The most macho chefs may insist they can do pretty much anything with a single chopping board and the right knife, but in reality, almost all of them have at least one gadget they can’t live without that give them (and maybe you) the same reliably delicious results at home as in a professional setting.
Here seven of London’s top foodies share their kitchen essentials to elevate the everyday for as little as £4.
Jago Rackham, cook and writer
The Veark magnetic rack system is something of a statement piece, turning the storing of tools into a wonderful work of art. I particularly like the way it blends practicality with aesthetics — adhering to William Morris’s useful and beautiful equation — which is something I feel strongly about. It’s modular so you can build on it. At any rate, in every shoot that’s ever been done in my flat, they’ve used a picture of the rack, so I guess picture editors do too?
Rackham’s book, To Entertain, is out now (Little, Brown, £22)
Thomas Straker, chef
In a professional kitchen, timing is everything. You’re plating multiple dishes simultaneously, holding sauces, proteins and plates at precise temperatures. The Sub-Zero & Wolf warming drawer gives me that same control at home. It’s not just about keeping things warm; it’s about keeping things right. A rested piece of meat held at the perfect temperature, a sauce that hasn’t lost its consistency. It removes the chaos from that final 10 minutes before you serve, which anyone who’s cooked for a table will know is when everything can fall apart.
Straker’s new private dining room is open now, strakers.london
Rahel Stephanie, chef
My cobek and ulekan — an Indonesian volcanic stone mortar and pestle — is non-negotiable. I carried mine back from Indonesia in my hand luggage, and it was worth every raised eyebrow at security. The stone is rougher than anything widely available here because it’s basalt, and that texture is the whole point — no blender replicates what it does to a spice paste: that surface creates friction that tears and bruises rather than just crushing, which is what releases the essential oils properly and gives Indonesian spice pastes their characteristic texture and depth. It lives permanently on my counter, it’s stunning to serve food straight from. If you’re buying one here, skip the marble — look for the roughest, most porous stone.
Stephanie’s book Cantik Manis is out now (publicknowledgebooks.com, £23)
Ben Slater, chef
I bought a bright blue pastry scraper for around £4 10 years ago, and I’ve used it most days since. It lifts and moves ingredients, portions dough, scrapes every last bit of sticky batter from a mixing bowl, cleans down surfaces in seconds, and does the job of about five “specialist” tools — it’s always on hand and probably the best value per use of anything I own.
Hannah Crosbie, Wine writer
I will keep banging the drum about Zara Home stemware until everyone has it. Specifically their ultralight crystalline range, which has zero business being this good. Lightweight and thin-stemmed, you can also buy them one at a time so they are easy to replace when the delicate things are broken.
£23.99 per glass, zarahome.com
James Cochran, Chef at Around the Cluck
It might make you look like you’re cosplaying on Boiling Point but a temperature probe is your secret weapon when it comes to being an effortless home chef. It makes for 100 per cent consistency of cooking meat — ideal for everything from the summer barbecues we shall be hosting, to checking your oil has come to temperature for deep frying for proper crispy results. You can get them as cheap as the chips you’re about to fry to perfection, but how nice is this Meater one from Borough Kitchen.
Sophie Wyburd, Chef
I first came across French brand Magimix while working in professional kitchens. I use it to make mayo, whipped cod’s roe and flavoured breadcrumbs for sprinkling over salads and crostinis. The 4200XL model is still my go-to food processor at home and gets pulled out of my cupboard multiple times a week when I’m recipe testing at home. It’s like having a helper in the kitchen and can make anyone a pro.
