Yes, you can survive without a blow torch.
I moved to New York City with a suitcase full of clothes and two boxes crammed mostly with books, a coffee pot, and a toaster. I had spent the last year touring with a theater company, unable to cook for myself on a regular basis, and I was excited to get into the kitchen again.
I’m not sure how I thought I was going to cook anything with only a toaster and a coffee pot . . . except toast and coffee.
Within two weeks, I had bought, borrowed, or been gifted most of the essential kitchen equipment. I definitely didn’t have a full Rachel Ray set-up, but I had everything I needed to make some basic meals. And that was enough.
In today’s world of food processors, immersion stick blenders, and smoking guns, it’s tempted to get side-tracked by all the fancy gadgets. But sometimes it pays to make sure you have quality basic equipment first. If you’re just starting to cook, it’s essential.
Here are my top ten essential kitchen tools:
Chef’s Knife
Most. Important. Tool. EVER. You’ll use it for everything, from cutting up fruit for a salad to cutting up beef for a stew. A basic 8- to 10-inch chef’s knife is best for multipurpose use, and if you only cook at home, you probably don’t need a super expensive model. My favorite is the Misen, which comes in a very reasonable $65 for a great quality model.
Whatever knife you choose, keep it sharp! A good, well-sharpened knife makes cooking a pleasure; a bad or dull one makes prep work laborious and increases the chances of cutting yourself.
Cutting Board
There’s been a LOT of debate over plastic vs. wood, a lot of questions asked over which is more sanitary and should you have different cutting boards for raw meat and veg . . . feel free to read up more about it and have as many separate cutting boards as you want. In my opinion and experience, the material of the board doesn’t matter so much, as long as you regularly wash and sanitize your board and even flip it in addition to washing, if you have been cutting raw meat.
In terms of size, it’s nice to have a large board, but it’s not necessary. I prep most of my vegetables on a plastic board that measures 18 by 6 inches. It works better with my limited counter space. You do you.
Large Mixing Bowl
A must, for everything from pancake batter to mixed salad. If you do a lot of pickling or brining, it’s better to have a non-reactive bowl (not metal), but beyond that it doesn’t really matter whether it’s glass, ceramic, or plastic with the little grippy handles.
Is it big? Does it hold things without leaking? Then it will work just fine.
Wooden spoon
It might look like it comes from the pioneer era, but just go with it. I use mine for everything, from stirring muffin batter to sautéing vegetables. It’s especially good for stirring at the stove, since it won’t heat up and burn your fingers like a metal spoon. You can even serve food with it, if you need to. Have one—or several—on hand at all times.
Rubber Spatula
There are two types of people in the world: those who scrape the bottom of the pancake mix bowl to get the last drops of batter into the pan, and those who give the bowl a quick swipe and drop it in the sink. I’m a scraper.
No matter what type you are, a rubber spatula is still essential. It’s great for stirring soup, folding together cake batter, and—yes—getting the last bits of stir-fried rice out of the pan.
Sauce Pot
If you want to cook rice or boil pasta (like most of the world), you need a pot, preferably with a lid, preferably large enough to hold at least 4 quarts of liquid. Any smaller is pretty impractical . . . as it is, any Italian nonna would have your head for trying to boil pasta in a pot that size!
Metal Saute Pan
Yes, that’s right: a metal saute pan is absolutely more important than a nonstick model. It should be your go-to. It doesn’t have super heavy: try to find a model that’s relatively light and durable (made of aluminum or steel), and at least 12 inches wide. Use it for sautéing vegetables, searing meat, finishing pasta sauces . . . and so much more!
Nonstick Pan
This is NOT your go-to saute pan.
However, there are a few foods that you should never attempt cooking without a nonstick pan. Fish. Eggs. Veggie burgers. For these (and basically these alone) you want a nonstick pan. Anything else? Don't even THINK about it.
Glass Baking Dish
Growing up in the mid-west, the glass 9 x 13 pan was synonymous with casseroles. While that might not be your thing (to be honest, it’s not really mine anymore, either), but a glass baking dish is still very useful. Use it to marinade meat, bake brownies, and store huge pieces of leftover take-out pizza.
Cast Iron Pan
In spite of its recent popularity in modern food magazines, the cast iron pan is one of the oldest cooking tools there is. And there’s a reason it’s still around! It’s brilliantly versatile: great for searing proteins and roasting veg, and ideal for any recipe that requires you to transfer food directly from the stove to the oven. I personally own a 10-inch Lodge model, and I use it for everything from shakshuka to chicken thighs.
Total honesty: you don't really need one. That's why it's last on the list. You can absolutely get along without it in your kitchen.
But do you really want to?
Whether you’re getting into the cooking for the first time or have just moved halfway across the country and need to rebuild your kitchen from scratch, consider starting your kitchen conquest with these ten tools. With them, there’s not much you can’t cook.
As time goes on, you can broaden your kitchen inventory. Buy a stand mixer, a food processor. Order an immersion circulator or a blow torch, if you REALLY want. But before you buy any of those, consider: are you still trying to mince veg with an old knife you picked up at a garage sale? First things first.
Note: I have not received any commission for the recommendations included in this post. All opinions are my own.
Originally posted July 11, 2020.
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