When not traveling to Italy, I can often be found at home in my kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of my house, and it is here that I can get creative, have fun, and test out new recipes. Because I often write and post these recipes, I feel like my kitchen is sometimes my office. I don’t see cooking or baking as a chore, and over the years, I have purchased items that have made my time in the kitchen more practical and functional. I am often asked what my favorite “this” or “that” is. As such, I thought it would be fun to assemble a list of my favorite kitchen tools that render my time in the kitchen more effective and functional. 

I’ve listed some links below to give you an idea. I am not an affiliate with any shop, and I do not earn a commission if you purchase from the link. In fact, I urge you to shop in person to see and feel the item you are considering buying. You can find many of these items cheaper in person at Walmart, Target, or my favorite all-around store, Home Goods. 

Farberware Electric Coffee Percolator 

But first, coffee! I don’t own a drip coffee maker. I find that no matter the coffee brand I use, the coffee result is subpar and never hot enough. So, for some 35 years now, since moving here from Italy, we have always used a percolator-style coffee pot. And this Farberware is my all-time go-to. So much so that we also have one in our home in Italy – used with an adapter. I use the 4-cup percolator daily and have a 12-cup for when the company arrives. The coffee comes out hotter than a drip machine and, to me, tastier.

Bialetti Stovetop Espresso Maker

Speaking of coffee, I also can’t live without my stovetop espresso maker. I don’t own, or even desire, an electric espresso machine. The Bialetti classic stove-top machine comes in all sizes, brews robust espresso, and is another staple in my kitchen. Bialetti is the classic brand and the gold standard in all Italian households, but you can find a cheaper alternative that does an equally great job at many Home Goods or Marshalls.

Dutch Ovens

Le Creuset is the top-notch brand of Dutch ovens, and I have invested in a few of their cookware over the years. But I also have a few from Walmart. I haven’t seen a difference between Le Creuset and The Lodge brands from Walmart. The pots are virtually indestructible. I’m convinced they will outlive me. What I love about them is their versatility. They conduct heat extremely well without any damage to the pan. Depending on the shape and size you own, they are great for frying, sauteing, sauces, soups, stir-fries, and even roasting in the oven. There is nothing these pans can’t do! As a huge bonus, at least for me, you can safely store food and refrigerate directly in these pots.  

Non-Stick Stovetop Grill Pan

After my coffee percolator, this is the item that is mostly used in my kitchen. I use my stovetop grill pan daily or almost daily. I use this grill pan to cook chicken breast cutlets, boneless chicken thighs, thin steaks, and vegetables like thin eggplant or zucchini slices. You can also use it to grill up some bread slices. Even though it’s non-stick, I lightly brush it with a small amount of olive oil, heat it, then add my meat or vegetables. The food cooks quickly and evenly, and it’s a healthy cooking method. Of course, it doesn’t replace an outdoor grill, and calling it a grill pan is probably a stretch, but it’s a must in my kitchen.   

Stand Mixer

I swear by my KitchenAid stand mixer. It’s not cheap, but I purchased mine over 15 years ago, and it still works as if I took it out of the box yesterday. I’m craving a new, more colorful one than my basic white one, but I can’t justify the purchase since mine still works perfectly. Since my purchase, there have been countless updated versions (like an iPhone, I feel like there’s a new one every year), but unless you are a daily baker, a basic one should work just fine.

Hand-Held Mixer

A hand-held mixer is another excellent tool to have on hand when whipping cream, egg whites, or making things like puddings and custards. The stand mixer would also work, but sometimes I don’t feel like removing the large mixer from the storage cupboard. If you have the counter space for a stand mixer, then you can likely do away with a hand-held mixer. I don’t have the counter space for the large mixer, so sometimes, pulling out the hand-held is easier. 

Digital Kitchen Scale 

Another must-have item in my kitchen is a digital scale. Many Italian recipes use grams rather than cups and tablespoons, so having a digital scale is a must. It’s also much more accurate than other types of measuring tools.

Springform Pans

I love baking cakes, and a good springform pan will make removal easy! These are a must if you bake cheesecakes, which I rarely do, but they are not limited to cheesecakes. You can bake any cake in these pans and the removal will be easy!

Paring Knifes

Many home cooks will find it strange, but I use small paring knives for everything I do in the kitchen. I have many larger chef knives (mainly from Home Goods), but I always default to using the paring knives for everything from vegetable prep to fruits, bread, and even small cuts of meats. I have better hand control of the smaller knives. My time in the kitchen is not a race; I don’t need to chop onions and garlic as fast as they do on the Food Network, so a smaller knife works best for me. 

Colanders

What is it with Italians and their colanders? It must be all the pasta we cook! My kitchen would be unfunctional without colanders of various sizes. Used to drain pasta and rinse vegetables, one can never have too many colanders.

Cutting Boards

Wooden and plastic cutting boards are also musts in my kitchen. I use the cheap plastic ones for meat and poultry, then throw them in the dishwasher to disinfect. Wooden ones are great for bread and vegetables, as they are also less damaging to knives. 

Air Fryer

I jumped on the Air Fryer bandwagon a few years ago, bit the bullet, and purchased one. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it; after all, doesn’t the oven do the same job? But the prices for these gadgets aren’t that prohibitive, so I got one. I will say, if for no other reason, if you love French fries but stay away from them due to the frying and fattening oil, than you need an air fryer in your life! The air fryer turns out excellent French fries. You can “fry” fresh potatoes, which is what I do, or even the frozen kind. They turn out great! I also use it for chicken cutlets. The only downside is their size – these aren’t family-friendly in that you’ll only get a few servings of fries or cutlets at a time. But I highly recommend an air fryer if you live alone or are a family of two. 

Microplane Classic Zester Grater

I love this zester. I use it for baking to zest oranges and lemons, but I also use it as a cheese grater. As you know, you should grate Parmigiano cheese as needed, and not ahead of time to prevent it from drying out, so this gadget is often on my table, especially when I am serving pasta that needs a good sprinkle of cheese on top. When grating cheese, the result is nice and fluffy, so it’s not as dense as when you are using an actual grater. You can also use it to grate chocolate bars when they are needed in baking. And, not surprisingly, it’s also great for grating garlic cloves! Is there anything this little thing can’t crate?

Vinyl Lace Design Tablecloth 

This isn’t a tool, but I thought I’d end with another favorite kitchen item. What would an Italian household be without a plastic (ok, let’s call it vinyl; it sounds more refined) tablecloth? I have lost count of the number of times I have purchased this vinyl tablecloth on Amazon. It’s a standard on my kitchen table; it’s never removed from the table. I top it with a cloth placemat at breakfast, and at dinner, it gets topped with a linen tablecloth. Despite every attempt to keep it pristine, it still wears out, so it’s replaced every few months. It looks lovely on the table, and it keeps the wood from staining. 

In Conclusion

You will enjoy your time in the kitchen a lot more if you have all the tools you need. A well-stocked kitchen makes cooking for yourself and your family a pleasure, and you don’t need to break the bank to stock it up. Pick up a few pieces here and there and shop the clearance aisle. See what works for you, your family, and your budget, and get back in the kitchen with ease.