Kitchen Essentials: For the Beginner Cook
I truly believe that the tools you have in the kitchen can make or break your experience in the kitchen, whether you are a casual cook, learning to cook, or just trying to get food on the table. Having certain necessary items changes the entire experience. Arming yourself with the right arsenal of tools in the kitchen is going to make cooking so much more enjoyable and smoother. Think of cooking like a sport. Sure you can play tennis with a mediocre racket that you got for $20 bucks and a tennis ball that your dog has been chewing on for the last year… but if you really want to up your game you need a new can of balls and eventually a nicer racket.
And there is something to be said for the theory that if you financially invest in something you are more mentally invested in making sure you use it.
Do You Need a Bunch of Gadgets in Your Kitchen?
So am I saying you need a bunch of gadgets in your kitchen to get meals on the table for yourself or your family. NO! This is a gadget free zone… or a partially gadget free zone, there are some gadgets I like.
But I do try to keep my kitchen tools on the minimalistic side. I don’t like things cluttering my cabinets, drawers and definitely not my counter tops. Making sure your kitchen tools are easy to find and accessible is one of my top tips to finding success in the kitchen.
What Tools Do You Need as a Beginner Cook?
In this post, I’m going to share the items that I find to be the most basic necessities for success in the kitchen. These are my most-used, most-loved, must-have kitchen tools. They are also the items I get asked for recommendations about the most.
I picked quality items in a fair price range. Could you pay $200 for a chef’s knife. Yes. Will it be fabulous and better than the one I’m about to recommend? