Whether you’re setting up your kitchen for the first time or replacing some worn-out cooking tools, stocking your kitchen with the right equipment is the first step toward making a lovely meal. Investing in some important kitchen items can turn your cooking into a pleasurable and simple hobby that you will be proud of.
What Tools Do You Need in the Kitchen?
Unless you’re a professional chef, you probably don’t need all the gadgets that are marketed to home cooks. In fact, you could probably make do with a lot less than you think. Knowing what you need (and what you don’t need) in the kitchen will not only save you money, but it will also make cooking easier and less overwhelming.
Chopping Board
Whatever you’re preparing for dinner, you’ll definitely have to get a wooden chopping board. It’s a multi-purpose tool that can be used for anything besides cutting – it can come in handy for handling dough and serve as a designated prep space for some. Your boards are used on a regular basis, which is why they must be reliable and long-lasting.
No matter what you’re carving, chopping, or preparing, a good cutting board is a must. But how can you know the difference between a board that will deliver and one that isn’t worth your money?
For instance, the majority of knife-gentle boards are made of Acacia or Paulownia woods, which are full-grain, eco-friendly materials with a high-end appeal that separates them from traditional cutting and carving boards. So, you should look for a wooden chopping board that won’t dull or harm your knife blades’ delicate edges.
Nowadays, cutting boards may have almost anything added to their edges or surfaces. There are boards with strainers built-in, extendable boards that hang over your kitchen sink, boards with rubber grips connected to corners, and boards with liquid-catching grooves.
However, keeping things simple is always ideal. A basic, flat-cutting surface will meet all of your culinary needs. Many of the additions are just superfluous. Take, for example, rubber feet. They can boost the stability of your board, but they also prohibit you from flipping it over and using both sides.
Knives and Sharpeners
What are some of the cooking tools that come to mind when you think of a chef? The first thing that pops into your head is probably a good ol’ knife. After all, proper knife work is critical to an effective cooking technique.
There is no knife more popular than the standard chef’s knife, therefore if you could only have one kitchen knife, make it the chef’s knife. Because of its versatility and frequency of usage, a high-quality one is essential. An excellent chef’s knife should be easy to grip and feel like an extension of your arm.
Chef’s knives often have a noticeable tip and a sharp edge with a sloping curve, allowing you to perform the necessary rocking motion cutting method. When using a chef’s knife, instead of a sawing action like a bread knife or a straight up-and-down motion, employ a rocking, or down and forwards, motion while maintaining the knife’s tip on the board, as seen above.
A sharp knife makes all the difference in the kitchen, from preparation to presentation. Even the most durable steel knives naturally dull with time and require care and attention to keep an edge.
Dull blades are not only inconvenient, but they may also be dangerous since the operator uses extra force — rather than allowing the knife to do the work. You can maintain all of your kitchen knives safe to use and work best by using the right knife sharpening process.
Measuring Cups
Even if you like to “eyeball” ingredients, having a set of measuring cups is useful when exact proportions are required. They can also work as small spoons for scooping spices and dry herbs. Measuring cups are essential for bakers, but they’re also useful for regular cooking.
Most of us keep a 4-piece set on hand for measuring dry ingredients and tiny quantities of liquid. A 1-quart glass measuring cup makes measuring liquids more easier and more efficient, plus you can also prepare sauces and vinaigrettes from within and then pour them into whatever you’re preparing.
Prep Bowls
When we think about cooking items, mixing bowls are ubiquitous in professional kitchens. Bowls are multipurpose kitchen utensils that help us handle and prepare food. They are available in a variety of sizes and capacities, as well as materials such as stainless steel, with plastic being the favoured option because of its strength and durability with heavy usage and regular washing in the kitchen.
Just make sure they’re acceptable for cooking. The other two factors to consider when selecting a decent bowl are design and resistance. A design with no sharp edges or crevices that might gather dirt makes cleaning and disinfection easier after each usage. The shape of the bowl should be circular and strengthened for usage in order to give excellent strength and stiffness when in use.
Wooden Platters
Food service stretches back to the 1500s and 1600s and is connected with the monarchy. The term serving comes from the word ‘salver,’ which refers to a flat decorative tray, generally made of silver, used to offer meals to persons of high social status in England.
If food and drink came on the salver, it meant it had been pre-tasted and was poison-free. When serving meals to visitors, the serving platter is still considered a sign of respect and hospitality.
Wooden platters are one of the most versatile pieces of serve ware and can be used in both the kitchen and the dining room. They are extremely adaptable and can carry a range of food and beverages. These trays are a modern-day home and dining need since they are simple to use and keep.
