Cooking is easier (and more enjoyable) with high-quality tools.
For home cooks who love to spend time in the kitchen, good equipment isn’t about excess — it’s about ease. The right tools streamline prep, improve results, and make cooking feel more fluid from start to finish. We’ve rounded up ten kitchen essentials that balance performance and design, and that are genuinely worth the space they take up.
The mixer
The 50’s Style Tilting Stand Mixer from SMEG features a powerful 600w motor and 10 different speeds, ensuring a thorough blend every time, whether you’re whipping up delicate egg whites or perfecting the batter for your favourite chocolate cake. They’re available in eight colours, including bubblegum pink, baby blue and fire engine red.
The Dutch oven
Traditionally used for browning meat or stewing vegetables, Dutch ovens are also the perfect companion for making large soups, stocks or even baked pastas. Field Company’s No.10 Cast Iron Dutch Oven is a seven-quart, pure cast iron piece that’s free from engineered coatings and harmful chemicals.
The cast iron skillet
Smithey’s farmhouse line of products are an ideal choice for the home cook looking to invest in their first cast iron skillet. The No.12 skillet is pre-seasoned and features a polished finish that’s naturally non-stick and free of chemical coatings. At 8.7 pounds, it’s still easy enough to maneuver without needing both hands.
The chef knife set
A good chef knife comes in handy for everything from cutting meat to dicing vegetables. The Classic Ikon three-piece chef’s knife set from German brand WÜSTHOF features one chef’s knife, one paring knife and one carving knife. The synthetic handles are resistant to fading, while the blades are fashioned from a single piece of WÜSTHOF steel.
The blender
For fast and efficient meal prep, a good blender is key. Vitamix’s Ascent 3500 series (available in six colours) is a top-tier line of blenders known for their powerful performance and advanced features. With five program settings, it effortlessly handles everything from smoothies and soups to nut butters and frozen desserts. The 3500 model features a touchscreen interface, programmable settings, and built-in wireless connectivity, allowing it to automatically adjust blending times based on the container size.
The copper cookware
Because of its ability to evenly disperse heat, copper cookware is the top choice for professional chefs and home cooks alike. A trusted brand since 1830, Mauviel has a series of copper cookware sets that include saucepans, saute pans, frying pans, and stew pots made from layers of stainless steel, aluminum, and copper.
The mortar and pestle
Whether you’re pulverizing pine nuts for a pesto, or mushing hunks of avocado together for guacamole, a good mortar and pestle can help you execute a certain level of precision and bring out intense flavours that a knife can’t always achieve. CB2’s lava stone mortar and pestle is handmade in Indonesia from a single piece of basalt, a dark volcanic rock with a textured surface that helps to grind ingredients with ease.
The wooden cutting board
Made of beautiful acacia hardwood, Canadian cookware company Kilne’s large grooved cutting board prevents runoff juices from fruits, vegetables or meats from spilling onto your counter. Measuring 14” x 18”, it’s finished with a colourless, eco-friendly linseed oil which is also food safe. A smaller size is also available (14.8” x 10.8” ), or both boards can be bundled as a set.
The meat thermometer
Not everyone likes to hover over the grill and keep an eye on dinner. The Meater 2 thermometer is a wireless smart meat thermometer designed to help achieve perfectly cooked meat, while promising freedom from BBQ duty. It consists of a dual sensor probe that measures both the internal temperature of the meat and the ambient temperature of the cooking environment via Bluetooth.
The pasta machine
Packaged pasta is one of the easiest things to make, but its authentic, hand-rolled counterpart is a true treat. The Marcato Atlas 150 (available in nine finishes) is crafted in Italy from chrome-plated steel. It features an adjustable dial with 10 thickness settings and includes a dual-sided cutter for producing both fettuccine and tagliolini. Additional attachments can be purchased for making other pasta shapes.