Here is a list of my kitchen essentials, along with items for the dream kitchen. I am the gadget girl, though I know that out of one hundred maybe only two will change your life. But that’s enough for me. All are available on my web site, www.patriciawells.com through my Amazon Store.
All-Clad stainless 12-quart multi cooker with steamer basket
We eat pasta several nights a week and could not live without this! And we steam almost all our veggies.
Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-quart automatic frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream maker
Sorbets are on our menu with nearly every meal, and this machine does the job.
Nordic Ware 9-inch leak-proof springform pan (10 cup)
One of the top essentials in my kitchen. I bake everything in this pan.
Peugeot Elis electric salt and pepper mill combo
Peugeot electric mills changed my life! You can grind the salt and pepper with a single hand, and they are made to last a lifetime.
CM International Camerons Cookware stainless steel stovetop smoker
Truly essential! We smoke poultry, fish, meat, veggies, and it totally transforms a meal.
Soehnle Page digital kitchen scale
One of the best kitchen tools—fast, tiny, and efficient.
Progressive International lettuce keeper
Brilliant! Salads stay crisp and fresh! I could have a dozen in my refrigerator, for veggies and greens.
Amco Swing-A-Way S2062 easy-release grease separator
I was so happy to find this gadget! Brilliant design, and it’s red.
StainlessLUX fine stainless steel juicer / fruit squeezer
Te best citrus juicer in the world.
Old Stone Oven 14 × 16-inch baking stone
I could not live without a baking stone for pizzas or breads.
EXO Products Super Peel pizza peel in solid ash
A must-have for pizzas and breads.
Kitchenaid Artisan 5-quart stand mixers
I’ve used mine almost every day for more than forty years…
Mario Batali The Italian Kitchen Collection pizza peel
Foolproof pizza is on its way.
Zyliss all cheese grater, fine and coarse drum set
A drum grater is essential, especially for Parmesan and Gruyère.
Norpro ceramic compost keeper
We compost in the country. Love that this is ceramic and red.
Kyocera double-edged mandoline slicer
I confess to being a mandoline addict! I’ve tried dozens, and this one is great.
Kyocera wide julienne slicer
Long live mandoline addiction! And it’s red.
Rösle zester
I never toss lemon or lime peel—fragrant zest is a free addition to any dish.
Prepara herb savor
This gadget works! Herbs stay fresh forever. I only wish it were a bit larger.
Black & Decker 1-tier food steamer/rice cooker
A rice cooker makes perfect rice every time.
Lekue silicone super-flexible oven mitt
Not everyone cottons to silicone mitts, but I no longer have burns up and down my arms.
Siliconezone grid pot holder
I adore these pot holders.
KitchenAid all-purpose scraper
A dozen of these would not be enough—not just for pastry but also for scraping bits of food off a cutting board.
Oxo Good Grips silicone pastry brush
Good riddance to old-fashioned pastry brushes! These are so easy to keep clean.
Le Creuset silicone spatula
You will want a dozen.
All-Clad stainless measuring cup set
Measure, measure. Never too many sets around the house.
All-Clad stainless measuring spoon set
Essential!
All-Clad stainless roasting pan with rack and turkey forks
A must for roast chicken and turkey. Be sure to add a bit of water so the drippings don’t burn.
All-Clad 6-piece stainless steel tool set
Great tools! Will last forever.
Iittala all steel bowl set
I am a huge fan of anything that stacks.
HIC porcelain 24-ounce 7¼-inch coeur à la crème dish
Love these for making homemade yogurt cheese.
Emeril pre-seasoned cast-iron 14-inch open flat-bottom wok
I use a wok for everything, even making risotto.
Typhoon cast-iron pestle and mortar
Te next best thing to an antique stone pestle and mortar…
Typhoon signature 10-inch bamboo steamer
I love the texture of these steamers, so light and efficient.
Chef’s Choice 662 international professional electric food slicer with 8.6-inch diameter blade
Great to slice almost anything—homemade sourdough bread, thin meats for carpaccio, as well as sausages and hams.
All-Clad copper-core porcelain double-boiler insert
Essential for melting chocolate.
All-Clad Master Chef 2 seven-piece cookware set
A great starter set.
Cuisipro Accutec box grater
Another excellent choice for grating cheese.
Swiss Diamond cast-aluminum nonstick 11-inch fry pan with lid
A great nonstick with a glass lid.
All-Clad food mill
Perfect for making homemade tomato sauce.
Calphalon Everyday nonstick 8-inch omelet pan
Walter makes the best omelets with this pan.
Le Creuset enameled cast-iron 102/3-inch crepe pan
Egg crepes are one of my favorites, and so versatile.
All-Clad favor infuser
Stuff the infuser with Parmesan rinds for soup, all manner of herbs for stocks.
All-Clad stainless slotted spoon
There are never enough slotted spoons in my world!
All-Clad stainless-steel nonstick sauté pans
I use nonstick pans to cut down on the amount of fat in a dish.
Rösle apple cutter
For perfect apple slices.
