My Favorite Kitchen Tools

If you do any baking at all, a stand mixer is a must! KitchenAid stand mixers come in a variety of colors and you can add lots of attachments (meat grinder, pasta maker, etc.). I use my tilt-head KitchenAid stand mixer to mix cookie dough, make cake batter, and even use it to quickly and easily shred baked chicken for chicken salad!

With all the nifty attachments, my Ninja doubles as a blender and a food processor—basically two kitchen appliances in one! It's heavy duty and blends up smoothies, pie dough, salad dressings, and homemade pesto in a breeze!

My Mom bought us a non-stick electric griddle for Christmas over 20 years ago and it still works perfectly! My husband loves using the griddle to cook Saturday morning pancakes and bacon. We've even taken it with us for family weekends in a mountain cabin!

A working parent's best friend! I especially love cooking weeknight dinners in my Crock Pot on those days that our schedules after work are crazy. Add ingredients to the slow cooker, set it, and forget it and dinner is ready when we get home! LOVE that!

The BEST sheet pan I've ever owned! This pan is heavy duty, easy to clean, and you can get a rack insert that's great for baking chicken tenders! I love this pan for sheet pan dinners!

Not only is this wide spatula perfect for flipping fish, it works great for frying eggs, too. Definitely a super handy utensil to have in your kitchen drawer.

What can I say? This little cherry pitter is a real gem! Ever since I purchased my OXO cherry pitter, I've gone a little crazy making cherry desserts! Easily pit a whole quart of cherries in just minutes—it's dishwasher safe, too.

The best set of cutting boards I've ever owned! And, they are dishwasher safe — yay! Heat resistant and durable, I use their silicone spatulas ALL THE TIME. They're perfect for mixing up quick dips and sauces and for cooking with non-stick pans.

This beautiful Staub Dutch Oven is perfect for stove-to-table serving of hearty soups and stews. A heavy pot like this one is bound to become a piece of heirloom cookware in our family.

I've become a big fan of air frying the last couple of years and really like the big basket in this Nuwave family-size air fryer. I'm still experimenting with recipes, like my air fryer asparagus fries, but so far I'm loving it!

I actually won this roasting pan in a contest, and WOW it is just amazing! This deep, stainless steel, roaster can accommodate a full size turkey or prime rib and is just what I needed for hosting large parties and family holiday dinners.

Admittedly, I have several sets of measuring spoons, but this is the only set that is designed with long, skinny spoons that fit through the top of most spice jars.. It's the little things that count!

We use a lot of freshly squeezed lemons and limes, so this little tool gets a workout at our house!

Rinse it off and roll it up! That's what I love most about this pastry mat. It protects my kitchen counter when rolling out the dough for my Rustic Cherry Tart, when I make biscuits, cookies, or scones—a real time saver for me!

This instant-read digital thermometer takes the guesswork out of knowing when your meats are done! I especially like to use this tool to test my roasted pork tenderloin, no matter if I'm cooking it on the grill or in the oven.

I use this little brush to brush oil on meats for grilling, to baste on barbecue sauces, and as a pastry brush when making pies and scones. It's the perfect size and dishwasher safe!

Compact and easy to store, this grating set comes with a variety of blades and a safety guard (USE it with the slicing blade!). The lid doubles as a bowl to catch grated cheese or vegetables.

Every Southern cook needs a good cast iron skillet, especially if you like making cornbread (BTW, this Honey Cornbread with Fresh Sage is one of my faves) or frying chicken. I even use my cast iron skillet to sear and finish steaks in the oven.

Spring-loaded poultry shears make spatchcocking a chicken or deboning a turkey breast a simple task. Tapered blades for hard to reach places, these scissors cut through bones easily and without hand strain.

And last, this fun tiered serving tray isn't a kitchen tool, but it is one of my favorite serving and decorating pieces. It's the perfect way to display party snacks or cupcakes. But, often it sits on my kitchen island loaded with fresh fruit for easy snacking.