Notes from the Test Kitchen

my favorite things

‘Tis the season for a gift guide! People often ask me: what should I register for, what knives do you recommend, what plates do you love? Well, here’s your answer!

I am also a big fan of a homemade food gift. As long as I can remember, my mom and sister and I have baked dozens of Butter Pecan Coffee Cakes, my sweet dad driving all over Atlanta to deliver them before Christmas Eve. If you too prefer a homemade gift, I’ve created a roundup of my favorite recipes for gifting over on my website. And of course, a gifted subscription to Notes from the TK is always a good idea! ;)

These are a few of my favorite things…

IN THE KITCHEN

SMALL APPLIANCES

Breville Smart Oven - in an earlier post, I said I only have one oven. That’s not entirely true—this little countertop oven is so much more than our toaster. It’s our household workhorse. It cooks so efficiently, and so evenly, I often choose to bake things in here for photo shoots when I need a perfectly golden brown outcome. I once cooked an entire cookbook photo shoot in this little oven. It can toast, airfry, even make pizza.

Vitamix - it’s an investment, but it’s the best. The most powerful blender out there, trusted by home cooks and restaurant chefs alike.

Cuisinart Food Processor - if you’ve read any of my recipes, you know I love this thing. I use it for nut butter, pimento cheese, pie crusts, pesto or salsa verde, and especially for our annual Christmas Coffee Cake (recipe found here). In my mind, no kitchen is complete without it.

Rice Cooker - we’ve talked about this a lot, you know I use it constantly. There’s a lot of good ones out there. This is the one we use; it’s simple to use and big enough to keep our family fed all week long.

COOKWARE

Smithey - I have been working with the team at Smithey for over six years, developing recipes and styling photographs. The company is headquartered in Charleston and specializes in super high-quality American made cast iron and carbon steel skillets. My personal favorites are the Dual Handle No. 14 and the Farmhouse skillet. I also love the option to add a personal engraving—a personalized and useful gift to last a lifetime.

Made In - Professional grade cookware at home. I love their non-toxic nonstick skillets and their pasta/stock pot. There are some good sales going on right now, so take advantage!

Le Creuset - Another brand with a strong Charleston presence, Le Creuset is the best for enameled cast iron. I believe a large enamel Dutch oven is an essential in any kitchen. We use it to sauté, braise, cook pasta, blanch vegetables, make soups and stews. Another investment piece that you’ll cook with for a lifetime. I recommend the 5.5 or 7.25 quart round.

A great cutting board is an essential, and Boos Block is my favorite. Big, solid wood, nontoxic, these will last a lifetime and look gorgeous on your kitchen counter.

KNIVES & SMALL TOOLS

For kitchen utensils, the best materials are wood (such as these spoons), steel (such as this fish spatula), and high heat-resistant silicone (like these spatulas).

Middleton Knives - Quintin Middleton makes gorgeous knives just outside Charleston. We have one and Mike and I fight over who gets to use it. They’re beautiful, balanced, sturdy, and sharp.

Other Knives - here’s what you need: an 8” chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife. Here’s a great set that’s currently on sale, or this one. If you plan to carve/debone meat or remove fish skin, add in a sharp slicer.

Mortar and Pestle - I keep this marble one next to the stove and use it for grinding toasted fennel, cumin, and coriander seeds. Freshly ground spices taste about 10x better than the pre-ground kind.

Offset Spatula - aka the “baby offset”, this is a food stylist’s favorite tool. The perfect size to gently lift out a slice of pie or make decorative swooshes in frosting and whipped cream.

Tiny Rubber Spatulas - great for scraping the last bits out of a condiment jar or mixing up a small bowl of yogurt (we buy plain Fage yogurt and stir in different jellies, maple syrup, and protein powder).

Cake Tester - perfect for knowing when your cake or cupcakes are done, or when your fish is cooked just right.

Vegetable Peeler - these are so good you can’t believe the price. they’re sharp, so be careful. After heavy, heavy use, they will eventually dull, but the price point makes it painless to replace.

Instant Read Thermometer - the best thermometer I’ve ever used. Period. Get one for every cook in your life.

