GIR Silicone Spatulas
GIR's silicone spatulas are beautiful, durable and heat-resistant up to a whopping 550 degrees Fahrenheit, so they won't warp or melt when you're cooking. They have a unibody design, with a layer of pharmaceutical-grade, BPA-free silicone wrapped around a heat-resistant polymer core, so they will never break. We like that the nonporous material is easy to clean and antimicrobial—it also won't pick up any odors or flavors, unlike wood. The thin blade is sturdy yet flexible, perfect for scraping food from the edges of your containers. GIR offers these spatulas in both an Ultimate and Skinny size, so you can use them with your largest mixing bowls or narrowest jam jars.
GIR Silicone Flip Spatulas
GIR's Flip spatulas have broad, angled blades designed for lifting and—you guessed it—flipping foods. Their sturdy construction can handle your heaviest steaks, while the edge is finely tapered and flexible enough to slide under delicate foods like fish or eggs. The spatulas are made with pharmaceutical-grade, BPA-free silicone that is heat-resistant up to a whopping 550 degrees Fahrenheit, so they won't melt or warp over time. We also love their unibody design: A seamless layer of silicone covers a fiberglass core, making it easier to clean. The materials also have low heat retention, so you don't have to worry about burning yourself every time you leave your spatula resting on the edge of a pan. It's gentle on your nonstick pans yet durable enough that you can even use it over an outdoor grill on medium-high heat (about 400 degrees). Choose between the Mini size for your morning eggs, the Ultimate for whole chicken thighs, or even the Lefty version.
Cuisipro Measuring Spoons
Every element of these stainless steel measuring spoons was thoughtfully designed to conveniently reach the bottoms of your most narrow spice containers, from the oval bowl to the long, slender handle. Their durable stainless steel feels sturdy and balanced in the hand, and the contours of the handle are comfortable to grip. We especially like that the spoons feature a gentle curve at the end that keeps them upright on countertops—no more spilled salt—and helps the spoons neatly nest into each other for compact storage.
iSi Flex-It Measuring Cups
For easy, spill-free pouring, these smartly designed silicone measuring cups are just the thing. The flexible material allows you to squeeze the cup and create a spout anywhere on its rim, adjusting as you pour. So whether you need precision pouring for runny liquids—like a thin stream of oil when emulsifying aioli—or a wider lip to quickly pour thick batters, the Flex-It Measuring Cups will work perfectly. Plus, the food-grade silicone can be used in the microwave and is heat-resistant up to 490 degrees Fahrenheit. It's also dishwasher-safe: We found that even after we left the cups sitting overnight with turmeric and chili, the silicone was easy to clean and didn't have any residual smells or stains. Choose between a three-piece set with 1-cup, 2-cup and 4-cup sizes, or buy the largest cup on its own—it's large enough to mix up your favorite pancake batter without dirtying a bowl!
Escali Primo Digital Scale
Lightweight and multi-functional, the Primo Digital Scale is the best we've used at such a compact size. Many small kitchen scales are cheaply made, so their weight sensors are unreliable and give different readings depending on how your food is positioned. Escali's product gives consistent, accurate readings, with a two-button operation and straightforward tare function to subtract the weight of your container by resetting the scale to zero. It can handle up to 11 pounds and detect even the slightest weight change, down to a single gram. The buttons have a protective shield against splatter and are easy to clean; plus, the scale automatically shuts off after 4 minutes to conserve battery life.
Earlywood Tapered Rolling Pin
Working with Montana-based Earlywood, we designed our perfect rolling pin. The gentle, graduated taper starts off at 1 3/8 inches thick, slimming down to roughly 3/4 of an inch at the ends—perfect for rolling out the flattest, most even crusts. We prefer this French style to American-style ball-bearing pins because the lighter weight provides better control; tapered pins are also ideal for rolling out circles of dough. (Rotate the pin in an arc with the right hand while keeping the left side of the pin stationary.) In addition, we prefer longer pins that can handle a full pie crust, so we designed this model to be 20 inches long. Finally, a rolling pin has to be just the right weight: heavy enough to do the work for you but not so heavy that you lose touch with the dough underneath. This pin is a perfect one pound. Earlywood’s dark, dense hardwoods feel good in the hand and won’t dent if used to crush ice or flatten cutlets. For an especially sturdy rolling pin that is destined to become a family heirloom, we recommend the Mexican ebony. Not only does it have a gorgeous dark luster that will add interest to your kitchenware collection, the wood is also nearly indestructible.
Christopher Kimball for Kuhn Rikon Comfort Balloon Whisk
This sturdy, fine-wired balloon whisk is broad enough for whipping eggs, yet small enough to fit into any utensil drawer. It’ll easily whip stiff peaks and the thickest pancake batter.
Challenger Breadware Cast Iron Bread Pan™
The only one of its kind, this vessel is designed like a reverse dutch oven—with a large, domed lid and more shallow base—and is made from thick cast iron, so it both seals in steam and retains heat to yield the perfect loaf. It’s large enough to accommodate nearly any size of bread and doesn’t require the elaborate workarounds like dutch ovens, baking stones and other equipment does. The Challenger is a combination cooker, which features a large, sturdy lid and a flatter base. It’s much easier to load your dough into the vessel without having to move around high walls and it’s also easier to reach in and score your dough. It’s crafted from heirloom-quality, hand-seasoned extra-thick cast iron, which delivers robust radiant heat to promote even cooking. The dark material does an incredible job at retaining its temperature and steam; it’s essentially an oven within your oven, so the temperature won’t be lost when you remove the lid and the lid itself creates an incredibly tight seal to prevent heat leaks (and achieve that perfect golden crust). Plus, the sturdy cast iron won’t crack like clay bakers will.
Dreamfarm Flisk 3 in 1 Whisk
We know it’s easy to be skeptical of the infamous kitchen multitool, but believe us when we say the Flisk is not a gimmick. Our kitchen team was blown away by the quality. This nifty tool didn’t win a Red Dot design award for nothing. It seamlessly shifts between three different shapes with a simple click of the knob located at the end of the handle. The first setting is a classic balloon whisk, perfect for beating egg whites into stiff peaks or making a quick batch of homemade whipped cream, and another half-opened setting (it’s narrowly X shaped when looked at from above) is ideal for stirring sauces, as it can also sneak into the edges of pans to make sure everything’s evenly mixed. Lastly, it folds completely flat, which does wonders for deglazing a pan and also for easy, tangle-free storage. We found the durable plastic of the ergonomic handle to stand up to a good amount of wear and tear and so can the Flisk’s 10 wires. They’re made from high-vibration spring steel to give you maximum aeration efficiency with (this means fluffy frostings in a flash) and are hygienically sealed within the handle.