Martha Stewart’s ‘Yes, Chef!’ Has Great Kitchen Essentials

Hot tempers aren’t the only noticeable part of Martha Stewart and José Andrés’ new cooking competition show, Yes, Chef! In the first episode alone, we saw competitors working with several of our favorite wooden cutting boards and citrus zesters as they rushed to finish their dishes. We couldn’t help but spot even more Food & Wine-approved kitchen essentials, including a sturdy KitchenAid stand mixer and versatile Nordic Ware baking sheets. Grab these chef-approved tools to start cooking like a pro at home.

Our Favorite Kitchen Essentials from Yes, Chef!

• John Boos Chop-N-Slice Series, Maple Cutting Board, $49, originally $59
• Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester, $18
• OXO Good Grips 9 Inch Stainless Steel Locking Tongs, $13, originally $15
• OXO Enhanced 8-Inch Frying Pan Skillet, $28, originally $40
• Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet, 2-Pack, $22
• Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula, $10
• Miyabi Kaizen 8-Inch Chef’s Knife, $150, originally $225
• Imperia Pasta Machine, $90
• Lodge 9-Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet, $26, originally $31
• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, $350, originally $460
• Benriner Super Slicer Mandoline, $59, originally $80
• Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender, $300, originally $380

John Boos Chop-N-Slice Series, Maple Cutting Board

Trusted by industry leaders like Ina Garten and Rachael Ray, John Boos blocks can be seen peppering the kitchen islands of Yes, Chef! The company also makes our favorite wooden cutting board. It’s gentle on knives yet durable enough to withstand daily slicing and chopping.

Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester

There’s no shortage of citrus zesters on the show, and for good reason: Pro chefs understand the impressive flavor boost from a flourish of fresh lemon zest. This classic Microplane zester’s surface is super sharp and resistant to rusting and dulling. It’s also great for grating cheeses, spices, garlic, and more.

OXO Good Grips 9 Inch Stainless Steel Locking Tongs

Working quickly and deftly over a hot stove requires the agility of kitchen tongs. OXO tongs make several appearances throughout the first episode, be it flipping steaks or grabbing ingredients from a pan. These tongs proved to be light and grippy during our tests, too. 

OXO Enhanced 8-Inch Frying Pan Skillet

Ceramic cookware is a great non-toxic option for those who can’t part with nonstick. Chefs on the new Martha Stewart and José Andrés show effortlessly stir sauces and toss ingredients in this OXO ceramic skillet. It has a tough cooking surface and can withstand temperatures up to 430°F.

Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet, 2-Pack

Nordic Ware makes a few of our favorite baking essentials, like its cookie sheet and bundt pan. The brand’s quarter sheets are all over the Yes, Chef! kitchen, often used as a temporary resting place for food waiting to be plated. The sheets’ even heating also makes them great for roasting and baking.

Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula

Metal fish spatulas are in nearly every utensil crock on the show. The tool gracefully flips steaks on a grill and lifts vegetables out of a pan. The metal ones seen on the show are similar to one of our favorites from Winco, which is comfortable to use and quite the steal at $10.

Miyabi Kaizen 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

One of the chefs on the show uses her go-to Miyabi knife for nearly every task, be it dicing carrots or chopping herbs. Miyabi makes some of our favorite knives, and the brand is one of our top picks for a whole knife set. This chef’s knife is great for any task in the kitchen and stays ultra-sharp through daily use.

Imperia Pasta Machine

Pro chefs on the show trust this pasta maker, and so do we. It rolls out picture-perfect spaghetti and fettuccine, never wobbling during our tests. The wooden handle is also comfortable enough to crank through several sheets of pasta without straining your wrists.

Lodge 9-Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet

Like many of our editors, chefs on the show turn to cast iron skillets to achieve a golden sear on their foods. The one they used to cook a cauliflower steak looks very similar to our top pick from Lodge, which provided the most even browning during our tests. It also released uniformly baked cornbread without trouble. 

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

The iconic KitchenAid stand mixer is, of course, essential to the chefs in this show. It’s used for its whisking power in this episode, but we know it’s also great for kneading dough or mixing cake batter. It’s been our top pick for years.

Benriner Super Slicer Mandoline

To achieve the finely sliced vegetables seen on this episode, chefs rely on the Benriner mandoline slicer that we call “exceptionally sharp and straightforward” in our review. It produces even slices and has a nonslip bottom that provides stability while slicing.

Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender

While the Vitamix Professional 750 blender seen in this episode might be more powerful than most home cooks need, the Explorian blender is just the right size for everyday use. It’s a simple blender with a strong motor that’s great for smoothies, soups, and sauces. The Explorian is also a more affordable Vitamix pick. Grab it while it’s on sale.