If you are moving out on your own for the first time or a newlywed setting up your first home looking at all those kitchen tools and equipment can be a bit daunting. You could spend hours in the store trying to figure out what you need now and what you can get later. In addition, there seems to be a kitchen tool for almost every job that can be performed in the kitchen. The big question is, which ones should you choose. One basic fact that you should keep in mind is that some kitchen tools and equipment are indispensable and should be bought first.
Basic kitchen tools
• Measuring cups and spoons—when measuring you will be measuring both dry and liquid ingredients and measures for liquid and dry materials are different. You can either purchase a measuring cup that is marked for both liquid and dry materials or purchase a liquid measuring cup and a set of dry measuring cups. You should always have a two-cup liquid measuring cup that is microwave-safe. This type of measuring cup will come in handy for different uses. Measuring spoons for liquid and dry measuring are no different but it is advisable to have two sets on hand.
• Spatulas—you should have two or three different spatulas on hand and made of silicon The reason is that most pans today are non-stick and these will not scrape the pans.• Silicon or rubber scrapers—you should have several in various sizes for scraping out bowls and for stirring.
• Wooden spoons—these can be used with any cooking surface. They are also non-reactive, which means you can use then for stirring any type of food no matter what its composition is.
• Cutting boards—there is still debates over whether it should be wood or plastic but they are both good. You should make sure that it is cleaned properly after each use. It is a good idea to purchase two of them.
• Sharp knives—every kitchen should have at least three sharp knives, which include a paring knife, a seven inch chef’s/butcher knife, and a four inch utility knife. You should also have a set of steak knives. The chef’s/butcher knife is good for carving meats, and chopping vegetables. A paring knife is used to peel foods like potatoes, and the utility knife is an all-around knife that can be used for peeling and cutting. This meets most of your cooking needs.
• Grater—this can be used to grate hard cheeses and hard spices. To start out you can get a four-sided grater that has a coarse grater, cheese slicer, a fine grater, and a medium grater.
• Peeler—this can be used to peel potatoes, carrots, cucumbers and more if you do not want to use a paring knife.
• Serving spoons—you should have two or three of these both slotted and non-slotted• Set of mixing bowls
• A balloon whisk
• Bake ware—this can include a cookie sheet, casserole dishes, pie pans, and more
Basic kitchen equipment
• Electric hand mixer
• Can opener—an electric one and a manual one with a bottle opener on it.
• A set of pots and pans, including at least two skillets of different sizes
• Deep fryer
• Microwave oven
• Toaster
• Blender
• Food processor with several different blade attachments
Although this seems like a long list of kitchen tools and equipment once you get these different items and start to use them you will see just how invaluable they are.
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