Alton Brown's Favorite Kitchen Tool Isn't What You'd Expect - Exclusive

You can't talk to a Food Network icon without asking them about their favorite kitchen tool — or, at least, their favorite ingredient to use at the moment. When chefs and food personalities appear on our televisions, a good part of it is to show us cooking novices the latest new recipes and kitchen hacks to make our lives easier.

Alton Brown is one of those chefs sharing his wisdom. The food scientist is known for "Good Eats," "Iron Chef America," and "Cutthroat Kitchen," just to name a few. You can currently catch Brown's Netflix debut — a spin-off of "Iron Chef America" — as the connoisseur continues his cooking journey.

In an exclusive interview with Tasting Table's sister site, Health Digest, the food mogul described what his relationship with food is really like and how turning 60 has made room for some serious life changes. While he told us how he is mainly focused on eating foods that serve his physical and mental health, Brown also mentioned the one kitchen tool he could not live without — and it's definitely not your typical gadget.

When you first imagine a kitchen tool, utensils or ingredients are presumptively pictured in your mind. However, Alton Brown has a much different approach to his favorite cooking aids. He said, "People ask me today, 'What's the most important tool in the kitchen?' I say, 'Number one is your brain. Number two is the kitchen table where you sit down and break bread with people.'" The Food Network star clarified that he knows "a lot of people who are still living great lives in their 80s and older who do that and make time for that."

Brown also told Health Digest that never eating alone is one of his biggest rules so that he keeps his food habits in check. The food mogul is trying to focus more on "balance" when it comes to meals, explaining, "I also believe that it goes wider — who you eat with is just as important as what you eat."

Sharing dinner not only enhances his relationship with his wife but also allows for slower eating and a division of food. Brown described cooking as "an expression of love," so it's only fitting that he consistently carves out time in the day to eat with his wife at that all-important kitchen table. According to the chef's recent Instagram post, the pair just hit their four-year wedding anniversary, so this must be a key practice for a good marriage as well as success in the kitchen!

Learn more about Neuriva's brain health supplements on their website. Head to Alton Brown's website to keep up with his latest projects.