2026 kitchen gift guide: Essential cooking gear for chefs of every level

The best kitchen gifts solve one specific problem, and you can usually explain exactly how. The HORL3 Cruise holds a knife against a magnet at a fixed 15- or 20-degree angle while a diamond disc rolls along the edge. The ThermoWorks Thermapen Nano gets a reading in about 0.4 seconds, so you can stop guessing when a roast is done. The Challenger Bread Pan traps steam under a tall cast-iron lid, the same trick bakeries pull off with steam-injected ovens. Every pick below works on that principle, from a $16 three-pack of Swiss peelers to a $750 Ankarsrum stand mixer whose bowl spins on top of the motor instead of under a beater.

There are 65 gifts here, grouped by category. Jump to: precision and measurement, knives and sharpening, pans and cookware, coffee, tea and drinks, baking and from scratch, countertop appliances, prep and storage, pantry and stocking stuffers.

Best pepper mill: MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon

MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon $199.99

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Seasoning a thick steak with a typical pepper grinder takes a lot of twisting. The MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon uses hardened high-carbon stainless steel burrs spinning on a drive shaft supported by two bearings inside a body milled from a solid block of anodized aluminum. MÄNNKITCHEN claims 10 times the output of top-rated mills, which it describes as seven cranks instead of 70. You set the grind from 8 to 60+ mesh with an adjuster on the base that clicks into spring-loaded detents. The hopper holds half a cup of peppercorns, and a removable cup underneath catches up to a third of a cup of ground pepper, which is handy when a rub calls for a measured amount.

Best kitchen scale: OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display

OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display $51.99

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A big mixing bowl tends to hide a kitchen scale’s display right when you need to read it. On the OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display, the readout sits on a tray that slides out from the base, clear of whatever’s on the platform, then tucks back in for storage. It weighs up to 11 pounds (5 kilograms), and a meter on the display shows how much capacity you have left as you add ingredients. The display has an optional backlight, and the stainless steel platform lifts off so you can wash it by hand.

Best sous vide cooker: Anova Precision Cooker 3.0

Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 $169

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Sous vide cooking holds a water bath at the exact temperature you want your food to finish at, so a steak can sit in it and stay medium-rare instead of drifting toward well-done. The Anova Precision Cooker 3.0 heats that bath with an 1,100-watt element and circulates 8 liters of water per minute, and Anova rates it to hold within 0.2°F anywhere from 32°F to 197°F. A two-line touchscreen on the cooker shows time and temperature, and dual-band Wi-Fi lets you start or check a cook from your phone. Anova gives it an IPX7 water-resistance rating, and the clamp adjusts and detaches to fit different pots.

Best instant-read thermometer: ThermoWorks Thermapen Nano

ThermoWorks Thermapen Nano $119

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ThermoWorks has closed out the Thermapen One, and the Thermapen Nano took its place this year. ThermoWorks rates the Nano’s fixed thermocouple probe for a full reading in 0.4 seconds and accuracy within 0.5°F between -4°F and 248°F, a window that covers everything from rare beef to pulled pork. Two magnets built into the body let it ride on the side of the fridge or range hood, and the display rotates a full 360 degrees, so the numbers read right-side up whichever hand you hold it in. It’s IP67 rated, runs roughly 1,000 hours on one AAA battery, and comes with a five-year warranty and a NIST-traceable calibration certificate.

Best budget instant-read thermometer: TempPro TempSwift Pro TP622 Instant-Read Thermometer

TempPro TempSwift Pro TP622 Instant-Read Thermometer $31.98

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A fast thermocouple thermometer doesn’t have to cost triple digits. TempPro, the brand formerly known as ThermoPro, builds a thermocouple sensor into the TempSwift Pro TP622 and rates it for a 0.1-second response time and accuracy within 0.5°F across -58°F to 572°F. That high end reaches past meat into frying oil and candy-making territory. The backlit display auto-rotates 180 degrees for left- or right-handed use, and the thermometer wakes up when you lift it and goes to sleep after 90 seconds of sitting still. It carries an IP65 water-resistance rating and runs on a single AAA battery.

