Equipping a First Kitchen with Tools You’ll Never Want to Be Without
Make no mistake – if you’re a serious cook, over time you’ll
accumulate lots of pots, pans, appliances, and gadgets. The type and number are limited only by
budget and desire. But this list is
intended to provide the motivated younger cook with a shopping list that
will allow him or her to attemptvirtually everything you’ll ever see
on the Food Network or on reruns of Julia Child’s “The French Chef.”
You’ll note that there are only two electric appliances on
the list: a mixer and a coffee-maker. There's no food processor, no waffle iron, no panini press, no espresso
maker. If you want a food processor and
your budget allows it, then great. But
it’s probably best to learn how to cook using the basic hand tools (like a
chef’s knife) anyway. Buy the food processor and other stuff when kitchen skills and money allow.
Although this is by no means a Boy-Scout-camping-trip-style,
minimalist list, there are a lot more kitchen tools and gadgets that didn’t
make this list. Anything that’s not on
this list is something I can do without,
although I still have many of them anyway.
Who really needs an egg separator if you can still buy your eggs with built-in
separators called shells already included?
Who really needs an electric citrus juicer? Answer:
My wife does (and I’ll cop to using one when large quantities of juice
are required). Otherwise, use your hands when your hands will do the trick.
Note to prospective brides: If your lucky enough to be in a situation in which someone else will pay for your first kitchen, then simply print out this list and take it along when you register. Go to a good local kitchen store (see Do #3, below) or to a Sur le Table, Williams-Sonoma, Macy's or Target and register away. If someone really loves you, they won't hestitate to buy you 10 or 15 of the items on this list!
First, a few do’s and don’t’s:
Do:
- Learn to recognize quality construction and materials
in your kitchen tools. Learn to
understand the materials and the differences between them. Look at how the parts of the tools fit
together and are fastened. Figure out
why things are made the way they are. If
you do, you’ll buy stronger, more durable, and more functional products with a
lower total cost of ownership.
- Buy the best quality you can afford, without
breaking the bank. Over time, your
tastes will change, your experience will suggest what you really want, and new and better gadgets will come along that will
cause you to add and replace.
- Establish a relationship with a reputable
kitchen store. It’s good to have
knowledgeable help with certain important purchases, like knives and counter
appliances. Besides, sometimes you can
get incredible bargains on closeouts that only the store’s staff will know
about.
- Consult the reviews on websites like
epinions.com or amazon.com before you make significant tool purchases. Even if the item is inexpensive, sometimes a
review written by a knowledgeable cook will alert you to product features that
you’d rather not have to put up with.
There are lots of competitors for many products.
- Understand that there is more than one way to
skin a cat (although I haven’t seen many cat recipes that don’t call for the cat
to be skinned prior to preparation). You
may not need an elaborate machine to help you remove stubborn jar lids if you learn
how to gently and repeatedly tap the reluctant lid with the back of a knife in
the direction it opens (“righty tighty, lefty loosy”). Workarounds work.
Don’t:
- Don’t hesitate to discard something when it
becomes old and ratty. You’ll have
enough clutter in your kitchen without a lot of junk that’s outlived its
usefulness. When it’s questionable,
replace it.
- Don’t wash your cooking knives in the
dishwasher. They often bang against
other metal objects, which nicks and dulls the blades. Exposure to water and detergent causes wooden
handles to delaminate and plastic handles to discolor and peel over time. Hand washing and drying is by far the best treatment
for your fine knives.
- Don’t store your cooking knives in a
drawer. Instead, use a knife block so
that the blades do not contact other metal objects.
- Don't hack up your non-stick surfaces unless you're rich. Good pans are expensive to replace. If food sticks on one, soak it for a bit in warm, soapy water and it should release. Never use steel or other utensils to tend the contents of the pan. Never cut into food in the pan -- remove it first to a cutting board, do the cutting, and replace the food in the pan.
So here’s the list:
Kitchen Aid stand mixer
-- The smaller of the two models, on which the mixer head rotates backward,
does a stellar job. For more money, the
larger model’s bowl lowers on a hand crank mechanism to allow easy access to
the bowl and beater bar. Either model
accepts a plethora of optional attachments driven off the powerful Kitchen Aid
motor that allow you to do everything from juicing lemons to stuffing sausage.
Counter scraper -- Also
known as a dough scraper, this handy device (essentially a thin rectangular
sheet of steel mounted in a wooden handle) allows you to pick up and transfer
chopped ingredients from the cutting board to the pan with ease. You can also use it to scrape clean your
cutting board of sticky dough or accumulated food left over from a lengthy
chopping session.
