We think it’s cool to stuff our kitchen with every tool and utensil, cookware, and bakeware that we see in stores or cataloged from online shops. But the truth is, even if we could buy them all, we’d probably never use them, or they’re redundant items. Unless you’re a chef, you only truly need a basic set of kitchen tools to go smoothly in the kitchen. So, just what do you need in the kitchen?
We’ll help you shop for the most necessary utensils and kitchenware with this list. What makes this list interesting is it’ll make you realize you don’t need more than half a thousand bucks for the essential tools your kitchen needs. Read on.
Kitchen Essentials 101
Some pieces are nice to have, and then there are must-haves. Knowing the difference between the two will help keep your kitchen highly functional without getting too crowded with non-essential stuff. The following are the benefits of owning just the indispensable tools in your kitchen:
Saves Space
A lot of kitchens are crowded with unnecessary tools that limit space to work on. Having only what one truly needs to cook frees up the countertop to give you more areas to organize your ingredients and your cookware.
More Efficient Work
Without too much clutter, you can navigate more graciously around your kitchen to get the cooking done right away.
Save You Bucks
People think they save on bucks by buying those nice kitchen tools on sale without realizing two things. One, if you’re only buying it because it’s on sale, chances are you don’t need it. Two, you’re losing money from buying something that will just soon accumulate dust in your kitchen. So just what do you need in the kitchen? Stick to kitchen must-haves.
Indispensable Kitchen Items
Let’s get down with our list:
Kitchen Knife
There are tons of knives in the market, and if you’re still starting in your kitchen, you don’t need every piece from the chef’s set. What you need instead is a chef’s knife. It’s a multi-use knife for slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping. With basic skills in handling a knife and a chef’s knife that’s sharp enough, you’re off to a good start in your kitchen endeavors.
Cutting Board
A cutting board almost always goes with the knife; after all, it receives all the blows coming from the blade. It also protects the surface of the kitchen and allows for efficient chopping. You’ll need about two to three cutting boards as you will need to cut raw meats separately from fresh produce. This is to prevent cross-contamination of the bacteria emanating from the meat onto your fruits and vegetables.
Can Opener
If you need to prepare a little more food portions, it pays to have a large pot on hand.
Measuring Tools
Great cooking rarely ever relies on guesswork; instead, it’s a product of accuracy and precision. To produce balanced-tasting food, be sure to equip your kitchen with the necessary measuring cups and spoons.
Cookware
After prepping our ingredients, we’re off to cook, and what else do we need here but the essential cooking ware. But what do you need in the kitchen to cover all types of cooking? A basic set that does most of the cooking tasks includes a skillet for frying, a saucepan and sauté pan, and pots for the soup. A grill pan is also a must-have if you don’t like starting a fire for traditional grilling.
Bakeware
Nothing beats home-made cookies as you can customize the ingredients to your heart’s desire. So when filling up your kitchen with tools, don’t forget to stuff it with baking tools, including wooden spoons, spatula, pastry brush, whisk, rolling pins, fine-mesh sieve, paring knife, and baking pans. A mixer is also a handy device to ensure every ingredient is mixed well without straining the hand. So, what do you need in the kitchen to bake? These tools are all you need for a good start.
Serve Ware
Whether you love hosting parties in your home or serving just for the family, serve ware is always part of the kitchen. A decent set of serve ware includes platters, deep bowls for your salads, shallow bowls for holding firm veggies and other foods, small bowls for sauce, pitcher, beverage pots, glass, cup, saucers, and shakers.
Other Kitchen Must-Haves
There are other items for the kitchen that you cannot miss having. One of which is a thermometer. Some recipes cook at very delicate temperature with a minimal margin of error. To ensure you get it right, use a kitchen thermometer. Potholders are also domestic in the kitchen. Imagine holding all those hot pots and serve ware without these underrated materials; it’s just not possible.
Conclusion
The kitchen is a haven to some, for it’s where they can express their creativity, with food as their medium. Others love to cook while others need to. Whatever your reason is for being in the kitchen, one thing holds, a well-equipped kitchen makes cooking a lot easier and the food tastier. So, what do you need in the kitchen again? Remember, the basics are enough. There’s no need to splurge for non-essential kitchenware that’ll only add clutter to your space. Find out more about kitchen essentials.