Timer - with the amount of recipe testing I do, I can’t rely solely on my phone or oven timer. I need a designated kitchen timer that beeps really loud. My favorite one (linked) is out of stock, but look for one that’s equally simple and loud enough to hear from the living room.

A Good Pepper Mill - Peugeot is classic in design and precise in quality. I like the 4-inch and 7-inch sizes.

Microplane - for delicate shavings of parmesan, citrus rind, or finely grated ginger.

ON THE TABLE

PLATES & FLATWARE

Heath - these are my favorite ceramic plates and bowls. The company has been around since 1948 and graces the tabletop of restaurants like Chez Panisse. They are elegant, timeless, and stand up to high volume. We purchased Heath for a restaurant five years ago and it is still as beautiful as day one. If I could replace all the china in my house, it would be with Heath. The only problem is choosing my favorite glaze! (I’m love sea mist and redwood in the coupe line). They recently launched “Pass the Plate” where you can buy like-new or new secondhand products.

East Fork - made in Asheville, North Carolina, East Fork has beautiful rustic-yet-elegant ceramics. The Everyday Bowl is truly that, great for pasta, salads, and stews.

Juliska - recently relocated to Charleston, this company makes beautiful handblown glassware (like this carafe). I’m currently obsessed with their pewter-glazed stoneware, so unique and well-priced!

Sabre Flatware - in any color, really, but I especially love this moody green. Find it locally in Charleston at my favorite new shop, Wentworth!

Porta NYC - I LOVE this brand. It’s European-inspired, curated, and unique. Some items are quite pricey but I try to scoop up all the affordable gems, like this beautiful pitcher. I covet their glassware and linens, and the colorful ceramics like these pasta bowls!

LINENS

Madre - I love anything with a serged edge, and Madre has a really special collection of colors. Committed to rebuilding the American linen industry, they’ve got a great story too.

Pomegranate - I have a lukewarm relationship with blockprints (they are so fun in person but quite impractical for food styling), but I always love the India Hicks collection at Pomegranate.

DRINKWARE

Kinto - a clean, beautiful Japanese brand of ceramics and glassware. I love their small glass bowls for sauces and dips, and their perfect teapots.

Il Buco - pricey but so unique. As they say on the website, “perfectly imperfect, functional and humbly regal.”

Fable - beautiful, thin, unbreakable glassware?! I use these constantly in photo shoots because they are so elegant, and I’m not afraid to let my 2-year-old near them. Truly a miracle. These are the best everyday glasses.

Ember Mug - any other moms out there that have to microwave their coffee 5 times every morning before they finally just give up and drink it cold? This mug is worth every penny. My husband has one, and the only good thing about when he travels is that I get to use his mug! It’s top on my Christmas list this year.

FOOD GIFTS

Roy’s Panettone - there’s nothing else like it. It’s light and airy and sweet and just AMAZING.

Schermer Pecans - I have been lucky enough to work with this family-run pecan farm in South Georgia for a few years now, so I’m sure you’ve already heard how much I love their stuff. Let me tell you, fresh pecans make a huge difference. I recently made our beloved pecan butter with grocery store pecans and it was a shadow of the real thing, bitter and forgettable. Schermer truly grows some of the most delicious pecans out there. (Don’t forget to use code JENNI10 for a 10% discount!)

Clawback Sauce - made in Charleston by dear friends of ours, this sauce hits. It has bright, tangy, fresh pepper flavor and a unique texture that’s part hot-sauce, part salsa. Equally delicious on seafood or a quesadilla.

Rishi Loose Leaf Tea - our favorite is the Turmeric Ginger and the Peppermint, but every tea this company makes is incredible. If you’re not sure about tea, this tea will make you fall in love.

Olinda Olive Oil - this is the olive oil we use at home and at my husband’s restaurants. Grown in California then blended and bottled in Charleston, it’s rich and fruity and delicious. I highly recommend buying a gallon at a time!

Chili Crisp - there’s a lot of brands out there. Our standby is Fly By Jing. Spoon it onto eggs, soup, rice bowls, and sautéed veggies.

Trade Coffee - delicious, interesting coffee delivered right to your door? Yes please. We have had a Trade coffee subscription for about 3 years and have never had a bad brew.

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In full transparency: a few of the things linked here may earn me a small (and I mean very small) affiliate commission—but know that everything in here is something that I truly love.