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Kitchen Drawer

Chef Benny Lam pictured at his Central restaurant with the claypot he uses to cook rice at home.

The one rice cooker you need at home? It’s not a rice cooker, says this top chef

He reckons it produces a fluffier, more fragrant style of steamed rice (although he does have a favourite brand of rice cooker too).

  • Matt Shea
When it comes to must-have kitchen items, a weighted press mightn’t be high on your list. But Oscar Solomon is here to change your mind.

The $165 utensil you need in your kitchen, according to this top chef

He reckons it will make everything you cook, from fish, chicken and beef to vegetables (and even toast) better. “If people want to steal [it], that’s a good sign.”

  • Matt Shea
Emily Yeoh with a larger version of the $15 wok she recommends from Yuen’s in Brisbane, or a similar Asian grocery store.

The $15 wok this top chef (and former MasterChef contestant) swears by

Avoid the expensive brands, she says, while dishing up advice on how to “season” it correctly and the type of burner you should use.

  • Matt Shea
Wineism’s Ian Trinkle with the Gabriel-Glas gold edition hand-blown wine glass.

The $110 wine glass you need at home, according to a top Australian sommelier

Want something that’s just as good for riesling, pinot, shiraz and champagne? Consider this elegant Austrian-made glass. Wineism’s Ian Trinkle tells us why.

  • Matt Shea
Louis Tikaram with his medium-sized Eco Food Boards Byron Bay chopping board.

How a good chopping board can make you a better cook (and the one that this star chef swears by)

You have a flash knife and a fancy pan, but a quality surface on which to slice and dice is just as important. Stanley chef Louis Tikaram tells us why.

  • Matt Shea
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Sarah Baldwin with her 16-centimetre Wüsthof Classic Ikon Crème cook’s knife.

The one knife you need at home, according to a star chef

If you’ve dined at Joy you might’ve seen Sarah Baldwin’s fancy Japanese knives. But they’re not what she chooses to use at home. Here’s why.

  • Matt Shea
E’cco Bistro owner Philip Johnson.

The $35 IKEA frying pan this top chef swears by

If you can have just one good pan in your kitchen, what should it be? We asked an acclaimed Brisbane chef, and his answer may surprise you.

  • Matt Shea