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Smart and simple cooking requires the right tools for the job. Rather than buying everything on day one, you can slowly build up a stock of essentials that will make your life a lot easier.
Having the most essential cooking tools in your cupboard will make your life so much easier. Although the kitchen world comes out with sleek, trendy, and exciting kitchen gadgets all the time, that doesn’t mean you need to buy every single one to be able to cook well. In fact, the most basic tools are all you need to start cooking delicious meals. And after you’ve saved all that money on home-cooked meals, you can check out our advanced tier of kitchen tools here.
To help you know exactly what tools to start out with, we created a Kitchen Essentials Checklist for you. This list describes the uses of 20 basic cooking utensils and is perfect for novice cooks or chefs on a budget.
With these items, you’ll be able to cook just about anything and start kicking butt in the kitchen!
COOKWARE
COOKWARE
1. NON-STICK FRYING PAN
Every household needs a non-stick pan for breakfast duty since eggs and pancakes are best made on a non-stick surface. It’s also a super versatile pan that can be used for searing meats, sautéing vegetables, and making sauces. Just be careful to use non-abrasive tools on the surface! We like this stainless steel frying pan and this aluminum one. Buying a two-piece set lets you have two sizes around and makes it possible to cook two things at the same time.
2. SAUCEPAN
A saucepan is perfect for when you need to cook something with liquids, such as boiling pasta and vegetables or simmering sauces and beans. A 4-quart saucepan is easy to maneuver and handle, and is great whether you’re cooking for 1 or 4. Try this 3.5-quart non-stick one or this 4-quart stainless steel sauce pan.
3. STOCK POT
For bigger batches of soups, stews, and pasta, you’ll want to have a 12-quart stock pot around. Its base allows for even heating, so your soups cook evenly.
4. SHEET PANS
These pans can get a lot of action, including roasting vegetables, baking meats, toasting nuts, and of course, baking cookies. They also make for an easy clean-up with sheet pan dinners.
Glass baking dishes are perfect for baking things like casseroles and enchiladas in the oven. Because it’s microwave-safe, an 8-inch size can fit into a microwave for the times you need to pre-cook vegetables for the quick Microwave & Sauté Cooking Method or even to fully cook veggies when your oven and stove are all occupied.
UTENSILS
UTENSILS
6. KNIVES
6. KNIVES
If you’re cooking, you’re going to be using a knife. If you only have money and space for one knife, get a chef’s knife. You will use this knife for 90% of your food prep, so buy a nice one and take care of it. However, we highly recommend getting a serrated knife and a paring knife as well since they serve different purposes – serrated knives let you slice through tomatoes and bread with ease, and paring knives are great for smaller, more delicate jobs, when a big knife just doesn’t cut it. (We like to use the Global grand, but buy whatever feels right in your hand!)
Even if you like to “eyeball” ingredients, it’s handy to have a set of measuring spoons around for the times you need precise measurements. But also, they double as mini spoons for scooping spices and dried herbs! This magnetic set here is narrow enough to fit into spice jars, and they stick together so you don’t ever have to worry about losing the teaspoon or misplacing the tablespoon!
8. MEASURING CUPS
8. MEASURING CUPS
Measuring cups are absolutely crucial If you’re a baker, but it’s also great for everyday cooking. We like to keep a 4-piece set for measuring dried ingredients and small amounts of liquid. A 1-quart glass measuring cup makes measuring liquids a lot more convenient and efficient, and you can also make sauces and vinaigrettes right inside and then simply pour it into whatever you’re cooking up.
Wooden spoons are not abrasive on your cooking surfaces and they’ll last forever. Just don’t put them in the dishwasher! Choose a set that has a variety of wooden spoons, like this 6-piece set, so that you can use it for different kinds of cooking.
While this handy tool is advertised as a fish turner, it can be used for anything. The wider base of this tool makes it easy to flip burgers, fish, over-easy eggs, and even pancakes. The thin, beveled edge makes it easy to slide beneath the foods you are flipping, and the slots allow any grease to drain.
When you’re setting up your kitchen with the basics, you want to make sure you have a good, sharp peeler to remove the peels of vegetables, shave off cheese, or make veggie ribbons.
While forks and chopsticks can be handy, a whisk is quicker and more efficient for emulsifying ingredients like vinegars and oils. We make vinaigrettes and marinades to season up salads and everything else almost nightly, so a whisk comes in very handy!
Tongs are like your extended hands and are super useful in the kitchen! Not only are they used to flip big pieces of food, but they also help move ingredients around in a frying pan or on a sheet pan without the risk of burns.
OTHER COOKING TOOLS
14. CUTTING BOARD
14. CUTTING BOARD
A good, grippy cutting board will protect your fingers during all your prep work, which is why we like this one. We recommend having a few cutting boards, like this set of plastic cutting boards, to prep various ingredients and prevent cross-contamination. Plastic boards can be placed in the dishwasher for full disinfecting.
