1. Pizza stone
Also called a baking stone, this heavy round or rectangular stone duplicates the brick floor in pizza and bread ovens and creates a crisp, brown crust. Place on the lowest shelf of the oven before preheating the oven. Then place the dough on the stone, and bake.

2. Heat-resistant spatulas
Choose an assortment of wide and narrow spatulas in nylon; they won’t scratch nonstick cookware surfaces.

3. Mortar and pestle
This pair is used for grinding spices, herbs, and other foods. Press the pestle (the bat-like object) against the food and grind against the mortar (the bowl) until the desired consistency is reached.

4. Ice cream maker
There are two types, the manual (like a Donvier or hand crank) and the electric. Some of the manual types fit on a countertop and don’t use salt or ice. Instead, they use an aluminum tub you store in your freezer before using. For both types, a clear lid lets you see how well the mixture is freezing.

5. Garlic press
Use this tool when a recipe calls for crushed garlic because you’ll want both the garlic and its juice.

6. Salad spinner
Just a few turns of the handle and you’ll remove excess water from freshly washed salad greens.

7. Grill pan
A grill pan has gone from being a gourmet item to an everyday must have. It gives the food a grilled appearance and flavor, and it provides a nice browning. Plus, the food in the pan is raised so that you get the tenderness of roasting as well.

8. Heavy-duty stand-up mixer
This machine will stand up to all of your baking needs, including stiff doughs or large amounts. It comes with attachments like a balloon whisk (for incorporating air with egg whites), a dough hook (for kneading bread), and a paddle beater (for mixing and combining ingredients).

9. Food processor
A full-sized food processor makes quick work out of everyday food preparation. Use the metal blade for chopping and pureeing. The slicing disc and the shredding disc let you slice or shred vegetables in a fraction of the time.

10. Instant-read thermometer
Food safety should be a top concern in the kitchen. One key factor is cooking food to the proper temperature. Use an instant-read thermometer to check meringues, meat, and poultry—just be sure not to leave it in the oven. It should be removed from the food after you read the temperature.