Staff Picks

Very underappreciated in the West, this brand from Taiwan does well in the industry but still has poor consumer marketing. Dough wheels often wobbles and one struggles to keep the lines aligned, but not with this one. Overall, it feels very well constructed, and that translates to a much faster workflow and less cringe.

It’s a tool we use in the kitchen multiple times a day, that I cannot imagine working without. Gone are the days when butter is smeared all over my knives, slices turn out ugly, and rags smell of culture.

This is the first thing that came to mind when I was asked to have my pick. Between this and the Bistro, I like Windsor more because of its size and versatility. The wide opening lets me sear or saute small quantity of food with good result, and tall wall makes cleaning the stove much faster. The heavy glass lid also seals well so there’s a lot of cooking you can do in this little thing.

Fruits are good for you, and these are even better. They are the soul of black forest, yes, but it is also an excuse to raise your heartbeat while still feeling you are appreciating an artisanal product. A dangerous juicy snack.

I prefer coconut purée to coconut milk because the texture is richer and the coconut aroma is much more noticeable. This one has a smooth, thick consistency and a very clean flavour. I use it for ice cream, puddings, cakes and snow skin mooncakes, and I trust the quality and consistency of Boiron's French fruit purées.

I find the quality better than the cake flour I usually see in supermarkets. It is very fine and noticeably white, and I like the soft, light texture it gives to chiffon cakes, cupcakes and delicate cookies. I also like that I can buy it in a practical size without having to bring home a big bag.

The aroma is the first thing I notice. It has a deep roasted sesame flavour and a very smooth texture, so it is easy to use in fillings, cakes, ice cream and other desserts. The quality is very consistent.

This is a simple bowl, but I use it all the time, especially for dough and proofing bread. It is light, sturdy and easy to handle, and the plastic does not get as cold as a metal bowl, which I find helpful when working with dough.

This is a very practical cutting board for everyday cooking. The juice groove helps keep liquid from running onto the counter, I can use both sides, and it goes straight into the dishwasher when I am finished.

I like this book because it shows ideas and techniques I wouldn't normally come across just by searching online. When I'm making bonbons, it helps me look at something I already know in a different way and gives me new approaches to try.

I use this when I want acidity but also want something more aromatic than lemon juice. It works in savoury dishes like pasta and sauces, but I can use the same bottle for pastry and desserts, so I always find different uses for it.

This is a staple in our kitchen, especially when we make sourdough in class. It has a much more noticeable wheat aroma and flavour than many bread flours I've used, and you can really taste the difference in a simple loaf.

This spatula has the right balance of firmness and flexibility. It isn't too hard or too soft, and the edge scrapes a bowl very cleanly. It also holds up much better than many cheaper spatulas I've used.

I like having different mesh sizes because I can choose exactly how fine I want something to be. For example, I can sieve ground hazelnuts into a very fine, even powder, or use a coarser mesh when I want to keep more texture. One sieve system can handle a lot of different jobs in the kitchen.

I don't bake pies myself, but I still love looking through this book. The pastries are beautiful, and there are so many interesting fillings, flavour combinations and ideas to discover. It's the kind of book I can flip through just for inspiration, even if I'm more likely to go out and buy the finished dessert than make it myself.

I love how rich and aromatic this pistachio paste is. The flavour is really intense and actually tastes like pistachio, which is important to me. I especially like it in drinks and pistachio lattes, but I can easily see why it works so well in desserts too.

This is honestly one of my favourite milk chocolates. The roasted hazelnut flavour gives it so much more character than an ordinary milk chocolate. If you already love chocolate and hazelnut together, I would definitely recommend trying this. I'm also perfectly happy just eating it straight from the bag.

I like this one because it gives me a good-quality Uji matcha at a price where I can actually enjoy it regularly. I mostly drink matcha rather than cook with it, especially in lattes, and for the price I think this one delivers really well.

I like how straightforward this torch is. The flame is easy to control, and when you need that quick finishing heat, it does exactly what you want it to do. It may not be something everyone uses every day, but it's the kind of tool that's very useful when you need it.

I don't cook much, but this is one of those kitchen tools that just makes sense to me. You get both fine and coarse grating in one tool, so it can handle everything from citrus zest to cheese without needing two different graters. Simple, practical and useful.

I use this for matcha all the time. It has enough power to blend it really smooth without leaving little clumps, and it is quick when I don't feel like whisking by hand. BAMIX is also a brand I trust, so this is something I know I'll keep using.

Matcha keeps getting more expensive, so sometimes I need another tea in my rotation. Wakocha has its own distinctive flavour and gives me the caffeine kick I'm looking for, but it doesn't feel like I'm just replacing matcha with an ordinary black tea. It's also not something I come across very often in Canada.

This smells amazing. Amaou has a sweeter, more aromatic strawberry flavour than the regular strawberry purées I've tried, so a little of it really changes a drink. I especially like blending it with matcha when I want something fruity without losing the matcha flavour.

I originally tried this with matcha, but now I use it for a lot more than drinks. It has a fresher apple aroma and doesn't taste as sugary as a lot of apple juice I've had. I also use it in marinades for meat, where I like the sweetness and the tender result it gives.

I don't cook very often, but this is something I can easily make pasta with at home and still feel like I'm making something special. I love it with other seafood, especially scallops, and I've even tried it simply as a dipping sauce. If you like seafood as much as I do, it's very easy to find different ways to use it.

I had eaten wasabi plenty of times, but wasabi oil was completely new to me. Just a little gives food that familiar wasabi kick and a really nice aroma, so you don't need much. I like adding a few drops to chicken dishes, especially chicken salad, when I want to make something simple more interesting.

I don't always know what I want to cook, so I like having a book I can open when I need some inspiration. There are so many good ideas in here that make me want to try something different with pasta. It comes in especially handy when I know I want pasta but have no idea what to make.

I had never tried chocolate with corn before, and the flavour is really different from anything else I usually snack on. I always tell myself I'll only have one piece, then somehow end up having a lot more! I can also imagine the roasted corn flavour working really well in the kind of desserts I like to buy. I also like knowing where the ingredients come from and that the brand has a close connection with the people who produce them.