Best wireless meat thermometer: Combustion Predictive Thermometer (2nd Gen)

Combustion Predictive Thermometer (2nd Gen) $149

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The Combustion Predictive Thermometer (2nd Gen) is built around the question people actually ask during a roast: how much longer? Its probe carries eight sensors along its length, so the app can show the core, the surface and the air temperature around the food at the same time. Combustion’s prediction engine uses that heat-flow data to estimate the time remaining, and a feature it calls TrueCore reports the lowest internal reading even if you didn’t hit the center. Combustion rates the upper half of the probe to 900°F, so it can stay in a roast under the broiler or on the grill. Bluetooth reaches more than 330 feet in open air, and Wi-Fi requires a separate booster accessory.

Best knife sharpener: HORL3 Cruise Rolling Knife Sharpener

HORL3 Cruise Rolling Knife Sharpener $119

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Freehand sharpening is hard mostly because holding a steady angle is hard. The HORL3 Cruise takes that job off your hands: a magnetic block holds the knife at either 15 or 20 degrees, and you roll a wheel with a diamond disc back and forth along the edge. The other end of the roller carries a stainless steel honing disc to straighten and refine the edge you just ground. The Cruise’s body is made from ocean-bound recycled plastic, and HORL builds it in Germany. If the person you’re shopping for would rather have wood on the counter, the $179 HORL3 uses an oak or walnut body and swaps in an interchangeable ceramic disc.

Best splurge chef’s knife: STEELPORT 8-Inch Chef Knife

STEELPORT 8-Inch Chef Knife $400

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STEELPORT forges its 8-inch Chef Knife from a single billet of American 52100 carbon steel in Portland, Oregon, then heat treats the edge and spine differently. The company says the edge ends up around 65 HRC, hard enough to take and hold a fine edge, while the spine stays below 30 HRC so the blade as a whole is less brittle. The handle is resin-stabilized Oregon bigleaf maple burl, and a magnetic walnut sheath comes in the box. Carbon steel picks up a patina and can rust, so wipe it dry after every wash. STEELPORT covers the knife with a lifetime warranty and sharpens it free for as long as you own it.

Best honing rod: STEELPORT 12-Inch Oval Ceramic Honing Rod

STEELPORT 12-Inch Oval Ceramic Honing Rod $120

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A knife that suddenly feels dull often has an edge that’s just rolled over, and a few passes on a honing rod push it back into line between real sharpenings. STEELPORT’s 12-Inch Oval Ceramic Honing Rod does that with a fine-grit ceramic surface over a steel core. The oval cross-section is there for contact, and STEELPORT says it puts more of the blade against the rod than a round one does. The rod measures 17 inches overall with a 5-inch contoured walnut handle and a finger guard, and it weighs 12 ounces. Ceramic can crack if it hits a tile floor, so give it a hook or its own drawer slot.

Best Japanese chef’s knife: Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife $140.14

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Shun builds the Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife around a VG-MAX steel core clad in 34 layers of stainless Damascus on each side, which is where the rippled pattern on the blade comes from. The core is hardened to 60-61 on the Rockwell scale and hand-sharpened to about 16 degrees per side, a fine edge that slices through onions and herbs cleanly. The full-tang blade sits in a D-shaped black PakkaWood handle, and the whole knife weighs 7.5 ounces. Shun makes it in Seki, Japan. A hard, thin edge like this one is happiest on a wood or plastic board, and it shouldn’t go anywhere near bones or frozen food.

