If you are passionate about cooking irrespective of whether you are a professional chef or you love cooking for your family you must have some essential kitchen items that you must have. Here is our list of 7 items that should always be on your priority.
Cookware
Where ever you are cooking you should have utensils to cook in. Depending on your requirement and budget you need to buy a set of basic cookware that gives your higher dollar-for-dollar value. It should include a frying pan, saucepan, Tea-kettle, Colander, Large Boiling Pot, Small Boiling Pot, etc.
Chef Knife
A chef’s knife is used for slicing, dicing, chopping, mincing and etc. Unless you are comfortable with the knife you will not have an enjoyable experience in the kitchen. A knife suitable for one might not be suitable for someone else. First search for a cutlery store that has a good selection of knives that you can hold on to. It would be better if you could try them maneuver on a cutting surface. If you do some research, you will be able to find cutlery stores around you that would allow you to chop vegetables with their knife samples. Also, negotiate if you can return or exchange the knife if you feel uncomfortable using the knife.
Once you hold this knife you will feel confident and the knife will feel like a natural extension of your hands. This is the first clue that you are in the right direction for selecting the best chef knife for you. Holding the knife evaluates the physical characteristics of the knife. Some experts say that a heavy knife cuts through food easily as it falls with higher force. On the contrary, some experts are also of the opinion that a lighter knife is more preferable as it is easy to maneuver. It is up to you which one you are comfortable with. The next thing that you need to consider is the balance of the knife.
Holding the knife if you feel the weight towards the blade or towards the handle, then this knife is not the ideal one. If you close a knife that is not properly balanced then you will not be able to use the knife for a long duration. Your hands will feel tired while using. The last thing that you need to consider is its size. Though 8-inch knife is mostly popular among but you will find people suggesting 10-inch or 6-inch blades as well. What is the perfect size for your best chef knife? The answer remains the same. Try it and you will get the answer. A 6-inch blade will have more agility, while 10-inch will cut more veritable but at the same time might be more intimidating. An 8-inch blade though is popular but might not be the right one for you. So go to a shop and try it yourself.
Once you buy your new knife it is better to do some tests. Try mincing parsley, dicing an onion, cutting a carrot into strips, carving melon, etc. This will make you get used to this new kitchen equipment.
Bakeware
Who doesn’t like to have home-baked cakes, muffins, cookies, pizza, etc? For preparing these delicious foods you need bakeware. It can be made of Glass, Ceramic, Metal, Silicone, etc. For Baking cakes, cookies, rolls, bread, pizza, etc. usually rectangular, shallow steel pans and baking sheets are used. You can opt for the flat ones as well as one with a 1-inch high lip to hold in liquids. You need to carefully select the combination of bakeware that you would be using. Buying something that you would not be using is a waste of money.
Oven
The oven is very important in today’s busy lifestyle. It would not only allow you to bake food but also to reheat cooked food.
Food Processor
A food processor is an electronic appliance that would help you in the repetitive tasks in food preparation. These are similar to blenders but use interchangeable blades and other attachments and can help you with tasks like chopping, mincing, blending, juicing, mixing, etc. Also, they come in various shapes and sizes and usually require little or no liquid is necessary. You may also prefer to buy manual food processors which do not require electricity.
Read Also: Food Processor vs Blender Which one is best?
Storage
Buy a good range of storage containers in which you can store both cooked food and raw ingredients. You would also need a few airtight containers to store food in the fridge as well as to protect food from moisture.
Cook Top
You would also need a cooktop that should be stable and provide you with steady heat. With the help of all these items, you can start cooking and once you come across necessary items on sale you can keep adding.
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