Simple and smart cooking is only possible when you have the correct tools. When you own the most essential basic cooking equipment, it can make preparing meals a lot easier. To help you understand what tools are needed, we have created an essential checklist.
– Cookware
1. Non-Stick Frying Pan
Every home can benefit from non-stick pans since breakfast duty becomes much easier when preparing pancakes and eggs. These pans are also versatile meaning you can use them for sauteing vegetables, searing meat, and preparing your favorite sauces.
2. Stock Pot
For large batches of pasta, stews, and soups, look for a 12-quart stockpot. The base of the pot promotes even heating, allowing your stews, soups, and broths to cook evenly.
3. Saucepan
Saucepans are ideal to cook meals in liquids, including boiling vegetables and pasta, or simmering beans, porridge, and sauces. The 4-quart saucepans are easy to handle and maneuver, and ideal whether you plan to cook for 1 or even 4 people.
4. Glass Baking Dish
Baking dishes made from glass are ideal to bake items such as enchiladas or casseroles in your oven. Since these dishes are microwave safe, you can even fit an 8-inch size in your microwave for pre-cooking vegetables or to fully cook a meal when your stove and oven are occupied.
5. Sheet Pan
Sheet pans are versatile kitchen items that you can use for many different purposes. Some of these include baking meats, roasting vegetables, baking biscuits, and toasting nuts. Sheet pans are also excellent if you prefer a quick and easy way to clean up once your meal is prepared.
– Utensils
1. Knives
Every time you prepare a meal, you will use one or more knives in your kitchen. If your budget and space only allow for one knife, make sure you invest in a good-quality chef’s knife. You will probably use your knife for around 90% of the food you prepare, so make sure you invest in a good one. If you have the money we also suggest buying a paring and a serrated knife since these tools serve a different purpose. A paring knife is a great tool for more delicate and smaller jobs where a larger knife won’t cut through. Serrated knives are the best item to have when you need to slice through bread and tomatoes with ease.
2. Wooden Spoons
Wooden spoons last forever and aren’t abrasive on cooking surfaces. Look for the sets that come with different-sized spoons, allowing you to use them for different styles of cooking.
3. Measuring Spoons
Even for those cooks that prefer to “eyeball” or guess ingredient measurements, measuring spoons come in handy when your recipe requires precise measurements. You can also use this spoon set as a mini scoop for dried herbs and spices. Magnetic sets are compact and stick together which means you can avoid the frustrations of misplacing or losing one of the spoons from the set.
4. Measuring Cups
These items are absolutely essential, especially if you love to bake. They also serve a purpose when it comes to everyday cooking. A 4-piece set is perfect for measuring liquids and dried ingredients. A glass measuring jug is the perfect companion to efficiently and conveniently measure hot and cold liquids. You can also prepare vinaigrettes and sauces inside them and then pour them over whatever you are cooking.
5. Whisk
While chopsticks and forks come in handy, whisks are more efficient and faster for emulsifying common ingredients such as oils and vinegars. For those that make marinades and vinaigrettes for meats and salads, a whisk is a very handy tool to own.
6. Peeler
When you start stocking up on the basics for your kitchen, a sharp peeler is essential to shave cheese, peel vegetables such as potatoes, or even make vegetable ribbons.
7. Tongs
Tongs are extremely useful kitchen tools that you can use to turn burgers or to move food around in either a sheet pan or frying pan without burning yourself.
8. Can Opener
A can opener is another essential kitchenware item. Canned veggies and beans are excellent pantry staples along with many other things that come in a can that require a good-quality can opener.
