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There are many reasons to upgrade your cooking tools and kitchen gear. Maybe you're trying to cook more, or eat healthier. Or maybe you're just tired of using the same warped frying pan that you've had since college.

It doesn't matter what the reason is, but the start of a new year is a perfect time to upgrade your kitchen-ware. The challenge is finding the right tools for you, and that's where we at Reviewed come in. We've compiled a list of 30 of our top-ranked items that were tested by our kitchen and cooking experts which you can pick and choose from to suit your needs.

Whether it's some inexpensive measuring spoons, or a big-time stand mixer, from the time you start chopping onions until you box your casserole up and store it in the fridge, we've got you covered, chef.

Preppers

1. The best cutting board: The Totally Bamboo Kauai

The Totally Bamboo Kauai Cutting Board has the best feel and balance of all the cutting boards we tested. It's heavy enough to pass our stability and balance tests, but light enough to easily maneuver and clean. Plus, its 14.5 x 11.5-inch size makes it a perfect choice for most household cutting tasks.

The Totally Bamboo board also looks beautiful, thanks to a two-tone bamboo color scheme. Bamboo looks like wood, but it isn't. It's a hard grass that grows very quickly, making it a sustainable, renewable resource. Some say that bamboo is too hard and can dull your knives, but we didn’t measure any noticeable dulling during our tests.

Get the Totally Bamboo Kauai cutting board on Amazon for $19.95

2. The best knife set: The Zwilling J.A. Henckels 18-pc knife block set

You don't need every knife in the block to prepare dinner, but this set gives you everything you'll need at a great value—especially considering that it comes with eight really nice steak knives and a killer set of kitchen shears. The chef’s knife (the one you'll probably use most often) is lightweight and easy to wield while also being one of the sharper knives in our test group of the best knife sets. The paring knife fits perfectly in our hands for off-the-cutting-board activities like peeling apples, and the serrated bread knife made quick work at slicing crusty baguettes as the whole set earned an Editors' Choice award.

Get the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Knife Set on amazon for $279.99

3. The best measuring cups and spoons: The Cuisipro stainless steel measuring spoon set

The Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Spoon Set was one of the least expensive sets on our list, so we were thrilled when it came out as our best measuring cups and spoons set. These unbendable stainless-steel spoons have a sleek, tapered look with etched-on measurements that won’t fade in the dishwasher over time. The handles are tapered so each spoon stands flat on the countertop, which is a nice (and, sadly, uncommon) feature.

The elongated, oval-sized spoons fit in most common spice jars and are held together by an easy-to-remove band for storage purposes. They come in all the common sizes, but also include the super-precise 1/8 teaspoon measurement.

Get the Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Spoon Set on Amazon for $10.65

4. The best colander: The OXO Good Grips 5-quart stainless steel colander

The OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless-Steel Colander passed every test we threw at it with flying colors. Covered from rim to base with perfectly sized holes, this stainless steel colander features an easy-to-grip rim and non-skid feet that stayed put as we tossed food into it. It was well-shaped to funnel water out of the perforated sides, and never clogged with pasta or rice. It was the most expensive colander we tested at just under $30 but it also aced all of our tests, earning it our pick for best overall.

Get the OXO Good Grips Stainless-Steel Colander on Amazon for $29.99

5. The best grater: The Microplane four-blade four-sided box grater

Unlike traditional stamped-style models, the blades for this grater are etched into the metal using a chemical process that creates super-sharp edges. That allowed this grater to perform above-average on all four sides. The fine holes resulted in beautifully zested lemons and a pile of airy, fluffy Parmesan, whereas the coarse holes gave us long strands of mozzarella and potato shreds that made the best latkes in the group.

It wasn't just about performance, either. It was the small features that made this model go above and beyond. The fine blade panel is removable for ease of cleaning, and the wide design makes the rest of this dishwasher-safe grater simple to clean, too. The feet stayed out of the way of shreds, allowing the contents to happily pile up underneath the grater without clogging up the mechanisms. As an added bonus, all the blades are made in the U.S.A. Put that all together, and this grater was a shoo-in for our choice of best overall.

Get the Microplane box grater on Amazon for $29.95

6. The best spiralizer: The Veggetti

We were hesitant when we spied an "As Seen on TV" label on this product, but the truth is, it beats out the competition by a long shot. It’s intuitive to use: Simply stick your vegetable in one of two ends, depending on your preferred “noodle” thickness, and twist for long, continuous ribbons. It is the only model that has an effective food holder cap that, when our vegetable was close to the end, allowed us to safely grind it down to the smallest of nubs.

