The list of kitchen devices is seemingly limitless. Specialty tools like avocado peelers, strawberry hullers, or a teeny-tiny wooden spoon constantly cry your name as you walk down the cooking aisle at a store. Unfortunately, not everyone has a large kitchen area to store everything but because we love our readers so much, we also made a list of the best kitchen organizers which we know you can use as much after buying these items. However, not everyone has the cash to indulge in some semi-practical kitchen items.
But what about the necessities that every cook should have? Here are the tools every home cook needs, whether you want to reduce kitchen clutter or start equipping your area from scratch.
Chef’s Knife
A chef’s best buddy is a good knife. This is one of the few items you’ll be glad you spent the money on. Carbon-plated stainless steel will retain its sharpness over time, but you should go to a specialty store to select the finest match for you. Select a knife with which you are at ease. It should feel balanced in your hand, simple to grasp and control, not too heavy, but not flimsy. Take careful care of it, because you’ll be using it a lot.
Slotted Spoon
A perforated (or slotted) spoon, whether wooden or metal, works as a micro strainer, separating particles from liquids—imagine extracting potatoes or small pasta noodles from boiling water.
Kitchen Shears
Super simple, but quite useful. You’ll use shears every day to open packages, clip herb stems, and trim fat off meats. You might use them once in a while to cut up a whole chicken or to trim the crust off a pie. Choose a pair that can be disassembled for cleaning to prevent muck from accumulating in the hinge.
Tongs
A cheap set of metal tongs that can last you a lifetime can be purchased for a few dollars. You’ll continually come up with new ways to use it, from rotating chicken breasts in the skillet to checking on your roast in the oven. (Think of them as finger extensions.) They’re also ideal for serving dinner family style.
Colander
Fruits and vegetables should be washed, while pasta, vegetables, and other boiling meals should be drained. You should prefer a colander that can balance on the rims of your sink, but a traditional footed colander will suffice. Metal and ceramic are more durable than plastic.
Prep Bowls
Where to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Pyrex-Smart-Essentials-6-Piece-Mixing/dp/B000FBSYFW
This may seem obvious, but having a range of mixing bowls is essential. Choose metal or glass since they are less porous than plastic. They will not remove stains or odors. Get a single huge metal mixing bowl that you can use for cake mixes, chopping salads, and oiling vegetables. While smaller bowls hold 1 to 2 cups and are ideal for practicing mise en place in the kitchen—staying organized while cooking.
Cast-Iron Skillet
Cast iron pans, with thick, heavy bottoms and sides, can uniformly heat to high temperatures and maintain heat for an extended period of time. It produces a lovely sear on a steak or scallops. They bake in the oven, so use them to make cornbread or cobblers (and all these other delights). They have a rustic appearance that can go from stovetop to tabletop. Last but not least, they are nearly unbreakable. Learn how to properly care for yours, and it will last a lifetime.
Dutch Oven
Another cast-iron must-have is the iconic Dutch oven. If you’re cooking for a small group, look for a 5 or 6 quart, or go large with a 7 or 8 quart and serve a lot. This pan may be used in the oven or on the stovetop, allowing you to sear meat while slowly cooking a stew in a low oven for hours. (It’s similar to the original slow cooker.) You may also use your Dutch oven instead of the huge sauce pan mentioned above. In your D.O., you can also bake bread with a highly crackly crust. It’s no wonder that the dutch oven is regarded as one of the best kitchen appliances. They’re pricey, so save your money and use it whenever you can.
Cutting Board
Where to buy:
When it comes to food preparation, a solid, firm surface is necessary. A hardwood cutting board will keep your knife sharpener for longer and make cleanup easier.
Saucepans
Where to buy:
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-ns1-nonstick-induction-sauce-pan/
Making pasta, boiling potatoes or maize, and simmering huge batches of soups and broths all require a large saucepan. Choose a 5- or 6-quart size. For smaller stuff like boiled eggs, rice, and oatmeal, a smaller saucepan (1.5 or 2.5 quarts) comes in handy.
Mandoline
Where to buy:
Professional chefs are culinary gurus who can slice, julienne, and cube their fruits and vegetables with machine-like accuracy. The mandoline, a very useful gadget that allows you to slide your food down one of several blades to generate exactly symmetrical cuts, is for the rest of us.
With the turn of a crank, you may change the thickness of the food you’re cooking; a double slicing blade has straight and serrated edges, while another makes crinkle and waffle cuts. Then, go fancy by experimenting with julienne and french fry slices. This mandoline, like most high-quality mandolines, comes with a soft-grip food holder, which eliminates the possibility of being cut by accident.
Measuring Cups
Where to buy: https://www.amazon.com/CIA-Masters-Collection-Stainless-Measuring/dp/B000HV8YLY
While it may not seem like a big issue to use the exact amounts asked for in a recipe, putting in 2 tablespoons when the recipe called for 1/2 a teaspoon can result in your otherwise great supper being thrown out.
Invest in and use a precision set of measurement instruments, such as these from the CIA, to get it right the first time (that would be the Culinary Institute of America, not the government agency). They outperform Mom’s plastic scraps due to their flat edges and single-piece composition (or discount versions you could pick up from a big box store).
Grater / Zester
Where to buy:
https://www.amazon.com/Microplane-46020-Grater-Made-Cheese-Soft-Handle-Black/dp/B00151WA06
For huge amounts of cheese, you’ll need a box grater constructed of stainless steel that won’t buckle under the pressure of grating. These days, many even have detachable panels. It’s not necessary, but we’d also recommend a handheld version, such as Microplane’s Premium Grater, for grating at the table.
And, there you have it! A complete list of the necessary utensils that every male cook should have in their kitchen.
Don’t forget to share this list with your friends and also, have fun cooking with these tools in your solid kitchen!
