My Mother-in-Law Knows More About Home Cooking Than Anyone—Grab 10 of Her Go-To Tools on Sale Now

I’m still learning my way around the kitchen — I’m mostly a self-taught cook who has mostly learned by observing other people. And one person I always pay attention to in the kitchen is my mother-in-law, Kathy. I have been in her life for nearly a decade now, and for as long as I’ve known her (and longer than that) she’s cooked meals for her family multiple nights per week (just the other night we had chicken marsala and it was sublime). Sitting down at the table to enjoy what she’s cooked  is becoming a tradition I wouldn’t miss for anything. And I’ve learned so much about what tools will stand the test of time from her.

During Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, appliances, cookware, and kitchen products that she swears by for their reliability, durability, and effectiveness are steeply discounted. From her favorite Cuisinart food processor, to the Kitchenaid stand mixer she’s been using for decades, these are 10 products you can trust to last you nearly a lifetime. Keep scrolling to discover her favorites — with discounts as high as 56% off. 

The Amazon Big Spring Sale Deals My Mother-in-Law Swears By

• Cuisinart 12-Cup Food Processor, $150 (originally $300)
• Calphalon Baking Sheets, Set of 2, $38 (originally $49)
• Homestockplus 25-Ounce Unbreakable Cereal Bowls, $15 (originally $20)
• Pyrex 4-Piece Extra Large Glass Baking Dish Set With Lids, $16 (originally $25)
• ​​Nordic Ware Braided Rope Bundt Cake Pan, $36 (originally $58)
• KitchenAid Classic Series 7-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, $550 (originally $600)
• Victorinox Swiss Army 6-Inch Chef’s Knife, $20 (originally $47) 
• Rubbermaid Square 5-Cup Food Storage Containers, Set of 3, $16 (originally $25)
• Nordic Ware Two Burner Griddle, $24 (originally $36)
• Wilton Perfect Results Premium Nonstick Bakeware Essentials Set, $26 (originally $48)

Cuisinart 12-Cup Food Processor

For shredding cheese or achieving thin slices of carrots or cucumbers, Kathy relies on her Cuisinart food processor to help her break down big batches of ingredients with minimal effort. In a pinch, it saves her hand the strain of chopping vegetables by hand — and it’s much faster too. This 12-cup model has a generous capacity which comes in handy for meal prepping and cooking large dinner party meals. And it comes with large and small chopping blades, a dough blade, and discs for slicing and shredding. Kathy loves that   it has three clearly labeled buttons on the body for on, off, and pulse, so that it couldn’t be any easier to use. Better yet,  it’s a rare 50% off right now. 

Calphalon Baking Sheets, Set of 2

Kathy is legendary for her holiday cookies — she bakes hundreds of magic cookie bars, thumbprints, and chocolate chip cookies around Christmas. She couldn't accomplish this monumental task with her favorite Calphalon baking sheets. Made from heavy-duty nonstick steel, they have not warped or bent in the decade that she’s owned them. Steel is also an excellent conductor of heat, so they deliver evenly browned cookies — and when it comes time to clean them, she told me that she’s never had to scrub them clean. All that’s required to wash any leftover crumbs is warm water and soap. 

Homestockplus 25-Ounce Unbreakable Cereal Bowls

A recent addition to Kathy’s kitchen these bowls come in handy because there are always kids running in and out of her kitchen, demanding snacks and ice cream. They are made from a material called wheat straw which is completely dent and shatter-proof. If they are dropped, she doesn't have to worry about breakage — and she just tosses them in the dishwasher when they need to be cleaned, making them the most no-fuss bowls in her cabinet. 

