What Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets does a Professional Pastry Chef have at home?

The Healthy Pastry Chef
Nov 7, 2019
6 min read

Updated: Nov 8, 2019

Ever wonder what a professional chef has in their kitchen? Well I will give you a list of kitchen gadgets and small appliances I just love using! As a professional pastry chef, you get acquainted with a lot different equipment over the years. Plus, you tend to sort through the brands that are good from the ones that are not so good.

So here's my list...

1. Kitchen Aid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart

Stand Mixer

This mixer is a must have for all those bakers out there. I love this little machine.

I've had this machine for almost 14 years and still going strong!

It's great for making cookies, cheesecake, butter creams, cakes, etc. Plus, great for making mashed potatoes, salad dressings, dough's, etc.

You can even get attachments to make homemade pasta, meat grinder, shred your favorite cheeses.

Yes, they are a little pricey. However, they will last you a very long time. So its a good investment if you love to bake.

Here are the specs:

Bowl-Lift Design
575 Watt Motor
6-Quart Polished Stainless Steel Wide-Mouth Bowl with Contoured Handle
Soft Start Mixing Feature
Direct Drive Transmission, All-Steel Gears, and All-Metal Construction
Commercial-Style Motor Protection
Includes Power knead Spiral Dough Hook, Flat Beater, and Stainless Steel Wire Whip
10-speed stand mixer with all-metal construction and powerful 575-watt motor
6-quart stainless-steel mixing bowl; direct-drive transmission with all-steel gears
Electronic speed sensor; auto shut-off motor protection; Soft Start minimizes splatter
Wire whip, burnished flat beater, spiral dough hook, and clear 2-piece pouring shield included
Measures 14-3/5 by 16-1/2 by 11-2/7 inches; 1-year hassle-free replacement warranty

You can buy them at your local department stores like Kohl's or kitchen stores.

2. Instant Pot 8 Qt 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker

This pressure cooker will replace your crock pot. It takes half the time to cook anything compared to your crock pot. I can cook a whole chicken in 75 minutes! I mean fall off the bone tender chicken in 75 minutes! You can cook a whole rack of ribs, again in 75 minutes. They are completely tender and juicy. Just put your favorite BBQ sauce and enjoy.

Also, they aren't too expensive at all. They range in price between $79 to $120.

Normally, this would take about 4-8 hours in a crock pot. Granted I use to use my crock pot every fall and winter before I had a instant pot.

So much, the digital numbers don't appear on the front anymore. Now it just sits on the shelf collecting dust.

Here are the specs:

LARGEST SIZE: Great for larger households and entertaining. Serves up to 8 people.
REPLACES UP TO 7 APPLIANCES: Combines 7 kitchen appliances in 1 to save you space, including: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker, and warmer.
14 ONE TOUCH COOKING PRESETS FOR QUICKER COOKING: Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Sauté/Searing, Steam, Rice, Porridge, Steam, Slow Cook, Keep Warm, Yogurt, Manual, and Pressure Cook.
BEST SELLING MODEL: Monitors pressure, temperature, keeps time, and adjusts heating intensity and duration to achieve your desired results every time. Prepare dishes up to 70% faster.
EASY TO CLEAN: Fingerprint-resistant stainless steel lid and components and accessories that are dishwasher safe: inner pot with 3-ply bottom for even cooking, steam rack with handles, serving spoon, soup spoon, and measuring cup.
SAFETY: 10 safety mechanisms for peace of mind

You can buy them at your local department store like Kohl's, Macys, etc. Or online like amazon.

3. Air Fryer

I absolutely love this machine! Want to fry something up without all the grease? This my friend is what you will need! Lightly toss your potatoes with seasonings and oil. Soon you'll find out how perfect your french fries will turn out! I've used this for fish, air fried zucchini, jalapeno poppers, pot stickers, etc. You name it you can cook it in a air fryer!

There are so many different types of air fryers out there now. I've had mine now for almost 4 years and it still works great. The picture above is like the one I have but in white. However, I don't think they sell the kind I have anymore. But this one is similar. Plus, price on these range between $50 to $130 or more. Depends on what brand and features you get.

