Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Proof that a great chef’s knife doesn’t need to be pricey, the Fibrox Pro stands up to daily demands with excellent maneuverability and sharpness. At just under $30, you might want a couple of them. Available from Amazon.com. (Victorinox)

Librett Durables Butchers Twine, Cotton, 370-Feet

For trussing your holiday bird or beef, you’ll want this dependable, sturdy and compostable twine. Made in upstate New York, it’s food-safe, oven-safe and all-natural. Available from terapeak.com. (Librett Durables)

Flour Sack Towels

Serious cooks — and not-so-serious cooks — will find these simple, cotton towels indispensable. Whether you’re mopping up spills, wiping spatter off a plate or using one as an oven mitt, they’re a bargain-priced utility player in the kitchen. Find these at Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond. (lehmans.com)

Glad Press n’ Seal wrap

With the holiday and entertaining season upon us, your refrigerator will be getting a major workout. Our secret weapon is this wrap; lightly sticky on one side, it easily adheres to any surface with just a light press. Before things get busy, line your refrigerator shelves with it and make clean-up a breeze later. Available at most grocery stores. (The Glad Products Company)

Cuisipro Apple Corer

Fall cooking means apples galore. You’ll want this sturdy helper to help remove cores from even the biggest, crunchiest fruit; it even releases cores with no sweat on your part. Available at Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table and other kitchen stores. (Cuisipro)

Mortar and Pestle

Meet the mortar and pestle (the bowl is the mortar, and the pestle is the clublike pounding tool). One of the oldest tools in the kitchen, it remains one of the best. Available at Williams-Sonoma and other kitchen stores. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Cast Iron Skillet

Every kitchen needs this simple, multi-purpose and reliable basic. If you’re not lucky enough to inherit one from family or friends, look for Lodge’s skillets, available at Wal-Mart and other retailers. (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

Scotch Rocks Large Ice Cube Tray, silicone

This squishy tray makes gorgeous ice cubes, but in our house it also means we can freeze and save home-made chile paste, cranberry relish, herb butter or extras of just about anything liquid or semi-liquid. Once the tray’s contents are frozen solid, you can easily pop the cubes into a freezer bag, rinse the tray and use it for something else — the silicone doesn’t retain odors. Available at most home and kitchen stores and scotchrocks.com. (scotchrocks.com)

Cubette Mini Ice Cube Trays

In addition to adorbable baby ice cubes, you can use this tray to freeze all those left-over fresh herbs. Just mince finely, add a tiny bit of water, and spread into the tray with a spatula. Once it’s frozen, just pop the cubes out into a plastic container. Whenever you need parsley or thyme for a recipe, just grab a few cubes and you’re good to go. Available from Amazon.com. (Amazon.com)

Joseph Joseph Large Scoop Colander

Forget about straining when you’re making macaroni or small pasta and use this colander scoop instead. It drains the food straight from the pot and eliminates that extra step. $8.99 at kohls.com (Kohl’s)

Zyliss 5-way Opener

A handy gadget to have in the kitchen, this opener can tackle a myriad of tough jars and bottles. (Special)

Prep Taxi

The Stainless Steel Prep Taxi ($12.97 www.surlatable.com ) will transfer prepped food from the cutting surface to the pan. (Sur la Table/MCT)

iTouchless Bag Resealer

Open any bag of food and then use this to create an airtight seal to lock in the freshness without taking the time to the leftover items to a Ziplock bag. The iTouchless Bag Resealer is powered by batteries and it takes seconds to reseal the bag. It has a magnet, so you can store it on your refrigerator. $30.99 for two at itouchless.com. (iTouchless)

Kuhn Rikon KochBlume large Spill Stopper

Spill stoppers are a favorite of many pros, and we like the Kuhn Rikon KochBlume large Spill Stopper ($29.95 at www.surlatable.com, or at various retailers). (Sur la Table/MCT)

Onion Goggles

You won’t have to pause every few seconds when you’re cutting your onions (they also protect against leeks, scallions and chives) if you pop these on pre-slice. The foam seal and anti-fog lenses will protect your eyes from stinging onion burn. $19.99 at bedbathandbeyond.com. (Bed, Bath and Beyond)

Paderno World Cuisine Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer

This is the favorite “spiralizer” among cooks in the know. Find it at Williams-Sonoma, Wal-Mart and Amazon.com. (Paderno USA)

Char-Broil Smokers

Struggle to keep your smoker at an even temperature? Char-Broil has introduced two WiFi-connected electric smokers that connect to your smartphone, where you can check the temperature of the meat and more accurately control time and temperature. The smaller Simple Smoker costs $299, while the Digital Electric Smoker, right, runs $399. Both are available on Amazon and CharBroil.com. (CharBroil)

Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System

This is a one-pot system that allows you to steam, roast, bake, sear, simmer, saute and slow cook - without changing the pot. It has a six quart capacity and can heat between 240-425 degrees. $129.99 at Amazon.com. (Amazon.com)

NewerTech iPad Holder

The NewerTech Kitchen Kit for iPad is the perfect assistant for any kitchen to keep the tablet upright, displaying recipes or whatever you need to perfect your cooking. (TNS)

Behmor Connected Coffee Maker

Coffee perfectionists take note: Behmor’s Connected Coffee Maker has apps that allow you to tweak your brew like a wizard. (Photo courtesy Amazon/TNS)