A few well-chosen tools can shave real time off prep and cleanup. Here are five we actually use in our own kitchen.

1. A digital kitchen scale — Faster and more accurate than measuring cups, especially for baking.

2. A good chef’s knife — One sharp, well-balanced knife replaces half a drawer of specialty tools and speeds up nearly every prep task.

3. An immersion blender — Blend soups and sauces directly in the pot — no transferring hot liquid to a blender and back.

4. A programmable rice cooker — Frees up a stovetop burner and takes the guesswork out of grains entirely.

5. Silicone baking mats — Reusable, non-stick, and they cut cleanup time dramatically compared to parchment or greased pans.