Top Chef's Gail Simmons reveals the surprising 'best thing' in her kitchen – she keeps this appliance 'in arm's reach at all times' and so should you

With a seemingly unlimited number of kitchen appliances on the market, it can be difficult to cut through the noise and figure out what you actually need. Luckily, Homes & Gardens spoke with Top Chef's Gail Simmons to figure it out.

Simmons is an acclaimed food writer and cookbook author who has served as a permanent judge on the Bravo show since its inception in 2006. As a celebrity chef, she knows all the techniques for keeping your kitchen tidy and streamlining your kitchen appliances is a huge part of minimizing clutter while upgrading your cooking. When asked about her favorite appliance, Simmons had a surprising answer: her immersion blender.

She tells Homes & Gardens: 'My hand blender is the best thing in our kitchen. We keep it within arm's reach at all times, and I do so many things with it. You know, for, for smaller jobs when you don't need to put something in a really high-powered blender. I think the stick blender is perfect. Mine's KitchenAid and it has stood the test of time, and I've had it for many, many, many years.' At under $50, choosing the best kitchen appliances has never been easier or more affordable.

What can an immersion blender make? Simmons answer is, pretty much everything. She states: 'I make my kids smoothies all the time. I make popsicles all the time. I blend the fruit and then put them in the popsicle molds to freeze them, you know, fresh fruit. We use it to blend soups, to blend stews. If I'm making a soup where I just want half of the vegetables and the stock blended to then stir into the soup to give it a thicker texture. That's the perfect job because you can control exactly how much you use. You don't have to switch it into the blender and then back into the pot. You can just do everything right in the pot. We use it for everything. I reach for it more than I reach for anything else.'

Perhaps Simmons's adoration for the immersion blender also hinges on the fact that she uses it to make one of her favorite foods: date shakes. This sweet, yet nutrient-filled treat is a staple in her home and a key recipe in her cookbook (she swears by Rancho Meladuco's signature dates). She describes discovering the shakes at the start of her career: 'I fell in love with them.'

Beyond the immersion blender, Simmons's approach to home cooking tools is simple. 'My theory on appliances in general is that never buy an appliance that can only do one thing. I don't like kitchen gadgets. I don't stuff my house with every kitchen tool or gadget that then just collects dust. I live in Brooklyn. I have limited kitchen space and I want as few things as possible. I believe in cutting boards and knives. I don't need an electric can opener. Like a thing that can only do one thing and that's electric that you need to plug in and store and care. Forget it.'

When in doubt, keep it easy. In most cases, an immersion blender may be all you really need.