Tools of the Trade

A fast, accurate thermometer is the best way to know when your food is done, which does wonders to improve the safety and quality of pretty much everything that ends up on your plate.

This multiuse pan is key when we want to pan-sear chicken parts. The finish (which is not nonstick) helps develop fond—the crusty browned bits that stick to the bottom of the pan and are used to make flavorful pan sauces. The flared, shallow sides encourage rapid evaporation of moisture, so foods sear and brown, rather than steam, and pan sauces reduce quickly. Look for a pan with a comfortable, ovensafe handle that will help you lift and hold on to the pan easily when sliding it into the oven or under the broiler.

We use rimmed aluminum baking sheets for everything from roasting vegetables to baking cookies to making one-pan meals. Fitted with the right-size wire cooling rack, this pan is also good for broiling or roasting and for prep work such as holding breaded food before frying. Make sure the pan is sturdy so it won't buckle but lightweight enough to be lifted easily when it's full of food. We prefer pans that are 18 by 13 inches with a 1-inch rim all around, often called half sheet pans.

In the test kitchen and our home kitchens alike, we use tongs to lift, flip, turn, rotate, and otherwise move every conceivable type of food while it cooks, from chicken breasts sauteing in a skillet to a whole roast chicken emerging from the oven. We prefer a length of 12 inches, which keeps our hands far from the heat but is still easily maneuverable. Tongs should open and close easily and fit comfortably in your hand.

A carving board may seem like a luxury you pull out only a few times a year, but anyone who's tried carving a roast on a flat cutting board knows what a disaster that can be. Carving boards have trenches around their perimeters that keep juices from dribbling onto the counter and avoid mess.

Kitchen shears are the best all-around tool on the counter, useful for butterflying chicken, trimming pie dough, shaping parchment to line cake pans, snipping herbs, or cutting lengths of kitchen twine.