6” utility knife -- Ideally,
this knife is a miniature chef’s knife, with enough heft to the blade to allow
you to cut up a chicken and do 99% of your knife work. I use a Henckel’s Four Star, but there are
many acceptable competitors out there.
You can add an 8" or even a 10” chef’s knife when you feel comfortable with your
skills with the slightly smaller utility blade, without sacrificing any
functionality.
Long, thin-bladed slicing
knife -- The flexible blade should be at least 12” long. This knife is used for thinly slicing ham,
roasts, or smoked fish.
Serrated bread knife --
About 10” to 12” long, it doesn’t need to be expensive to be useful. However, if you don’t want to be replacing it
every five years or so, you’ll be happier with a good one. By the way, one can find “left-handed” bread
knives, in which the serrations are on the opposite side from the usual, which
results in more vertical cuts for left-handed operators. Not much else in the kitchen equipment world
is made for left-handers.
Two-tined meat
fork -- For cooking or carving. Long
tines help lift large pieces of roasting meat and hold it steady when carving
or cutting up for serving. Slender, tapered tines slide easily out of food when the fork is pulled straight up. One-handed cooking at its best.
Knife sharpener -- A 10”
sharpening steel is good. Learn to use
one and you’ll need nothing else. A flat
sharpening stone is good also. Electric
knife sharpening devices work well but are pricey and wear out (I have my
great-grandfather’s steel).
Oxo Good Grips manual can
opener -- Manual because it you prepare mostly fresh foods, food cans are not
frequently encountered. Manual because
you can throw the thing in the dishwasher.
Oxo because it’s designed to properly fit the hand.
12-cup coffee maker --
Simple is better. Drip is better. Get one with a metal filter. You can add a paper filter if you don’t like
your morning brew “chunk-style.”
Cutting board -- Made of
end-grain maple and at least 18” by 12”, and preferably larger. The board should have four rubber or silicon
feet to assure that it stays put on your countertop while it’s in use. Although a wooden board will wear out after a
number of years of hard use, a well-made product should last most people a
lifetime. If you’re careful with
regular and thorough cleanup, you’ll run into no sanitation problems. But if a wood cutting surface bothers you for
this reason, then a solid polypropylene board should be your choice.
Two stainless steel bowls
-- Get the deepest you can find. Heavier
gauge stainless is better because it’s harder to dent (although with long use,
some denting is inevitable and acceptable).
One bowl should be about 8” across, the other should be the largest diameter
(at least 14” across) you can afford.
You’ll use the large one for making bread dough, mixing green and pasta
salads, and cleanup. The small one will
come in handy for nearly everything else.
Silicone spatula/bowl
scraper(s) -- One medium size one is OK; a few are better. The silicone models can take fairly high
heat, so they don’t disintegrate if you inadvertently stir food in a hot
skillet. They come in a wealth of
attractive colors.
Two stainless steel
microplane graters -- A microplane grater is generally hand-held. It consists of a handle and frame, into which
is mounted a stainless steel sheet covered with tiny, razor-sharp blades raised
from the metal. You’ll want two: one with fine teeth for grating citrus rind
and hard cheese (e.g., parmesan) and a medium-toothed one for vegetables and
medium hard cheeses (e.g., cheddar).
They last a long time. With a
little care in use, you can keep all the skin of your knuckles intact.
Rolling pin -- Although
mine is long, thin, made of hardwood, and tapered at the ends, yours can be cylindrical,
have handles, ball bearings, be made of non-stick materials, or be made to hold
ice water for rolling delicate pastry dough.
It’s your budget and your call.
Small, medium, and large
pastry bags and a few tips -- Disposable conical plastic piping bags are OK. Add decorative tips for creating décor
food. These bags have multiple uses,
from making éclairs to stuffing sausages.
In a pinch, you may use a zip-to-close plastic bag, cutting off the
corner with a scissors to make an appropriate size opening. Learn how to pipe potatoes, vegetable purees, and meringues.
(At least) two wooden
spoons -- Spoons with various shaped bowls are useful.
(At least) one stainless
steel whisk -- A medium one is the one to have when you’re having only
one. Add a larger one if you make cakes
and soufflés. Don’t buy any of those
“cute” baby ones. They’re essentially
useless.
Non-stick 10” skillet -- This
size pan will accommodate two adult-size entrée servings. Get two medium priced ones rather than one
expensive one. Cheap ones don’t provide
good value, but you’ll want a second one to do quick-cook dinners on the
stovetop. Get ones with Y-shaped metal
handle attachments for heat dissipation.
All-metal construction (no plastic or rubber in the handle) is best so
that the pan can go from stovetop for browning to hot oven for finishing the
dish.
