Equipment

ATK Reviews Wedding Registry Guide 2024

Here’s all the must-have gear that actually works.
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Published May 17, 2024.

ATK Reviews Wedding Registry Guide 2024

There are countless products to choose from when curating your wedding registry. Although it might be fun to give in to the compulsion of adding the most expensive or trendiest kitchen items to your list, not all of them are worth the space they’ll take up on your registry (or your kitchen!).

We’re here to help you cut through the clutter. 

Our team of dedicated professional testers spends hundreds of hours testing equipment to find the best options on the market. We’ve curated a list of our favorite tools, appliances, gadgets, and splurge items for couples who like to cook. 

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Tools & Knives

From sparkling flatware to professional-grade chef’s knives, here are our winning essentials.

A New Flatware Set

Caesna Mirror 20-Piece Flatware Set

This is the perfect pick for a couple that wants to upgrade their everyday set to more sophisticated flatware. We like the long, sleek look of the utensils. They’re heavy yet well-balanced and have a slight curve on their teardrop-shaped handles, which makes them comfortable to hold.

This set includes four 5-piece place settings and is made from 18/10 stainless steel. This setting is also available in a five-piece set, and Crate and Barrel sells a large number of matching serving pieces.

A Cocktail Shaker

Yukiwa Stainless Steel Jumbo Cobbler Cocktail Shaker 

For those who want to update their home bar collection, we recommend our favorite cobbler shaker. This shaker is not only timeless and beautiful but also is durable—it survived multiple washes without sustaining a scratch.

It has a wide opening that allows you to easily add ice and other ingredients. It also seals tightly to prevent any leakage when shaking (an attribute that might require a bit of strength to remove the lid). Regardless, it’s a lovely choice for any couple who’s looking to craft the perfect cocktail.

The Best Pepper Mill

Cole & Mason Derwent Pepper Mill

Couples who love to cook know how important freshly ground pepper is to nearly every dish. Our winning pepper mill is easy to load and has clearly marked grind settings that range from fine to coarse. It has an impressive output, so we never have to overwork for the right amount of pepper. It has a clear body that helps you know when it’s time to refill. 

A Chef’s Knife

Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 8" Chef’s Knife

A good, sharp, reliable chef’s knife is invaluable when it comes to kitchen tools. We put our winner through a plethora of tests through the years and use it daily in the ATK kitchen. It has a textured plastic handle that’s comfortable to hold and easy to grip for hands of all sizes. Its razor-sharp blade nimbly sliced through vegetables and effortlessly broke down whole chickens. 

If you prefer knives with a little more weight, we recommend the Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-inch Forged Chef's Knife. Like our winner, it’s adept at every task, but it’s great for cooks who want their chef’s knife to feel solid or authoritative in their hands. 

A Compact Knife Sharpener

Chef'sChoice Pronto Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener

Keep your knives in tip-top shape with our favorite manual sharpener. It works quickly, precisely, and evenly to restore dull blades. The handle is curved and anchors itself to your hand so that you always have a firm grip. Another perk? It fits in most drawers for hassle-free storage.

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Small Appliances

Small appliances are a popular category to add to registries, but which products are worth it?

Our Favorite Stand Mixer

Ankarsrum Original 6230 7 Liter Stand Mixer

You mostly see the same type of stand mixers on wedding websites. While we love our standard and small size winners from Kitchen-Aid, our winner has an innovative design that stood out in testing.

Although Ankarsrum has a learning curve, it becomes easy to use once you get the hang of it. This mixer is excellent at whipping egg whites into airy, stiff peaks; creaming cake batter and cookie dough; and kneading pizza and bagel bread doughs. Its wide, open bowl is easy to load and provides excellent visibility. While it has a lot of large parts that need storage, it’s an ideal choice for couples who are serious home bakers.

A High-Quality Coffee Maker

Technivorm Moccamaster KBT

We love our winning drip coffee maker because it’s effortless to set up and use. It’s perfect for coffee-lovers as well; it makes very strong but smooth brews. The carafe keeps coffee piping hot for over 2 hours and comes with a five-year warranty. It’s also easy to clean, and the company sells inexpensive replacement parts if there is some wear-and-tear over time.

A Workhorse Food Processor

Cuisinart Custom 14 Cup Food Processor

We’ve tested and loved our winning food processor for years and for good reason. Its spacious bowl with low-sitting blades chops, shreds, and emulsifies exceptionally. It has a clear bowl and well-placed feed tube, which optimizes visibility. This processor comes with three blades that sit inside the bowl when not in use for compact storage. 

A Space-Saving Hand Mixer

Breville Handy Mix Scraper

If you and your future spouse have limited storage space, then a hand mixer is a great alternative to a stand mixer on your registry. The Breville Handy Mix Scraper is powerful and fast—it can even handle dense cookie dough without breaking a sweat.

Its wide, rubber-tipped beaters didn’t get clogged by ingredients or clang around in bowls. This mixer also had some extra features that made it more efficient, such as a timer, a pause button, a light, and a convenient plastic storage case.

The Best Blender

Vitamix 5200 Blender

Our favorite blender is powerful yet quiet. It blends ingredients evenly and the tamper accessory helps when processing thicker foods. The tapered jar allows you to consistently blend food to fine textures without incorporating excessive air. It also comes with a seven-year warranty.

However, because of its height, 20.25 inches, it can’t be stored on the counter under a standard 18-inch cabinet. This would be best for couples with more storage space.

650+ Foolproof Recipes

The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook

Scaling down a recipe isn’t as simple as cutting the ingredients in half. This comprehensive cookbook takes the guesswork out of cooking for two so you can be sure that anything you want to make will come out right (and perfectly proportioned) every time.

Fun Gadgets

Cooking shouldn’t feel like a chore. Here are some useful yet fun gadgets to spark joy in the kitchen.

A Bread Machine

Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Breadmaker

Few things beat freshly baked bread. Our favorite bread machine makes it simple to bake beautiful and delicious loaves at home. It has a clear, intuitive interface, which includes a “homemade” option that allows you to customize kneading, rising, and baking times. It produces traditional rectangular loaves with even crumb. 

An Ice Cream Machine

Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker

This easy-to-use 1.5 quart ice cream machine makes velvety smooth frozen desserts. It has a lightweight, compact design and a one-button operation. The paddle blades were fully submerged, so you can temperature-check your dessert as it mixes. 

A Smart Oven

Tovala Smart Oven

Smart ovens promise delicious, quick, and failproof meals. Good ones are perfect for everything from making toast to roasting proteins. Our winner has air-fryer and steam-cooking capabilities. It cooked frozen foods and homemade dishes equally well.

In addition, this oven scans barcodes on food packages to load cooking instructions for products from Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and other brands. You also have the option to add on a meal-kit service; the meals we tried were fresh, flavorful, and easy to prep. Lastly, it’s compact, which means it’s perfect for couples who usually just cook for themselves. 

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