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The Café Loves
Welcome to our curated collection of the kitchen tools, gadgets, and entertaining essentials we use and love every day. Enjoy!
A quick note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, thank you for supporting us and our work. As always, we only share products we truly love and use ourselves.
This Café Loves page has been a family project from start to finish! So many of you have asked for kitchen and entertaining recommendations over the years. Cait (our daughter, above right), Lindsay (our daughter in law, above left) and I have gathered our tried-and-true kitchen tools, pretty tableware, baking gadgets, and all the little things that make everyday cooking and entertaining easier and more fun. Meanwhile, the guys (Scott, Nick, our son, and our son-in-law, Josh) brought their "guy gear" expertise... grilling gadgets, outdoor essentials, and things we didn't even know we needed 😂. We're starting with the kitchen and entertaining staples you've asked about most, but more categories -including the guys' picks- will be rolling out soon. So be sure to check back often for fresh finds and new favorites!
We hope you find some treasures you'll love as much as we do!
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Meal Prep Tools
Garlic Press
This is the garlic press we reach for daily. It's sturdy, easy to use, and it gets every bit of garlic with zero fuss.
Heavy Duty Chopper
This chopper is a daily go-to in our kitchen. It makes quick, tidy work of onions, peppers, and more. Perfect to use on the Mexican Chopped Salad recipe!
Kitchen Scale
Big enough to hold larger items that need to be weighed, easily washed and long lasting
Glass Mixing Bowls
We use some combination of these bowls every single day! They're in and out of the dishwasher and microwave endlessly yet still look like new after many years of use (maybe abuse is a better word!).
Silicon Mitts
Heat resistant silicone mitts are a life saver!
Meat Handling Gloves
While I really love a meatball meal like the Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs, yum! I can't stand the thought of the process. These take the ick out of the meatball making!
Bench Scraper
THE perfect tool for dealing with dough as well as cleaning up the left behind flour off the countertops.
Meat Pounder
This tool is so helpful for cooking meats to even temps.
Microwave Egg Cooker
These have been amazing at streamlining mornings at our house. A perfectly sandwich-sized egg cooks in just one minute with minimal hands-on time.
Scoops- S, M, L
Different sizes are helpful for different jobs…
- Large: (5T) muffins, cupcakes, large cookies
- Med (3T)-cookies, meatballs
- Sm(1.5T)- small cookies
Electric Can Opener
Small but Mighty. We've had this for years, works like a charm every time!
Traditional Can Opener
Simple but sturdy and will last for years.
Candy Thermometer
So useful, takes the guesswork out of confections any like our Fudge Recipes.
The perfect Ice Cream scoop!
Tavolo Spatula Set
I reach for these multitasking tools multiple times a day, they get the job done!
6/10/11 inch Whisk Set
These are kitchen workhorses you'll use over and over again!
SurLaTable Whisk
Our favorite!
Rosle Metal Spatula
Super thin but sturdy, one of my favorite spatulas
Rosle Tongs
These have a built in magnet which makes it function effortlessly
Silicone Spoons
Every kitchen needs large silicone spoons, perfect for SO many tasks
The Dream: Thermapen
Meat Fork
Great for both indoor and outdoor tasks
Cherry Pitter
Who loves to pit cherries?! No one. This one is a little lifesaver andcCan be used for both olives & cherries.
Popcorn Maker
The Whirly Pop makes the best popcorn without any mess. We use it for all of our caramel corn as well!
Salt & Pepper Shakers
So convenient, effortless, efficient, especially when you only have one free hand!
Lemon Juicer
This is a recent find and I loved it so much I ordered another! It's a quick, easy way to juice citrus and makes creating recipes like the Lemon Thyme Shortbread a breeze.
Salad Spinner
Love crisp fresh CLEAN greens? This is a must.
Salt Cellar
This little guy sits on our counter and gets used every day!
2 qt Glass Mixing Bowl
These lifetime bowls are so handy with the handle for the microwave and fade proof lettering.
8 oz Liquid Measuring Glass
A little honey of a mearuing cup- complete with a lid to store your creations!
