The Dishwell Kitchen Toolkit
Good food doesn’t require a kitchen full of gadgets. Most of the recipes on Dishwell come together with a handful of reliable basics — a sharp knife, a sturdy pan, a bowl, and a spoon. But a few well-chosen tools genuinely make cooking easier, faster, and more consistent, and those are the ones worth owning.
This page is a running list of the equipment we actually reach for across the recipes here, organized so you can find what you need. There’s no pressure to buy everything at once. Start with the basics, add the rest as you go, and you’ll be set up for just about anything in our recipe collection.
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Cookware: Pots, Pans & Skillets
The workhorses of the kitchen. If you cook anything on the stove, these are where to start.
Large skillet or frying pan — The most-used pan on the site, from Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta to Beef Tacos and French Toast.
Non-stick skillet — Essential for delicate jobs like Classic Scrambled Eggs, where easy release matters most.
Cast iron skillet or grill pan — Holds high heat for a proper sear. What gives Classic Beef Burgers their crust.
Oven-safe skillet — Goes from stovetop to oven in one move, the way Marry Me Chicken does.
Dutch oven or large heavy pot — Ideal for low-and-slow cooking like Chipotle Honey Pot Roast Tacos and Beef Chili.
Large pot or stockpot — For soups, pasta, and boiling potatoes — Classic Chicken Noodle Soup, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and more.
Saucepan (medium & small) — For warming milk, melting and browning butter, and infusing Festive Mulled Wine. (1.5-qt size)
Bakeware
For everything that goes in the oven — roasts, breads, cookies, and sheet-pan dinners.
Baking sheets / sheet pans — Maybe the most versatile thing you can own. Used for cookies, roasted vegetables, salmon, and Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables. A pair is better than one.
Oven-safe baking dish — For Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta and Holiday Baked Brie.
Roasting pan with rack — Lifts the meat so heat circulates evenly. What you want for the Prime Rib Roast.
12-cup muffin tin — Does double duty for Blueberry Muffins and Classic Yorkshire Pudding.
9×5 loaf pan — The right size for Banana Bread.
Wire cooling rack — Lets cookies, muffins, and bread cool without going soggy on the bottom.
Parchment paper — Non-stick, no-mess lining for every bake.
Knives & Prep Tools
Prep is where most of the time goes, so good basics here pay off every single meal.
Chef’s knife — The one knife that does almost everything. Worth buying a good one. (budget pick)
Cutting board — A sturdy board for all that chopping, slicing, and dicing.
Mixing bowls (set) — Nesting bowls for batters, dressings, marinades, and tossing salads. (glass option)
Measuring cups & spoons — Baking especially rewards accuracy.
Box grater — For fresh-grating cheese, which melts far better than pre-shredded (see Mac and Cheese).
Zester / microplane — For citrus zest, fresh ginger, and finishing touches.
Vegetable peeler — Quick work of potatoes, carrots, and more.
Fine-mesh strainer & colander — For draining pasta and straining Homemade Eggnog or Festive Mulled Wine.
Small Appliances
A bit more of an investment, but each one earns its counter space.
Immersion (stick) blender — Blends soup right in the pot, no transferring hot liquid. Perfect for Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. A standard countertop blender works too.
Hand or stand mixer — Creams butter and sugar for cookies in seconds (Sugar Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies).
Slow cooker — The set-and-forget option for Beef Chili and the pot roast tacos.
Rice cooker — Hands-off rice for bowls like the Miso Salmon Bowl. (Optional.)
Everyday Tools & Gadgets
The small stuff that quietly makes everything easier.
Instant-read meat thermometer — Takes the guesswork out of meat. The difference between a perfect Prime Rib Roast and an overcooked one. (budget TP03)
Whisk — For eggs, batters, sauces, and dressings.
Wooden spoon — Gentle on pans, great for stirring soups and chili. (or a set)
Silicone spatula — Flexible enough to fold scrambled eggs and scrape every bowl clean.
Tongs — For turning, searing, and serving without piercing the food.
Potato masher (or ricer) — For smooth, fluffy Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Pastry brush — For glazing salmon, brushing egg wash, and oiling bruschetta toast.
Ladle — For serving soups and chili cleanly.
Cookie scoop — Evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate.
Rolling pin — For rolling out cookie dough. (French tapered)
Cookie cutters — For shaped sugar and gingerbread cookies.
Mason jar with lid — Shake up a quick Cranberry-Pear Vinaigrette and store it right in the jar.
💡 Money-saver tip: Many of the OXO Good Grips tools above — the whisk, tongs, peeler, box grater, ladle, and more — also come bundled in the OXO Good Grips 20-Piece Everyday Kitchen Set, which can work out cheaper than buying them one by one.
Building your kitchen one tool at a time? Bookmark this page — we update it as new recipes (and the tools they call for) are added to Dishwell.