All-Clad stainless balloon whisk
Whisk away! The design of this sturdy whisk is not only beautiful but efficient. It’s also easier to clean than a classic whisk.
All-Clad stainless nonstick frittata pan (11.75-inch)
Frittatas are the most versatile food in the world.
All-Clad stainless 9-inch locking tongs
Everyone needs at least three of these in the kitchen. Hang them on the stove so they are handy.
BonJour Monet 8-cup French press coffee maker
Truly makes the best coffee.
Taylor 9842 commercial waterproof digital thermometer
Ideal for meats, and I also use it on my sourdough bread to make sure it is baked through.
Presto 05420 Frydaddy electric deep-fryer
So good, so fast, so great for testing just a tiny bit of food.
Oxo Good Grips 4-inch pizza wheel
For perfect pizza slices.
Harold Import Company stainless-steel fish turner (13¾ inches)
Handy for fish and everything else. In a pinch, can serve to pull a pizza from the oven.
Laguiole French olive wood spatula with drainage holes
Beautiful and practical.
Sunbeam 91640 99-minute, 59-second digital count up/count down timer
Perfect timing is essential in the kitchen.
MIU commercial oven thermometer
All ovens are different. Don’t bake or roast without an oven thermometer.
CDN TR3-R digital timer on a rope
How perfect: On a rope, digital, and it’s red.
M.V Trading Co. large 12-inch bamboo steamer
I love the size and texture of these steamers. So simple.
KitchenAid KHB100ER hand blender
Hand blenders are, well, handy.
KitchenAid KPRA pasta roller attachment for stand mixers
The flat roller is fabulous for making delicious light flatbreads.
Calphalon Classic Bakeware Special Value 12 × 17-inch rectangular nonstick jelly roll pans
Jelly roll pans are not just for jelly rolls.
Chicago metallic nonstick petite broil and roast pan
A nice size for roasting or broiling.
Leifheit Pro Line triple-plated chrome over zinc cherry/olive pitter
Dual purpose, for perfect pitting of cherries and olives.
Nesco FD-75PR 700-watt food dehydrator
I use a dehydrator to dry cherries and sliced apples and to make my own raisins.
Paderno World Cuisine 20-imprint 15.5 × 5.5-inch nonstick madeleine sheet
Miniature madeleines…I can smell them now.
Pyrex Prepware 2-cup measuring cup, clear with red measurements
What would we do without Pyrex measuring cups? I only wish they didn’t drip so much.
Pyrex Prepware 1-cup measuring cup, clear with red measurements
Measure, measure…and the numbers are in red.
Rösle shaker
Come summer, we make coffee and iced Shakerados! (Espresso coffee, shaker half-filled with ice, shaken vigorously for 15 seconds, strained into cocktail glass.) Yum!
Bormioli Rocco Pompei 6-piece stacking bowl set
Never enough stacking bowls in my kitchen.
J.A. Henckels Twin L kitchen 2-piece set
A cool duo…a small knife and a scissors.
Vic Firth maple rolling pins
What a cool trio! Bake, bake, bake! I like the large size for pastries and smaller sizes for smaller uses, such as cookies.
Cuisinart DLC-10S Pro Classic 7-cup food processor
Use this twenty times a day.
Foodsaver Pro III vacuum sealing kit
Never throw away leftovers again—essential!
Thermos Nissan 26-ounce travel companion stainless-steel insulated bottle
Nothing is better than your own home-brewed coffee when on a journey.
Oxo Good Grips apple corer and divider
We love apples in our house, and this gadget makes a perfect cut each time.
Calphalon apple corer with plunger
Perfect cored apples, every time.
Cuisinart ICE 40 Flavor Duo Frozen Yogurt Maker
We recently added this duo ice cream maker to our kitchen. Great when you want two different favors.
New Metro Design Beater Blade for KitchenAid
Tis is revolutionary! My bread is made in a fraction of the time it takes with KitchenAid’s own blade.
Kitchen Crop Sprouter—3 Tray
I always have three sprouting trays at my kitchen window. Amazing what favor tiny sprouts can offer.
Soda-Stream Soda and Seltzer Maker Starter Kit
No more hauling bottles from the store! Open the fridge and have bubbly water at your fingertips.
Maxi-Matic EWM-900BK Elite Cuisine Waffle Maker
This is the wafe iron I use at home. Easy. Just don’t fill it with too much batter.
Lock & Lock HPL343S16, 16-piece Polypropylene Food Storage Container Set
I adore these containers: They manage to keep food fresh longer than any other system. Great for cheese.
Cuisipro 4-Piece Stainless Steel Oval Measuring Cups
These oval measuring cups are sturdy, beautiful, and practical.
Cuisinart CBT-700 Die Cast 700-Watt Blender
I love this blender! It’s powerful, has great capacity, and I use it daily for soups and sorbets.
Crockpot 3060-W 6-quart round slow cooker
People laugh, but I make southern pork barbecue in my crockpot. Can also be used for making duck confit.