Essential Equipment for Sauces

These ultraversatile kitchen workhorses can perform a range of functions: They can incorporate air into a mixture, they can smooth out a cheese sauce, and they can break down fat into tiny droplets to make an emulsified vinaigrette. We like to keep two whisks on hand: Our favorite all-purpose balloon whisk is great for nearly any task, thanks to its ergonomic rubber handle and balanced, lightweight feel. But when it comes to scraping up fond for pan sauces, we like the narrower, flatter profile of the OXO Good Grips Flat Whisk (pictured); its grippy handle is comfortable, and its evenly spaced, rigid tines make it easy to maneuver into pan corners.

Whether you're scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl or preventing a long-cooked sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot, a rubber (also called silicone) spatula is a practical, no-nonsense tool that will be used again and again in the sauce maker's kitchen. A great one shouldn't melt or stain and should have a good balance of firmness and flexibility. Check out our review here.

You might not give a lot of thought to your wooden spoons, but don't let their simplicity belie their importance. The one you use can make a difference, especially when you're cooking in a nonstick pan or a Dutch oven that you don't want to scratch. Read our review here.

Emulsifying sensitive sauces like mayonnaise by hand is fussy at best, ineffective at worst. We often use a blender to create stable emulsions in a flash; the sharp blades break down the liquids into smaller droplets so they stay mixed. Read our reviews below.

Best Blenders

Best Immersion Blenders

A blender is ideal for creating supersmooth purees, since it is designed to funnel all the ingredients downward in the tapered jar toward the multipronged blade. But when it comes to creating coarser-textured sauces, like Romesco, we turn to our food processor, which makes quick work of otherwise labor-intensive tasks like chopping vegetables and grinding nuts. Read about our testing here.

A good-quality saucepan is a workhorse in the kitchen. We use a saucepan to make all of our simmering sauces and more. Because it is used so often, we think it's worthwhile to invest in a great one. Read about our testing here.

A good Dutch oven (variously called a stockpot, round oven, or casserole by manufacturers) is heavier and thicker than a real stockpot, allowing it to retain and conduct heat more effectively, and it is deeper than a skillet, so it can handle large quantities of sauce and big cuts of meat. Dutch ovens are our top choice for braises, as they can go on the stovetop to sear foods and then into the oven to finish with steady, slow cooking. We like a Dutch oven that is roughly twice as wide as it is tall, with a minimum capacity of 6 quarts, though 7 quarts is even better. Read our review here.

The sloped sides of a skillet facilitate quick evaporation of moisture and prevent food from stewing in its own released juices. This is what makes a skillet perfect for making pan sauces.

Our favorite conventional skillets

Our favorite nonstick skillets

Our favorite ceramic nonstick skillets

For smooth, delicate sauces, it's necessary to strain the sauce to remove the solids and achieve a refined texture. Find out what makes a good strainer here.

Although they're not a necessity, we like to keep a few squeeze bottles on hand. They can be used to store and serve sauces neatly, and enable you to easily make beautiful designs on plates to impress guests. They're also handy when a recipe calls for slowly drizzling oil into a vinaigrette, because they make it easy to control the flow and speed of the oil. You can find them at most kitchen supply or restaurant supply stores. Read about our favorites here.