Best French-forged chef’s knife: Made In 8-Inch Chef Knife

Made In 8-Inch Chef Knife $129

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Softer stainless steel is quicker to bring back to a sharp edge, and that’s part of the appeal of the Made In 8-Inch Chef Knife. It’s fully forged in Thiers, France, from nitrogen-treated X50CrMoV15 stainless hardened to 58+ HRC, so a few passes on a whetstone or rolling sharpener refresh it. Made In grinds the edge asymmetrically, with a 14-degree primary bevel on one side and a 4-degree polishing bevel on the other, for 18 degrees total. The blade actually measures 8.5 inches and the knife weighs 7 ounces. If you order directly from Made In, the company will engrave it for $30 more, but engraved knives can’t be returned.

Best knife block set: Cangshan N1 Series 6-Piece Knife Block Set

Cangshan N1 Series 6-Piece Knife Block Set $160.97

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Someone outfitting a first real kitchen needs a handful of good knives more than a block with 15 slots. The Cangshan N1 Series 6-Piece Knife Block Set forges its blades from German X50CrMoV15 stainless hardened to 58 HRC, a steel that’s easy to touch up at home. The N1’s signature is its patented all-metal hollow handle, which runs straight out of the blade, so there are no wood or plastic scales to crack or loosen. Cangshan sells the set under more than one model number, so check the knife list on the listing before you order.

Best gyuto under $150: Tojiro Classic Gyuto 210mm

Tojiro Classic Gyuto 210mm $139

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Tojiro has renamed its long-running DP line to Classic, but the F-808 210mm gyuto itself didn’t change. It’s a san mai blade, with a VG10 stainless core hardened to about 60 HRC sandwiched between softer stainless outer layers that add toughness around the hard cutting steel. The 50/50 double-bevel edge suits right- and left-handed cooks equally, and the Western-style handle has a full tang, a stainless bolster and three rivets, so it’ll feel familiar to anyone coming from a German knife. Tojiro makes it in Tsubame-Sanjo, Japan. The edge measures 212 millimeters and the knife weighs 7.2 ounces.

Best whetstone for learning to sharpen: King KW-65 1000/6000 Combination Whetstone

King KW-65 1000/6000 Combination Whetstone $25

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Learning to sharpen on a stone starts with two grits, and the King KW-65 puts both on one block. The 1000-grit side does the sharpening and raises a fresh edge, then the 6000-grit side polishes it. It’s a soaking stone, so you submerge it for a couple of minutes before you start and keep it wet while you work. The muddy slurry that builds up on the surface helps it cut, so leave it there rather than rinsing it away mid-session. The stone measures about 7.3 by 2.5 by 1 inches, sits in an included plastic stand, and is made in Japan.

Best do-everything pan: All-Clad NS Pro Ceramic Nonstick VIP 6-Quart Pan

All-Clad NS Pro Ceramic Nonstick VIP 6-Quart Pan $249.99

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The deep, 6-quart sauté pan at the center of the All-Clad NS Pro Ceramic Nonstick VIP comes with a steamer insert, a roasting rack and a tempered glass lid, so one piece of cookware can sear and steam on the stovetop or roast in the oven. The body is hard-anodized recycled aluminum, and a stainless steel base bonded underneath makes it work on induction burners. The ceramic nonstick interior is oven-safe to 450°F, though the lid tops out at 350°F and the pan can’t go under the broiler. Wash it by hand, and know that All-Clad’s warranty on this pan runs one year.

Best carbon steel pan: Made In Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan, 12-Inch

Made In Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan, 12-Inch $129

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Carbon steel seasons and sears like cast iron, and it heats up and cools down faster when you adjust the burner. Made In’s Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan arrives pre-seasoned with shea nut and coconut oils, so you can start cooking in it sooner than you could with a bare pan. The 12-inch size weighs 4.31 pounds, with a 9.25-inch cooking surface and 2.25-inch sides. Made In builds it in Sweden, rates it for heat up to 1,200°F, and says it works on induction and over an open fire. The hollow stainless handle is designed to stay cool, and the pan should be washed by hand and dried right away.