Mesh Strainer Set
Every kitchen needs a set of these. They're great for multiple purposes
Food Prep Cutlery
Kitchen Shears
Such an essential kitchen tool for cutting herbs, spinach, kale, pizza, meat and its dishwasher safe!
Mezzaluna
Great for chopping fresh herbs like in the Italian Mint Pesto recipe!
Small Pearing Knives
These little things are worth their weight in gold and are so inexpensive! We go through so many in a day.
Microplanes
These are super handy kitchen tools and save lots of time. They come in multiple sizes for multiple functions- these are some of our favorites!
Course
for cheese grating
Classic
for citrus zesting, garlic & ginger
Shaver Blade
for making curly ribbons of cheese
Knives
The Dream
We ALL love our Global knives.Their sharpness and balance make everyday slicing and dicing effortless.
Knife Sharpening
Global Knife Sharpener
This one is specially designed to be used with Global Knives ONLY. See our other recommendation for anything else.
Universal Sharpener
For knives other than Global Knives.
Pizza Cutter
Every kitchen needs one of these, it even works for cutting dough, croissants, etc
Mandolin
This tool is the best for quick, uniform slices- it's a game-changer for salads, gratins, and more.
Cookware
Dutch Ovens
Practical Pick
Tramontina, Walmart, 7qt
For the price this Dutch oven is surprising sturdy. If someone handed it to me with my eyes closed I wouldn't know the difference!
Staub- Large
So heavy duty, a lifetime gift!
Staub Medium Dutch Oven
She's so pretty she sits on my cooktop constantly! Perfect for whipping up a small batch of soup, sauce or cooking rice.
Cast Iron
These definitely fall under the category of multi purpose. We use them for bread, deep dish pizza, a meat sear, shrimp sautéing and the list goes on!
The Dream: Smithey
We love anything they make! Yes it's a spurge, but always gorgeous.
Bread Pans
We have these in all different sizes. They have square edges so loaves come out oh so pretty, like these!
White Mini Loaf Pans
Perfect for giving homemade bread as a gift- give them the pretty pan as well!
Tortilla Warmer
This is a great serving item if you love Mexican food. Perfect for making our homemade tortillas and keeping them warm!
Individual Au Gratins
These are fun to use for dinner parties when you want the ability to make individual servings.
All Clad Non Stick Pans
These make cooking almost anything a dream- game changer in the kitchen!
Oval Baker
These come in different heights. Perfect for enchiladas, potato au gratin, chicken parm etc
Large Roasting Pan
Perfect for any kind of roast and best of all it keeps the meat out of the drippings.
Braiser with Glass Lid
The glass lid is so helpful since it allows you to see how things are progressing. Thsee also go easily from stovetop to oven
Pots & Pans
We really like to have glass lids so we can keep an eye on things without disturbing the cooking process!
The Dream: All Clad
These have been in the mix for 30 years, in and out of the dishwasher a zillion times and still look beautiful.
Practical Pick: Kitchen Aid
I received these as a gift a few years ago and haven't looked back. They're great and I love the glass lids! -Cait
Food Storage
Baking
Baking Tools
Oversized Cookie/Cake Spatula
This tool is fabulous for keeping cakes perfect while transferring from the cooling rack to a cake stand.
Measuring Spoons
These longer spoons are better than the round so they fit into small spice containers.
Metal Measuring Cups
I've had these for 15 years and use them every day, long lasting in and out of the dishwasher.
Biscuit Cutting Set
These cuties are perfect for biscuits but also for cookies, dough, etc.
Bakeware
We're big fans of OXO's GoodGrips bakeware line. It's well-designed, durable, and always delivers. Truly some of the best out there!
Small Cooking Appliances
Blenders
The Dream: Vitamix Ascent Series A3500
This beauty doubles as a food processor, and unlike many blenders, the container is dishwasher-safe. Total win!
Practical Pick: Ninja
This Practical Pick gets the job done and has a single serve option as well. Big hit with kids in the kitchen!
Air Fryers
The Dream: Breville Toaster Oven/Air Fryer
This gets a workout every single day- it's truly a dream. With its generous capacity and versatile functions (bake, broil, and more), it handles everything beautifully.
