You don’t need a high tech kitchen in order to create Michelin star worthy food. But here are some essential kitchen tools and equipment that every kitchen needs.
ESSENTIAL KNIVES FOR THE KITCHEN
A chef without a knife is like a conductor without a glass chopping board. A strong, sharp knife is probably the most used tool in the kitchen. These are the most useful knives you will need:
A chef’s knife. Also known as a French knife. A chef’s knife is an all-purpose knife usually between 8 to 14 inches long (20 to 36cm). It is a large multi-purpose knife used for chopping, mincing and slicing.
A paring knife. This knife as a plain edge blade like the chef’s knife. It is a small knife, useful for cutting smaller items and for delicate work such as removing the vein from prawns, or scraping the seeds from a chili.
A serrated knife. A serrated knife has grooves and is useful for cutting soft bread without crushing it.
A knife sharpener. A knife should be sharpened just before each use.
Bonus tip for your kitchen knives. Storing knives in a traditional knife block keeps the blade sharper and is a safer option that keeping them in a drawer.
POTS AND PANS
A medium-sized saucepan
A big saucepan
An oven pot
A frying pan or skillet. Used for frying, browning and searing food. If you buy a non-stock frying pan, be careful never to heat it above 240 degrees centigrade (465 degrees Fahrenheit) as the coating may decompose and release toxic fumes.
A baking or casserole dish.A baking dish is usually made from oven-proof glass, a baking pan is made of metal.
A round baking pan. You might have to buy different sizes according to the specific recipes.
A wire cooling rack. Great for letting roasts and cakes to cool without the bottom getting all soggy.
KITCHEN UTENSILS
Two cutting or chopping boards. One for meats and one for non-meats.
A set of mixing bowls. Small, medium and large. Glass is better than plastic.
A large mixing spoon. Either Wooden or plastic.
Spatulas. Good for flipping, rotating and removing food and also for scraping clean mixing bowls. Buy heat-resistant rubber or silicone ones for day-to-day use. Metal ones are best for BBQs.
A rolling pin. Nothing wrong with traditional wooden rolling pins, but these days you would not believe the variety of rolling pins available. The Chef’s Delight 18-inch Aluminum French Rolling Pin for example is designed to be chilled in the fridge before rolling, which helps the dough roll out more smoothly.
