Dan Pelosi Is in a “Deep and Intense Relationship” With This Coffee Maker

For food and lifestyle creator Dan Pelosi (aka @grossypelosi on Instagram) the holidays are all about cookies. “I grew up in an Italian-American family, and we spent the holidays baking cookies, eating cookies, and sharing cookies,” he says. “I have so many favorite holiday cookie recipes in my arsenal, and I love presenting them all on a tray when I’m having guests over.”

A favorite one? His Grandma Millie’s Church Windows, a no-bake recipe that he calls “low effort and high drama.” They’re easy to make with kids and also easily adaptable: “Someone recently made them with these Lucky Charms marshmallows, and they were so beautiful I cried,” says Pelosi.

So the food guru, who is known best for using the phrase “I live here now” on his food pics, including the one of his Insta-famous vodka sauce, knows a thing or two about how to stock a kitchen for holiday baking success. In his own words, Pelosi shares his essentials, from the baking sheets he always has on hand to the coffee maker that fuels him all season long. 

Baking Dish Pretty Enough to Put on the Table

Both of these are from the delightful Great Jones, which makes every table a little happier with its vintage-inspired bakeware. I am not only obsessed with the functionality of these pieces (check out those handles on Hot Dish), but also the fact that they come in a deep red color called Marinara. This color is only sold at my fave shopping destination, Nordstrom, which is just the cherry (tomato) on top. 

Go-to Spatula for Getting Every Last Bit of Batter Out of a Bowl

I own two sets of these incredible spatulas from Food52. The classic spatula is firm and perfectly shaped to get the most intense batters to behave! The rest of the set gets me through everything I have to do in the kitchen, and I do a lot.

Worth the Splurge

Okay, this is a huge splurge that I made eight years ago and have never looked back. In fact, I’ve mostly looked directly at it, seen my reflection, and taken a selfie! That’s because it’s entirely made from mirrored chrome. It’s absolutely the most beautiful thing I own. To be clear, any color KitchenAid mixer gets the job done perfectly—but you did ask for a splurge!

Muffin Tin That’s Made for Parties

I have an obsession with lids, so I present this Nordic Ware (my go-to for baking) muffin tin that allows you to easily transport your muffins or cupcakes with absolute ease!

Single-Use Product That’s Actually Worth It

The most important part of my days in the kitchen (or elsewhere) is my morning pot of coffee. I am in a deep and intense relationship with my Moccamaster coffee machine, which requires a coffee filter, of course. I recognize the waste potential here, so I always make sure to use the most environmentally friendly single-use items as possible. These coffee filters (brilliantly available in bulk so I never run out) are from my favorite source for all things sustainable, Goldune. I am very grateful to them for making it so easy to be environmentally responsible!

Best Baking Sheets That Don’t Stick

I have to shout out Nordic Ware again. It is the gold standard for me, and these baking sheets are available in so many sizes, which I love. The quarter-sheet pan is my personal favorite, as well as the pan–and–cooling rack set. I always frost my cookies on a cooling rack over a sheet pan so that they don’t drown in frosting! This set makes it so easy. 

Oven Mitts That Make Me Happy

Everything Brooklyn-based designer (and fellow Rhode Island School of Design grad) Krista Marie Young does is brilliant. Without knowing it, our brands’ aesthetics play perfectly off of each other. These checkerboard oven mitts were my first purchase from her, and I have not stopped buying her things since! She recently started selling her items at West Elm, which makes me the proudest mom! 

Apron I Wear Religiously

I am a huge fan of tie-dye because I am also a fan of eating and cooking while making a giant mess. Stains and tie-dye are the perfect match, as they are both inherently stains. I always say stains are proof of a well-lived life, so when Hedley & Bennett started making tie-dyed aprons, it was meant to be. You should see how colorful my apron is now! 

Cake Stand I Love the Most

When it comes to cakes, I am famously a “casual froster,” which means I keep it simple! I love that this cake stand adds the beautiful scallop of a fancily frosted cake so that I don’t have to. It’s delicate, nostalgic, and perfect. And it’s worth noting I use it for a lot more than cakes, as I love adding height to my dinner table. Garlic bread on a cake stand? Yes, please!