The One Kitchen Upgrade Martha Stewart Says Is Worth Splurging On

Martha Stewart knows kitchens. For over 40 years, the cookbook author, television host, and empress of all things home and garden has dispensed advice on everything from decluttering your pantry to how to create the perfect menu for entertaining your guests. While she is no fan of super shiny, overly fancy kitchens, there is one upgrade Martha believes is worth splurging on: a good oven.

"Save up your money to buy the best oven that you can afford, because having a really, really good oven is so essential to being successful in the kitchen," she said in a 2020 interview with Frederic Magazine. The oven is the most versatile tool you have in your kitchen. It can handle everything from baking that delicious cranberry and brie monkey bread for your next party, to more delicate tasks like drying out meringues at low heat.

Stewart herself invested in a $12,000 double wall oven made by Viking. She added this to her Maple House kitchen remodel in 2021. The top oven has French doors, which she explained on her blog, is a sensible design element because the doors open outwards in a one-handed pull as opposed to opening downwards. This allows more room to fit larger items in the oven, as well as cut down on burns. While you might not have Martha's budget, you should still look for a dependable oven that is up to the task of handling all your cooking needs.

Even if you're not churning out endless amounts of delicious desserts and bakes like Martha does, you should still prioritize splurging on a good oven. A quality oven is a precision instrument. It can attain and sustain temperatures that allow for a wide range of foods to be cooked. Ovens with temperature issues won't cook food as evenly and can increase cooking times. 

As such, you ought to view your oven, as Martha does, as a long-term investment. Look for brands that have proven reliability, and can offer a variety of options at different price levels. Double wall ovens, like Martha's Viking, are trendy and practical. They allow a lot more room for baking, which is essential if you love entertaining or run a home catering business. A good range, which is a stovetop and oven in one, is a more practical solution for most home cooks. You can even find some with double ovens that not only make you look like a master chef, but offer loads of practicality as well.

While it may cost you a little more upfront, a good oven is going to pay you back tenfold in terms of its versatility, accuracy, energy efficiency, and reduction in food waste. It also goes to show that you don't have to be a professional cook, or a legendary television personality, to have a quality oven in your kitchen.