KitchenHelper.comKitchen Essentials
Having the right tools makes cooking easier. I am not going to get into which brands you should choose. I am simply going to offer you the best advice I have after cooking for 40 years.
Pots & Pans
When it comes to pots & pans the best advice I can offer you is to buy a nice heavy set. Cheap, thin pans will warp from high heat, burn your food and end up in the trash relatively quickly. Invest in a set that will last you a long time.
There are many sets available for a reasonable amount of money that include the basics that you will need—a large and small skillet, a couple of small pots with lids, and a large pot with a lid. Whatever kind you decide to buy—make sure they have a nice thick bottom and have some weight to them.
Now for the hard part...what kind of pots and pans do you buy?
There are many different kinds of pots and pans today. I will simplify this by listing my favorites in my preferred order.
- Cast Iron - EVERY cook needs a 10" cast iron
skillet. When it comes to taking heat and abuse, these are the king of
all. If they are kept properly seasoned they will last forever and are
virtually non-stick. They are also awesome for keeping that significant
other in check.
- Stainless Steel - Stainless steel is what I use for
other pots & pans. It is a very strong, clean metal that doesn't affect
the flavor of your food or leach harmful chemicals. The more you use
these pans, they less they allow food to stick.
- Cast Aluminum - these are nice and heavy and will
last a long time, but new evidence suggests that this might not be the
healthiest choice.
- Non-Stick - I know. Everyone wants non-stick because they are so easy to clean and food just won't stick to them. They are great for eggs! I just don't care for them otherwise. They do NOT last; and once they start to peel, they release dangerous chemicals into the air and your body. Buy one skillet to use for eggs and suck it up and wash the better stuff. :)
Cutlery & Utensils
You are going to need a good set of knives and a few essential utensils to start cooking properly.
Knives
Buy a decent set of knives! What makes a knife set decent? I'm glad you asked. I prefer hardened forged steel knives where the blade goes all the way up the full length of the handle. (The new ceramic knives are very nice - but very expensive.) A decent set of knives will last for a long, long time.
Even the best knives need to be sharpened after a while, so be sure to buy a sharpening hone. Some moderately priced sets come with one included. Don't forget to buy a cutting board to save your knives and countertops from damage! I prefer bamboo, but the plastic foldable ones are nice too.
Which knives are most important to have?
- 6" Chef's knife - I can't live without this one!
- Paring knife
- Kitchen shears
- Steak knives
Utensils
It is easy to start collecting dozens of neat little utensils for your kitchen, but these are the ones you really need. Be sure to get silicone or plastic if you have decided to go with non-stick pans despite my sage words of wisdom.
- Salt & Pepper shakers - got to have them!
- Timer - it's easy to lose track of time and burn things
- Egg turners - get a couple of sizes
- Large spoons - with and without slots
- Wooden spoons - great for stirring stuff
- Spoon rest - save your counter tops from stains
- Colander or strainer - to drain pastas and potatoes
- Turkey baster - great for keeping food hydrated during baking
- Silicon brush - to brush butter/oil on food
- Peeler - I rarely peel my fruits and veggies but you might
- Ice cream scoop - you do like ice cream, right?
- Whisk - essential for smooth gravies and sauces
- Measuring cups & spoons - guesswork is bad for new cooks
- Tongs - great for turning fried and baked foods
- Spatulas - get a couple of sizes for different uses
- Potato masher - unless you prefer them whipped
- Wine cork puller - if you cook with wine you will need this
Small Appliances
I confess that I have a large collection of these little electric gizmos, but here's what you need to have.
- Coffee pot - unless you don't drink coffee
- Can opener - you could get a manual one but these are cheap
- Toaster oven - better than a toaster—it can toast bagels, reheat pizza, bake potatoes and more!
- Mixer - essential if you are going to do any baking at all
- Indoor grill - I love my George Foreman grill! You can use these to cook a lot of things including Paninis
- Crock pot - set it up before you go to work and have a hot meal ready to eat when you get home
- Microwave - you can live without this...well...I can
- Food processor - you can live without this if you don't mind cutting stuff by hand
Handy Gadgets
I am a gadgetaholic and have just about every gadget you can find in a store. I know because I look for new ones all the time! Here's a few that I find pretty handy even though you can live without them.
- Salt & Pepper grinders - for fresh flavor
- Mandolin - for cutting veggies and stuff in even widths...be careful though - they slice fingers really well too
- Melon baller - for making those little round melon balls
- Cheese slicer - you do buy real cheese, don't you?
- Grater - to make shredded cheese and hash browns
- Veggies steamer insert - to keep veggies out of the water
- Pizza cutter - essential in my opinion
- Pasta server - makes it easy to get the right amount
- Church key - to open cans with just a little v-shape tear
- Egg slicer - also great for avocadoes and mushrooms