20 Must-Have Kitchen Tools and Equipment

Updated: April 2026

Over the years, I’ve tested a lot of kitchen tools—some worth it, some not. These are the ones I actually use and recommend to make cooking easier, faster, and more enjoyable.

My top kitchen tool picks:

• Best blender: Vitamix
• Best budget blender: Nutribullet
• Most used tool: Instant Pot
• Best for beginners: 6 or 8-inch Chef’s knife

Below are the kitchen tools I use most, with tips on when they’re actually worth it.

Prefer to jump around? Use the table of contents below.

1. High Speed Blender/Vitamix

What I use: Vitamix

Best for: Smoothies, sauces, soups, nut butters, and creamy dressings
👉 Check price on Amazon

This is easily my most-used kitchen tool. It blends everything from smoothies and sauces to soups and nut butters—faster and smoother than anything else I’ve tried. If you make a lot of plant-based meals, this is 100% worth it.

2. Food Processor

What I use: Cuisinart Food Processor

Best for: Chopping, shredding, doughs, and thicker recipes like energy bites or hummus
👉 Check price on Amazon

Worth it? Yes, if you use it regularly.

I use my food processor for anything thick or chunky—like hummus, energy bites, or chopping vegetables. It has more surface area than a blender, which makes it much better for dense or dry ingredients.

Pro tip: I would recommend changing the food processor blades (or sharpening them) every so often. If planning to replace, you can usually find the blades sold separately, and it will make your old food processor work like new again.

3. Hand Blender/Immersion Blender

What I use:  Kitchenaid 3 Speed Hand Blender

Best for: Blending soups directly in the pot, sauces, and small-batch blending
👉 Check price on Amazon

This is perfect for blending soups directly in the pot, making sauces, or handling small jobs without pulling out a full food processor. It’s quick, easy to clean, and surprisingly useful.

4. Instant Pot

What I use: Instant Pot Duo 3-Quart

Best for: Beans, grains, soups, meal prep, and fast hands-off cooking
👉 Check price on Amazon

The Instant Pot is one of my most-used tools for quick, hands-off cooking. I use it for beans, grains, soups, and more—and it also works as a rice cooker and slow cooker.

I actually have a 3-quart, 6 quart, AND 8 quart. The 3-quart is (surprisingly) my favorite, as it’s SO easy to move around and store in my kitchen.

To steam veggies, I use this Vegetable Steamer Basket inside of my IP which is super handy!

Use the Instant Pot to make delicious recipes from Chipotle Black Beans, Collard Greens, Wild Rice with Mushrooms or even Steel Cut Oatmeal.

5. Kitchenaid Mixer

What I use: Kitchenaid Mixer (w/ tilt head)

Best for: Baking, doughs, cookies, and recipes that require mixing or kneading
👉 Check price on Amazon

Worth it? Yes, if you use it regularly.

A Kitchenaid mixer is a staple if you bake regularly. It’s great for cookies, cakes, and dough, and there are tons of attachments if you want to expand how you use it.

I originally bought the teal mixer, but later it didn’t match my kitchen. So since these mixers are super pricy, I opted to paint my Kitchenaid instead (I went with “matte black” and love it!).

6. Air Fryer

What I use: Ninja Air Fryer

Best for: Roasted veggies, crispy foods, reheating leftovers, and quick meals
👉 Check price on Amazon

Worth it? Yes, if you use it regularly.

I use my air fryer for roasted veggies, crispy foods, and reheating leftovers. It’s not essential, but it’s incredibly convenient if you use it regularly.

7. Measuring Cups

What I use: Pyrex 2 Cup Glass Measuring Cups and OXO dry Measuring Cups

Best for: Accurate measuring of liquids and dry ingredients
👉 Check price on Amazon (Pyrex)
👉 Check price on Amazon (OXO)

Measuring cups are a must for accurate cooking and baking. I use glass for liquids and stainless steel for dry ingredients, and having a few sizes on hand makes things much easier

If you don’t have space, these collapsible measuring cups are great for dry goods. Because they are collapsible, they are easy to store hanging on hooks in a cabinet or flat in a drawer.

8. Measuring Spoons

What I use: OXO Good Grips Measuring Spoons

Best for: Measuring spices, baking ingredients, and small quantities
👉 Check price on Amazon

I use measuring spoons daily for spices and small ingredients. These from OXO are my favorite because they fit easily into spice jars and are durable.

I’ve found these also fit well when scooping directly into my spice bottles, while some of my other measuring spoons do not.

9. Knife

What I use: Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Santoku Knife

Best for: Chopping vegetables, herbs, and everyday meal prep
👉 Check price on Amazon

A good knife makes cooking faster and safer. I use this Santoku knife for almost everything—it’s lightweight, sharp, and perfect for everyday prep.

But note that the feel/comfortability of kitchen knives may be different for everyone, so it’s best to try them out and see what size works for you.

Note: This Santoku knife is ceramic so it’s a bit fragile. I accidentally clipped the hole at the end of my cutting board with the knife and it broke a big piece off. Luckily Kyocera was kind enough to send me a brand new knife, no questions asked. But now I’m a bit more careful with this fragile, but powerful, knife.

10. Cutting Boards

What I use: Farberware 3-piece cutting board (and many more I usually find at Home Goods).

