in East Asian cuisines. “I use a simple pair of wooden chopsticks daily for tasks that require precision: turning delicate proteins, adjusting garnishes, and refining plates at the pass,” said Ashwin Vilkhu, the executive chef of the Kingsway in New Orleans. “They’re controlled, efficient, and incredibly versatile. Once you’re comfortable with them, they replace tweezers, small tongs, and even your fingers in many situations.” Cooking chopsticks, which are much longer than eating chopsticks, are also essential to chefs like Emily Yuen of Yingtao in Manhattan. “They function like an extension of the hand,” she said, “acting as a whisk for sauces, a tool for delicate plating, and the perfect instrument for stirring and lifting noodles without breaking them. Simple yet indispensable, they offer control that no single-purpose gadget can match.”

Joyce Chen’s kitchen scissors are small but mighty. Brian Lockwood, a chef and partner of Boka Restaurant Group in Chicago, has “yellow ones I nicknamed Bumble Bees.” He reaches for them daily, as “they’ll cut through just about anything, from herbs to poultry, and are easy to clean. They’re affordable, durable, and able to withstand months of hard kitchen abuse.”

“This offset spatula is thinner and more precise than a traditional fish spatula, which makes it great for cooking and plating,” said Dung “Junior” Vo, a co-founder and the executive chef of Noko and Kase x Noko in Nashville. Vo also uses it in pastry as it precisely ices cakes.

“Mandolines are my favorite gadget, specifically this tiny one,” said Ignacia Valdés, the executive chef of Tokyo Record Bar in New York. Valdés likes how mandolines are speedier and more consistent than knives: “It is ideal for carrots, radishes, daikon, and onions for salads because you can obtain a very thin slice, which is not doable with a knife. This one is also great for fried potato chips and fried onions and shallots. When all of the slices are the same thickness, the chips are so easy to make and cook perfectly.”