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After more than 28 hours of research and testing, our top pick for the best kitchen product – and a must have – goes to the Shun Classic 10” Chef’s Knife. This kitchen knife is an absolute dynamo, featuring a narrow 16″ cutting angle blade, lightweight pakkawood handle, and some of the smoothest slicing you will ever see.
Choosing the best kitchen products could mean the difference between plenty of aggravation cooking your favorite meals and whipping up a masterpiece. Our evaluation focused on design, ease of use, multi-purpose ability, safety, and length of warranty. Keep reading to learn more about the Shun Classic 10” Chef’s Knife and six others that met our strict grading criteria.
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This is the best kitchen knife, offering a long 10-inch super durable VG-MAX steel blade and narrower 16″ cutting angle, making it a great all-around kitchen knife to cut all types of foods, including meat and vegetables.
We were really impressed with this chef knife’s design. It is super sharp with a narrower cutting angle (16″) and lighter blade than traditional knives, requiring less pressure to cut. While testing, our knives expertly sliced through thick slabs of pork like butter with no more than three or four passes to fully cut through.
Related: Check out our best spatulas.
Thanks to its ridged, lightweight pakkawood handle, comfortable grip and even weight distribution throughout the knife, this chef knife is easy to use, even for beginners. Though it cuts well, this knife does not include a blade guard or sheath, so handle with care. Bonus points for its limited lifetime warranty which protects against manufacturer defects as well as a free knife sharpening service. If you’re looking for a knife that’s a bit more niche, check out the best oyster knife too.
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This 12-piece stainless steel cookware set features a triple-ply construction and tight fitting pouring rims to retain moisture – a great choice for people using induction cooktops.
This 12-piece stainless steel cookware set comes with all of what we consider essentials, including two saucepans, two skillets, a steamer insert, and three saute pans. These work well with most meats, including braised meat, stews, and good ole’ fashioned scramble eggs. Stainless steel covers also completely seals each rim to retain moisture and cool grip handles make them safe on skin. It also comes with a limited lifetime warranty for peace in mind in case of any manufacturer defects.
Related: Keep your culinary storage organized with our best kitchen cart.
Kudos to each piece’s triple-ply design and construction, which uses bonded aluminum and stainless steel for great heat distribution. Taped rims also make it very easy to pour. It uses Heat Distribution technology, which ensures no hot or cold spots along the sidewalls and bottom. For your kitchen cleaning needs, take a look at the best extension squeegee.
Award: BEST MIXER
WHY WE LIKE IT: This stand mixer is compatible with 12 attachments, making it a great all-around dynamo for shredding, mixing, beating, and whipping your favorite sauces into shape.
We love this stand mixer’s rotation ability, which uses 59-point planetary mixing to launch each attachment around the bowl for thorough mixing. A separate 10-speed power hub can connect different attachments to instantly turn your mixer from a dough beater to a pasta stretcher. We also love this unit’s focus on usability with a tilt-head design making it easy to add ingredients without having to lift the bowl off.
This stand mixer’s included 5-quart stainless steel bowl offers a lot of capacity for large household cooking needs, accommodating large batches of dough and bread to serve a large family in one sitting. The bowl finish is polished stainless steel, and its handle is also comfortable. Safety is also on point with an overheating guard. Though this mixer excels in many areas, we wish its one-year replacement warranty was longer and that additional coverage did not have to cost extra. Overall, this is the best KitchenAid mixer on the market.
Award: BEST BLENDER
WHY WE LIKE IT: This versatile, smart blender comes with a powerful 1800 watt motor and six different pre-programmed settings to blend all types of foods, including yogurt, smoothies, and soup.
This blender is very powerful, running at 3.8 peak horsepower which cuts through thick batter and dough with ease. It is also very intuitively designed with a 100-speed setting touch slider, allowing users to control the spin just the way they like. Bonus points for its generous 8-year warranty and BPA-free jar, a common additive found in plastics known to cause health defects.
