Starting with the basics: Episode 1
Kitchen Essentials
Every home cook has to have some tools. To get things started, I have compiled a list of my TOP 27 MUST haves in the kitchen. Christmas is right around the corner, so start getting your wish list ready!
1) A Good Knife.
I put this as number 1 because a good knife is truly the most essential tool to a cook. If you have a few extra bucks, spend it on a good knife. My personal favorite is a Santoku, but some people prefer a Chef Knife. Either way you slice it, you have to have a good knife.
2) Cutting Boards
You’re going to need a minimum of 2, one for meat and one for vegetables. I prefer to use a BPA free plastic one for meat and a thick bamboo wood one for vegetables.
3) Nonstick Sauté Pan
So what IS the difference between a sauté pan a skillet? Honestly, just the sides. A sauté pan has a flat bottom and sides that go straight up, while a skillet has flared sides. Both are great, but a sauté pan will hold more and still maintain heat.
4) Stainless Steel Skillet
Do you want a life changing experience when you cook?! Stainless steel will give you this exact experience. It’s important to keep in mind that patience is the key when using a stainless skillet to cook meat. Meat will need at least 3 minutes and if you give it time to cook, it WILL release, I promise. After you flip and cook, you will be left with the best sear. You will also make the best pan sauces with this skillet, be sure to look for a future basics episode about this!
5) Salt Cellar and Pepper Grinder
Honestly, I can’t cook without a salt cellar; I’ve even converted my sister and friends, who I have cooked with, to switch to using a salt cellar. I promise you will not be disappointed to easily measure your salt AND be able to just add a “pinch.” A pepper grinder is just a must have, but be sure to buy a grinder that has different settings ranging from course to fine.
6) Stock Pot
Now this is important, especially when cooking a lot of food! Do you want to make spaghetti sauce to can? Or do you want to make a large pot of chicken stock without a pressure cooker? You have got to have a nice pot to cook in.
7) Cast Iron Skillet
I’m pretty sure me and my cousin Steve are going to eventually have a fight over our grandma’s cast iron skillet. The best thing about cast iron skillets is that they make the most DELICIOUS food. Also, the more you use it, the more it gets “seasoned,” which proves that this is one of those things that gets better with age!
8) Kitchen Scale
This is a MUST HAVE! You will notice my recipes use weight frequently. I’m a baker who turned into a cook, so I use my kitchen scale daily to weigh ingredients. I also use it to make sure my portion size is correct for even cooking.
9) Mixing Bowls
Yes! So I’ve always had mixing bowls. My mom gave me hers, which were glass and they were great mixing bowls. My sister also has great mixing bowls and hers are ceramic. When choosing mixing bowls, DON’T BUY EXPENSIVE they're meant to be scratched up and well used. My favorite mixing bowls are light weight and either plastic or stainless steel. Let’s be real, the heavy expensive ones are just not practical.
10) Rubber Spatula, Whisk, Wooden Spoons, and Tongs
I’m guessing most of you already have these, but in case you don’t please make this low-cost investment. They are a must have, and easy to replace.
11) Sheet Pans
I bought my mother-in-law sheet pans for Christmas last year. I didn’t realize how important these things were until she raved about the ones I bought for her. Let’s get real, they can be used to make french fries, bake cookies, and even roast chickens…. This is a definitely a kitchen essential.
12) Pizza Stone
As you may have noticed, my pizza stone is over worked. I have an Italian husband and teenager, so WE EAT A LOT OF PIZZA. What’s important to note, is this pampered chef stone has lasted 10 years and still makes the best pizza!
13) Measuring Cups and Spoons
I’m just going to say it, be an adult and go get yourself a set of measuring cups and spoons, because you can’t make any recipe without them.
14) Stand Mixer
Story time! My first Kitchen Aid mixer was bought by my dad via the $200 he gives me for my birthday every year because he hates to shop. In 2016 I had recently started baking, we made our normal plans for the family to meet at the local Applebee’s for my birthday dinner and he handed me his normal dollar store card with two one hundred dollar bills in it. After the bill was paid and we walked outside, he wanted me to come to his car to show that he had gotten me a Kitchen Aid Mixer as well!!!!!! I will forever be thankful for that birthday because it really helped to kick start me into baking and now cooking. Fast forward, I continued to bake for customers and he bought me my Kitchen Aid Pro mixer…. I now have 3 Kitchen Aid Mixers, but you only need one. It’s Christmas time… ask for one for Christmas.
