‘The Bear’ Is Back. Here’s Every Wirecutter Pick We’ve Spotted in Carmy’s Kitchen.

May 30, 2023

When the first season of The Bear aired on FX, last summer, it was almost universally praised for its all-too-real depiction of restaurant life. Thanks to the advice of chefs on set, the series gets even the smallest details of professional kitchens right—from what chefs wear to the tools they use.

And it’s no surprise that a lot of the items that real and fictional chefs love are Wirecutter picks (because they are the best!). Here we list every Wirecutter pick we could identify in Carmy’s kitchen, including the KitchenAid stand mixer of his dreams, in the scene pictured above, from Episode 8.

This tape is easy to write on and stays on when wet, unlike some masking tapes. It also works on jars and other reusable containers, and it doesn’t leave a ton of sticky residue.

Painter’s tape is great to have on hand in professional and home kitchens alike. It’s easy to write on, peels off quickly, and doesn’t leave sticky residue. It can help you keep track of expiration dates and whatever that Tupperware-contained mystery goop is in the back of your fridge. So, of course, this is one of the first things Carmy introduces to the back-of-house at The Original Beef of Chicagoland.

Chefs love the stainless steel Gray Kunz spoon for its comfortable-to-hold handle and its big bowl (perfect for saucing plates). It works nicely for cooking and serving.

A workhorse of restaurant kitchens, the Gary Kunz Sauce Spoon is beloved by professional chefs. Its dimensions make it a useful tool not only for plating and serving, but also for basting, saucing, stirring, and even flipping delicate foods like scallops. Although it’s less likely to be found in the average Chicago Beef spot, the Kunz spoon that we suspect Carmy is carrying around is a nod to his past, when he worked in Michelin-starred restaurants.

These pleasantly firm tomatoes have a rich, buttery flavor.

May be out of stock

In our exhaustive search to find the best canned tomatoes, we tried over 25 different cans of tomatoes, and we landed on San Merican Tomatoes (formerly named San Marzano Tomatoes) as some of our favorites. Apparently, they’re also popular in The Bear’s kitchen, and probably for the same reasons we like them: their consistently high-quality, plump texture and rich flavor. (We have not, however, tested them as a method for hiding cash.)

With its super-sharp edge, sleek tapered shape, and comfortable-to-hold handle, this knife will make your everyday dicing and slicing tasks smoother and quicker.

This knife is durable, comfortable to use, and pretty sharp. It’s by far the best knife you can buy for the price.

We’ve recommended the Mac Mighty MTH-80 chef’s knife for 10 years because, even after a decade of testing, it remains one of the most reliable, nimble chef’s knives we’ve come across. It also stays sharp and feels good in the hand.

The Mac Mighty made a guest appearance on Season 1 of The Bear, being used by sous-chef Sydney Adamu (played by Ayo Edebiri) to slice through an endless pile of vegetables.

And, though this is not entirely clear, the knife she accidentally stabs Richie with looks an awful lot like our budget pick, the Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

This Microplane model has sharp teeth and a narrower face so you reach every nook and cranny on a lemon or a cheese rind.

As Marcus spends the first season of The Bear honing his craft as the Beef’s pastry chef, you can see him artfully dusting a chocolate cake with orange zest with our also-great pick, the Microplane 46020 Premium Classic Zester and Grater. We’ve loved this zester for a while; it’s sharp, maneuverable, and comfortable to hold. (Most importantly, its shape and size make it easier to avoid accidentally catching your knuckles on the sharp edge.)

Preferred by pros, the lightweight Kuhn Rikon peeler’s extra-sharp blade and bargain price are worth the cheap plastic casing and minor rust buildup.

The Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler is one of the most ubiquitous tools in professional kitchens. Its incredibly sharp blade and lightweight build make it easy to use for long, repetitive tasks (such as when Sydney is seen peeling a huge stack of carrots). The Kuhn Rikon peeler is also one of the least expensive kitchen tools we recommend, and, despite its plastic body, it feels surprisingly sturdy.

Although this former top pick is not as easy to cook with as our other picks, it’s a great machine for a good price, and its lack of bells and whistles may be ideal for infrequent or low-tech users.

Marcus can be seen tinkering and perfecting his raspberry doughnut filling, toiling away on what we’re confident is our current budget-pick portable induction cooktop, the Duxtop 9100MC. We’ve recommended a number of portable cooktops from Duxtop over the years, including our current top pick, the Duxtop 9600LS. It’s precise, with 20 power settings and 20 temperature settings, which gives you a superior level of control over time and temperature of your food.

This classic mixer can tackle nearly any recipe without knocking around on the counter. It’s easier to use than many other tilt-head mixers, and it is one of the quietest models we tested.

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In the background of Carmy’s fever dream, you may have spotted a KitchenAid stand mixer. The KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer has been our top pick for 10 years. We’ve tested models from plenty of other brands, and the iconic KitchenAid mixer still comes out on top, which may be why Carmy dreams of it.

The classic Lodge sears well and is deep enough for frying chicken, but it is hefty to maneuver around the range.

Of all the Wirecutter-approved kitchen gear that passes through the doors of the Original Beef, perhaps none is as durable as the cast iron skillet. What seems to be our Also Great pick, the Lodge Pre-Seasoned 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet makes an appearance in the opening minutes of Episode 6. This heavy, pre-seasoned skillet is excellent for searing, frying, and even baking, and if taken care of, can last decades (which is why we’ve been recommending it since 2017).

This large pot cooks evenly and allows for a nearly perfect amount of evaporation, but the handles are smaller and harder to grip than those of our main pick.

In the background of the show’s famous braciole flashback scene, Michael can be seen nestling meat into a blue Cuisinart Chef’s Classic casserole—our former also-great Dutch oven pick. Though our testers did like its wide cooking surface, we think our long-standing top pick, the Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, is easier to manage (it’s a bit smaller and lighter, but it has bigger handles and still delivers great results).

This article was edited by Annemarie Conte and Marguerite Preston.

Alexander Aciman

Alexander Aciman is an editor for Wirecutter’s discovery team. He has worked as a journalist and on documentary film projects, and he has also worked as a screenwriter for Amazon and Lionsgate. When he’s not working, you can probably find him bird watching, running, or making pasta.

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