How to Choose Cooking Tools
Start with your available space, intended use, cleaning requirements and the manufacturer's specifications. These products are examples to compare, not a claim that we tested or ranked them by sales.
Want the full comparison? Read our complete cooking tools buying guide.
Products and practical buying considerations
Weighs ingredients in grams or ounces up to 11 pounds, with a tare button that zeroes out the bowl so you measure only what you add. The slim stainless steel platform wipes clean and stores flat when you are done.
Who it may suit: Works for bakers and meal preppers who want to weigh ingredients in grams or ounces instead of scooping. The tare button zeroes out the bowl, so you can add ingredients one after another in the same bowl.
What to check: The limit is 11 pounds, which is plenty for most recipes but not for very large batches. Check the listing for the battery type.
Takes the guesswork out of chicken, roasts, and the holiday turkey with a temperature reading in a couple of seconds. The backlit display is easy to read at the oven or the grill, and the waterproof body rinses clean under the tap.
Who it may suit: A good fit for anyone who roasts chicken, cooks a holiday turkey or grills and wants a quick temperature reading instead of guessing. The backlit display helps at a dim oven or grill.
What to check: It is a hand-held probe, so you have to open the oven or lift the grill lid to check. The body is waterproof and rinses clean, but check the listing for the temperature range and what powers it.
Silicone shells rated to 500°F shield hands from hot sheet pans and casserole dishes, and they shrug off steam and spills that soak through cloth mitts. The ribbed grip holds slippery pans, and each mitt is 7 by 13 inches.
Who it may suit: For anyone who handles hot sheet pans and casserole dishes and wants mitts that shrug off steam and spills. The listing rates the silicone shells to 500°F.
What to check: Each mitt is 7 by 13 inches, so check that this suits your hand size. Do not go past the listed heat rating.
Three glass cups in 1, 2 and 4-cup sizes cover everything from a splash of milk to a full batch of batter, with bold ounce and milliliter markings. They go into the microwave to warm butter or milk and pour cleanly through a curved spout, which suits holiday baking.
Who it may suit: Good for home bakers who want one cup for a splash of milk and a bigger one for a full batch of batter. The 1, 2 and 4-cup sizes cover most recipes.
What to check: Glass can chip or break if dropped, so it needs a bit more care than plastic. The cups are listed as microwave and dishwasher safe, which makes melting butter and cleanup easy.
Cookies, roasted vegetables and sticky candied nuts release cleanly without buying roll after roll of parchment or foil. Two half-sheet mats fit standard pans, then rinse off or go in the dishwasher.
Who it may suit: Suits people who bake cookies or roast vegetables often and would like to stop buying parchment paper or foil. A set of two lets one tray bake while the other is being cleaned.
What to check: The mats are sized for half-sheet pans, which are a standard 18 by 13 inches, so check that your pans match. They rinse off or go in the dishwasher.
Skimming fat off turkey drippings with a spoon is slow and messy, and greasy gravy is the result when you rush it. Pour drippings through the strainer, let the fat rise, then pour the juices out from the bottom through the spout.
Who it may suit: For anyone making gravy from turkey or roast drippings, or skimming homemade stock and soup.
What to check: It holds 4 cups, so a big roast may need two pours. Put the stopper in the spout before pouring the drippings in, and give the fat a minute to rise.
Rolling dough on a floured counter leaves a sticky mess and no guide for size. This 28 by 20 inch silicone mat has measurements printed on it and a non-slip back that keeps it from sliding while you roll pie crust, cookies or bread dough.
Who it may suit: For holiday bakers rolling pie crust, cookies or bread dough who want an easier counter cleanup.
What to check: Measure your counter or table first, since the mat is 28 by 20 inches; it rolls up for storage but shouldn't be cut on with a knife.
One warped baking sheet slows down cookie batches and sheet-pan dinners alike. This set gives you three nonstick carbon steel pans in 13 by 9, 15 by 10 and 17 by 11 inch sizes, so you can match the pan to the job.
Who it may suit: For cookie bakers and sheet-pan cooks who need more than one pan, in a few sizes.
What to check: Measure your oven before buying: the large pan is 17 by 11 inches. Hand washing is recommended to keep the nonstick coating longer.
Before you buy
Measure the installation or storage area, check compatibility and dimensions on the current product listing, and read recent customer feedback. Product specifications and availability can change.
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