Cooking is a lot of fun if you choose the right recipes to cook, but it can also be quite stressful if you don’t have all of the equipment that you need in order to do a good job. The problem is that a lot of people don’t have some of the most essential pieces of cooking equipment that they need in order to make delicious meals at home, so they resort to a quick takeaway.
In reality, there are so many tools you can buy to make your cooking operate like a dream. From toaster ovens to electric knives, there are a few things that you simply must have in order to have success in the kitchen. With that being said, here are the 5 common pieces of cooking equipment that should be present in every home.
1. A Big Skillet
Perhaps one of the most important things that every person should have in their kitchen is a skillet, preferably cast iron. Of course, you can just have one, but it’s usually better to have one or two in different sizes. If you don’t have the budget for a few of them, make sure that you get a big one that you can use for cooking larger meals. You can read more.
These things are essential because they’re just so versatile. You can use them to make pizza, frying a steak or even making desserts. If you are going to get anything for your kitchen, it really should be a skillet. You don’t have to buy it new either – there are usually some great second hand versions out there or you can look for estate sales too. These things can last for many years too so it’s basically a one time investment that you won’t need to replace for at least a decade or so, if you look after it well.
2. Colander
This may not seem super important, but you really should get a stainless steel colander for your kitchen. This is really important for things like draining water out of your vegetables. It is also suitable for straining your pasta after it’s boiled and more. Get something that’s durable that can handle hot liquids, and you should be good to go.
3. Saucepan
Here’s the thing. You aren’t going to be able to cook an awful lot of dishes if you don’t have any saucepans. Things need to be heated, regardless of whether it’s sauce or some rice. Saucepans are versatile, allowing you to cook a wide variety of dishes. You will have a difficult time trying to make wonderful meals without at least a few great saucepans.
So what should you be looking for? Well, thankfully saucepans tend to come in multipacks. With one set of saucepans, you can get saucepans in a wide variety of sizes to make lots of different meals. Make sure that you get a material that will be suitable for your oven though, since certain materials do not work well with certain kinds of stoves.
4. A Set of Kitchen Knives
You will also need to have a good set of kitchen knives for your kitchen. This will allow you to chop things to your heart’s content. Ideally, you will need at least a petty blade and a kitchen knife in order to do the vast majority of tasks in the kitchen. It’s worth testing out the knife before you buy it if possible, and check the measurements to ensure that the knife will work for you.
5. Items for Measuring
Finally, you should also get some items for measuring out food. You can always estimate how much you need of a certain ingredient, but this is pretty risky business when it comes to cooking. Some recipes like cakes will require you to have a precise measurement of certain ingredients in order to properly execute the recipe. As such, having measuring tools is important. This includes measuring cups and spoons, some for dry foods and some for liquids. You can also get a food scale for your kitchen that will give you the exact measurement in numbers. You can leave the eyeballing and guesstimates until you know a little more about what you’re doing. Trust us – you’ll thank yourself for it later.
Conclusion
Now that you know more about the main cooking items you need, you can start embarking on your culinary journey. When you have the right gear and the right recipes, the world is your oyster and so is your kitchen.
