It seems like every food blog, cooking channel on YouTube, and celebrity chef has their own version of “kitchen essentials,” and as it turns out, I am no exception.
And if you also cook at multiple times per week, you likely have certain items in your arsenal that you return to again and again.
This is part one in a brief series that will outline my key cooking equipment, ingredients, and pantry staples, as well as the meals I make most regularly with them.
In this edition, I’m sharing the tools, utensils, and equipment that make my life in the kitchen easier.
Pots & Pans
Cast iron skillet
This is the pan I use for more or less everything. I’ve had it for about four years and will likely have it for the next 60.
It’s not nearly as fussy as some would have you believe; just minimize your use of long-cooking acidic ingredients, season it regularly, and you’ll likely be set for life.
How to Love Cast Iron Without Being a Nerd About It by Victor from Internet Shaquille
How to Clean a Cast Iron Pan After Cooking by Stephen from Not Another Cooking Show
Cast Iron 101 from Epicurious
Cast iron is durable and reliable, as well as relatively inexpensive, so there’s no need to go to a specialty kitchenware retailer. You can find a decent pan for about $20-35, including at a hardware store like Home Depot.
Dutch oven
I use this almost-all-purpose pot for soup, stew, braising, stock, rice, pasta, bread — but that’s for another newsletter.
My dutch oven came from Le Creuset via a hefty holiday discount, several coupons, and splitting the remaining cost with my mother.
Although Le Creuset and Staub are the (pricey) signature brands for this kitchen staple, I recommend trying out a lower-cost option to make sure you’re actually going to get your money’s worth before making the steeper investment.
Lodge makes some beautiful medium-sized Dutch ovens for less than $100, so keep an eye out for those sales!
Carbon steel wok
I am relatively new to wok cookery, but received a full set last Christmas — including J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s bible on wok recipes and techniques, The Wok.
Since then, I haven’t been able to make stir fries (or French fries, but again, that’s for another newsletter) any other way. Even on my home kitchen stove, the results come out infinitely better than when I used a frying pan.
Like cast iron, carbon steel needs to be seasoned before use. This is a guide from Mr. Lopez-Alt himself on how to do so.
Equipment
Cutting board
Unless you enjoy rigorously cleaning your countertops every single day, a cutting board is essential.
I have two plastic cutting boards from Ikea for small tasks, such as slicing a piece of fruit, and when I don’t want to dirty my enormous carving cutting board. It is so large that it does not fit in the dishwasher, so I use it only when preparing a full meal so I don’t have to hand-wash it every time.
Wood cutting boards are more premium and require a bit more care and maintenance, so go with what suits your kitchen, budget, and cooking style best.
Chef’s knife
Speaking of cutting, a decent knife can go with you to the ends of the earth. My favorite is a chef’s knife and I use a honing blade to keep it in good working order. (I also own a whetstone set but have yet to learn how to use it.)
My dream is to wield a perfectly balanced Japanese-made santoku or a hefty Chinese meat cleaver, but my $25 chef’s knife has served me well for five years now, and I’ve treasured everything I’ve prepared with it.
Other knives that are handy to have in your kitchen are a paring knife, a bread knife, and a boning or carving knife if you cook meat and fish frequently.
Blender
The trusty countertop blender — what can’t she do?
I prefer a countertop blender to a hand blender because while the latter is best for sauces or soups, it’s not as versatile.
The Ninja or the Vitamix are the gold standard, especially if you can find a two-in-one blender and food processor. My blender is a standard $30-40 edition from Oster (I think? The branding has worn off.) and, like the majority of my kitchen equipment, is several years old. When it finally shuffles off this mortal coil, I may upgrade, but it definitely still handles my morning smoothies just fine.
Kitchen thermometer
I have evangelized about the benefits of a kitchen thermometer ad nauseam at this point, and likely will continue to do so. It takes the guesswork out of preparing any meat — I haven’t cooked a dry piece of protein since owning one.
If you don’t cook or eat meat, it’s also excellent for those temperature-sensitive processes like baking bread, tempering chocolate, whipping up Swiss meringue, or deep frying.
There are many different types of kitchen thermometers with many different uses, so do some research to figure out what works best for you.
Food scale
Like the kitchen thermometer above, a food scale has vastly improved my technique and accuracy in the kitchen, particularly with my baking. The majority of baking benefits from more precise measurements rather than simply eyeballing or using measuring cups and spoons.
It has also greatly improved the process of portioning dry pasta before I cook it. Turns out “a handful” of pasta can vary from a few spaghetti strands swimming in an ocean of sauce to a sticky clump of starch that a tomato once vaguely thought about.
As with the other equipment that requires a little investment and research, check out reviews from people who have actually tested different versions and go from there!
Tools & Utensils
Vegetable peeler
Carrots and potatoes are the most common victims of my vegetable peeler, but I also use it to make cucumber ribbons, elegant shavings of parmesan cheese, and lemon peel garnishes.
The most important quality your vegetable peeler must have is comfort. It should feel good to hold and peeling should be quick and easy. This both minimizes fatigue on your wrist and hand, but also limits the risk of slipping and peeling your fingers instead of your apple.
Strainer
I debated whether or not to put this on the list, but ultimately decided that I wouldn’t cook a large proportion of my regular dishes without a fine-mesh strainer.
It’s great for the usual suspects like draining noodles or pasta, but also for washing produce, straining homemade stock, and steaming rice (I cannot emphasize enough how this will also be in another newsletter).
Cheese grater/microplane
As you have likely worked out by now, I love cheese. A microplane not only creates light, fluffy piles of parmesan, but also effortlessly zests citrus. This is another tool you definitely don’t need a specialty retailer for; just check out your local hardware store.
Silicone spatula
This is one of two crucial utensils I use the most during cooking. A flexible silicone spatula can stir, scramble, fold, and flip everything from eggs to omelettes to tortillas.
The silicone also makes it non-stick, so if you have a syrupy sauce or a stubborn piece of salmon, this will be your best friend.
I like my silicone spatulas to be on the smedium side (my favorite portmanteau of small and medium) for better control, much like the examples listed here.
Tongs
Last, but certainly not least, a good pair of stainless steel, silicone-tipped tongs can truly perform miracles. They are my preferred pasta-tossing utensil, fail-safe meat rotators, and can flip a sheet tray of potatoes over in a flash for perfect, even roasting.
Like your vegetable peeler, your tongs should, above all, feel comfortable to use. Make sure the tongs are the proper length so you can stand well away from painful pan splatters, and the arms are a convenient distance apart for your grip. Also, if you can test the tension in person, I highly recommend doing so to find what feels most intuitive.
Next…
As I’ve been promising, I’ll give you more details on how I build a simple but versatile pantry, as well as some staple grocery items that reliably feed me and my friends and family week after week.