The Veggetti comes with a little brush for easy cleaning and it feels more sturdy and better constructed than the similar Zoodle Slicer and Kitchen Supreme. Plus, at under $10, it’s a no-brainer.

Get the Veggetti on Amazon for $9.99

7. The best potato ricer: Chef'n FreshForce potato ricer

A potato rice is the gadget you need to make fluffy, airy mashed potatoes. We loved the way our top potato ricer effortlessly pushed the potatoes through the hopper, thanks to a gear-powered mechanism that requires less arm strength to use. It was the only ricer we tested that we could use one-handed with a whole potato (with the others we tested, we had to chop the potatoes up into small pieces to achieve one-handed pressing). The comfortable handle is made from a heavy-duty plastic, but the hopper itself is stainless steel, which is easier to clean and should last a long time. The simple two-construction design allows you to take the stainless steel basket out, making it both easy to fill and a breeze to clean.

Get the Chef'n FreshForce Potato Ricer on Amazon for $55.26

8. The best digital kitchen scale: The My Weigh KD-8000

With its bulky, lab-style body, the KD-8000 stands out from the smaller, sleeker scales in our lineup. But if you have the counter space in your kitchen, this weighing machine won’t disappoint.

In testing, the KD-8000 proved to be the most accurate of the bunch, displaying the correct weights even when we added and removed objects from its platform. We liked the backlit screen, which displays an icon to indicate when a measurement is stable, as well as the cover that helps protect buttons from errant flour. In addition to measuring in grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds, the scale also offers a baker’s percentage mode, allowing you to easily weigh out (for example) a mixture that’s two parts oats and one part sugar.

Get the My Weigh KD-8000 on Amazon for $36.47

9. The best pasta maker: The Marcato Atlas 150

While it's significantly less expensive than electric pasta machines, the Marcato Atlas Pasta Machine was the most expensive manual pasta maker we tested. In this case, the adage "You get what you pay for" is certainly true. As we fed the dough into the rollers, we effortlessly held the sheet in one hand while cranking the handle with the other. It was the only pasta machine we tested that had a "0" setting, which was so wide that we barely had to flatten our dough to fit it through the rollers. In between rolls, the easy-to-operate knob could be adjusted with one hand, so we didn't have to put the dough down (a serious time saver!). To cut the sheet, all you have to do is clip on the included fettuccine and spaghetti attachment, which created restaurant-quality pasta every time. It's as easy as that!

If you're looking for a hand crank pasta machine that's easy and effortless to use, this is definitely the one to get. And, if you're really serious about pasta making, this machine has a dozen optional accessories for making ravioli, linguine, pappardelle, and more.

Get the Marcato Atlas 150 on Amazon for $79.75

Mixers

10. The best mixing bowls: The Cuisinart stainless steel mixing bowls with lids

With stainless steel bowls, there’s nothing to shatter or chip, making them both durable and long-lasting, and their lightweight profile makes them easy to use. While they shouldn’t go into the microwave, they can be used on the stovetop as a double boiler–and the small- and medium-sized bowls in the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids worked perfectly for melting butter and chocolate over a 2-quart saucepan. As a bonus, the bowls come with air-tight plastic lids, so each bowl doubles as storage and transportation container (always helpful when you're planning a large meal), helping them to become our top choice for mixing bowls.

Get the Cuisinart stainless steel mixing bowls with lids on Amazon for $24.98

11. The best blender under $100: The KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond

The KitchenAid KSB1575 Diamond blender is absolutely the best affordable blender we've tested. This five-speed model did exceptionally well in our chopping and mixing tests. It obliterated ice cubes into a fine slush, made creamy nut butter, and liquefied fruit and yogurt into a delicious smoothie.

Our testers liked the easy-to-read and intuitive controls, and each button has enough resistance that you shouldn’t worry about accidentally engaging the wrong setting. The components are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning, it comes with a 60-oz. BPA-free jar and is available in over 15 colors, including Boysenberry, Tangerine, Espresso, and the classic Empire Red.

