13moons Chef de Cuisine Dan Van Norman shares his favorite kitchen tools that every cook should have in their kitchen!

#3: Tongs

“They’re your second set of hands in the kitchen.”

Tongs are underrated. They let you easily grab just about anything without burning yourself, not to mention that they let you flip your food for even cooking. On top of that, you can toss salads or safely rotate a hot dish in the oven. These Artful Homemaker stainless steel, silicon tipped tongs let you grab your food without scratching your pan.

#2: 8-inch Chef Knife

“It’s the most used tool in my kitchen.”

Whether you’re dicing veggies, mincing garlic, chopping herbs or slicing proteins, an 8-inch chef knife is a go-to tool. Investing in a good knife is a smart choice because it’s so universal. You can slice and dice with the blade, as well as use it to scoop up chopped veggies, and use the base to smash garlic. Amazon’s number one best-seller is the Victorinox’s 8-inch chef’s knife.

#1: Sanitation Container

“Treat your kitchen like a hospital!”

You can make a simple, yet effective, sanitation solution by mixing water with chlorine (bleach), quaternary ammonium or iodine. Keep a special bucket just for sanitation to prevent chemical contamination, like this Crestware 3-quart bucket available on Amazon.