Buy your new favorite kitchen tools at the restaurant supply store
With a recommended shopping list
One of my most treasured pieces in my kitchen is a used sheet pan I bought for $10 at a D.C. restaurant that was closing and selling off its equipment. There’s nothing interesting about it. It’s not shiny or photogenic. What makes it special is how it functions exactly as it should, churning out perfect roasts every time I pull it out of the oven.
Durability, usability and value – these are the three qualities I care about most when purchasing cooking equipment. There are plenty of tools you could buy that look like they came straight out of central casting for a Nancy Meyers’ kitchen. But the prettiest pots and pans won’t necessarily make you a better cook. If you cook a lot, you want equipment you can put through the ringer, that feels good in your hands, that never needs replacing no matter how many times you use it. That’s why when I’m in the market for essential kitchen tools, I go to the restaurant supply store.
Restaurant supply stores are like the Costcos of kitchen equipment. You can buy things in bulk (here – take 20lb of fettuccine!) as well as brandless, commercial-grade utensils and equipment. You don’t go to the restaurant store to buy kitchenware to put out alongside your finest china at Thanksgiving; you go there to buy what you use to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for 20 and not have to worry about your spatula melting or your roasting pan leaking.
The disadvantage of restaurant stores is that – like other wholesale retailers – they’re not centrally located. The warehouses take up a lot of real estate, so you’ll usually find them in more remote areas outside of cities or in industrial centers. My best advice is to make a day of it, like you would going to IKEA. Plan ahead with a list of what you want to buy but leave plenty of time to ogle at the gallon jars of maraschino cherries. Also check to make sure they’re open to the general public. For example, Restaurant Depot only sells to commercial businesses or registered organizations.
I wouldn’t recommend outfitting your entire kitchen with restaurant store purchases (unless that utilitarian, cafeteria aesthetic really speaks to your personal style — then who am I to stop you?). Some tools are worth investing in, like for electrics, knives, pots and pans. Take advantage of sales at Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table to outfit your kitchen with tools designed for home cooks. Splurge on nice pieces for serving and eating.
For the budget-conscious, garage or estate sales, Goodwill and other charity stores are other great ways to add to your kitchen collection. My grandparents and parents’ hand-me-downs have been a boon for stocking up on standard supplies and one-of-a-kind pieces.
But for everything else that you use on a regular basis, here are my recommendations for what to buy on your next trip to the restaurant supply store:
I don’t need my pantry to look like The Home Edit. I need it to function. These big, stackable storage boxes are ideal for flours and grains because they’re easy to handle and scoop out however much of an ingredient you need for your recipe. Bread bakers use them as proofing bins because they’re clear and you can easily see when your dough has doubled in size.
I haven’t found a better version than the tongs you can find at a restaurant store. Fancier features like silicone grips can make it difficult to grab food or clean. Pick up a pair of the minimal metal version and you’ll be tossing salads or handling pieces of roast chicken with perfect dexterity.
Sheet pans
Cookie sheets are flimsy and warp in the oven. These sheet pans can handle the heat. Choose the rimmed version to avoid leaks and stock up on both half and quarter sizes to accommodate big batches or small servings. Use them for sheet cakes too!Stainless steel mixing bowls
The clank-clank-clank from tossing vegetables for roasting in this big metal bowl is a familiar sound in my kitchen. Go big – the more real estate you have in the basin, the easier it is to evenly coat ingredients.Pepper mills
Why are pepper mills so expensive? Unless I’m going to grind some freshly cracked pepper on your dish tableside, I don’t need a beautifully carved totem sitting out on my counter. I’ll save my money for other things, thank you.Box grater
No bells and whistles, just great grating.Metal and plastic bench scrapers
Essential for breadmaking. The plastic version is usually about a dollar. Super helpful for scraping and moving doughs from mixing bowls or proofing containers. Use the metal one to portion rolls and move loaves you’ve already shaped.
Cookie scoops (aka “dishers”)
Yes, these are the same scoops lunch ladies used to dole out macaroni salad or mashed potatoes in your schools’ cafeteria. Get a small, medium and large version for precisely portioned cookies or pouring muffin batter into tins. No hairnet needed!Deli containers
I remember seeing Ina Garten store her prepared foods in these containers on an episode of her TV show and, as a devoted follower of the Barefoot Contessa gospel, I did the same. If you get them in a takeout order, save them and reuse them. They can survive many runs in the dishwasher (top rack always!) and stack nicely in the refrigerator.So cheap you can buy the giant one too and pretend to be Remy from “Ratatouille.”
Spider
For frying, skimming, and tingling (your spidey senses).