Tools, tools, and more tools.
No matter what you are making in your kitchen, you need the proper tools to get it done. Without them, the fun of cheffing becomes a tiresome chore.
So, what are your must-haves in your kitchen? What can't you live without?
Over the course of my foodie lifetime, I’ve picked up all sorts of tools and gadgets for my kitchen. Some of them I can’t live without and others I forget I own them until the time comes to pack them up and move them into a new kitchen. I’ll be doing that again soon into a kitchen I suspect was designed by a fellow foodie. It’s not the biggest kitchen in the world but the layout and design is superb and it was one of the selling points for us (well, me anyways as I do most of the cooking). With a new kitchen, it is likely I’ll want to get some new things to outfit it with to supplement the things I currently can’t live without.
Most important for me and should be for any serious foodie is knives. It took me well into adulthood to figure this out and came only at the expense of many visits to ERs to have my fingers stitched up. Having the proper knife for the job is essential. Having the wrong one can end up making your dish twice as difficult and tons less fun and dangerous. I personally don’t think it is necessary to have a full set and for many cooks, that may be a waste of space and money. I have an assortment and yet use only about four of them regularly – an 8 inch cook’s knife, an 8 inch carver, a 6 inch utility knife, and a small paring knife.
When purchasing knives, treat yourself to good ones. Good doesn’t necessarily translate into expensive and it is possible to buy decent blades for about $50 each. Yeah...I know that sounds super expensive if you are on a budget but look at this way -- it’s probably less than your co-pay for an ER visit to get stitched up. Plus, if you care for them properly, they will last a lifetime. Also, there is no need to buy them in a full set; figure out what you use and buy them open stock. Another tip is to try and buy at least one in person to test them out in your hands. Make sure they feel balanced and are not too heavy for you. Does your hand fit comfortably around the handle? How does it feel slicing a tomato? Can you slice it paper thin? Once you find a brand you like and that fits you, you can buy the rest on-line.
I’m fond of the Wusthof brand of knives. I currently have some in the Wusthof Gourmet line that I love. The handle is small and light and fits into my tiny hand perfectly. We’ve discussed buying a new set and I would like to check out their Le Cordon Bleu line once we decide to go for it. The wrong knife, no matter the brand, will make cooking more chore-like. I’m reminded of an ex who tried to impress by buying me a beautiful set of Global knives for me. I hated them. They were too heavy, they didn’t fit my hand very well, and thus, I stopped cooking as much with them. The knives went out the door without regret right behind her.
Once you have good knives, learn how to care for them. A sharpening rod or stone is essential. A dull blade is both dangerous and tiresome. If you don’t know how to use one, learn; it’s super easy and there are directions all over the tubes. Don’t store them in drawers banging against each other and other stuff. Store them in a block, on a kitchen magnet hanger, or in a cloth case. You can simply wrap them in a towel and put them out of the way when you aren’t using them if counter space is a consideration.
The next thing I can’t live without are my cast iron pans. I have several ranging in age from old to ancient each beautifully seasoned. I also have a cast iron stove top griddle that fits across two burners. Cooking a family breakfast is a breeze with that thing. Once you have them and get them properly seasoned, you will wonder how you lived without them. I prefer the Lodge brand but imagine any quality cast iron is good. I would stick with brand names on cast iron pans as I have heard stories of off-brands containing filler metals and that can cause heating issues. I’ve got my eye on a cast iron wok at the moment as well. I don’t use my wok as often as I should as I don’t care for the way it heats for me and I had a devil of a time getting it seasoned properly. Now that it is, maybe I will drag it out more often.
Another pan I use all the time is a large, deep stainless steel heavy bottomed skillet. I use this for anything acidic. Acidic foods such as tomatoes if they require a long cooking time will do a number on cast iron seasoning. The same goes for a good stainless heavy bottomed Dutch oven. I’m pretty sure my pots are all from the Tools of the Trade brand from Macy’s. Again, they are old and useful and unless I boil them empty (happened to one so don’t laugh) I expect they will last me a lifetime. The Dutch oven is perfect for soups. I've a larger stock pot but hardly ever drag it out.
One major suggestion for pots and pans...get something with heat proof handles; you want to be able to stick the pan or the pot in the oven.
Bowls. Bowls are really useful. Get yourself a variety of sizes. It doesn’t matter if you bake or not, you will need some bowls to mix stuff up in. Several years ago I found some stainless ones with handles on one side. What a concept! Handles make vigorous mixing a breeze.
Speaking of bowls and mixing, I use my whisks all the time. My most favorite is a little tiny one. Mrs. TVB picked it up somewhere and I use it weekly. A small variety will do any kitchen a favor especially if you like making sauces and custards. One thing I like about using a whisk instead of an electric mixer is the feeling of working the food and connecting to it. In the summer I use my whisk to make fresh whipped cream for berries. Smooth gravy is impossible without the intervention of a whisk.
Strainers. I hardly ever use my colander but have two sizes of strainers/sieves I use all the time. They are both fine meshed. One is about 3 inches in diameter and fits over a measuring cup perfectly. The other is about 8 inches and fits over my pans. They are a necessity for sauces and gravies to get any stray chunks out.
Measuring cups. This goes without saying. The glass pyrex ones are always a good buy and you can use them in the microwave. Measuring spoons are also a must have.
Tongs. Kill your flipper, seriously. Use tongs instead. They are easier and will do less damage to the food you are turning. Unless you are making eggs and then you want some silicone spatulas. My favorite tongs are ones I picked up at a dollar store and are simply metals shaped like a V. I bought a bunch and by the time the dishwasher goes through, each one is usually in there.
Wooden tools. Wooden spatulas and spoons are essential for saucing and deglazing your pans. A selection will make any chef happy. Because these are so cheap, I tend to throw them out after a while and just get new ones.
Cutting boards. Trader Joe’s has some nice thin plastic ones I am fond of. Mrs. TVB had them when we met and I prefer them to any I have had in the past. They are dishwasher safe which is nice. No matter the type, get a few so you have one for meat, one for chicken, and one for veggies. Good plastic ones are best.
Wine. Okay...I like to have a glass of wine while I cook so it’s on this list too. Don’t forget a corkscrew!
Coffee grinder. I don’t drink coffee but recently my coffee grinder gave up the ghost and I was lost. I use it as a spice grinder. Mine is a cheapie Proctor-Silex I picked up at the grocery store for about $6.00.
Kitchen Shears. You don't really want to open that package with one of your good knives, do you? Good ones also do a fabulous job of cutting up a chicken.
Money. Of course, we all need and want money. Outfitting a kitchen need not be expensive however. Obviously, things that are kind of disposable you can scrimp on...the wooden spoons for instance. If you leave one over steaming pot, they will sometimes crack. So, for that stuff, I tend to scrimp and go cheap. The same goes for tongs – I adore my dollar store variety. For some stuff, it pays to buy decent quality. Take a vegetable peeler or can opener for instance; if it doesn’t fit in your hand, it’s going to be difficult to use. If I know I am going to be using a gadget regularly, I tend to buy better quality such as the OXO brand. OXO will last a good long time and they know ergonomics. Speaking of veggie peelers, I recently bought one that slips over a finger and it’s great. My only problem is it tends to get lost in my gadget drawer.
For things like cast iron and pans, visit garage sales. Many of my kitchen things were picked up second hand over the course of my cooking years. My sandwich press came from the SPCA thrift store for $3.00.
So what is in your kitchen? What tools do you reach for every time you cook? Anything you can’t live without?