3 Kitchen Gadgets NY Times Food Writer Melissa Clark Can't Live Without

Looking to up your cooking game? The first step is always making sure your kitchen is stocked with all the essential tools. New York Times food writer Melissa Clark does a whole lot of cooking—so she's sharing her top three kitchen essentials that make cooking and baking so much easier.  

Mini Mandolin 

Opting for a mini mandolin is a lot easier than using a full-size mandolin. "I use [it] almost every day," says Melissa. "I don't know about you, but whenever I try to slice something really thinly with a knife, I get uneven pieces. This mandolin makes the pieces super even and it goes really fast."  

Melissa also suggests getting a mandolin glove to keep your fingers protected, although you can also use a dish towel—or some mandolins come with a little plastic piece to help protect your fingers. Just be careful not to cut yourself.  

Mini Whisk 

"Using a smaller whisk works so much better when you have a small amount of liquid. [These are perfect for] a salad dressing or a little pot of hot cocoa or if you're making yourself some oatmeal," says Melissa. "What's so great about these is I can hold them in my hand and get a lot of control and I can whisk really quickly, which is nice." Plus, they're really inexpensive and super cute!  

Digital Scale 

Say goodbye to dry cakes due to mis-measured flour. "This [digital scale] will guarantee you a perfect result," says Melissa. "It is so much easier for baking, because instead of using measuring cups and measuring spoons and making a big mess, I can mix everything in my baking bowl and it's a lot more precise."