Spring kitchen refresh with culinary expert approved tools from knives to new cutting boards
If you've already cleaned the house for spring you may have realized it's time to spruce up some kitchen essentials. These products have you covered.
"Good Morning America" enlisted the culinary expertise of test kitchen directors, recipe developers, chefs and food bloggers to share their product picks that are fresh for spring and will help you get cooking like a pro.
Chef-approved kitchen tools from knives to cutting boards
Ashton Keefe, chef and recipe developer, shared five of her favorites from knives to an essential countertop appliance that make cooking at home breeze.
Trio of Knives with Stand
Material Trio Cutting Knife Set & Stand
The set has everything needed to slice, dice and chop. Each knife is crafted from sharp and durable triple-layered Japanese steel and magnetically affix to the solid beech wood stand, which helps keep them from getting dull.
Set includes The Stand, The 8" Knife, The Serrated 6" Knife, and The Almost 4" Knife.
- $230
- West Elm
Having a "go-to knife set for the home chef" is an essential for any kitchen. Keefe is of the camp that "you only need three knives, max. Ever. The number one question I’m asked is, 'What is the best knife?' Or the question everyone is afraid to ask, 'How do I sharpen my knife?' These are cool knives. Japanese steel, delicious handle and a no-brainer/no-fail way to sharpen. Works for a seasoned pro and beginner alike."
CorningWare French White Cast Aluminum 4-Quart Braiser with Lid
Spring and summer wedding season is also here and Keefe said this makes a "perfect gift for a newlywed or to add to a registry" because it's a classic. "Can use on the stovetop, oven or as serving. This screams chic and sophisticated and will last you a lifetime," she said.
Instant Pot Pro Plus 6-Quart Smart Multi-Cooker
For any home cooks who have yet to hop on the Instant Pot train, the time is now.
Keefe said this fully connected pressure cooker has over 800 plug and play recipes through the accompanying app that can wirelessly start your meal. "I also particularly love this model because it’s light weight and smaller making it do-able for city dwellers or those with smaller kitchens," she explained.
Pyrex 8x12” Divide Glass Baking Dish
Pyrex Durable high-quality Divided Glass Baking Dish
Save time and space by cooking and serving two foods at the same time with this versatile divided glass baking dish. Reheating and clean-up are both simple since the Pyrex glass is microwave and dishwasher safe.
- $16.97
- Walmart
Keefe's pick is "ideal for cooking for one to two [people] and entertaining a crowd," she said. "I can’t think of anything cooler than being able to bake or roast something in one compartment and then doing something entirely different in the other. Think roast chicken and a few pieces of salmon or vegetables and side of roasted fruit for dessert. When using as a serving dish, elegantly divided compartments keep sauces and dressings separate ensuring the only thing that comingles are your guests."
Sarah Wharton knows her way around test kitchens and culinary product trials. The senior editor and analyst of the Good Housekeeping Institute shared the following must-have tools.
Cutting Board set
2-Piece Cutting Board Set
The OXO 2-Piece Cutting Board Set is a dynamic kitchen duo ideal for everyday meal prep.
- $23.99
- OXO
"Spring vegetables mean lots of prep and veggies need room," Wharton said. "I love this OXO Good Grips Carving Board. It has tons of space for trimming carrot tops or slicing the first garlic scapes. We also love OXO’s two-piece set with an Everyday Board and Prep Board; it was one of Good Housekeeping's top picks for cutting boards."
Collapsible Bowl
"These Stojo Bowls from our 2021 Kitchen Gear Awards have become my go-to for lunch salads. They collapse when you're done, so they take up less space in your bag on the commute home -- and in your cabinet at home," Wharton said. "They're easy to seal and they come in several pretty pastels that are perfect for spring."
Dutch Oven
"I use my Dutch oven year-round. It's great in spring for asparagus risotto or cooking down fruit for jam," Wharton said. "And Le Creuset has launched a new shade that's lovely for the season: olive. It looks like budding trees and tulip leaves. Le Creuset's enameled cast iron cookware is a fave in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab, and its Dutch oven was a winner in our 2021 Kitchen Gear Awards as our pick for making hearty stews and soups due to its ability to heat evenly and retain heat well."
Ice Cream Maker
Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet Maker
The Ninja CREAMi ice cream maker transforms frozen solid bases into ice cream, sorbets, milkshakes and more with the simple touch of a button. Ninja’s Creamify technology enables the CREAM to break down a uniformly frozen block into an incredibly smooth, creamy texture in minutes.
- $179.99
- $259.99
- Kohl's
"This one’s just for fun since the days are getting a little warmer, and it’s another winner from our Kitchen Gear Awards. Our judges were impressed that the ice cream and gelato settings yielded different textures, even with the same recipe. The Ninja Creami comes with pint containers that you can fill with your base, freeze overnight and then churn in about five minutes," she explained.
The internet's favorite Italian-American, Brooklyn-based food blogger and recipe developer Dan Pelosi shared some of his top picks.
Sustainable cutting boards
Material reBoard
These colorful BPA-free cutting boards are made entirely of kitchen plastic scraps and renewable sugarcane. One small step for sustainability, one giant leap for kitchengoods.
- $35
- Anthropologie
"I use sustainably made cutting boards and I have them in every color," Pelosi said of his first pick. "Color is important to me in my home, but so is functionality. When the two are perfectly combined, I am delighted."
Countertop Lazy Susan
"I need my go-to cooking ingredients at arm's length while I am developing recipes, but I don't want them to run free all over the kitchen," Pelosi explained. "This countertop lazy susan is very at-home on my counter, spinning around all day as I grab all my go-tos with ease but no mess."
An Oven Thermometer
"The number one question I get from people making my recipes is about cook times. I always ask people: 'do you have an oven thermometer?' Recipes are written to accurate oven temperatures and unfortunately almost no oven is the temperature you think it is," Pelosi advised. "An oven thermometer inside your oven is a must for knowing your oven temperature."
Bee's Wrap Reusable Food Wraps
Bee’s Wrap Reusable Beeswax Wraps, Set Of 3
Whether you’re storing a lemon half, wrapping baked goods or covering a bowl, this assorted set provides you with the essentials for keeping your food fresh. A sustainable, natural alternative to plastic wrap, these beeswax wraps make it easy for you to make the shift away from disposable food storage.
- $14.46
- $18
- Sur La Table
Get sustainable for spring with the these wax wraps "for keeping food fresh and cutting down on waste."
"I keep my favorite loaves of bread wrapped in these in my cabinet, cut vegetables covered in my counter, and leftovers stored in my fridge," he said. "They are so versatile, colorful, and last forever."
Jenna Helwig, "Bare Minimum Dinners" cookbook author and Food Director at Real Simple, shared a few of her favorites for spring and beyond in the kitchen.
Reusable Produce Bags
"Spring means it’s time to resume my weekly trips to the farmer’s market. To reduce my plastic usage, I bring these reusable produce bags," she shared.
Fortessa Cake Stand
Fortessa Jupiter 13-Inch Cake Stand in Cornflower
Get additional savings as a Beyond + member.
- $31.99
- $39.99
- Bed Bath & Beyond
"Sure, cake stands are good for cakes, but also for serving muffins, cupcakes, tarts, and pies ... basically anything that deserves to be on a literal pedestal," Helwig said. "If I lived in a bigger apartment I would have a collection of them, including this retro-chic and relatively inexpensive one."
An earlier version of this story was first published on April 21, 2022.
