One of the best and unexpected benefits of living in one of the world’s greatest cities for restaurant dining and high-end cocktails is a number of wonderful cooking, baking and bar supply stores that are just a subway ride away.
Whether it’s a new knife, all the sous vide equipment one’s heart desires or the fondant and molds to make a cheeky bachelorette party cake, the city’s kitchen supply stores provide everything you might need—from professional to amateur levels, and everything in between. (And in case any new cook needs inspiration before heading into a supply shop, there are also two of the city’s best cookbook shops with used and new stock covering all cuisines, specialties and histories at the bottom.)
JB Prince
36 E 31st St, 6th Floor
Don’t come in here unprepared to be dazzled and taken in 10,000 unnecessary directions, and certainly don’t come in after a cocktail. This go-to store for professional chefs could have you believing you need 250 miniature pipettes and some holographic tweezers. If you can keep yourself together, though, this is the best place to hit up for all manner of equipment, from the brilliant temperature-regulating socks of Hedley & Bennett to sous vide equipment to silicone molds and everything in between.
NY Cake
118 W 22nd St.
Whether an amateur or a professional at perfectly laying fondant atop an expertly crumb-coated layer cake, NY Cake provides everything bakers need. From cardboard cake rounds to boxes for bringing them from place to place, to molds, sprinkles and edible glitter, this New York institution is the baker’s go-to.
Cocktail Kingdom
31 W 8th St., Floor 2
The showroom for Cocktail Kingdom is small but mighty and an excellent place to start one’s foray into home bartending. This supplier and maker of barware is a professional go-to that is accessible to the beginner, with everything from shakers to glassware to a wide array of bitters.
Korin
57 Warren St.
This chef favorite for Japanese knives that last also offers seminars on ramen noodle making and knife-sharpening classes. Their offerings extend beyond knives and education, as well, with reusable chopsticks, bamboo products, charcoal and more.
Whisk
197 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn
The local answer to mall staples like Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table offers all the staples you expect from a general kitchen supply store with some added bonuses thrown in, like a big selection of Mason jars, a better-than-it-needs-to-be stock of baking and cocktail supplies and all the Lodge cast iron that’s fit to season.
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, Kitchen Arts & Letters
28 E 2nd St. & 1435 Lexington Ave.
In case you don’t know what to cook, whether you’re uptown or down, stop into either of these Manhattan’s cookbook shops, where the shopkeepers can regale you with both knowledge and incredible stories. Both require diligent watching of the clock because they’re far too easy to spend an entire day lost inside; they make up for being small in size by having insanely fascinating stock.
