Andrew Zimmern Says He ‘Can’t Live Without’ This Kitchen Tool That’s Only $4 Apiece

Owning the nicest, most hyped kitchen gear is always a thrill. Indeed, it feels great to have a super nice piece of equipment that you know is the envy of all who visit your kitchen (and, you know, helps you make the best food possible). But is it always necessary to go all-out on a top-of-the-line option, or can you sometimes play it safe with a more affordable piece that can essentially do the same thing? For example, I love pulling out my Le Creuset Dutch oven when I’m making an hours-long gumbo for my friends; but, I also admit that for some occasions, my (far less expensive) Lodge 6-quart Dutch oven is beyond sufficient.

With this age-old dilemma in mind, we recently caught up with chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and asked him to share his thoughts on cooling racks after he used one in a demo he gave. Naturally, Zimmern, whose new three-part docuseries Hope in the Water premiered on June 19 on PBS, was happy to tell us what he thought.

First, Zimmern points out that he relies on cooling racks for a wide range of uses. “I’m really into cooling racks — not just for cookies, but it’s how I rest chickens, or fried foods if I’m going to twice-cook them or before serving them,” he says. “If you take fried chicken fingers and you put them on a paper towel on a plate, they’re going to start to steam, and all the work you put into getting them nice and crispy goes out the window.” Zimmern loves this four-piece set from P&P Chef, which contains cooling racks ranging from 8.6 inches to 15.3 inches, and is currently 35% off.

P&P Chef 4-Piece Cooling Rack Set

When it comes to cooking gear, Zimmern is certainly somebody who appreciates nice things, but he says that overspending on a cooling rack is unnecessary. “Cooking equipment can get very pricey. I always check out what the low, low, low bottom price is,” he explains, pointing out that, sometimes, he’s happy surfing Amazon until he finds the right thing. “[Cooling racks are] so expensive at all of the baking shops, so I just go online to Amazon and get six, eight, 10 of them for $12. When they break, I throw them away, but I still have the same ones for, like, ten years.”

Zimmern also recommended this set of two from E-far, which, at 8.6 inches, are the perfect size for a few pieces of fried chicken, a small amount of baked goods, or a couple grilled items.

E-far Stainless Steel Cooking Rack, Set of 2

In the end, while shelling out for a shiny, new piece of gear can be exciting, when someone who can get pretty much any piece of equipment they want says to scoop an inexpensive option on Amazon, we’re ready to smash that “add to cart” button.

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