Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant I Learned to Cook From My Mom, And These Are the Kitchen Tools She Swears By With a family of six, you need reliable kitchen equipment. By Lily Gray Lily Gray Lily Gray is an Associate eCommerce Home Editor for Dotdash Meredith. She has been writing for Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, and Southern Living since 2020, covering the best products in the home and lifestyle spaces. As a shopping expert, Lily has spent the last few years testing products and researching trends in home decor, furniture, cleaning, organizing, kitchenware, home improvement, and gardening. Previously, she was a Home and Shopping writer for the Dotdash Meredith news and deals eCommerce team, and contributed to PEOPLE, Real Simple, Food & Wine, Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living, Shape, and All Recipes. Lily attended Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Mass Communications and Political Science. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on June 15, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Photo: Courtesy of Williams Sonoma Like many, I am blessed to have a mom who is not only a really good home cook, but she also simply loves to make meals and treats for family and loved ones, too. That combination made our family dinners special, whether she made our comfort rice-meat casserole or experimented with a new recipe from Ina Garten or Ree Drummond. However, cooking for a family of six every night comes with its challenges. While visiting my mom at home recently, I asked how she was able to keep up with feeding four kids on a busy schedule—especially with two boys who had an aversion to most produce. With a chuckled, "I honestly don't know," we reminisced on favorite recipes while I took note of her tips, techniques, and the kitchen tools that got her through each meal. Make Crispy, Golden Cornsticks Just Like Grandma with This $20 Cast Iron Pan from Lodge Even as a shopping editor who screens several products a day, I still have a bias towards whatever tried-and-true products my mom loves—especially when it comes to kitchen utensils. Ahead, shop the must-have kitchen appliances, cookware, and tools my mother swears by. After all, mom knows best, right? Le Creuset Signature Braiser Courtesy of Amazon BUY IT: $394.95; amazon.com Without hesitation, my mom said the Le Creuset Signature Braiser is her absolute favorite item in her kitchen. The enameled cast iron braiser functions like a shallow Dutch oven, so you can sauté vegetables, whip up sauces, brown meats, and more without using a large, deep-set pot. My mom uses it for stir fries, spaghetti sauce, chicken Florentine, since she can transfer it from stovetop to oven to table. Oxo Good Grips Wooden Turner Courtesy of Amazon BUY IT: $7.99; amazon.com In lieu of using stainless steel utensils that scratch most pans, my mom swears by this wooden turner because it's tough enough to break up ground meat, but still gentle enough for nonstick and enameled cast iron. "It's the only one that works," my mom said, later adding that silicone spatulas aren't sturdy enough for ground meat. She also uses it to stir sauces and flip omelets. Crock-Pot 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker Courtesy of Amazon BUY IT: $39.99 (orig. $49.99); amazon.com If you're cooking for a family, one-pot meals are not only a huge time saver, they're also some of the most comforting dishes—think, chilis, stews, and pulled pork. My mom uses the Crock-Pot slow cooker when she wants to come home to a ready-made meal. She simply throws in the ingredients, sets the temperature, and serves dinner a few hours later. Microplane Rasp Grater Courtesy of Williams Sonoma BUY IT: $15.95; williams-sonoma.com My mom's favorite ingredient is lemon. Along with the juice, she insists on zesting lemons, even if the recipe doesn't call for it. This grater gets used every day in her kitchen, because it transforms each dish from yummy to totally mouth-watering, whether she zests lemons, limes, oranges, or even parmesan wedges. Presto Cool Touch Electric Griddle Courtesy of Amazon BUY IT: $35.99 (orig. $39.99); amazon.com As you can imagine, making a full breakfast for six can require using several skillets, casserole dishes, and sheet pans. But when my mom invested in an electric griddle, Sunday breakfasts were suddenly made on one surface. From pancakes to eggs to bacon to hashbrowns, this electric griddle makes it all and is easy to clean thanks to its nonstick surface. Open Kitchen by Williams Sonoma Fish Spatula Courtesy of Williams Sonoma BUY IT: $17.95; williams-sonoma.com Contradictory to her previous hesitation over stainless steel utensils, this fish spatula happens to be her one exception. Its thin stainless steel structure is sturdy, making it easy to grab delicate fish without breaking the filets. She only uses it on stainless steel or non-enameled cast iron skillets. Oxo Good Grips Nonstick Pro Half Sheet Pan Courtesy of Amazon BUY IT: $25.95; amazon.com Sheet pans are essential in any kitchen for baking, roasting vegetables, and making one-pan dinners. She's replaced her sheet pans a few times over the years, but she loves this brand because it's slick, easy to clean, and has high rims that are effortless to grab from the oven. Le Creuset Mini Cocotte Courtesy of Amazon BUY IT: $19.95; amazon.com Instead of reaching for a box of seasoning every time she cooks, my mom uses the Le Creuset mini cocottes as salt and pepper bowls right next to her stove. She said that the cocottes save her "so much time" and makes seasoning dinners a pinch. Evelots Mini Silicone Spatulas Set of Six Courtesy of Amazon BUY IT: $7.99 (orig. $8.99); amazon.com Whether my mom is mixing together a salad dressing, scrambling eggs, or whipping up a glaze, she grabs a mini silicone spatula to do the task. It's more versatile than larger spatulas because it's easier to control, and you can use it in smaller dishes for things like dipping sauces. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit