NYC chef Alessandra Ciuffo: 12 HexClad picks and essential kitchen must-haves

Fox News

20-02-2025

Home chefs need reliable tools to conjure up delicious meals they'll be proud of. From the pans they use to make gourmet dinners to the mixing bowls they create baked goods in, each kitchen item should be a helpful companion that's easy to use and even easier to clean.
To get a list of the best tools, we interviewed NYC-based chef and food influencer, Alessandra Ciuffo. Originally a Fordham University grad with a degree in Business Administration, Alessandra has since started the Culinary Arts program at the Institute of Culinary Education. She's also created the culinary lifestyle brand, Flavors by Ale.
"Food and cooking have always been a part of my life," explained Alessandra during our interview. "I grew up in a large Italian family where food was a very special focal point for everything that we did… At the age of three I was already standing on the stools in the kitchen stirring tomato sauce every Sunday."
Like many chefs, Alessandra's love of food grew quickly when she started watching shows on the Food Network. She quickly found herself on the very same network.
"When I was 11 years old, I found myself on the Rachael vs. Guy Kid Cookoff, which really launched my food media career… I came as the runner-up, but it really ignited in me a larger passion that kick-started that," Alessandra told us. Now, she makes videos for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts.
Throughout the interview, HexClad stood as the number one brand in Alessandra's kitchen. Known as the cooking line renowned chef Gordon Ramsay uses, Alessandra gave stellar reviews on all of HexClad's products (Fox is an investor in HexClad).
"I've been using HexClad pans since I started going to culinary school in 2023, so it's been over two years now," she explained. "They're truly such an incredible product in the way they're so versatile."
Below, we've lined up the must-have HexClad products and other kitchen products that Alessandra uses every day.
Every chef should have a 12-inch HexClad fry pan. It's the pan Alessandra uses every single day personally and professionally. It's a universal pan that's metal-utensil safe, oven safe and dishwasher safe.
"It's super lightweight and easy to clean out. It's a superpan, it does a lot of different things," Alessandra explained during our interview.
Alessandra doesn't just use the 12-inch pan, she also uses the whole fry pan set on a daily basis. You get an eight-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch pan, all with matching lids.
"I reach and grab [them] every single day," Alessandra explained when discussing the other HexClad sets she uses on the regular.
In the HexClad hybrid pot set, there's a size pot for everything you'd cook regularly. You'll get a small, medium and large pot, perfect for sauces, soups, baking and much more.
The eight-inch Damascus steel chef's knife is the standard knife all chefs can appreciate. From the 67 layers of Japanese Damascus steel to the forest green Pakkawood handle, there's a lot to love about the knife.
"My go-to is definitely the eight-inch chef's knife. I also use that every single day," said Alessandra when asked if she'd ever used any of HexClad's knives.
HexClad has a Damascus steel knife set that includes everything any home or professional chef could want. It includes an eight-inch chef's knife, a paring knife, bread knife, Santoku knife, a five-inch utility knife and a sharpening rod. All come with the same forest green wood handle.
"I have to throw a shout-out to the HexMill grinders. They're one of my favorite slept-on HexClad products," Alessandra told us. The salt and pepper grinder set comes in gunmetal black and has grinders that rival the best coffee grinders.
"Everyone who uses them is in awe, they just work so well," said Alessandra. You get 10 ten grind settings, from coarse to super fine.
Get a cutting board that's built to last with the HexClad walnut cutting board. The beautifully colored walnut wood is durable and has natural antimicrobial properties that make it safe to use for all your cutting needs.
Alessandra mentioned that another kitchen product she always has on hand is a set of HexClad stainless steel mixing bowls. No matter what you're mixing, the small, medium and large bowls will work perfectly. They're easy to clean, and they come with vacuum-sealed lids so you can easily store leftovers.
When asked about other kitchen products she uses every day, Alessandra was quick to say, "I'm reaching for my handy dandy microplane grater."
A microplane helps grate garlic, ginger and other ingredients you need to chop extra fine. You can get an official Microplane-brand grater on Amazon for under $20.
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Another way to chop ingredients quickly is with the help of a mandoline. Alessandra specifically mentioned her Oxo mandoline.
"It's easy to easily cut things, whether I'm adding them to a salad or something like that," she explained.
You can also get a mandoline with different size grates that you can switch out, although these are pricier. For an affordable option, Walmart has a Faberware mandoline slicer.
Alessandra mentioned her collection of Earlywood wooden spoons during the interview, explaining: "They're home-crafted wooden utensils. They make them for left-handed chefs, which I love because I'm left-handed."
These unique spoons come in all shapes and sizes, like these long-handled tasting spoons or this set of flat-headed spoons for stirring and serving. Just note that, due to the popularity of Earlywood's spoons, they're currently on back order, so shipping will take longer.
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To top out her list, Alessandra explained that she always had non-stick baking sheets on hand. There are sheet pans for every budget, from this affordable three-piece NutriChef set to the more durable, but pricier two-sheet set from Viking.