Get the KitchenAid Diamond blender on Amazon for $89.99

12. The best hand mixer: The Cuisinart Power Advantage Plus

From whipping cream to kneading bread, you can’t beat the Cuisinart Power Advantage Plus 9-Speed Hand Mixer with Storage Case. It simply didn’t have any weak spots on any of our tests. We didn’t have to stop and scrape the bowl when we were making sponge cake batter and when it came to cookie dough, it sailed right through, easily beating in oats and raisins thoroughly so we didn’t have to do a quick mix with a spatula before forming cookies. The Cuisinart kneaded yeast dough into a smooth elastic ball as well as the human hand.

The on/off switch and speed controls are intuitive to use, and the mixer always starts off slowly, so you never get an initial spatter of flour in your face. Of all the hand mixers we tested, it has the most helpful manual, which even includes recipes you might actually want to make. The attachments are dishwasher safe and can be stored in the included case, snapped on the top of the mixer.

Get the Cuisinart Power Advantage Plus from Walmart for $54.99

13. The best stand mixer: KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart

The Artisan is the quintessential stand mixer. Easy to set up and with the quietest motor we tested, the Artisan was a pleasure to use and passed through all our tests with aplomb. Despite its many competitors, our tests prove that it is still the best stand mixer you can buy.

Its merits are many: attachments were easy to put on, remove, and clean; the tilt lever lock worked well; the bowl installed smoothly; and the splash guard, though not really necessary (for this class of mixer, none of them are), fit the bowl well and could be slid on when needed without taking apart the mixer.

Get the KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer on Amazon for $279.95

14. The best food processor: The Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY

If you don't feel like cutting anything this year, hook up our top-ranked food processor instead. You can chop onions, celery, and garlic for stuffing and use the included attachment to slice potatoes or shred cheese. In fact, you can even make your pie crust in it. In our testing, the Cuisinart "Custom 14" food processor (model DFP‑14BCNY) is the best on the market. It excels at almost every task, from chopping onions and slicing tomatoes as well as a razor-sharp chefs' knife, to kneading pizza dough into a smooth elastic ball. As an added bonus, the Cuisinart is so quiet while it's running that it won’t shut down conversation in the kitchen! Cleanup is a cinch, as Cuisinart is the only manufacturer that actually encourages you to wash the parts in the dishwasher.

Get the Cusinart food processor on Amazon for $157.95

15. The best juicer: The Omega J8006

The Omega J8006 is a horizontal auger masticating juicer, meaning the element that presses out juice does its work slowly, and the whole thing is oriented horizontally rather than vertically. It's also the best overall juicer we tested. Yield was consistently high, with a nice balance of pulp that gave the juice body without affecting taste. In a blind taste test, the J8006 beat the Omega VSJ843 and the Breville Juice Fountain Duo, and—best of all—the J8006 is one of the easiest juicers to disassemble and clean.

Get the Omega J8006 on Amazon for $295

Cookers

16. The best electric multi-cooker: The Instant Pot Smart WiFi 6-quart

The recently-released Instant Pot Smart WiFi is everything a multi-cooker can (and should) be: fast, efficient, precise, intuitive, and perfectly capable of replacing most other devices in your kitchen. The Smart Wifi is Instant Pot’s update to the Smart Bluetooth, a middling product that suffered from poor app maintenance and connectivity issues. Luckily, this version faces none of those issues, and instead provides a handy 8-in-1 appliance with the convenience of WiFi connectivity, allowing you to set, monitor, and control your multi-cooker from virtually anywhere. Beyond this new technology, the Smart WiFi shares most of its DNA with the existing Duo Plus, save for the latter’s “Sanitize” function.

Get the Instant Pot Smart WiFi multi-cooker on Amazon for $90

17. The best slow cooker: The Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central 6-quart

The Cuisinart 3-in-1 Multi-Cooker is every meat lover's dream come true. Why? Because it boasts a removable nonstick aluminum cooking pot that can be used right on the stovetop. That means you can sauté or brown your meat before slow cooking it to mouth-watering perfection.

Not only does it offer a feature that isn't found on most other slow cookers, but the Cuisinart also produced consistently great results during our time cooking with it. For deliciously moist and tender pulled pork, the Cuisnart was the slow cooker to beat.

It'll cost a pretty penny, but if you're looking for a feature-rich package that'll cut down on dirty dishes, the Cuisinart is perfectly poised to handle whatever you throw at it.

Get the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central on Amazon for $100.64

18. The best inexpensive toaster and toaster ovens: The Black & Decker 2-slice toaster and the Hamilton Beach 6-slice easy reach toaster oven

The incredibly affordable Black & Decker browned and crisped bread as evenly as toasters more than triple its price. When we toasted five batches one after another—as you might when you have a crowd over for brunch—every slice came out looking exactly the same.

