Do you have what you need to cook like a chef? According to TODAY Show food stylist Bianca Borges Henry, using the right tools will actually improve your kitchen skills, add ease to your preparation and increase your overall pleasure in the cooking process. Having the right kitchen tools allows you to focus more on the FOOD — which is the most important part of cooking.
Cut to the chase: Knives
A knife is a knife is a knife ... Not so in the kitchen! I’m not the first to say it, knives are the most important utensils in your kitchen. You get what you pay for, so consider splurging a little, because you don’t need an arsenal. Three knives will do almost anything you’ll need them to:
- Chef’s knife (8” to 10”): This is the master knife. It should have a curved bottom edge, because you want it to roll on your cutting board as you chop things like herbs and carrots. This knife will also slice your meats and desserts. It’s extraordinarily versatile.
- Paring knife (3” to 4”): This knife will do the small detail work, especially when the food is being held in your hand, such as slicing the green top off of a strawberry or peeling half a mango.
- Serrated knife: Used mainly for slicing bread. If you like fresh uncut loaves of bread at your meal, this knife will be of good use to you, and it’s great for chopping chocolate!
- Sharpening steel: A knife is no good, no matter what its cost, if it’s not sharp. This is a fast and easy way to “hone” your knives, and it takes up very little space.
Put a lid on it: Pots and pans
- Saute pan (12” stainless steel): It will sear, fry, saute, sweat, reduce and more. The stainless-steel surface will brown and caramelize better than nonstick.
- Rondeau (12” circumference, 4” to 5” deep): This is needed for pasta, soups, chili, stews, pot roasts and braising. Make a potful and freeze some for later! The saute pan and rondeau can share a lid.
- Small to medium saute pan (about 8”): Make this one nonstick, which is good for eggs, omelets, crepes, etc.
- Saucepan (also 8” diameter, to share a lid): This is good for steaming, simmering, heating and cooking smaller portions of almost anything.
- Sheet pan (cookie sheet): Good for more than cookies, it’s the best option for roasting potatoes and other vegetables, toasting nuts and for broiling anything.
- Roasting pan: Needed for larger, juicier roasting, such as whole chickens or large cuts of meat. It holds surface liquids and vegetables added to a roast, and can stand in for lasagna and other large casseroles. Choose stainless steel or nonstick, but if you opt for nonstick, don’t go too cheap, because the surface won’t last.
Very handy: Utensils
- Vegetable peeler: Not just for vegetables, it peels fruits beautifully. It also makes vegetable ribbons and chocolate shavings!
- Whisk: A narrow one will do vinaigrettes, sauces and eggs. If you whip your own cream, you’ll need a larger one, called a balloon whisk.
- Rubber spatula: Choose a heatproof one. Good for anything in a hot pan, not just mixing and scraping bowls clean.
- Microplane/grater: Every kitchen needs a grater of some sort, for cheeses, vegetables, etc. (think carrot cake or potato pancakes). A box grater has different size grates, and is versatile, and the microplane has the finest, sharpest grates. If you go with one, I’d say the box grater, but both of them will be useful to you.
- Garlic press: Not a necessity, but very worth the space and minor expense. It produces the pulp and juice of garlic, the inner skin is left behind, giving you pure flavor.
- A set of mixing bowls: You need these, and they‘re not just for baking. Think of making meatloaf or stuffing, tossing vegetables with oil and herbs for roasting, pancakes, etc. Metal is good, glass is good. Glass has the advantage of being microwave-able, though it’s heavier and can chip. You choose.
- Strainer: While a colander will wash fruits and vegetables and drain pasta, a mesh strainer is much more versatile. It will wash, drain and strain sauces and custards, and will sift dry ingredients. Choose a fine mesh.
An easy process: Food processor or blender Some notes about these tools: A knife can do almost anything, but it can’t puree. Either one of these will serve most purposes; you don‘t need both. Another option is a handheld blender to use in place of a food processor or blender, or in addition to them. They are fast, easy to clean and can fit in a drawer.