Pyrex 4-Piece Extra Large Glass Baking Dish Set With Lids

One lesson Kathy imparted on me is that the very best everyday cookware she’s ever used is made by Pyrex. These baking dishes are among her favorite Pyrex pieces, and right now the set of two is just $16. It comes with two sizes, a 2-quart square dish and a 3-quart rectangular dish, both of which  are versatile enough to accommodate pretty much anything. She has  used them for brownies, lasagna, and scalloped potatoes, and that’s just the beginning. . Pyrex dishes are  so easy to use and reuse because the glass doesn’t stain or smell like what’s been cooked in it before. I’ve used them myself and have been impressed before how quickly crusted on food wipes away after a quick 15-minute soak in warm water. The lids add an extra element of convenience because leftovers can be stored directly in the pans rather than moving them to a new container (and creating more dishes for yourself later).

Nordic Ware Braided Rope Bundt Cake

Over the years Kathy has amassed a small collection of bundt pans, and most of them are made by Nordic Ware. The brand offers the most elaborate designs so that the resulting cake is eye-catching every time. Nordic Ware bundt pans are all made from super sturdy cast aluminum — it doesn’t warp under the high heat of the oven, so the cakes come out of the pan looking uniform. In general bundt cakes are going to be a little tricky to release no matter what pan you use (another tip I learned from Kathy: coat the interior with flour and Crisco) but Nordic Ware pans are nonstick, which makes the process much easier. 

KitchenAid Classic Series 7-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

Like most people who regularly bake, Kathy swears by the KitchenAid stand mixer. She still uses the one her mother used — that’s how durable and long-lasting this appliance is. She uses it to make the batter for her famous pistachio cake, of course, but it can also handle large batches of cookie dough, even those that are packed with ingredients like chocolate chips and shredded coconut, and therefore require more power to thoroughly mix. This particular model has ten speed settings, the head locks in place while it’s mixing, and the bowl can accommodate the dough for up to eight dozen cookies at once. 

Victorinox Swiss Army 6-Inch Chef’s Knife 

Kathy’s sons bought her this Victorinox chef’s knife for Christmas, and she turned out to be such a fan that she now also uses the 8- and 10-inch versions in her kitchen (she converted me, too). One of the most affordable chef knives out there, Kathy thinks the handle is comfortable enough to hold even when she’s been standing at the counter for hours chopping celery and carrots for her beef stew or chicken soup. The blade slides through raw vegetables effortlessly, and since it's just 6-inches — shorter than the typical chef’s knife — her smaller hand has more control over the knife as she’s chopping and slicing. And right now, you get it for yourself at a head-turning 56% off. 

Rubbermaid Square 5-Cup Food Storage Containers, Set of 3

When it comes to food storage containers, the only brand that Kathy will buy is Rubbermaid. She likes this version in particular because the lids nest together for compact storage, plus they feature vents so that she can pop the container directly into the microwave to reheat the contents without worrying about messy splatters. She’s been able to hang on to the same set for so long because they are stain-resistant and don’t smell like old food even if they are used frequently. 

Nordic Ware Two Burner Griddle 

Weekend brunches with the family are typically hosted at Kathy’s house, and they wouldn’t be possible without this Nordic Ware griddle. Measuring 10.3 by 17.4-inches, it has enough space to fit three or four pancakes at a time, or a few strips of crisp bacon and slightly charred rounds of Taylor ham. Because it's so spacious, brunch gets on the table faster. Thanks to the nonstick coating, pancakes slide off effortlessly — the smooth surface is also the reason it's so easy to wipe clean with nothing more than a sponge and warm water. After all, no one wants to spend more time at the sink when they could be enjoying pancakes with their family. 

Wilton Perfect Results Premium Nonstick Bakeware Essentials Set

Kathy’s Wilton cake pans and muffin tins have been her go-to bakeware for years now, which is why she recommends this now-44% off Wilton bakeware set. It comes with every piece of bakeware you’re ever going to need: a baking sheet, an oblong pan, two round cake pans, a loaf pan, and a muffin pan. Made from durable steel, these nonstick pans are simple but effective. They keep their shape over time, and offer reliable heat distribution for a near-flawless uniform bake every time — at an incredibly affordable price, no less.