Everyone has a kitchen full of gadgets, doo-dads and gee-gaws. As we have been getting ready for our yard sale I have gone through my kitchen tools with a very critical eye. Here are my essentials, the ones that I would take over any others:
- WÜSTHOF Classic 8″ chef’s knife: One good knife that you know how to use and take care of will easily replace dozens of other, lesser knives.
- Kitchen Shears: Part of taking care of your knife is not using it to cut up chickens. That’s what shears are for.
- Cutting Board: This also falls in the taking care of your knife category, but when you’re spending $100+ it’s worth it to invest in a good plastic cutting board. It has “give” and so won’t dull your knife the way hardwood (unless it’s end-on), stone, or (horror) your countertop will.
- Lodge cast-iron deep frying pan with lid (stolen from a Lodge dutch oven): Once again, this is a tool that, properly cared for, will obselete a whole cabinet full of shoddy pans and skillets.
- Crock Pot: I couldn’t really imagine life without a crock pot. Dump in ingredients, turn it on, forget about it, and when you remember that the crock pot is on, dinner’s ready!
- Two sizes of anondized aluminum saucepans: I have a matched set of these; 1.5 and 2.5 qts, that I refer to as my “Veggie and Starch pans”.
- Three piece stainless steel steamer/strainer/10qt stock pot: This covers all the gaps the above pots and pans don’t, and the pasta basket makes a great colander.
- Huge anondized aluminum stock pot: My 20qt monster, because I only want to make tomato sauce (and soup) once a year
- Microplane: Hey, if you love cheese, you need one of these. It makes shredding Parmesan as easy as shaking that jar of fake dried cheese on your pasta. Also good for zesting rinds, shaving calluses, etc…
- Set of measuring cups and spoons: Cuisine is forgiving to the cook who doesn’t believe in measuring - baking on the other hand, is not.
- Breadmaker: This is about the only “gadget” on my list. I don’t use the baking function on it anymore, but until I can afford a KitchenAid stand mixer, it does a good job of making bread dough for me.
- Wearever insulated baking sheets: I was shocked when I learned the price of these ($20+ at outlet prices) but now, I am a true believer. If you like to bake, you should have one of these, if you don’t like to, this might make you like it
- Bose wall-mount speakers: Never trust a cook (especially commerical) that doesn’t listen to loud, obnoxious music while cooking. Trust me.
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