When it comes to Mexican cooking there are a handful of tools I can’t live without. In this video I share some of my favorites.

Blender – did you know the blender is the number one used appliance in any home kitchen? I use mine all the time to make salsa recipes and my favorite red chile sauce, the base of Mexican cooking, so in my opinion it’s important to invest in a good one.

Stockpot – you need a large quality stockpot to make frijoles de la olla (pinto beans), and for boiling chile pods to make red chile sauce.

Tortilla press – If you don’t have a tortilla press you can use a heavy iron skillet to make homemade corn tortillas and homemade sopes.

Comal – my cast iron griddle has a permanent home on my stovetop. I use it to warm up homemade flour tortillas, make quesadillas, and to roast chile peppers and veggies. You can use a heavy bottomed sauté pan, but there is no real substitute for the quality that a cast iron griddle brings, and this is a great inexpensive investment for any kitchen.

Chinois – This is a conical sieve with an extremely fine mesh. This is a great tool to strain red enchilada sauce. You can also use a fine mesh strainer but that can be a bit messy.

Rolling pin – I inherited my grandma’s palote (Mexican rolling pin) and use it often. I love that it’s small and it’s great for rolling flour tortillas or dough to make homemade empanadas. You do not use a tortilla press to make flour tortillas, so a rolling pin is essential. If you don’t have one, you can actually use a clean wine bottle, but this is another inexpensive tool that’s great to have at home.

Molcajete – Ancient cookware in a modern kitchen? Absolutely! This molcajete is the perfect texture for grinding spices and creating authentic guacamole and other dips like my pasilla pepper salsa. 

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