Every gesture in the kitchen is accompanied by a different utensil, from the simple knife to the phantom garlic crusher, via strainers, ladles and spatulas. For true gourmets and cooking enthusiasts, the space to collect them all is never enough, because those who appreciate truffles need the right blade to slice them, those who taste cheeses need the right knives and knives, those who simply want to prepare a cake will need scales, rolling pin and baking molds.
But those who are starting to cook, or those who are moving out to live on their own, what should they buy in order to have just the right essentials? Here are the 10 irreplaceable must-haves in the kitchen.
1. Cooking Pot
You see this all the time in recipes, "Cook in a non-reactive cooking pot" or "Use only non-reactive pots." Don't skip this important warning; it can have a big impact on your final dish. When a pan is "reactive" it means it reacts with the food you put in to produce flavors or colors you don't want in your food, which tends to happen with acidic or salty foods. Pots that are considered reactive are aluminum, copper, and cast iron. When used with certain acid-containing foods, such as tomatoes, pans can impart a metallic taste to food and discolor food during cooking. In contrast, non-reactive cookware is that designed to be safe with all foods, which refers to pots and pans made from stainless steel, enameled cast iron, glass or clay. Stainless steel is the most common non-reactive material used for stovetop cookware. Many cookware also has a nonstick coating, which is also nonreactive.
2. Wooden ladles
Unlike steel, wood is porous and absorbs flavors and odors in which it is dipped and cannot be washed in the dishwasher because it would also absorb detergent. It is however very suitable as a utensil for those longer cooking processes that require to be turned often. This is because the wood does not conduct the heat of the cooking food, allowing the cook to handle it without getting burned.
At least one ladle is necessary, but you can also find sets of different sizes. Having more than one is useful because as it absorbs the flavors of the food, it is preferable to have one for savory foods (roasts, stews, vegetables) and another for sweet foods (jams, creams). Moreover, after some time of wear it changes color and becomes not very nice to look at, so if you keep them on display, replace them after a while because they lose the charm and give the whole kitchen environment a "resigned" tone.
3. Toolsets for non-stick pans
Non-stick pans are convenient for low-fat cooking and are increasingly used especially by beginners because it is more difficult to burn the food. However, it is not correct to use metal utensils because you will scratch the base of the pan and ruin the protective layer. Therefore, it is necessary to buy the proper utensils for these dishes. The recommended set consists of an omelet scoop, a spatula and a pair of tongs, useful for turning the food when cooking small pieces of meat or fish.
4. Steel knives
To slice a roast, cold cuts, bread, or to finely chop onions and vegetables in general you need professional, steel knives. They are usually sold in sets or individually, the basic ones are the vegetable knife, the meat knife, a serrated knife and a bread knife.
Preferable are those with steel handle or resin resistant to the dishwasher, a little less advisable those with wooden handle, which during washing in the dishwasher is ruined and may lose strength when slicing, thus becoming potentially dangerous.
5. Funnel and colander
The former is necessary to fill the various oil and vinegar containers and jars with oil and vinegar, the latter is used to strain pasta! Sometimes they are used together, in order to filter and pour a liquid into a bottle, therefore it is better to choose a couple of funnels of a size compatible to be used together! The strainer can also be used as a sieve for flour or to sprinkle icing sugar or cocoa powder on cakes and cookies!
6. Corkscrew
Even teetotalers should have at least one tire Bouchon, because it will happen that a friend will ask you to open the bottle of wine he/she will bring you as a gift! There are simple ones, bottle openers on one side and corkscrews on the other. There are also more elaborate ones that can be used to open and reseal bottles of wine with bubbles. Choose one that is practical and, above all, sturdy: the operation of removing the cork from a bottle of wine may require some effort and some pressure from hands.
7. Brush and Grater
If you have never used them you can live without them, but if you use them once, even just once, then you will not be able to do without them anymore! The silicone brush is useful every time you need to grease a pan or baking sheet or brush a cake or focaccia, it allows you maximum precision and maximum cleanliness, as well as no waste of butter, oil or egg.
The grater is perfect for when you need to grate lemon peel or cheese, finely slice vegetables to prepare an unusual salad and allows precision and speed: doing certain operations by hand with a knife is possible, but it takes much more time and the end result is certainly not as precise.
Brandon Willson