Here are the specs for this machine:

Family Size & Multi-Function - 5.8-quart air fryer can feed at least 6 people. 8 in 1 air fryer equals to the oven, fryer, microwave, grill, sandwich maker, nonstick frying pan, popcorn maker. Save your money and space.
1700w healthy Power Air Fryer & Half Cooking Time - Tidylife oilless air fryer can save half the time to cook your favorite food. For example, 15-20 minutes to make frozen French fries, 28 minutes to make a 2.8lbs chicken. You can also put your favorite food seasoning or spray a little oil, taste better.
Easy to Clean - Its 5.8-liter non-stick basket is dishwasher safe, making clean-up a breeze. When you’re hand washing, keep the air fryer in great shape by using soft sponges and cloths. (Abrasive sponges like brillo pads are NOT the air fryer’s friend!)
Easy to Use - Just rotate Multifunctional knob to adjust timer & temp and choose ideal presets; No Need to press setting buttons too many times like other products; Easy operation brings you excellent fries, rib, shrimp, cake, chicken, steak, and fish.
18 Month Warranty - ETL Listed and Comes with non-stick FDA-certified. Tidylife is committed to 100% customer satisfaction! 18-month purchase warranty and lifetime support from Tidylife. Please feel free to contact us by the email on our warranty card.

This particular air fryer you can get online from amazon. However, I've found air fryers practically everywhere now. You can get them at Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Macy's, etc.

4. Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel - Silver

This food processor is great for speeding up prep work. Like chopping or slicing veggies, cheese, or even mix batters and sauces in just minutes. I like making Cole slaw, crushed nuts, cheese sauce, or even salad dressings.

Plus, you can get them in smaller sizes. They also sell 3 cup size food processor. I bought that size first to see if I even liked the brand. They seem to hold up pretty good. Plus, it has a pretty good motor. And has a lot of power considering the size.

Now the 14 cup size is like a Cadillac. It's whole lot quieter and blends everything very fast and efficient. These are about $150 for the large ones and about $40 for the 3 cup processor.

Here are the specs:

Includes stainless steel Standard slicing disc (4mm), medium shredding disc and stainless steel chopping/mixing blade. Cord length : 36 inches
720-Watt large-capacity food processor with intuitive "on" And "off/pulse" Buttons
14-Cup Lexan work bowl; extra-large Feed tube; small and large pushers
Spatula, instruction/recipe booklet; dishwasher-safe parts
Detachable disc stem
Note: shredding and slicing blades are not adjustable.
Refer to the user manual to ensure proper set-up and features of the unit prior to use.
MC Cubic Feet: 1.14

You can find these processors at your local department stores or online kitchen stores.

5. Hand Food Processor

This devices is great for blending and pureeing hot items like soups and sauces on the stove. If you don't want to bring out the big boy of blenders, this little hand held processor works great when you need it in a pinch. With a stainless steel attachment, you can place it right in a pot of hot soups or sauces. I've used it to whisk or blend vegetable base soups. It has a great motor and its super fast. However, it can be quit loud while its running. Other than that, it works great! They are aren't expensive, they cost about $20!

Here are the specs:

HANDHELD BLENDING POWER: This hand immersion blender features 2 speeds & a 250 watt motor paired with a dishwasher safe blending blade & whisk attachments. It's powerful enough to replace larger blenders and mixers & versatile enough for endless recipes
ERGONOMIC & ADAPTABLE: This sleek immersion blender features an ergonomic handle with simple one-touch operation: simply press & blend. It's safe to use in plastic cups, mixing bowls & even large cooking pots. Also features auto shut-off for safe use
BLENDERS FOR EVERY PURPOSE: Fancy a smoothie? Or how about guacamole? Simplify kitchen prep and make healthy, delicious food & drinks with our full line of durable & versatile blenders, from the personal size Rocket Blender to the Hand Immersion Blender
You need quick & convenient kitchen solutions to simplify your hectic life. We provide you with the right small kitchen appliance & also equip you with essential tools like recipes, tips & product videos. The kitchen should be fun. With Bella it can be.
COMPARE THE QUALITY: Compare our wide selection of small kitchen appliances to similar products from Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Breville, Oster, Waring, Krups, Black & Decker, Presto, KitchenAid, Braun, All Clad or Westinghouse.

You can get these items online or at stores like Bed bath and Beyond, Target, Walmart, Sears, Kmart, Kohl's, and Macy's, etc.

Anyways, here are some of the kitchen gadgets or small appliance that I use on a normal basis in my kitchen. If you have questions about an appliance or would like to share what you use in your kitchen, please share in the comments below.