Cooking in your own kitchen can bring a lot of joy and satisfaction to your life when you have the tools at hand to make the process smooth and enjoyable! Whether you’re just starting out with homemaking or have been cooking for years at home like a chef, having some key kitchen gadgets can really improve your kitchen experience, making it a lot more fun (and so much easier).
Here, we’ll look at some key kitchen tools that every home cook should think about having in their collection.
Must-Have Cooking Tools for Every Home Chef
Cutlery
Having a quality set of knives is a must for any kitchen setup to make food prepping easier, and there are three essential knives that all kitchens need. It’s important to have a chef’s knife for chopping and slicing, a paring knife for precision work like peeling fruits and veggies, and a serrated bread knife that effortlessly cuts through crusty loaves without squishing the soft insides. You can also grab a couple of others, such as a boning knife (to make getting meat off bones easier) and a good pair of kitchen shears.
Chopping Boards
Having a cutting board is key for any kitchen setup! Wooden cutting boards are great for protecting your knives and providing a base for chopping ingredients, while metal are convenient for sanitizing and perfect for handling meat safely. Use cutting boards for types of food to avoid mixing and contamination risks. Keep in mind that wood cutting boards will need to be seasoned fairly regularly to maintain them.
Bowls for Mixing Ingredients
You simply cannot get by in a kitchen without a good set of mixing bowls to whip up a batch of muffins, make a big salad, and so on. Steel mixing bowls are strong and light, while glass bowls are safe for microwaves and can also be used as dishes. Sets of nesting bowls help save space and are helpful when working with multiple ingredients.
Measuring Tools
Measurements play a an important role in cooking, particularly when it comes to baking, which is requires more precision. Whether cooking, baking, or doing food prep to minimize time in the kitchen during the work week, measuring cups and spoons will make your life so much easier. Digital kitchen scales are also very handy for food prep and when following recipes for weight-based measurements.
Kitchen Pots and Pans
Using good-quality pots and pans can definitely make cooking more enjoyable. No one wants their food to stick or to spend loads of time at the sink scrubbing a messy pan. Nonstick pans are ideal for cooking foods such as eggs and fish. Cast iron skillets hold heat effectively and are excellent for searing, roasting, or preparing dishes that go between stovetop and oven. Stainless steel cookware is versatile and long-lasting, making it suitable for various cooking methods. A mix of sizes and types of cookware will help you have a well-rounded kitchen arsenal.
Bakeware
If you enjoy baking treats at home and want to simplify the process, having the proper bakeware is a must-have! Nonstick baking sheets, along with cake pans and muffin trays, are tools that can truly simplify your baking experience. Also, a great alternative to parchment paper is silicone baking mats, which offer a nonstick surface that can be a game changer in your kitchen routine. When preparing casseroles or lasagnas, glass baking dishes or ceramic casserole dishes are most frequently used, as they cook evenly and still look nice on the table.
Utensils
Don’t forget that you’ll need spatulas for mixing and flipping. You’ll find plastic, rubber, or metal options available. You should also buy some mixing spoons for stirring, tongs that offer a good grip for turning meats and veggies, whisks for smoothly blending ingredients, ladles that efficiently handle soups and stews; and slotted spoons to help drain liquids easily.
Kitchen Gadgets
Using small kitchen gadgets can make cooking more accessible and efficient! A food processor can quickly chop, slice, and shred ingredients for you in no time at all. Blenders are great for making smoothies or soups with minimal effort. Stand mixers are a baker’s dream tool because they make mixing dough and batter much easier. Slow cookers are perfect when you’re too busy to stand over the stove – set it and forget it! And don’t forget about Instant Pots with all their cooking functions packed into one handy appliance. Visit your local cooking supply store to explore these and other essential kitchen gadgets.
Temperature Measuring Devices
It’s really important to make sure that food is cooked at the right temperature for both food safety purposes and taste reasons! Meat thermometers are super helpful in getting readings for all types of meat to make sure they’re cooked all the way through properly. Oven thermometers help you check if your oven is heating up to the right temperature for baking just perfectly.
Setting up a kitchen with the equipment has the power to turn cooking from a chore into an enjoyable pastime. Having high-quality knives and dependable cutting boards, along with mixing bowls and precise measuring tools, are basics. Once you get a good feel for the types of foods you like to make most often, you’ll have an even better picture of the tools you need to do the job.