15) Mini Food Processor and Food Processor
I use my mini more than I do my full size food processor. I use it to make marinades, process cauliflower, process bread for bread crumbs, just to name a few. However, when you are cooking for more than 3 or 4 people, it is nice to have a full size food processor.
16) High Speed Blender
A regular blender will work for a lot of things, but if you’re going to buy a regular blender why not get a high speed one? I use this to make my own chili paste, peanut sauce, and enchilada sauce. It can be used for numerous different sauces because it blends quick and doesn’t break the bank.
17) Pressure Cooker
I absolutely love my pressure cooker. I actually love it so much that I now have two! This machine is great for making any of your slow cooked meals quicker. I can make chicken broth in an hour and half, compared to 12 hours on the stove. I can cook a pot roast in an hour, compared to 4 hours in the oven, plus you can make great ribs in hour! The best part is how great everything tastes, especially since I’ve always felt that food loses it's integrity when using a regular slow cooker. A pressure cooker, however, is able to keep the integrity of the food and cook faster at the same time.
18) Immersion Blender
THIS IS NOT A MILKSHAKE MAKER. I was over at a friend’s house to help her cook and show her a few tips and tricks. As I was searching for a knife I stumbled upon her immersion blender; honestly I was immediately impressed, but then she said, “Oh, you found my milkshake maker!”
As I told her, yes, this can be used for milkshakes, but it can also be used to puree a can of tomatoes or blend up a soup without transferring it to a blender. Do you have someone in your life that doesn’t like big chunks of onion in their sauce? Use an immersion blender and they’ll never know they are in there!
19) Thermometer
A friend of mine is afraid to cook chicken because she cooked it one time and served it raw to her husband and children, which understandably freaked her out.
Do you want to know how to make sure that never happens to you? USE A THERMOMETER! I suggest an instant read thermometer.
I also suggest a candy thermometer to use for high temperatures. You can use it for candy AND for deep frying.
*** Make sure you calibrate your thermometer frequently. Notice my digital thermometers are a degree off from each other.
20) Prep bowls
I literally can’t live without prep bowls. One of the keys to stress free cooking is being organized and prepared; these prep bowls will help you do both.
21) Box Grater
I made tacos for a few friends and one of my girlfriends asked why my cheese was so much better than hers. Well, it didn’t take long till we found out that she buys pre-shredded bagged cheese. I explained to her the benefits of grating your own cheese and she responded with “A box grater? Ohh…I think I have one of those, but I use it for decoration”
Needless to say, she got a box grater for her birthday and doesn’t buy bagged cheese anymore.
Having a grater is definitely an essential kitchen item.
22-26) Bench Scraper, Vegetable Peeler, citrus squeezer, Cheesecloth, and Microplane.
So why are all these together? Well, these are MY ESSENTIALS. You don’t technically have to have these items, however they are cheap and make cooking so much easier!
A bench scraper is great for getting all those chopped veggies into your stock pot! I also use it when I’m making pastries to cut the dough.
You could technically peel vegetables with a paring knife, but you can get a vegetable peeler super cheap, which will be safer and makes peeling vegetables much easier!
You could squeeze lemon juice out with your hands. Your hands are actually a really effective way to juice a lemon, but if you are doing a lot, the acid will start to burn your skin! You can get a lemon squeezer at the dollar store for just a few bucks and protect those hands!
I always have cheesecloth in my house. I use it when I’m draining anything that I want to be filtered. It creates a really clear broth, helps get gravy smooth, you can bundle herbs in it for soups, and you can make cheese! nThis can be found at most grocery stores, including Walmart.
A microplane is great for grating garlic, nutmeg, or even getting the zest of fruit!
And Finally……..
27) A Cocktail.
Cooking should be about relaxing and having fun. Turn on your music and enjoy your favorite drink!
I prefer drinking whiskey and blaring the Pan!c at the Disco or Justin Timberlake stations.
