together, to reach the hard-to-get-to crevices in a pot or a bowl,
and to smooth the top of a cake batter before it goes into the oven.
The whisk is ideal for incorporating batters, whipping cream, and
folding. A spider is a terrific tool for lifting pasta out of a pot and
placing it directly in the sauce.
Baking pans and cookie sheets
If you like to bake, it’s good to have three cake pans, all the same
size, so you can make layer cakes, and a loaf pan for making
various kinds of breads (banana, zucchini) and loaf-style cakes. It
also pays to have a springform pan with a removable bottom. Pie
plates are useful not only for making pie but also for holding the
dredge when you make fried fish or fried chicken. (A glass pie
plate is good for actual pie or to use in place of a gratin dish.)
Rimmed cookie sheets (aka half-sheet pans) are underrated kitchen
tools: yes, they’re great for making cookies, but—even better—
they’re also great for roasting vegetables. Try taking broccoli
florets (dry them thoroughly), tossing them with olive oil, salt, and
pepper, and placing them on a cookie sheet in a 425°F oven for 15
to 20 minutes. You’ll never eat broccoli any other way again.
A blender or a hand blender
As great as you might be with your knife, there’s no way, working
by hand, to create a puree or soup as smooth as one processed
with either a blender or a hand blender. A Vitamix blender is prized
by chefs because a Vitamix is as powerful as it gets. But it’s by no
means necessary; a standard blender or hand blender will work