Best heirloom skillet: Smithey Deep Farmhouse Skillet

Smithey Deep Farmhouse Skillet $325

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Smithey is better known for cast iron, but its Deep Farmhouse Skillet is hand-forged carbon steel, made in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s about 12 inches across the top and 2 inches deep, which leaves room for a pan sauce or a shallow fry, and the cooking surface measures about 9.5 inches. Long handles on both sides stretch it to almost 21 inches end to end, so you can carry all 6 pounds of it to the table with two hands. Smithey lists it for use on gas, induction, electric and open fire.

Best Dutch oven: Smithey 7.25 QT Dutch Oven

Smithey 7.25 QT Dutch Oven $375

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Smithey’s 7.25 QT Dutch Oven skips enamel entirely. It’s bare cast iron with a fully polished interior, pre-seasoned with grapeseed oil, so it builds up seasoning the same way a skillet does and there’s no enamel coating to chip. The domed lid has drip channels on its underside that send condensation back down onto the food during a long braise. Expect some heft, since it weighs about 17.3 pounds with the lid. Smithey makes it in the US and backs it with a lifetime guarantee. Bare iron doesn’t love long simmers in tomato or wine, so save those braises for an enameled pot or keep them short.

Best cast iron skillet: Lancaster Cast Iron No. 8 Skillet

Lancaster Cast Iron No. 8 Skillet $175

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Old cast iron is prized for its smooth, machined cooking surfaces, and Lancaster Cast Iron’s No. 8 Skillet brings that finish to a new pan. The cooking surface is polished smooth, then pre-seasoned with two layers of grapeseed oil at the company’s shop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The No. 8 measures 10.5 inches across the top, with a 9.25-inch cooking surface and 2-inch walls, and it weighs about 4 pounds. Polished iron starts out slick, and it gets slicker as layers of seasoning build up with every cook.

Best saucier: Misen 3 QT Stainless Steel Saucier

Misen 3 QT Stainless Steel Saucier $149

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A saucier’s rounded bottom leaves no corners for a whisk or spatula to miss, which makes it the pan for custard and polenta and anything else that likes to scorch where the wall meets the floor. The Misen 3 QT Stainless Steel Saucier is 5-ply, with aluminum layers sandwiched inside stainless steel to spread heat across the base, and the walls are 3 millimeters thick. It measures about 9 inches across, comes with a lid, works on induction, and is oven-safe to 800°F. Misen backs it with a lifetime warranty against defects.

Best pot for a crowded stovetop: Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Pot

Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Pot $54.05

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Kuhn Rikon’s 4th Burner Pot is tall and narrow, 5.5 inches across and holding 12 cups, so it fits on the small back burner while bigger pans take the front of the stove. That makes it handy for a couple of servings of pasta or a batch of blanched green beans. The glass lid has two built-in strainers and a pour spout, which lets you drain without hauling out a colander, and a removable basket inside handles steaming. Interior measurement marks save you a measuring cup, the silicone handles stay cool, and the stainless pot works on induction.

Best microwave cookware: Anyday 8-Piece Glass Round Dish Set

Anyday 8-Piece Glass Round Dish Set $159.99

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Microwave cooking goes better when steam is managed, and that’s the idea behind the Anyday 8-Piece Glass Round Dish Set. Each borosilicate glass dish gets a tempered glass lid with a silicone vent and gasket that let steam build and escape while the food cooks. Anyday says the stainless steel rim on each lid is microwave-safe as long as the dish sits at least an inch from the microwave’s walls. The set includes four dishes: two 4-cup sizes, one shallow and one deep, plus a 7-cup and an 8-cup. The bowls can go in the oven up to 500°F, so leftovers can get a crisp finish after they reheat.

Best electric kettle: Fellow Corvo EKG Pro Electric Kettle

Fellow Corvo EKG Pro Electric Kettle $179.95

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Green tea scorches at a full boil, and pour-over coffee likes water a few degrees below it. The Fellow Corvo EKG Pro lets you dial in anywhere from 104 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, then hold that temperature for 15 to 60 minutes so the second cup is as hot as the first. It also has an altitude setting, scheduling, and a pre-boil sanitize mode. The 0.9-liter body is 304 stainless steel. Fellow says the Wi-Fi only handles firmware updates, so you’ll still set the temperature on the kettle itself rather than from your phone.