The Hamilton Beach Easy Reach Oven with Convection won’t take up the space that more expensive toaster ovens do, while still delivering excellent toasting and baking. In addition, the door rolls back, making it exceptionally easy to put in and take out food. It also means more room on the countertop in front of the oven and a slimmer chance of getting burned. Of all the toaster ovens we tested, it was the fastest at toasting bread, with times fairly similar to a pop-up toaster. Biscuits come out as high, flaky, and golden as if you made them in the oven—and faster, too.

Get the Black & Decker toaster at Target for $29.99

Get the Hamilton Beach toaster oven at Target for $64.99

19. The best electric griddle: The Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 grill/griddle

Meeting (and in some cases exceeding) our basic expectations for an electric griddle, the Hamilton Beach has a series of notable special features, which catapulted it right to the top of our list. It’s equipped with two reversible, easy to snap in, non-stick plates (which are PFOA-free, too) with flat griddles on one side and ridged grills on the other. And while the tradeoff here is usually surface area (you often lose a significant amount of cooking real estate where the plates connect), the transition is nearly seamless. Its 180 square inches allowed us to fit four big pancakes, three pieces of bacon, and two eggs on our griddle without a hitch. Cleanup was also easier since you can remove and wash the plates without having to stick the entire unit in the sink (bonus: the plates—and the grease tray included with the griddle—are also dishwasher safe).

Another savvy addition to this griddle is that each side of the unit has its own heating control, so you can adjust the temperature under each plate. That’s highly useful when cooking a variety of items at once. Unsurprisingly, the heating consistency of the Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 griddle also rated highly in our tests.

Get the Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 griddle at Target for $35.99

20. The best air fryer: The Philips Airfryer XXL

When it comes to frying, the Philips Airfryer XXL knocked it out of the park. We tasted an awful lot of French fries for this round-up, but the Philips cooked up the fries we couldn’t stop noshing on. They had the combination of crunchiness, tenderness, and potato flavor that make great fries so delectable. Even when we loaded the basket with more than three pounds of frozen fries, they came out crispy. Battered Nashville hot chicken came out with a crackling crust and hamburgers rivaled ones made on the grill.

Like all air fryers, it’s still relatively easy to use—this one requires no preheat—and the results are worth the payoff. A cookbook is included to give you lots of recipe ideas. If your family really likes fried food but not the fat, the Philips is definitely worth the investment.

Get the Philips Airfryer XXL on Amazon for $299.99

21. The best rice cooker: The Panasonic One-Touch Fuzzy Logic

If you’re looking for phenomenal rice every time, this is the rice cooker for you. During testing, the results were fluffy yet soft and never overdone, each batch the kind you'd be proud to serve to dinner guests. While the Fuzzy Logic cooker took a little longer than anticipated, the final product was worth the wait.

Using this rice cooker was also incredibly easy. It has only four buttons, all clearly labeled, which makes it simple to plug it in and just get cooking. The cooker fits best in a kitchen with a bit of extra counter space, but overall it topped the charts when it came to making great rice and steaming fantastic dumplings with very little effort. It's a bit on the pricy side, but for anyone serious about their rice and looking for a simple set up, this Panasonic is just right.

Get the Panasonic One-Touch Fuzzy Logic rice cooker on Amazon for $71

Stovetop

22. The best nonstick pans: The Calphalon Contemporary nonstick 10" omelette pan

The Calphalon Contemporary nonstick omelette pan is not only beautiful to look at, but it also performs like a charm. We used it to cook pancakes and an omelet, all of which slid easily on the PFOA-free nonstick surface. In fact, flipping eggs felt absolutely effortless on its smooth interior. The stainless steel handle is rounded and angles up, assisting with flipping motions while keeping your hands far away from the heat.

We loved the pan’s perfect balance and thick anodized aluminum base, which provide both sturdiness and ease of movement. At just under $40, you’re not breaking the bank—but you’re not sacrificing any durability, either.

Get the Calphalon nonstick omelette pan on Amazon for $34.95

23. The best cookware set: The Cuisinart MCP-12N stainless steel 12-piece set

We love how easy these pans are to use and they earned the top spot in our reviews of cookware sets. The tri-ply construction gives the pans the benefit of heat conductivity, but the aluminum core ensures they’re not too heavy to handle. The set includes everything you need to cook a meal: two saucepans (1 1/2- and 3-quart), an 8-quart stockpot, a medium-sized 3.5-quart sauté pan, two skillets (8- and 10-inch), and a steamer insert—all with comfortable handles and a design that creates a nice balance when holding the pan.

