Here’s a question: what minimizes meal prep effort, maximizes cupboard space, and ensures your recipes always taste delicious? That would be clever kitchen gadgets from Macy’s, of course! We’re here to help you find the right gear for the job, whether it’s a cutting board that’ll save your counter top or a whisk that folds up flat for a space-saving drawer hack. Check out top tips about kitchen tools from Macy’s below.

Choose Utensils in the Appropriate Material

You already know which pot can handle boiling pasta and what pan works best for frying eggs. Selecting a utensil in the right material is just as important. For example, it’s better to use silicone or wooden kitchen tools with your non-stick cookware, since metal utensils can scratch the non-stick coating and chip it into food. Though metal utensils are safe to use with stainless steel pots and pans, we’d advise sticking with wood or plastic tools to ensure your cookware remains as unblemished and shiny as possible.

Invest in High-Quality, Trustworthy Brands 

When you’re stocking the most important room in your home, it’s always a good idea to opt for quality. Choose trusted brands like Joseph Joseph, OXO and Martha Stewart Collection for items you’ll use all the time like measuring tools, food storage containers, and utensils. These are kitchen workhorses, so they’ll need to stand up to intense wear and tear. High-quality tools from reputable brands last longer and perform better for novice and expert home cooks alike.

Avoid Single-Use Kitchen Gadgets if Space is Limited 

If you’ve got room to spare, buy that avocado slicer even though a knife would work just fine. But if storage space is tight, resist the siren song of the strawberry huller in your shopping cart. There’s a whole world of vegetable tools and fruit tools that you probably won’t use very often (or at all, if we’re being honest) and only serve to stuff drawers. Instead, keep it simple and save space by sticking to “the greatest hits” like spatulas, slotted spoons, ladles and the like. We recommend buying essentials in a kitchen utensil set so you can keep everything at arm’s reach in one streamlined cannister.   

Some Tasks Require Specific Tools & Gear 

Sometimes it takes specialty equipment to get the job done. Ever try to flip burgers on the grill with a plastic spatula? We hope not. Metal grill accessories are necessities when you’re cooking over an open flame. Ditto goes for baking tools like chocolate molds, icing tips and cookie cutters. In an informal survey, 10 out of 10 cookie enthusiasts preferred the contoured silhouette of a gingerbread man to an undiscernible gingerbread blob. (Okay, okay, it’s not a fact, but it’s probably true.) The moral of the story is that special-use kitchen gadgets are worth the expense if they noticeably level-up the look and taste of your creations.

Now you’re ready, so go turn those bookmarked recipes into rave-reviewed dishes with the baking tools and cooking gadgets you discovered at Macy’s.