Best coffee grinder: Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2 $399.95

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Uneven grounds make uneven coffee, because the fine bits over-extract while the big chunks barely give up any flavor. The Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2 uses 64 mm stainless steel flat burrs, which cut a more uniform particle than the blade grinders most people start with. You get 11 settings split into 31 steps, a 100-gram capacity, and anti-static tech to keep grounds from clinging to the catch cup. Fellow built it for drip, pour-over, French press, and cold brew. It isn’t designed for espresso, so skip it for anyone pulling shots at home.

Best drip coffee maker: Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select

Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select $369

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A coffee maker can only brew as well as its water temperature allows. The Moccamaster KBGV Select, handmade in the Netherlands, heats water quickly to brewing temperature with a copper boiling element, and the hot plate runs on its own separate element so it doesn’t cook the coffee sitting in the carafe. A switch on the brew basket adjusts the flow for a full 10-cup pot or a half batch, which keeps small batches from coming out thin. It carries the Specialty Coffee Association’s certification and a five-year warranty.

Best espresso machine for beginners: Ninja Luxe Café Premier

Ninja Luxe Café Premier $599

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Most of the frustration of home espresso comes from dosing and grinding by feel. The Ninja Luxe Café Premier handles both: it has a conical burr grinder with 25 settings and a built-in scale that weighs the grounds for you, so each shot starts from a consistent dose. The Dual Froth System has four hands-free presets for steamed or frothed milk, and the machine also makes drip-style coffee and cold brew. It suits someone who wants café drinks without learning to tamp and time shots by eye.

Best soda maker: Drinkmate OmniFizz

Drinkmate OmniFizz $74.99

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Most countertop carbonators tell you to fizz plain water and add flavor afterward, because carbonating juice or wine tends to foam over. The Drinkmate OmniFizz gets around that with what the company calls its Fizz Infuser cap, which releases pressure gradually so you can carbonate cold drinks other than water. It runs on standard 60-liter CO2 cylinders, and Drinkmate sells it alone or in bundles with extra cylinders. Check the bundles before buying, since the kits with more cylinders were sometimes cheaper than the smaller ones in early November.

Best matcha maker: Cuzen Matcha Maker Starter Kit

Cuzen Matcha Maker Starter Kit $299

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Matcha powder starts losing its color and flavor once it’s ground, which is why the Cuzen Matcha Maker grinds whole tea leaves on demand. Its hopper holds up to 20 grams of leaf, and the machine mills it, then mixes it with water in the cup using a magnetic whisk. You can pick a 1-, 1.5-, or 2-gram shot depending on how strong you like it, and there’s a grind-only mode for baking or lattes. The Starter Kit comes with 4-gram samples of three Cuzen leaf blends and a brush for cleaning the mill.

Best cocktail machine: Barsys 360

Barsys 360 $375

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Pod-based cocktail machines lock you into one company’s drinks. The Barsys 360 uses whatever you put in it: six 750-milliliter canisters hold your own spirits, juices, and syrups, and a Bluetooth app tells the machine how much of each to pour through the spouts over the glass. It doesn’t shake or stir, so plan on finishing drinks the old-fashioned way. It also runs on USB-C power and weighs about 10 pounds empty, which makes it easier than you’d expect to move from the counter to a party table.

Best gift for ice chewers: GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro

GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro $499.99

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Nugget ice, the soft, chewable kind, is made by compressing ice flakes rather than freezing cubes in a tray. The GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro does that on your counter, and Govee rates it for up to 60 pounds a day, with the first batch ready in about six minutes. A 4.9-liter side tank supplements the 2.2-liter main reservoir so you refill less often, and it has two self-cleaning cycles. You can also check on it or start it from the Govee app or by voice with Alexa or Google.

