This is a list of essential items that
I learned about the hard way. Not all of them are absolutely
essential as everything will highly depend on what your needs are,
but most are highly useful for everyone, so you might want to
consider them, and avoid the trap of turning your kitchen into a
graveyard of useless appliances. Admittedly, some of the stuff is a
tad pricey compared to the alternatives; however, when you consider
how much you'll pay in inconvenience, frustration, and replacements,
you'll be glad you paid for quality the first time around. I'll
include links to the ones I have. They're by no means the only
options, but they're what I've found to work.
1. Silicone Coated Mixing Spoons and
Spatulas
The first thing I will say about this
is that wooden mixing spoons are disgusting. I am not a psychotic
clean freak, but the reality is particles of food do get embedded in
the grain of the wood and the wood absorbs soap, which is why you're
supposed to boil them to clean them. Not only is this form of
cleaning highly inconvenient, but they have a tendency to split,
break, get sort of chewed up, and burn. The silicone ones do not. I
ignored the proper care myself for a long time, and one day I finally
boiled the spoons...it was horrific. Also, it's a good idea to get
the silicone spatulas as well, but the ones that are mostly one solid
piece because the head will come off of the other ones eventually,
which is both annoying, and will also trap water and food.
2. Good Quality Knives
There's nothing that beaten a good set
of knives. Generally, only really need a chef's knife, a paring
knife, and maybe a bread knife. You do have to be careful with them
because you don't want any nicks in the blade, and you will have to
hone them on occasion, but a good set will practically cut through a
tomato from just having the blade rest on it. Wusthof is a good
choice for the less expensive, high quality knives.
3. Fine Grater
If you happen to use freshly grated
parmesan, cinnamon, or nutmeg on a somewhat regular basis, this
little tool is a lifesaver. There is nothing worse than having to
grate nutmeg on a cheese grater wondering whether you'll escape the
kitchen without chunks missing for you knuckles...again.
4. Silicone Muffin/Cake Pans
Just like with the spoons, they're
easier to clean, and the contents is less likely to stick.
5. High Quality Apple Corer
I know it may sound kind of silly, but
I eat a lot of apples, so this little gadget saves me a lot of time
and effort. So far, I haven't found a good quality one other than the
one I have linked below. Most of the ones you'll find are very thin
and flimsy, causing the metal to twist and bend (and eventually
break) as you twist it through the apple. So, if this is something
that you would find useful, I wouldn't get anything else.
6. Food Processor.
A good food processor makes a world of
difference in the kitchen. They can shred, chop, slice, puree, mince,
etc., which means that you can actually make hummus that's not
incredibly grainy, or whip together hash browns without having to
shred potatoes for forever, and the list goes on. I had originally
bought a mini Black and Decker food processor, and it was essentially
useless beyond mincing garlic because it could hardly hold anything,
and the engine wasn't powerful enough to the the job. The is one of
those major purchases I talked about, but makes a world of
difference.
7. Stand Mixer with a Dough Hook
This is a must if have heavy work to do
and/or very little time. I make bread regularly, and I have yet to be
able to get the dough to the best consistency by hand, while a mixer
with a dough hook does it in about 2 minutes with relatively little
effort on my part, and very little cleanup.
