These Pro-Approved Tools Prevent Cuts, Burns, and Slips

Kitchen safety is no joke — I’ve seen and heard about kitchen injuries you wouldn’t believe. I’m not here to scare you, but cooking can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper precautions. Think about it: You’re working with fire, sharp blades, and slippery floors. If you’re not careful, things can go wrong fast. 

The good news? Minimizing cuts, slips, and burns is easy if you stay vigilant. Want to enjoy that delicious brisket instead of making an unexpected trip to the hospital? Do what I did when I was working in professional kitchens: Use sharp knives (and the right ones for the job), always reach for hot pans with oven mitts on, keep your workstation clean, and wear slip-resistant shoes. Read on for my top kitchen safety tool recommendations.

Best Amazon Kitchen Safety Tools

• Gorilla Grip Silicone Oven Mitts, $18, originally $30
• KitchenAid All-Purpose Kitchen Shears, $9, originally $12
• Homaxy Cotton Waffle Kitchen Dish Cloths, $9 with coupon, originally $10
• Winco Chinese Cleaver, $14
• Crocs Unisex Slip-Resistant Bistro Clog, $37, originally $50
• Mercer Culinary Millennia Bread Knife, $16
• NoCry Premium Cut-Resistant Gloves, $14, originally $16
• Nordic Ware Eighth Sheet Pan, $6, originally $12
• Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler, 3-Pack, $14

Gorilla Grip Silicone Oven Mitts

It’s so important to have a dependable set of oven mitts. You want ones that are heat resistant to at least 450°F so you won’t feel the burn when holding pans for more than a couple seconds — and waterproof, slip-resistant silicone ensures a solid grip. Sure, it’s enticing to use a dish towel to pull a piping-hot pan out of the oven, but I’ve seen (and participated in) many instances where you can quickly regret it.

KitchenAid All-Purpose Kitchen Shears

I’m a big fan of finding the right tool for the job. An 8-inch chef’s knife is great for slicing and dicing, but using it to remove the plastic from a tiny container of capers, snip the rubber band off some fresh kale, or cut some fresh herbs or cooked protein? Not always the best move! That’s where kitchen shears come in. I use them nearly every day for all sorts of tasks — both cooking and beyond — and I know a lot of chefs who swear by them. 

Homaxy Cotton Waffle Kitchen Dish Cloths

One of the absolute best ways to prevent kitchen injuries is to keep your station clean. Towel off any juices or liquids from your cutting board. Push aside clutter that could get in the way of your extremely sharp knife. Take care of any spills on the counter or floor immediately. There’s a reason that over 10,000 Amazon shoppers have grabbed this 6-pack of dish towels in the past month. 

Winco Chinese Cleaver

It’s extremely important to have the right tool for every task. I’ve seen a lot of people ruin knives (or their fingers!) by using delicate chef’s knives for cutting tasks like chopping sweet potatoes and squash or breaking down animal protein. You need a powerful knife for those moments, and this cleaver is the one I’ve used for years. 

Crocs Unisex Slip-Resistant Bistro Clog

Whether you’re in a busy, grimy professional kitchen or hanging out in your own house, you want to prevent slips at all costs. Get into the habit of wearing slip-resistant shoes when you’re cooking. Not only are they really comfortable, but they’ll also protect your feet from spills and other kitchen hazards. 

Mercer Culinary Millennia Bread Knife

I can’t say this enough: using the wrong knife is a recipe for injury. Every kitchen should have a serrated knife for cutting bread, slicing tomatoes, and even baked goods. This is Amazon’s top-selling bread knife — it’s the one I use and is absolutely worth the price.

NoCry Premium Cut-Resistant Gloves

There’s no shame in using cut-resistant gloves in the kitchen — especially if you’re prepping veggies with a mandolin slicer (aka the scariest kitchen tool of all time). These gloves are stronger than leather or steel. They’re basically body armor for your hands and fingers.

Nordic Ware Eighth Sheet Pan

An eighth pan is the perfect way to organize a bunch of seemingly random things on your counter. Next to my stove, I have one that holds cooking and finishing oils, salt, pepper, and measuring spoons. Clutter can often snowball into larger organizational and safety issues, so I recommend always keeping things neat and tidy with this super inexpensive hack.

Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler, 3-Pack

I’ve seen people try to peel things in incredibly unsafe ways. Over 3,000 Amazon shoppers have picked up this set of peelers in the past month, and we ranked Kuhn Rikon among the best vegetable peelers, calling them “amazingly sharp” with “exceptional precision.”