When cooking in the kitchen there are several items that you will need at some point – and depending on how avid you are when it comes to your craft, this will dictate how deep you dive into kitchen tools.
Cooking doesn’t have to feel like a chore, it can be fun and teach you a lot, but without the right tools then it can be a negative experience. With a little research, you will be able to find products that can help you grow and develop as an amazing home cook.
It’s obvious that you will need spatulas, good pans, pots, spoons, the absolute basics, but what would you need beyond that? Here are five tools to get you started.
Chef Knife
You might have heard this before, but it’s true. If you have a good chef knife, and you take care of it, then there’s a lot you will be able to do. Bear in mind, a dull knife is a dangerous knife, more so than a sharp one, so you will want to make sure you know how to keep your knives sharp.
There are several materials a chef knife can be made from: plastic, ceramic, different degrees of metal, etc. Focusing on metal knives, there are a couple different things one should know.
If you are to go to your local market, just a general grocery store, there is an extremely good chance these knives are made of stamped steel, which is cheap and will need to be replaced in a short amount of time. Forged knives, whether it is from Europe or Asia, might cost a bit more, but with the right care they can last much longer and could even be passed down in the family.
So, it is worth looking into, and educating yourself, on the different types of steel and find one that works best for you. It would also be worth going to a local cutlery shop and getting a feel for different knives, literally. How it feels in your hands will indicate whether you like the knife or not.
Cutting Board
With a good chef knife, it is best to also find a good cutting board. These are also made from several materials, but the best options would be the ones that are *NSF certified. These are consistently used by professionals and can handle any kind of abuse; wood can begin cracking or develop bacteria and glass can damage the edge on your knives.
* NSF International: A well renowned business that focuses on the development of the world’s food, water, and consumer products in lieu of public health. When a product meets their standards, it is then labeled as “NSF Certified” and the NSF brand can be reflected on the products and/or packaging.
Sharpening Stone
If you are going to invest money in a chef knife, then you’ll want to consider learning how to sharpen it on a stone rather than the pull sharpeners you can find at the store. Those sharpeners pull layers of metal away and can cause the knife to no longer hold an edge, while a stone might pull metal away, but it is a healthier manner and does not happen as fast. In all, it also promotes a better edge and could be quite therapeutic as well.
Stand Mixer
There’s a lot you can do with a stand mixer, especially if you decide to buy attachments to grind meats or make pastas among other things. This tool will quickly become a workhorse in your kitchen and save time prepping meals.
With an item like this you can explore different cuisines, as well as make some awesome desserts. The only real limit is your own mind and what you are willing to learn.
Manual Pasta Maker
There’s always something about the process of making pasta that I have found incredibly therapeutic, and it makes you appreciate the pasta that much more when it is made from scratch. If you feel like you wouldn’t have much use of a stand mixer with pasta attachments, but do want to make your own pasta, then a manual maker would be your next best bet.
It clips to your counter, and you crank the pasta through, regardless of what type you are making. Most manual makers have attachments that can help make different pastas as well, so you only need the one unit, unless there’s a specific pasta you are looking to make.
On a side note, even a novice cook can use this pasta maker. Check out Angela’s second attempt at making homemade pasta.
