Forget the drawer full of melon ballers and egg slicers and take a look at the kitchen tools that every home cook needs to produce their own restaurant-quality fare.

Knives

It may seem obvious, but good quality chef’s knives are a foodie’s best friend. Food preparation will be faster and easier, and your technique will be more precise with a good knife.

A good knife need not be the most expensive knife but having the correct knife for different tasks will make life easier. Remember to keep them sharp – they can actually be more dangerous if blunt as you need to apply more pressure when cutting.

Pans

A good set of pans can be a bit of an investment, but if you buy well, they will last you a lifetime. Look for heavy bases for even cooking and stainless steel with stainless or silicone handles so that you can also use your pans in the oven as well as the stovetop.

A starter set for your kitchen would include a large pot for pasta and steaming, a mid-sized pot plus a couple of smaller pots and the absolute essential – a heavy based frypan. Well fitting lids are a must for better cooking and safety.

Stick blender

When it comes to gadgets, you want something that does everything. Not only does this save space, but it makes sense to buy one great product that covers multiple bases.

A good hand blender is the ultimate multi-tasker. The stick blender attachment is perfect for making super smoothies and silky mash, but there is so much more that it can do.

The food processor attachment is fabulous when you want to do small processing jobs like pesto, or breadcrumbs. Alternatively, pop in the shredder attachment to make perfect slaw. Also look for a whisk and kneading attachment so you never need to have a dead arm again.

Try the Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender, $209, braunhousehold.com

Cast iron casserole

Some people swear by a slow cooker, but if you have a good cast-iron casserole (Dutch oven) you don’t really need one. It’s perfect for cooking down a ragu or soup on top of the stove, but it’s in its prime doing a long, slow cook in the oven.

For five-hour shoulders of meat that delicately fall apart on the fork, or slow-cooked stews, the casserole comes into its own. For the keen baker, the cast iron pot is also amazing at getting great crust on a loaf of sourdough or even baking a cake or a pie.

Stand Mixer

If you think a stand mixer is just for breads and cakes, think again. Although it is a must-have for a baker, quality stand mixers now have many more tricks and abilities than may first meet the eye.

Not only does it allow you to mix, whisk, fold and knead with confidence, but the right product can also process food, create juices, make pasta, mince meat and even make ice cream.

Try the Kenwood Chef XL (pictured above), $699, kenwoodworld.com