Non-stick 12” to 14”
skillet -- This pan will accommodate four or more servings when cooking for a
crowd. Although you’ll probably only
need one (unless you are making more elaborate meals or meals for a large
group), the same comments apply as those on the 10” skillet, above.
Medium to large cast iron
skillet, with domed lid -- Cast iron can be used to get a serious sear on meat,
blacken fish, or generally stand up to all the heat you can throw at it. With a domed iron or glass lid, this becomes
a useful stovetop oven for roasting, with the dome condensing water vapor and
returning it to the pan for braising.
Follow manufacturer’s instructions for seasoning the pan the first few
uses. Be prepared for the added weight
of the iron and use utmost care when moving one full of food and fat over a
working burner.
All purpose pot lids -- Get
at least two that are large enough and flat enough to cover your skillets and
saucepans which may not have come with lids.
You might be able to steal these from your mom’s collection while she’s
not looking.
Non-stick griddle -- Get
aluminum or cast-iron according to your preference. The non-stick surface will accommodate
pancakes, eggs, bacon, burgers, grilled sandwiches, and more. One that fits over two stove burners will
cook a breakfast for six with no problem.
3 quart sauce pan with
lid -- This is an all-purpose device, used for boiling water to cooking polenta
or vegetables. Non-stick is good for
this pan. A lid is necessary for
steaming, accelerating cooking, and helping to avoid boil-overs.
Six quart (or larger) stock
pot with lid -- You’ll want this for soups, chili, stews, and such. Get one that you can put in the oven (no
meltable handles or parts). Non-stick
isn’t as necessary with a stockpot because you will generally be making things
in it with an excess of water, so burning is less of an issue.
One quart sauce pan --
You’ll use this small pan for melting butter, boiling a few eggs, making a
béarnaise, or cooking a single serving.
You’ll save energy with the smaller pot because you’ll only heat the
amount necessary to do the job.
Roll of parchment paper
-- Use this as a
disposable baking surface, to enclose foods prepared en papillote or other tasks. Although you can set parchment on fire in a
too-hot oven, it resists burning more than many papers, especially when it’s in
direct contact with moist food. Unused
parchment lasts a long time. You can
even use it to write a declaration of independence or a grocery list.
Several bag clips – A
well-clipped bag is a happy bag. Various
sizes iz good.
Corkscrew – You only need
one, but it has to be one you can use confidently. I guess that’s why many old cooks have more
corkscrews than money. A waiter’s type corkscrew
is best if you’re truly a one corkscrew type of person. The device is compact, inexpensive,
effective, and easy to use (with a little training to avoid gouging yourself if
it slips off the rim of the bottleneck).
This folding unit allows the most flexibility and leverage in removing
all types of corks. Use it gently on old
corks.
Medium size strainer with
handle -- A strainer with a handle makes it easier to maneuver hot foods onto a
platter after it has been drained. A
colander will do just fine if you need to cook larger quantities of pasta or
other foods.
One small spreading knife
(lab spatula type) -- This is good for spreading soft cheeses or
condiments. A table knife works just
fine, too.
One medium (about 10”)
cake spatula -- Use this to spread batter into a sheet pan or to spread icing
on a cake. A table knife is a poor substitute for one of these.
One medium (about 10”)
offset cake spatula -- Great for icing or spreading fillings on a flat surface
or in a recessed pan. Keeps your
knuckles out of the food and allows for a truly flat result.
One medium sized Silpat
or other brand silicone baking pad -- Allows any baking pan to be non-stick
when necessary. Nothing seems to stick
to it, it cleans up fairly well with a wipe, and you can roll it up to store
it. A luxury item? Maybe.
One baking tray
(half-sheet pan size) -- This can be aluminum or stainless, non-stick or
conventional surface. You can line it
with parchment paper for baking cookies, coat it with olive oil to bake pizza,
roast chicken breast, you name it. It’s
your oven workhorse.
One loaf size baking pan
-- Use this for baking loaf-shaped yeast breads, quick breads, and your
mother’s meat loaf.
One 9” cake pan --
Circular with straight sides, made of heavy-gauge aluminum is best for keeping
its shape over the long haul. Once you start making layer cakes, you'll need two..
One 9” by 13” baking dish
-- Stainless or aluminum, and non-stick is OK
One 6-hole non-stick
muffin tin (for large muffins) -- You can always use less batter to get small
muffins out of a large pan, but not the other way around. If you want dainty, though, buy dainty.
Beyond this, the sky’s
the limit. If you can envision it,
someone’s probably already made it. Or
maybe two people have. And if not, invent
one and market it yourself. Then maybe I’ll
put it on my list.