We found most blending jobs to be stunningly quick. While testing, mixing pancake batter (oil, eggs, and batter) turned it into a constantly smooth texture in just seconds. It did an equally awesome job of pureeing, mixing, and stirring. 6 pre-programmed settings are optimized for certain foods, which eliminates the need to experiment with different speeds. To that end, it can detect when there are air bubbles and adjust the blade (not sharp btw) accordingly.
Award: BEST COFFEE MAKER
WHY WE LIKE IT: This coffee brewer, constantly hailed as the best on the market, comes with a powerful 1475 watt motor, brewing a full carafe in 6 minutes or less, perfect as a daily coffee maker.
This coffee brewer is really fast, brewing 10 cups of coffee in six minutes or less. Brewing temperatures are pretty consistent, regularly hitting between 196 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit using a quick copper boiler. A manual brew basket also allows users to adjust the speed at which coffee enters the pot, making it easier to control. While testing, we noticed a smooth and even flavor with no deterioration.
This is one of the best kitchen tools thanks to a two-setting hot plate, keeping your coffee heated to t 175° or 185° F for 100 minutes before shutting off automatically. This is more than enough coffee to remain on the ready for a family of four. Big shout for a BPA and phthalate-free metal and plastic construction, which have been known to cause serious health defects.
Award: BEST MICROWAVE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This 1250-watt microwave oven comes with a massive 2.2 cubic foot of capacity, making it a great choice for large families looking for evenly cooked food in less time.
Thanks to this microwave oven’s 14 auto cook settings, it can cook all kinds of foods without dialing specific times, such as oatmeal, pizza, and pasta. While testing, we really noticed its inverter technology ‘s power in cooking foods evenly and consistently with no hot or cold spots.
We also like this microwave ove’s design and ease of use with 2.2 cubic feet of space, which is on the higher end for larger families. It can easily fit two plates at a time. A large rotating 16.5 turntable also allows foods to be evenly cooked. Bonus points for its automatic sensors which adjust power and time in real-time to prevent overheating.
Award: BEST MULTI COOKER
WHY WE LIKE IT: Thanks to 14 pre programmed settings, this electric pressure cooker is a great choice for anyone looking to cut down on cooking time.
Aside from the Instant Pot name, we really enjoyed this electric pressure cooker’s versatility It has seven different functions, working as a pressure cooker, warmer, steamer, rice cooker, saute pot, yogurt maker, and slow cooker with enough capacity to feed 6 people at a time. It is super easy to use, with buttons labeled based on food type (e.g. meat/stew). It even has an automatic warmer that keeps food ready until served.
This is one of the best kitchen gadgets thanks to its UL certification, which vouches for adherence to strict safety standards with more than 10 mechanisms, such as safety lid locks, automatic temperature controls, and electric fuse management. It even has leaky lid detection, which prevents burnt food due to loose of steam. This cooker is as close to artificial intelligence as it gets. This cooker is so nice, you’ll be grabbing your best salt and pepper shakers to decorate the table.
In determining the best kitchen accessories to buy, we explored design, ease of use, multi-purpose ability, safety, and warranty. Design and ease of use focus on strong ergonomics, whether they be non-slip handles like the Shun Classic 10” Chef’s Knife or super intuitive one-touch programs like the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker with its clearly labeled buttons for different food types.
We prefer must-have kitchen appliances that could be used in different ways. For example, the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker can pressure cook, slow cook, steam, warm, and create yogurt. This helps eliminate the need for multiple pots and pans and saves time. The Blendtec Designer 725 Blender-WildSide Jar also works similarly, using six preprogramming cycles to prepare different types of liquids including juices and smoothies.
Safety for kitchen utensils and equipment is critical. Any safety mechanisms that are designed to protect health and operation were key. Arguably our safest product is the Instant Pot 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker which has more than 10 safety mechanisms such as electric fuse, overheat protection, and automatic temperature controls to prevent burnt food and electrical issues.
Warranty is very important. They help provide peace of mind in case of any manufacturer defects. The longer the warranty, the better. Of our seven picks, the Shun Classic Knife and Cuisinart Microwaves have limited lifetime warranties. Any list of all kitchen utensils should carry a minimum 1-year warranty.
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