Chocolatier Jacques Torres shares 8 kitchen finds that make cooking a treat

Of course an accomplished baker like Jacques appreciates a good stand mixer. His KitchenAid is limited-edition: "It has a black cast iron finish and is black powder-coated, so it's matte," he says. "The 5-quart stainless steel bowl is also black with black chrome accents. It's very sleek and sophisticated. It's funny that I talk about it like it's my sports car, but I love the durability and reliability. It’s a fantastic piece of equipment and I can’t work without it."

His exact mixer came out in 2017; though this one has a chrome bowl, the body has the same matte cast-iron finish.

Although it's designed for pepper, this ceramic mill can be adjusted to mill ingredients as big as coffee beans. Talk about a workhorse! 

"I use it to grind not only peppercorn but also cocoa nibs," Jacques says.

"I use this paring knife a hundred times a day," says the chef. "It's my most-used knife both at home and at work."

Unsurprisingly, he's not the only fan: Giada de Laurentiis also loves a Victorinox paring knife. And this sharp pick has earned more than 2,800 five-star reviews at Amazon.

Nothing less than All-Clad cookware and bakeware will do for the chef — he says he has used the brand for most of his career. "I love to buy professional-quality equipment that will last a long time. My All-Clad pots, pans, baking pans, sheet pans and cake molds are items in my kitchen that I can’t work without," he adds.

Good-quality pots and pans don't have a hot spot, he explains. "All-Clad diffuses the heat very well which allows me to make sure the final results are baked/cooked to perfection. They are highly durable and can take a beating but still look new."

A friend gave Jacques this block from the legendary cutting-board company for the steaks he likes to grill in the summer. It has a groove around the edge to capture juices and other liquids.

"But I mostly use it when I'm cutting up juicy fruits for my tarts or desserts, as I don't have to worry about the juice spilling all over the counter," he says. "Another feature I really like is that this is dual-sided, so I can just wipe, flip and keep cutting up whatever I need."

"Functional but also great looking!" says Jacques of these nesting measuring cups. The set comes with 1-cup, 1/2-cup and 1/4-cup measures, and the sleek design looks nice enough that you could set them out as mini serving or dipping bowls.

They're also dishwasher-safe — key if you're working with sticky caramel or melted chocolate.

To get his mornings off to a strong start, the chef is dreaming of one of Miele's ultra-sophisticated coffee makers, which fit in a typical cabinet space. "It's something I really want, but I need to figure out where in the kitchen I can install it!"

This model makes two espressos at a time and includes a grinder and a cup sensor.