15 Comfort Food Kitchen Tools You Didn't Know You Needed
Make homemade brownies, doughnuts, pasta and more with these handy kitchen tools and accessories for major comfort food lovers.
If you can believe it, fall and winter are right around the corner, which means it's time to get your kitchen stocked and ready for comfort food cooking. We’re talking homemade pasta, bakery-style bread, decadent brownie bites and little silver dollar pancakes. We’re just trying to make sure that when those late-night cravings hit, you’re prepared.
Don’t feel like you have to wait until cool weather hits either; these clever kitchen tools and accessories are perfect for nostalgic home cooking any time of the year. Shop our favorite comfort food finds for every meal of the day, including snack-time, in the links below.
This ash wood biscuit cutter features a sharp edge for slicing through homemade dough. Plus, it's pretty enough to leave out on your counters or table when you're not making biscuits.
This fun tool will help you create your own butter flowers, curls and orbs with ease. If #brunchsohard is your motto, then this tool is a must-have for your kitchen.
If you're obsessed with your pancakes being the same shape and size, you probably need a pancake pan. You can cook up to seven perfect, little silver dollar pancakes in this heavy-gauge, non-stick aluminum pan.
You can bake up to six donuts in this non-stick pan, making them a bit healthier than their fried counterparts. Use this pan for baking classic plain doughnuts or amp things up with toppings like frosting, sprinkles or candy pieces.
If baking artisanal bread is on your to-do list, then this clever bread cloche is just what you need. Mimicking the shape of a traditional bread oven, this ceramic cloche ensures that your bread retains the right amount of humidity while baking. Each sturdy cloche is handmade by artisans and will easily last through all your future holidays, brunches and family get-togethers.
This clever microwaveable rice cooker won’t overflow and goes right from the kitchen to the table for quick and easy serving on busy nights. You can use it for couscous, wheat, barley, oats and quinoa, too.
Want to try your hand at making homemade pasta? Try this authentic Italian Pasta Roller Kit. It comes with five different tools and makes four different widths/types of pasta. The set includes rollers for spaghetti, fettuccini, tagliatelle and pappardelle, but you can use the stainless-steel cutter to make other shapes, too.
When those late-night pizza cravings hit, you'll be glad you have this countertop pizza oven. Not only is it priced under $150, but it's also convenient and allows you to make brick-oven-style pizzas in just 10 minutes. It also comes with three settings for thin, medium and thick crusts to ensure uniform pizzas — no matter how generous the toppings.
Make all of your hearty side dishes in this four-quart Staub cocotte. A heavy lid helps lock in all the moisture of your dish, and a glazed interior means there's no staining or scratching. And with 10 fun hues to choose from, it's pretty enough to leave out.
The chic fondue set keeps things warm with a tealight-filled glass and oak base that also functions as a centerpiece once the pot is removed. The ceramic pot can be used on any type of stovetop to prepare classic Gruyere or decadent dessert fondues. The set also includes four wood-handled, stainless-steel fondue forks.
This silicone pan makes up to 24 brownies at a time, but each brownie is bite-sized. Our tip? Freeze most of the brownies and leave just a few out so you're prepared when that sweet tooth strikes.
This ice cream maker is the perfect mix of old school and new school. Load up the aluminum canister with ice cream ingredients, place it in the wood bucket, cover it with ice and salt, and voila! The electric motor takes over, so there's no manual churning, and you can customize your flavors with fun mix-ins like cookie dough, candy or fruit.
This handy tool will help you get frothy with it! Use the Capresso to froth milk for homemade frappuccinos, iced lattes or other cafe-style coffee drinks. Our favorite way to use this clever gadget, though, is to make homemade hot cocoa. Add some rich chocolate syrup or crunchy chocolate chips to make your hot cocoa extra decadent.
Keep pie crusts from burning with this adjustable silicone pie crust shield from Williams Sonoma. Designed to be placed along the exposed edge of your crust during baking, this shield is more effective and easier to use than aluminum foil — plus, it's reusable!
Ditch all the chemicals and preservatives in microwavable popcorn bags for this sleek, glass popcorn maker. With a heat-resistant silicone handle, you can put this baby right into your microwave for some crunchy homemade popcorn in three minutes flat. It also features a vented silicone lid for melting butter (because popcorn without butter is a crime).
