Chefs are renowned for making things work with whatever they have available, even if that means soft boiling eggs in a rice cooker. But every chef has a favorite appliance, whether it’s the piece of equipment they rely on the most, a time-tested classic or a culinary Swiss army knife that does everything.
We asked five chefs which appliance or tool they can’t live without. These are the appliances that have withstood the test of time and are essential to both home kitchens and professional ones.
The chefs highlighted in this article are not compensated by any of the appliance brands.
Jen Carroll of Carroll Couture Cuisine
Jen Carroll, of Bravo Top Chef fame, is half of the duo that comprises Carroll Couture Cuisine, an experiential dining company that she and partner Billy Riddle run out of their former candy factory loft, where she also teaches cooking classes.
Favorite appliance: Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill
The most versatile appliance in Carroll’s kitchen is the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven, which she uses three to five times a week. “I use it to speed up the cooking process in my classes, but also in my everyday life to roast, air fry, broil, toast, and bake,” said Carroll. “I have even used the top of it to keep ingredients and pans warm while I am cooking on the inside.”
She loves how quickly it preheats compared to a traditional oven, and uses it to cook everything from whole chickens to soufflés and frittatas. It gives her ingredients a quick, even cook when she uses the convection setting combined with its wire basket. Toaster ovens can be challenging to clean, but Carroll’s secret is to clean all components while they’re still a bit warm, with a sponge and soapy water. “If there are crispy bits stuck onto any surface or the oven is extra greasy, I use a metal scrubby and Bar Keepers Friend, then wipe out the inside with a wet cloth and rinse the racks under water,” she said.
Nok Suntaranon of Kalaya
Nok Suntaranon is the chef and owner of Philadelphia’s Kalaya, a star of Netflix’s Chef’s Table season 7, and the author of the cookbook Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen.
Favorite appliance: Jura Coffee Machine Z7 (discontinued)
Modern alternative: Jura Coffee Machine Z10
Suntaranon’s kitchen is dominated by her sleek, black Jura Coffee machine, which she’s had for so long – since 2017 – that the model is no longer manufactured. She loves it because “it is so precise. It brings me joy in the morning knowing a good cup of coffee is waiting for me. It is integral to my morning routine. The machine itself is sleek and sits well on the kitchen counter. Everything it produces is high quality; notably, the milk foam is perfect.”
And she swears it is not intimidating to clean. “The Jura rinses itself after each use, and tells you when to clean it with clear instructions on how to do it, too,” she said. It’s the appliance she uses without fail every day, to make espressos, Americanos, flat whites, and cappuccinos. She’s had to have it serviced a few times over the past decade, requiring it to be sent back to the company, but reported that the process was “a very convenient experience”.
Reuben Asaram of Reuby
Reuben Asaram is known for his Indian-Mexican dishes, with which he runs pop up events in restaurants all over Philadelphia. He is the designer of Taco Bell’s Indian Buffet Crunchwrap Supreme.
Favorite appliance: Vitamix Explorian E310
This Vitamix is Asaram’s secret weapon for making salsas, silken purees, curries, shakes, “and even grinding spices until they’re like baby powder”. Asaram has relied on it since 2016, and he usually uses it on its highest setting, which can emulsify sauces by whipping air into them at incredibly high speeds. The same setting also heats up the sauces and lightly cooks them, without having to use a stove. “It gives all my sauces the perfect smooth consistency without having to strain them,” he said. That also means sending fewer skins, peels, and seeds to a landfill.
In addition to creamy, emulsified sauces, the Vitamix’s lower settings can also make the chunky, fusion ones Asaram serves regularly, like his salsa verde chutney. He uses the Vitamix every day and cleans it with soap and hot water – never the dishwasher. Even after almost a decade, it has never required service.
Ashley Huston of DreamWorld Bakes
Ashley Huston is the pastry chef and owner of DreamWorld Bakes, which specializes in extravagantly decorated custom cakes, savory pastries and perfectly chewy and crunchy cookies.
Favorite appliance: KitchenAid Stand Mixer Architect Series (discontinued)
Modern alternative: KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Ashley Huston first started DreamWorld Bakes out of her apartment, and now her KitchenAid Stand Mixer travels between it and her bakery. The mixer is the very same one she used to make Patti LaBelle’s 80th birthday cake. She purchased it used in 2018. “I got it off Craigslist from someone who just went through a breakup and was selling all of their girlfriend’s stuff online. I made her an offer and picked it up for a hundred bucks.”
She uses the KitchenAid daily as it’s essential to every product she makes: meringues, buttercreams, cake batters, cookie dough, milk bread dough and ice cream bases. She loves this particular model “specifically because of the tilt head. It makes it easier to get in and out of the bowl, like when I’m making cookies and have to keep adding in ingredients step by step. I also like it because it’s the only model that came with the burnished metal attachments. I think they work better than the white coated ones, which tend to chip over time.” While her Architect series is discontinued, the modern KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head stand mixer listed here has the same features.
Frankie Ramirez of Amá
Frankie Ramirez is a restaurant industry vet who has worked as an executive chef in Mexican and Italian restaurants before opening his own, Amá, which celebrates many regions of Mexico through fine dining.
Favorite appliance: Masienda Tortilla Press
You’ll find the powder-coated, rolled-steel Masienda tortilla press in countless Mexican restaurants, including Frankie Ramirez’s. It evenly flattens masa into pliable tortillas. He and his cooks line the flat sides of the press with plastic bags to prevent masa from sticking to them and then press down. “It has a nice shape and is well-balanced – and the handle is made out of solid metal,” he said.
Ramirez had his press for about five years, and he uses it for corn tortillas, the backbone of his restaurant. But it can conceivably be used for anything else you need to be flat: pie dough, pita, or even naan, as it has adjustable thicknesses. It’s a “little different”, he said, distinct and sleek compared to circular cast iron presses. “Its square shape allows you to do other things with it like quesadillas and sopes. With other presses, you need to open it up, turn the tortilla and press down a second time. But this one, if you press properly, it takes only one time.” He uses it every single day and cleans it by wiping it with a wet towel.
