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Clyde the horse has never fit through the kitchen door, so Chef Tamás gave him the big window instead. Now it’s the river’s busiest little shop: Clyde at the window, Truffle on the vegetable shelf and Hettie in the breakfast corner.
Every tool here was tested by someone independent, mostly America’s Test Kitchen. Each card says what the testers found. Prices were checked in October 2026 and change often.
🐴 Clyde’s window
Clyde can’t get into the kitchen, but he can reach every shelf from the window. These are the tools he sells most, grouped by job. Meet Clyde →
Thermometers
ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2
ATK’s Best Buy instant-read thermometer. about $39
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE
An ATK editors’ pick: reads in about one second, and the screen rotates. check price
ThermoPro TP16
ATK’s Best Buy leave-in probe. Beeps when the roast is done. about $18
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm
ATK’s co-winning leave-in probe thermometer. about $69
CDN ProAccurate oven thermometer
ATK’s best analog oven thermometer. about $6
Chef’s knives and sharpening
Mercer Culinary Millennia 8″
ATK’s Best Buy chef’s knife. about $20
Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8″ Chef’s Knife
An ATK editors’ pick: stays sharp a long time, comfortable handle. check price
AccuSharp Gourmet 15° sharpener
ATK’s Best Buy sharpener: a quick edge in seconds. about $15
Idahone 12″ fine ceramic rod
ATK’s Best Buy honing rod. about $38
Cutting boards
Winco Statik Board 15″ × 20″
ATK’s large plastic board winner. Stays flat in the dishwasher. about $25
OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board
ATK’s lightweight pick, with a juice groove. about $25
Teakhaus Edge Grain 18″ × 24″
ATK’s wood board winner. Big, reversible, low maintenance. about $155
Pots and pans
Lodge 12″ cast-iron skillet
ATK’s Best Buy cast-iron skillet. about $30
Cuisinart 5 qt enameled cast iron
ATK’s Best Buy Dutch oven. “Aced nearly every test.” about $130
Le Creuset 5.5 qt round Dutch oven
ATK’s winner in its size class. about $312 on sale
All-Clad Stainless 4 qt saucepan
An ATK editors’ pick: heats evenly, the handle stays cool. check price
Tongs
OXO Good Grips 12″ locking tongs
ATK’s winning tongs: precise pincers, locks closed. about $18
OXO Good Grips 9″ tongs
ATK’s pick for smaller jobs. about $14 on sale
🐷 Truffle’s garden shelf
Truffle doesn’t eat pork, so she put all her energy into vegetables. Everything here is for washing, peeling, grating and chopping them. Meet Truffle →
Peelers and graters
Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler
ATK’s winning peeler. Light, with a blade that stayed sharp. about $9
OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
ATK’s favorite straight peeler. about $12
Microplane Premium Classic Zester/Grater
ATK’s winning zester-style rasp grater. about $19
Microplane Classic Zester/Grater
The cheapest model ATK recommended. Fast and sharp, plainer handle. about $13
Washing and draining
OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner
An ATK editors’ pick: a roomy basket with room underneath for the water. check price
RSVP Precision Pierced 5 qt Colander
An ATK editors’ pick: drains fast and sits high above the sink. check price
Chopping help
Cuisinart Custom 14 Cup Food Processor
An ATK editors’ pick: compact for its size, blades store in the bowl. check price
🐔 Hettie’s breakfast corner
Hettie checks every tool before it goes on her shelf. Two shelves: one for eggs and pancakes, one for baking and measuring. Meet Hettie →
Eggs and pancakes
OXO Good Grips 11″ Silicone Balloon Whisk
ATK’s top nonstick-safe whisk. Stiff peaks in 1 minute 18 seconds. about $18
Wüsthof Gourmet 7″ Fish Spatula
An ATK editors’ pick: slides under eggs, pancakes and burgers. check price
OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro 12″ Frypan
On ATK’s list of essential tools for new cooks. check price
Matfer Bourgeat Exoglass Pelton Spatula
ATK’s nonstick-safe spatula pick for new cooks. check price
Baking and measuring
OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro 12-Cup Muffin Pan
ATK’s winning muffin tin: browns evenly, wide rim on all four sides. check price
USA Pan 9″ pie pan
ATK’s co-winning pie plate. about $21
OXO Good Grips Bent Icing Knife
ATK’s top offset spatula. about $15
Cuisipro 5-piece measuring spoons
An ATK editors’ pick: accurate, with oval heads that fit spice jars. check price
OXO Good Grips stainless measuring cups
On ATK’s list of essential tools for new cooks. check price
Ozeri Pronto kitchen scale
ATK’s Best Buy scale. about $27
🎃 Seasonal shelf: pumpkin carving
Clyde’s autumn shelf. For the full pumpkin night, see Pumpkin Night on the river.
Pumpkin Masters All-In-One carving kit
The winner of Reviewed’s hands-on pumpkin-kit test. about $6
Pumpkin Masters Halloween Master Carving Kit
Reviewed’s runner-up, with more tools. about $10
Want to see these tools at work? Every recipe on the site lists the tools it needs. Start with Chef Tamás’s beef pörkölt.
Sources
- America’s Test Kitchen — editors’ top kitchen tools
- America’s Test Kitchen — essential tools for beginner cooks
- America’s Test Kitchen — nonstick whisks
- America’s Test Kitchen — vegetable peelers
- America’s Test Kitchen — rasp graters
- The Splendid Table — ATK muffin tin review
- America’s Test Kitchen — Dutch ovens
Other test results (knives, boards, thermometers, pumpkin kits) are sourced in our guides: knives, cutting boards, thermometers, pumpkin night. Clyde, Truffle and Hettie are made up. The gear is real.