Every kitchen needs a heavy-duty colander for draining out boiled pasta and vegetables. It is also used for draining canned beans and freshly washed veggies.
16. PREP BOWLS IN EVERY SIZE
16. PREP BOWLS IN EVERY SIZE
Every kitchen needs a set of prep bowls to help you organize all your ingredients. If you get collapsible prep bowls, you’ll save a lot of space and have the convenience of covers that can seal off ingredients that are not quite ready for cooking yet. But glass prep bowls can also double as serving dishes!
A can opener is something you don’t want to forget! Canned beans and vegetables make for quick-cooking and are great pantry staples, but a bunch of things also come in cans that require a can opener – coconut milk, curry paste, fruits, crushed tomatoes, etc.
This may not seem like a very necessary tool to have in a basic kitchen, but it makes a huge difference when you’re looking to up the flavor in your meals. A zester is used for zesting lemons and limes, and grating ginger and cheese.
Forget the bulk of a blender! You can now make pureed soups right in their pot, blend single-serving smoothies, and get extra creamy and smooth vinaigrettes / dressings. It’s so convenient, even its clean up is easy – simply pop off the blade for super quick cleaning.
A colander may be sufficient enough for drying lettuce, but a salad spinner is a whole lot more efficient. Salad dressings have a difficult time adhering to lettuce that is still wet and people have a difficult time with soggy tacos and sandwiches. A salad spinner is the answer to your problems because it will help you get rid of water in a matter of seconds and save on paper towels. You can also use this tool to dry fresh herbs. And you’ll have another colander if your primary colander is in use!
5 TIPS FOR TAKING CARE OF YOUR KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
5 TIPS FOR TAKING CARE OF YOUR KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
Kitchen equipment is an essential part of any kitchen, and therefore any home. Used to store, prepare, cook and serve food, every piece of kitchen equipment from your fridge to stove to fork should be cared for appropriately. Not only will maintaining your equipment make your kitchen a safer place, it will save you time, money and effort.
Kitchen equipment is an essential part of any kitchen, and therefore any home. Used to store, prepare, cook and serve food, every piece of kitchen equipment from your fridge to stove to fork should be cared for appropriately. Not only will maintaining your equipment make your kitchen a safer place, it will save you time, money and effort.
Five tips on how to maintain and care for your kitchen equipment:
Five tips on how to maintain and care for your kitchen equipment:
1. Keep on top of cleaning
1. Keep on top of cleaning
Cleaning your kitchen equipment thoroughly after every use is one of the easiest ways to take care of your items. Though a busy schedule can make it tempting to skip or rush cleaning tasks, once you’re in the habit of cleaning after every use you will quickly realize that it saves effort in the long run.
Then there is the sanitation risk from not cleaning regularly or properly. Bacteria or mold can grow on kitchen surfaces and spread to cutting boards, utensils, bowls, or directly to food, potentially causing your household to get sick. Grease buildup is also a fire hazard, and it could put your family’s life in danger.
You can avoid all these risks by following a strict cleaning schedule. Fryers, grills, ranges, knives, and meat slicers should be cleaned and disinfected daily. Other appliances, such as refrigerators and ovens should be cleaned every week.
2.Inspect your equipment regularly
2.Inspect your equipment regularly
Get into the habit of checking your kitchen equipment for any potential issues. The best time to do this is when cleaning. Finding and fixing small problems early can prevent you from being sprung with major repairs and replacement in the future and help you to avoid costly maintenance. In case you don’t know what you are looking for or how to repair equipment, research online or ask friends who are experienced cooks. Regular maintenance such as cleaning and calibration of cooking equipment can increase the life of the items.
3. Sharpen your knives
3. Sharpen your knives
Most kitchens have at least a small collection of different kitchen knives. The chefs knife is the most well known, as it is a great all-rounder. Learning how to sharpen and take care of your knives will help them last longer, give you better results, and also makes them safer to use.
4. Read the manuals
4. Read the manuals
In this day and age, this point is often overlooked. However, reading the manual is an important and easy way of taking care of your kitchen equipment properly. Especially for kitchen machinery, reading a manual provides you with specific details on how to clean and care for your equipment.
If you’ve misplaced your manual, most manufacturers have them uploaded onto their websites online. It is recommended that those who will be using the equipment should read the instructions, so that they are aware of any safety risks.
5. Buy only from an authorized dealer
5. Buy only from an authorized dealer
Buy your equipment from authorized and reputable dealers — ideally along with a warranty. This will ensure that your oven, refrigerator, stove and all electronics are installed into your kitchen correctly, and are covered just in case something does go wrong
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