Practical Pick: Consori Air Fryer
This one is a good all round pick, even the kids use it! And...the basket goes in the dishwasher- clearly a win.
Waffle Maker aka 'The Queen'
We've had ours for 25 years and it still works perfectly and quickly makes beautiful waffles every time. We even pass it around the family for various events!
Immersion Blender Set
There are a myriad of things this blender is used for in my kitchen but it's most often employed to blitz cooked veggies into a silky soup.
Food Processors
Standard Food Processor
Great all round pick, sturdy and dependable.
Mini Food Processor
This one gets used almost daily! It comes in fun colors, is easy to store, and makes quick work of chopping herbs, veggies, fruit, sauces like this, and more.
Electric Egg Cooker
Everyone in the family loves this little multi purpose machine. It creates poached, scrambled, hard boiled eggs and omelets, too!
Slow Cooker
I've had a number of slow cookers over the years and this is by far the fav- its big and it's insert is DW safe.
Presto Kitchen Kettle
If you deep fry (which I don't do it a lot these days!) this is my pick. It keeps the temp exactly where it needs to be.
Kitchen Supplies
Automatic and Rechargeable Soap Dispenser
So nice when you're in the middle of a task and have dirty hands. Plus, it, doesn't drip!
Kitchen Dish Towels
Sturdy, absorbent, and surprisingly pretty- these dish towels have been through the wash hundreds of times and still look fantastic.
Microfiber Cleaning Towels
Lightweight, fast-drying, and never musty. Inexpensive, absorbent, and still going strong after hundreds of washes.
Hand & Dish Soap Dispensers
These are practical but pretty and attractive on the counter.
Entertaining
Milk Glass Cake Stand, 9 inches
This cake stand elevates any cake and makes it feel like a special occasion even if it's not!
Bread Basket with Heated Stone
Game changer for entertaining, who wants to eat cold bread!? Also, makes a great gift for the entertainer in your life.
extra-Long Cheese Board
While I only tend to use this fantastically long board for larger events it looks beautiful just sitting on my sideboard awaiting it's next use!
CapriBlue Iridescent Candle
Their signature scent is absolutely irresistible- fresh, citrusy, and clean- and without fail, guests always ask, "What smells so good?"
Table Salt & Pepper Grinder Set
This set is fun, functional and artisic. We get lots of comments on these guys- they would certainly make a great gift!
Serveware
HIC Ramekins, white, fluted
These are great for individual servings as seen here- plus they go in and out of oven and dishwasher- winning!
C&B White Fluted Ramekins
These come in all different sizes
Blue & White Platter
This Marlow Thomas large diner platter is perfect for serving a crowd but also makes a nice decorative statement in your kitchen!
Pillivuyt Dishes
These are truly built for a lifetime, and are so classic.
**note, if you keep your eyes peeled sometimes you can find them at Homegoods!
Glassware
Beaded Glasses
Feels like these are having a moment, but they're so darn cute we couldn't resist.
Wine Glasses
The Dream: schott Zweisel White
Practical Pick: Red or White
I'm a big fan anything that's dual purpose plus in our busy home wine glasses often are broken- it's always nice to remove a guest's stress by telling them...'don't worry, they're from IKEA!' - Cait
Jams and Jellies Pantry
Over the years, we've received numerous questions about the jars we use for our homemade jams and jellies. So we decided to round up our favorites here, all in one easy-to-shop spot! We've also included a few essential products for canning jam and jelly.
These are the jars we reach for again and again - simple, classic, and perfect for gifting, storing, or simply adding a bit of beauty to your pantry shelf. Click any image or link below to take a closer look, then add some of these beauties to your own collection!
Jars
Beaded 16oz jars
Beaded 8oz jars
Decorative 8 oz jars
Mini Tulip Jelly Jar with Glass Lid
Fluted Vintage Jar, 4oz
0.25 Litre Preserve Jars
Mini Mason Jar, 4oz
Flutted Jar with Label, 4oz
Hexagon Jar, 6oz
Italian Mason Jar 5oz
Gold Lidded Mason Jar, 4oz
Weck Mini Deco Jar, 7.4oz
Canning Tools
Stainless Steel Water Bath Canner
Canning Funnel and Strainer