Best juicer: Hurom H310 Easy Clean Slow Juicer

Hurom H310 Easy Clean Slow Juicer $449

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Centrifugal juicers spin produce against a fast blade, while slow juicers like the Hurom H310 Easy Clean press it with a turning screw at roughly 45 rotations per minute. Hurom’s version has a self-feeding hopper with a 50-millimeter chute that the company says fits whole apples, which cuts down on prep. Hurom backs the 150-watt motor with a 10-year warranty and covers the other parts for two years.

Best gift for boxed-wine loyalists: Boxxle Box Wine Dispenser

Boxxle Box Wine Dispenser $98.99

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Boxed wine stays fresh longer than an open bottle, but the cardboard box is nobody’s idea of a centerpiece. The Boxxle Box Wine Dispenser is a stainless steel and ABS plastic housing for the bag inside a standard box. According to Boxxle, it lifts the bag so the spout sits above your glass and presses on the bag as it empties, so you can keep pouring until the last glass.

Best pasta maker: Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Machine

Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Machine $113.36

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Fresh pasta dough needs to be rolled thin and evenly, and doing it with a rolling pin takes practice most people don’t have. The Marcato Atlas 150 is a hand-cranked roller with a 10-position thickness dial, so you can step the dough down a little at a time until it’s thin enough for lasagna sheets. The rollers are anodized aluminum, and the body is chrome-plated steel made in Italy. The version sold in the US includes fettuccine and spaghetti cutters, so you can go from sheet to noodles without buying attachments.

Best stand mixer for bread bakers: Ankarsrum Assistent Original Stand Mixer

Ankarsrum Assistent Original Stand Mixer $749.95

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Most stand mixers drive a beater from above. The Ankarsrum Assistent Original flips that: its motor sits in the base and spins the 7-liter stainless steel bowl itself, while a dough hook or roller stays put. That design is why Ankarsrum says it can knead up to 5 kilograms of dough, a load that would stall a lot of tilt-head mixers. The Essential Package comes with a dough roller, dough knife, dough hook, spatula, and a proofing lid. Ankarsrum covers the base with a seven-year warranty, though accessories aren’t included.

Best bread machine: Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker

Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker $454

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Bread machines have a reputation for pale, unevenly baked tops. The Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus adds a heater in the lid to go with the usual one underneath, so the top of the loaf browns along with the sides. It bakes a 2-pound loaf and uses two kneading blades, which helps it work a full 2-pound batch of dough evenly.

Best sourdough gear: Challenger Bread Pan

Challenger Bread Pan $299

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Sourdough gets its crackly crust from steam trapped around the loaf early in the bake, which is why so many bakers use a Dutch oven. The Challenger Bread Pan rearranges that idea: you set the dough on a shallow cast-iron base and lower a tall domed lid over it, so you’re not dropping a floppy loaf into a deep, 500-degree pot. It weighs 20 pounds, is made in the USA, and is rated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Its 15.5-by-10.5-inch footprint fits oblong batards as well as round boules.

Best baking sheets: HexClad Hybrid Baking Sheet 2-Pack

HexClad Hybrid Baking Sheet 2-Pack $159 – $189

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HexClad’s hybrid surface finally made the jump from frying pans to the oven. The HexClad Hybrid Baking Sheets use the same pattern of raised stainless steel hexagons with nonstick valleys in between, built over 2.5-millimeter tri-ply with an aluminum core. HexClad says the ceramic coating is free of PFAS and rates the sheets for oven temperatures up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re sold in two-packs in small and medium sizes, and the medium sheet measures 10 by 15 inches. HexClad says they’re dishwasher-safe but recommends washing them by hand.

