These 11 Tools Are Essential to Our Test Kitchen

Be it French onion soup or shortbread cookies, our recipes go through many rounds of testing before they get to your hands. Every day, Serious Eats editors are in the test kitchen measuring, chopping, and whisking, and they couldn’t get it done without 11 essential tools. From spider strainers to bench scrapers, these tools streamline kitchen workflows as they help perfect hundreds of recipes every month.

Editor-Loved Test Kitchen Essentials, at a Glance

OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless Steel Locking Tongs

Metal kitchen tongs are my must-have. They don’t have to be fancy but they must grip tightly. I use them for turning meats, vegetables, and tofu slabs during roasting, or for fishing hot foods out of the broiler. I’ve also been known to use my tongs to grab things off of high shelves when I don’t feel like getting the step stool out. I got mine at a restaurant supply store in New York’s Chinatown, but they look just like this OXO pair. — Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director 

Hiware Solid Stainless Steel Spider Strainer Skimmer

A spider skimmer is an indispensable kitchen tool. It’s great for transferring blanched vegetables into an ice bath or fishing fried food out of hot oil. But what I use mine for the most is transferring pasta straight from the pot of water into the sauce to finish cooking. — Megan

OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Stainless Steel Scale

I’ll be honest: I wouldn’t be able to test kitchen gear without a scale. Just today, I used mine to weigh potatoes for a potato masher test. I also weigh nearly every item I test, since how hefty something is can make a difference. This scale from OXO is my go-to: It can handle weights up to 11 pounds and features a pull-out screen in case there’s a big bowl blocking the view. — Grace Kelly, editor

Escali Primo Digital Food Scale

My Escali digital scale is my ride or die. It’s lightweight, accurate, and can weigh in ounces, pounds, and grams. — Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

Misono UX10 Chef’s Knife

Just kidding! My Misono chef’s knife is my real-or-die. It has an asymmetrical carbon steel blade that stays sharp and is just an all-around great knife. — Genevieve

OXO Good Grips Bench Scraper

No matter what recipe I’m developing, I will always have a scale, a good cutting board, and a bench knife for transferring ingredients off the cutting board easily. This OXO one that I use is one of our tested favorites. Mixing bowls, good knives, Y-peelers, thermometers (probe and instant-read), and kitchen timers are also often essential. — Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

O-Cedar Scrunge Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges, 6-Pack

I’m writing a cookbook(!), and if there’s one thing I can tell you about recipe testing, it’s that you have to clean a lot of dishes. Even with a dishwasher, I’m sudsing up in the sink at the end of every day. These dishwashing sponges are the absolute best—they’re scrubby but nonabrasive, and they’re cheap! — Rochelle Bilow, editor

Zero Japan Salt Box

Proper seasoning is key to a delicious recipe, so I make sure my salt is always close at hand. (In truth, I also travel with a tin of emergency flaky salt.) But for daily cooking, I use a salt cellar. This one has a large capacity and a hinged lid to keep it free from mysterious kitchen debris. — Rochelle

Le Creuset Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons, Set of 5

Whenever I’m making a recipe, I try to be as accurate as possible. While this can mean breaking out the kitchen scale, I also turn to a good set of measuring spoons. Believe it or not, not all measuring spoons measure the same. My favorites from Le Creuset are super accurate and I like that the set comes with 1/8 of a teaspoon. The numbers are stamped, too, so they won’t fade over time. — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

Hedley & Bennett Smock Apron

In the interest of preserving my clothing, I try to wear an apron when I’m in the kitchen. This smock is my favorite. It’s easy to slip on and off and never rubs or itches. It’s perfect for long stretches in the kitchen. — Riddley

Lane Kitchen Cotton Dish Towels, 6-Pack

If I’m testing a recipe, there will be plenty of splashing and spillage. Thankfully, my trusty kitchen towels come to the rescue every time to sop up messes of all shapes and sizes. While our favorite dish towels are out of stock, these similar ones are only $10 for a pack of six. The cotton material and fine weave make them super absorbent and durable. — An Uong, writer

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for two years.
• She’s also a recipe developer who’s working on a recipe series of weeknight Vietnamese meals.