14 kitchen tools you need to cook the best brunch ever
It's time to level up your brunch game.
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Brunch—the magical meal that only comes once (or twice) a week. A chance to sleep late and then indulge in your favorite food from breakfast to lunch and back again. Next time you get brunch on the brain, level up your brunch game by making all your favorite dishes and drinks in the comfort of your own home.
Odds are you'll have some, if not all, of the supplies you need to host a fine brunch. But if you want to host the best possible daytime soiree, it helps to have the best of the best. We've combed through all the different kitchen tools we've tested and the best-sellers you can find online to pinpoint the most ideal items you should have in your arsenal to cook up a top-shelf brunch.
Slice and dice like a pro for picturesque dishes
A meal prepared well goes down ever better.
Prepping all your brunch ingredients, whether you’re making a cheese plate or chopping veggies for your omelette bar, is a lot easier with a sharp, easy-to-handle knife. This one was our favorite budget pick after we tested more than 20 knives. Buy now: Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Chef’s Knife, $45 on Amazon
Blend up sauces, smoothies, and soups in a flash
Fruity smoothies, frozen cocktails, creamy soups... All possible with a good blender.
For soups, smoothies, and maybe even a brunch piña colada, make sure you’ve got a resilient blender on hand. This is the best one we’ve tested. Buy now: Kitchen-Aid 5-Speed Diamond Blender, $107 on Home Depot or $118 on Amazon
Whip cream, knead biscuit dough, bake all the things
Mmm... Homemade whipped cream for your French toast and waffles.
Whip up fresh muffins, a merengue, whipped cream, or a batch of cookies with the best stand mixer around. Buy now: Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer, $230 on eBay
Unleash your inner Gordon Ramsay and make something that sizzles
Recipe call for going from stovetop to oven? You'll need one of these.
A stainless steel frying pan is a key cooking tool in any kitchen, and this one scored our Best Value award for standing up against other, more expensive options. Whip up some fresh sautéed veggies, sear some brunch steak, or fry up some tasty bacon. Buy now: Tramontina Gourmet Prima Stainless Steel 12-Inch Fry Pan, $52 on Amazon and at HomeDepot
Make everyone's omelette the right way
Make a good omelette taste even better with the best omelette pan around.
After testing a lot of nonstick pans, this omelette pan proved itself the best around. Omelettes can be tricky to master, but the right pan is a step in the right direction. Buy now: Calphalon Nonstick 10-Inch Omelette Pan, $40
Serve up something sweet to contrast all your savory dishes
Brunch without waffles should be forbidden.
Never, ever host brunch without offering up waffles. Batter is cheap and easy to make, and the best-selling waffle maker on Amazon is only $15, so you really have no excuse. Buy now: OsterBelgian Waffle Maker, $15 on Amazon
Pour a glass of cafe-quality cold brew
Brunch means coffee, and cold brew is always welcome.
What's summer brunch without a decadent, frosty glass of cold brew? This is the best cold brew coffee maker we've ever tried. Just be sure to make a batch the night before for the best flavor. Buy now: Takeya Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker, $24 on Amazon
Brew the perfect pot of hot coffee
Save drip coffee for weekdays. Make it right with a French press.
If you have guests who love hot coffee, go the extra mile and use a French press that will deliver flavor and joy a drip maker could only dream of creating. The Espro uses two extra-fine filters that keep the grounds from seeping into your cup. It's so easy to take apart and clean, and it even helped me curb my Starbucks addiction and start making coffee at home. Buy now: Espro French Press Coffee Maker, $40 from Sur La Table
Wow your friends with homemade lattes and cappuccinos
This will make any brunch a latte better.
An electric milk frother takes up next-to-no space in your drawer, but transforms your brunch beverage menu into something out of a five-star cafe. It's so easy to use, you'll probably start reaching for it every morning. Buy now: PowerLix Battery-Powered Milk Frother, $15 on Amazon
Take good care of the tea crowd
Serving tea or coffee? You'll want this.
An electric kettle with temperature control (the best one we've ever tested and my own personal favorite) ensures you'll pour the perfect cup of tea no matter if your friends want rooibos, green tea, or herbal blends. Plus, it makes life so much easier if you're a French press or pour-over coffee fan. Buy now: Cuisinart Electric Kettle, $72 on Amazon
Make fresh juice with your favorite fruits (and veggies)
Nothing beats fresh juice, especially when it has all your favorite flavors.
Rather than regular orange juice, why not whip up a batch of your own custom juice recipe? And this one’s was out Best Value pick because it's the right price for something you’ll probably only break out when guests come for your blood orange or pear mimosas. Buy now: Black + Decker Juicer, $35 on Amazon
Expand your menu with a spiralizer
With one of these on hand, you can take your brunch menu to new heights.
You never know what unique brunch recipes will catch your eye (like this spiralized apple salad) so have a spiralizer on hand just in case. This is the best we’ve tested, and for $10 it’s well worth the investment. Buy now: Vegetti Hand-Held Spiralizer, $10 on Amazon
Don't stop at zoodles, try sous vide too!
Precision cooking at its finest, and coolest. Everyone will want to know your secret.
Sous vide cooking is perfect for getting meat just right, but it's also great at cooking eggs, making desserts, and so much more. The best part is it's hands-free and virtually impossible to mess up. Buy now: Anova Bluetooth Sous Vide Cooker, $120 on Amazon
Use a casserole dish that doubles as storage
If there even are any leftovers, just pop on a lid and cleanup is done.
If you even have leftovers, anything in one of these Pyrex containers is already ready to stow away. Just stick on a matching lid and you're done! They're also dishwasher safe for easier cleanup. Buy now: Pyrex 8-Piece Baking Set, $23 on Amazon
Slow cook one dish to focus on others
If you can slow cook just one dish, you'll have less to worry about before your guests arrive.
When you're prepping a smorgasbord of brunch foods, being able to set-and-forget is so helpful. And our choice for the Best Value when it comes to slow cookers even has a keep-warm function that switches over when your food is ready so there's no risk of overcooking a thing. Buy now: Hamilton Beach Set ’n’ Forget Programmable Slow Cooker, $42 on Amazon