Best Detroit-style pizza pan: LloydPans 10×14 Detroit-Style Pizza Pan

LloydPans 10×14 Detroit-Style Pizza Pan $41.88

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Detroit-style pizza owes its crunchy, cheese-crisped edges to a deep rectangular pan that conducts heat fast. The LloydPans 10×14 Detroit-Style Pizza Pan is 2.5 inches deep and made from 14-gauge anodized aluminum in Spokane Valley, Washington. Its Pre-Seasoned Tuff-Kote finish means you can skip seasoning and use metal utensils on it, according to LloydPans. Spread the cheese all the way to the edges so it melts down the sides and fries against the metal.

Best pizza prep board: Gozney Pizza Prep Board

Gozney Pizza Prep Board $89.99

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Stretching pizza dough on a countertop usually ends with flour everywhere. The Gozney Pizza Prep Board has raised edges that keep the flour on the board and a catch tray at the back where you can sweep extra flour and reuse it. Its textured surface holds a thin, even coating of flour, which Gozney says works better than wood, steel, or marble at keeping dough from sticking and tearing on its way to the peel. A bench hook keeps it from sliding, and size markings go up to 16 inches. It’s 22 by 21.5 inches, so check counter space first.

Best indoor pizza oven: Ooni Volt 2 Electric Pizza Oven

Ooni Volt 2 Electric Pizza Oven $699

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Neapolitan pizza wants a stone near 850 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature home ovens don’t reach. The Ooni Volt 2, successor to the Volt 12, gets there on a standard 120-volt outlet in about 20 minutes, according to Ooni. Inside is a 10-millimeter cordierite stone sized for 12-inch pizzas, and Ooni’s Pizza Intelligence system shifts power between the heating elements as you cook. Presets cover Neapolitan, thin and crispy, and pan pizza. At about 39 pounds, it’s heavy enough that you’ll want to give it a permanent spot.

Best cheesecake pan: Fat Daddio’s 9x9x3 Square Cheesecake Pan

Fat Daddio's 9x9x3 Square Cheesecake Pan $35.99

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Springform pans can leak. The Fat Daddio’s 9x9x3 Square Cheesecake Pan uses a removable push-up bottom instead, so you lift the finished cake straight out without unlatching a ring around it. It’s made from 14-gauge anodized aluminum with no coating, sides without seams, and slightly rounded corners that make clean, square slices. Fat Daddio’s rates it to 550 degrees Fahrenheit and backs it with a limited lifetime warranty. The square shape also works for bar cookies and brownies that you want to pop out in one slab.

Best baking dish: Made In Porcelain Baking Slab

Made In Porcelain Baking Slab $119

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Chef Nancy Silverton started with a quarter sheet pan when she helped Made In design this dish, then stretched it longer and wider. The Made In Porcelain Baking Slab is a 9-by-13-inch French porcelain dish fired three times in the Loire Valley, with a lower profile than a typical casserole so roasted vegetables and gratins get more browning. It’s oven-safe to 650 degrees Fahrenheit and microwave-safe, and it weighs 3.8 pounds. Made In’s care guide says it can go in the dishwasher, though the company’s FAQ recommends hand washing.

Best sheet pan: Nordic Ware Naturals Baker’s Half Sheet

Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet $14.97

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A good sheet pan is boring in the best way. The Nordic Ware Naturals Baker’s Half Sheet is uncoated aluminum, which spreads heat evenly for cookies and roasted vegetables, and an encapsulated galvanized steel rim around the edge helps it resist warping in a hot oven. The cooking surface measures 17.1 by 12.1 inches, and it’s oven-safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Nordic Ware recommends hand washing, and acidic foods like tomatoes can darken the bare aluminum over time.

Best cookbook for curious cooks: Fundamentals of Flavor by Nik Sharma

Fundamentals of Flavor by Nik Sharma $35.91

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Nik Sharma’s newest book builds its 100 recipes around the science of flavor, explaining why each technique works. Fundamentals of Flavor: 100 Recipes for the Science of Better Cooking came out from Chronicle Books in September 2026. It’s a good fit for the cook who keeps asking why a recipe calls for a specific step, and wants the answer along with dinner.

 

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