Get the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Cookware Set on Amazon for $182.97

24. The best skillet: The Lodge 12-inch pre-seasoned skillet

Lodge has been making its cast iron cookware since 1896, but its durability is one reason why Lodge has become a household name—and why they make our top-ranked cast iron pan. The Lodge Logic 12-inch skillet sells for just under $20 on sale, but it's likely to last for generations. Our only complaint? It comes with no written warranty, though Lodge claims it will always stand behind its products.

Get the Lodge 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet from Target for $19.99

Oven

25. The best dutch oven: Staub cast iron 5.5-quart round cocotte

Solidly built, perfectly round, and easy to clean, the Staub Round Cocotte aced every test. From braising meat and vegetables to simmering a stew, this dutch oven nailed it. Sometimes there really is a correlation between price and quality — and this is one of those times.

In our tests, the Staub Round Cocotte Oven narrowly beat out the well-known (and well-loved) Le Creuset. This mostly came down to the shape of the dutch oven, and how much better it fit on the stove and in the pantry. While a little heavier than some of the others, the evenness of cooking and the large sauteing area that doesn’t bar you from putting other large pots on the stove bumped this one all the way to the top.

Get the Staub round cocotte in Dark Blue on Amazon for $259.99

26. The best baking dishes: The Pyrex easy grab bake 'N store glass baking dishes

These Pyrex casserole dishes certainly aren’t fancy to look at, but we've been using them for years. They heat evenly, they're easy to clean, and those snap-on lids to make food storage a breeze.

Get the Pyrex Easy Grab Bake 'N Store glass baking dishes on Amazon for $22.99

27. The best baking sheets: The Nordic Ware natural aluminum baker's half sheet

You'll need a good baking sheet, and there’s a reason this American-made baking sheet tops charts around the internet, including our list of the best baking sheets. It’s lightweight, large enough to fit more than a dozen cookies, and distributes heat like a dream. Measuring 12 by 17 inches, we feel confident you could cook enough vegetables for a small crowd.

Get the Nordic Ware natural sheets on Amazon from multiple sellers

28. The best oven thermometers: The ThermoWorks ChefAlarm probe and the ThermoWorks ThermoPop digital

In addition to being the most accurate probe we tested, The ChefAlarm also has a nice backlight display. You can use it as a timer, adjust the alarm's volume, or use it to keep track of the minimum and maximum readings. We especially love its hinged tilting screen for easy viewing on the countertop, but it also has a magnet and a clip if that works better for your kitchen.

The ThermoPop digital thermometer immediately impressed us with its super quick, accurate readings and its beautiful appearance. With a click of a super soft button, the display rotates 360 degrees for ease of viewing. Another click and the backlight illuminates the large numbers.

Get the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm probe thermometer at ThermoWorks for $64

Get the ThermoWorks ThermoPop digital thermometer at ThermoWorks for $34

29. The best oven mitts: Big Red House oven mitts

Sometimes a product just gets everything right—and the Big Red House mitts get everything right. We hardly would’ve expected a layered cotton mitt to hold its own against silicone and Teflon varieties, but they're the only ones that protected our hands for more than four minutes while we held a baking sheet straight from a 450°F oven. In comparison, the runner-up for that test was only comfortable for just over one minute.

The heat protection is surely the most important thing, but there’s more to like about the Big Red House mitts. They’re nice-looking (simple and classic) and lined with soft, comfortable terry cloth. Silicone striping helps with grip.

Get the Big Red House oven mitts on Amazon for $13.99

Food storage

30. The best food storage containers: The Glasslock 18-piece assorted oven-safe set

A really nice set of reusable containers should be ready during dinner cleanup. We love that these top-ranked containers nest within each other for easy storage, they don't impart off-flavors into our food, and they're marked as dishwasher-, microwave-, and oven-safe (just the glass, not the lids). It also doesn't hurt that they aced every test we could think of. They didn't leak water when we sloshed them around and didn't burst open or shatter when we dropped them from a countertop. When we froze them, expanding food didn't break through the seal and they resisted stains.

Get the Glasslock 18-Piece Assorted Oven Safe Container Set on Amazon for $36.15

Prices are accurate at the time this article was published, but may change over time.