18 Kitchen Gadgets Professional Chefs Say You Absolutely Need To Have

A good skill to have as a young adult or adult is cooking. It can open up a world of opportunities to you and not to mention, save you a lot of money. But if you’ve been getting by on those dull as ever cheap knives and hand-me-down cutting board, it’s time you give your kitchen an upgrade. Here’s where you can start, as recommended by professional chefs Sabrina Sexton, and Culinary Institute of America Culinary Arts Associate Professor Lance Nitahara.

1. Three Knives

Both chefs recommend that the three essential knives you must own include a chef’s knife, a serrated bread knife, and paring knife. They say you absolutely don’t need one of those fancy knife blocks! An added tip is to choose forged knives over stamped ones as they are higher in quality.

“To me, these three knives would cover basically anything you would need to cut,” Sexton says. “And if I was stuck on a desert island, and I could still cook, these three knives would be what I would need.”

2. Knife Sharpener

So, you’ve got yourself three knives; how do you make sure they last as long as possible and they don’t get dull over time? You invest in a knife sharpener, of course! Professional chefs are skilled in using sharpening stones, but a commercial knife sharpener is perfectly good enough for a home cook. How often you need to sharpen will depend on several factors like how often you use them, the quality of your knives, etc.

“I would say sharpen your knives when they get dull,” Nitahara says. “If you’re using your chef’s knife on a daily basis, I would say once every week to once every two weeks, depending on what you’re cutting as well.”

3. A Cutting Board

“I have a very pretty little marble board that sits out on my kitchen counter, but it’s more for show,” says Sexton. This, she says, is because glass and marble can dull your knives quickly. Instead, she recommends investing in a wooden or plastic one instead. She also says you should replace your cutting board every two years or so, because the grooves that build up over time can lead to a buildup of bacteria.