Top Chef's Richard Blais on the Only Kitchen Tools You Need — and the Ones You Don't

Have you ever bought a shiny new kitchen tool that seemed useful until you realize you rarely use it? You know, the tool that's been lurking in the dark depths of your kitchen cabinet or drawer. In fact, maybe you don't know. It's been there that long.

Even celebrity chefs collect more appliances than they use on the regular — or consistently reach for appliances they really don't need. So, if you've cluttered your kitchen with too much stuff, you're in good company. But learning which kitchen tools the professionals really rely on can help us better curate more streamlined collections.

In his recent interview on the Allrecipes podcast, Homemade — listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PlayerFM, Amazon Music, and everywhere podcasts are available — chef Richard Blais told host Sabrina Medora about two kitchen tools he depends on and one he'd ditch.

Most Useless But Fun

Medora asked the restauranteur, cookbook author, and TV personality his opinion on the "most outrageously useless but super fun kitchen tool," and his answer may surprise you. It's not a smoker. It's not an air fryer. It's... a Microplane.

"Do you really need it? You don't. You can mince garlic. You got a knife," Blais said. "You're grating cheese with it. Ginger, garlic. It's got some uses. But you don't need it. But it is my favorite probably useless utensil because I like it. I like it."

Blais added that he's a fan of gadgets like the immersion circulator (aka a sous vide machine) and the vacuum packer for restaurants and heavy cooking, "but you don't need them."

Most Useful

As for the one kitchen tool Blais can't live without? "It is the heavy-bottomed cast iron pan or, even more specifically, pot," he said, adding that whether it's cast iron or enamel-coated cast iron, what really matters is its heavy bottom.

"I'm looking at three of them on my stove right now," he said. "I have plenty of pots and pans, but there are three pots and pans that get everything. Braises, soups, stews, pasta dishes, whatever it is. There's a couple of pans that just get lots of work, and I'll work them for years. And they last forever, so to me that's the go-to kitchen utensil, piece of equipment."

Blais said the brand you use doesn't matter, but he's partial to one. "I work with Le Creuset. They're beautiful. You get the right color. And then all of a sudden, you get a great backdrop regardless of what your kitchen looks like, if you get that beautiful aquamarine or sunset rust pan back there. Whatever it is. It makes a big difference," he said.

Though a large Le Creuset pot comes with a large price tag (about $400 for a 7.25-quart pot on Amazon), its lifetime warranty attests to its durability and craftsmanship.

Medora responded that she uses her two Le Creuset pots "for pretty much everything," while she always uses her Staub pot, another top-of-the-line pick, for cooking biryani. "Something about the way it handles the rice. It's just so good," she said.

Blais said he appreciates how easily pots from Le Creuset and Staub clean up — both brands can boast that their signature pots and pans are dishwasher safe, not to mention oven safe.

Blais volunteered one more kitchen tool that he considers essential, though he says some people give chefs a hard time for using it: the nonstick pan.

"Who really wants to make an omelet without a nonstick pan? You can do it. But you're just showing off. Use a nonstick pan. Why? We have the technology. Use the technology. You'll make a better omelet," he said.

According to Blais, you just need one good pan. Here's how to choose the best nonstick pan for you.

Most Overrated

"Totally overrated kitchen appliance — you didn't ask this question, but let me give you the answer anyway — the potato masher. The potato masher has no use except to get your cupboards cluttered. It is the ear lobe of the kitchen utensil drawer. There is no use for it," Blais said.

"Don't tell me you use it for also making your tortillas or crushing up your carnitas or your ground beef or a bone. Don't tell me that," he said. "It's a tool that we don't need. And it should just go on every garage sale table this weekend. Overrated."

So, if you want to stock your kitchen like Blais, keep in mind that you don't need a specific kitchen tool for every kitchen task. Instead, invest in well-made tools that can multitask, like a chef's knife and a Dutch oven. Think quality over quantity. But, so long as you use them, feel no remorse for keeping those sort-of-useless tools in your kitchen, Microplane and all.