Q: I'm looking to invest in a good quality, yet affordable chef's knife. Right now I have a decent 6" Calphalon knife that I got on sale, but I'd like something slightly better as my next investment.

Looking online, I feel like I'm shooting in the dark. Got any advice for brands to check out?

Sent by Arielle More

Celebrity chefs offering up their expertise for chain retailers is nothing new. Getting people to purchase their products has a lot to do with people actually liking them. We happen to really enjoy Giada De Laurentiis, so it was a no brainer that we would be purchasing when we stepped in Target last week. More

We know that many of you have small kitchens, and space is at a premium. Any tool that comes into your kitchen has to earn its place. So as we poke and prod, and test and review kitchen tools throughout the year, we're looking for the ones that will really be worth the money (and the cupboard space). Here are 20 tools we reviewed this past year, with all their pros and cons. More

My search for a good picnic knife is what first led me to New West KnifeWorks. I imagined something sharp, well-made, not precious, and unique in a way I couldn't quite describe. My answer came in an unexpected package from an unexpected place. More

This week I want to skirt the whole holiday gift guide thing again and talk basics.

Recently, I asked some of our staff to write about their most useful kitchen tools and three of them have stepped forward so far: Emily, Emma and Faith.

Now it's my turn. More

Lately we've been eying our kitchen and thinking about reorganization. (Cure Takers, we know you're with us on this one!) We've always been a bit bothered by where to keep our silverware - there just doesn't seem to be a good place for it. Where do you store yours? More

The bakers among us will recognize this tool immediately. They know that an offset spatula is an essential tool for spreading icing neatly and evenly over an entire cake. But in the years that it's occupied our utensil drawer, we've discovered that this simple blunt blade with its offset handle has a whole medley of uses! More

Kitchen shears can be a very handy tool to have around the kitchen. We can use them for everything from separating a chicken to snipping pita triangles. But is it really necessary to go out and buy a special pair? We wonder because for years we've gotten by just fine using something else... More

A few weeks ago we admitted to a crush on this new knife from Wüsthof. Well, since then they gave us a chance to try it out, and now we have to say we're fully in love. More