Best for: Safe and efficient food prep for all types of ingredients
👉 Check price on Amazon

You don’t need anything fancy here—just a few solid cutting boards in different sizes. I keep multiple on hand so I can prep efficiently without constantly washing in between.

11. Cookie Scooper

What I use: OXO cookie scooper

Best for: Evenly portioned cookies, muffins, and batter
👉 Check price on Amazon

This is great for evenly portioning cookies, muffins, or batter. It’s not essential, but it makes everything look more consistent and professional.

12. Wok 

What I use: Jumbo Wok, 14 inch

Best for: Stir-fries, sautéing, and cooking meals quickly at high heat
👉 Check price on Amazon

A wok is perfect for stir-fries and quick, high-heat cooking. The shape helps everything cook evenly, especially when making veggie-packed meals like Vegetable Pancit or Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry.

13. Panini Press/Griddle

What I use: Cuisinart Griddler

Best for: Sandwiches, pancakes, veggie burgers, and multi-use cooking
👉 Check price on Amazon

Worth it? Yes, if you use it regularly.

This is a versatile tool for sandwiches, pancakes, veggie burgers, and more. If you like making quick, hot meals, it’s a great multi-use option.

14. Lemon/Lime Zester

What I use: OXO Zester

Best for: Zesting citrus, grating garlic, and adding fresh flavor to dishes
👉 Check price on Amazon

I use this constantly for citrus and garlic. It’s a small tool, but it adds a lot of fresh flavor to recipes.

You can also get a box-style grater/zester…Cuisinart Boxed Grater.

15. Spiralizer

What I use: Kitchenaid Spiralizer Attachment

Best for: Zucchini noodles, veggie spirals, and low-carb alternatives
👉 Check price on Amazon

Worth it? Yes, if you use it regularly.

This is great for making veggie noodles and lighter alternatives to pasta. It’s especially useful if you like experimenting with different plant-based meals.

If you don’t have a Kitchenaid mixer, you can also use a standalone spiralizer, which works great too.

16. Mandoline Slicer

What I use: OXO Mandoline Slicer

Best for: Thin, even slicing of vegetables like potatoes and cucumbers
👉 Check price on Amazon

Worth it? Yes, if you use it regularly.

A mandoline makes it easy to get thin, even slices—especially for things like potatoes or cucumbers. It’s a big time-saver if you cook a lot.

Have you ever tried making scalloped potatoes by hand? Don’t. Get a mandoline. =)

17. Peeler

What I use: OXO Good Grips Peeler

Best for: Peeling vegetables, fruits, and ingredients like ginger
👉 Check price on Amazon

A good peeler makes prepping vegetables quick and easy. I use this for everything from potatoes to ginger.

18. Crock Pot/Slow Cooker

What I use: Crock Pot Slow Cooker

Best for: Hands-off meals, soups, stews, and slow-cooked recipes
👉 Check price on Amazon

A slow cooker is perfect for hands-off meals like soups, stews, and chili. It’s great for busy days when you want something ready with minimal effort

You can also use your Instant Pot as a slow cooker but I still love having this slow cooker as a standalone. First, an Instant Pot will not give you the same amazing food smell throughout your house like a slow cooker will, and it’s also nice to have BOTH when you want to use your Instant Pot and slow cooker at the same time.

Use it to make recipes like this Soy Chorizo Chili or Thai Yellow Curry.

19. Lemon Squeezer

What I use: Lemon Squeezer

Best for: Juicing citrus quickly without seeds or mess
👉 Check price on Amazon

Fresh lemon or lime juice makes a big difference, and this tool makes it quick and mess-free.

20. Whisks

What I use: OXO 11-inch Balloon Whisk and OXO 9-inch Whisk

Best for: Mixing sauces, dressings, and batters smoothly
👉 Check price on Amazon (Large Whisk)
👉 Check price on Amazon (Small Whisk)

A whisk is essential for mixing sauces, dressings, and batters. I recommend having both a large and small size for different tasks.

Check out my 9-inch whisk in action in this recipe for Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce.

Bonus Kitchen Tools and Equipment

These didn’t make the “must-have” list, but they’re still very useful to have in your kitchen:

• Electric wine opener– Not essential, but one of my favorite tools. It’s fun to use and makes a great housewarming gift.
• Cookware set– A good set of pots and pans is a must.
• Mixing bowls– I use OXO stainless steel bowls AND these OXO mixing bowls.
• Wooden spoons and utensils– Simple, but essential for everyday cooking.
• Masher– Great for potatoes, but also perfect for smashing chickpeas, like in my “No-Tuna Salad“.
• Storage containers– Leak-proof containers are key for leftovers and meal prep.
• Pizza cutter– Quick and easy for slicing pizza (or flatbreads).
• Fine mesh strainer– Great for rinsing grains like quinoa.
• Colander– Helpful for draining pasta and veggies. Collapsable versions save space.
• Kitchen scale– Useful for precise measurements, especially in baking.
• Pepper mill– Freshly ground pepper makes a big difference.
• Kitchen scissors– Perfect for cutting herbs and opening packages.

How many of these kitchen tools and equipment do you have in your kitchen? Any other favorites? Comment below! =)

Looking for more plant-based recipes? Check out my Start Here page.

Follow Veggie Chick for more recipes, tips and inspiration. =)

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