Guy Fieri says everyone needs these 7 kitchen tools

And though the only brands we could get Guy to endorse in our convo were his own, we found great products that fit his requirements and have outstanding reviews. Ready for a more fun and funkalicious kitchen? Start with these buys — then check out grilling gear from chef Michael Symon and cookbook recommendations from chef Marcus Samuelsson.

Guy Fieri's favorite kitchen tools

A good zester

Guy wants everyone to experiment in the kitchen more: "We don't grab enough of what's readily available to us and play that game," he says. But can a Microplane zester help? "Lemon zest? Oh man, it's incredible. It's the oil and essence of citrus without having that heavy play. It's the real, truthful tone of the lemon." He also loves this tool for cheese. "Hit your pecorino with the Microplane to make it delicate," he says.

Big-enough cutting boards

"My thing about a kitchen is you gotta have the right size cutting boards," says Guy, who favors large boards that give you plenty of workspace. "I like bamboo boards — they're fun to work with and they look pretty. I don't like glass at all. But what's best are the big synthetic cutting boards, like what we use in restaurants." Having the right one is so important to him that he says he often stashes a couple of boards in his car in case he goes to someone's house and they decide to cook.

A durable pepper grinder

Freshly ground pepper can enhance a dish like few other ingredients, says Guy. "People don't give cracked pepper the weight it deserves." He thinks pepper should be thought of like coffee: A lot of people buy whole coffee beans to grind as they need them, and we should do the same with peppercorns.

A versatile immersion blender

Guy loves a standard blender as much as the next, well, guy — but "bang for the buck, dollar for dollar, an immersion blender is where it's at," he says. He likes that you can stash it in a drawer and just grab it whenever you need it, versus having to leave it out all the time. "An immersion blender is a lumpy gravy fixer, but you can also use it to emulsify salad dressings. Or you can buy San Marzano tomatoes and use it to make a simple, quick tomato sauce."

Ultra-sharp knives

As much as Guy loves his knife collection, he has no patience for dull blades. "If I don't have sharp knives, I'll lose my mind," he says. Just like his beloved cutting boards, he'll stash one or two knives in his car if he's heading to a pal's house. "I'll see what they're working with and if the knives aren't sharp enough, I'll bring out my own."

Quality salt

If you're thinking salt is an ingredient, not a kitchen tool, Guy might disagree. He considers salt as important to a dish as good cookware. "Not all salts are made equal. Consistency is important — it's like if you're used to playing guitar with an amp at 10, but then you don't put it at 10, it throws the whole thing off," he says. Makes perfect sense, right?

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.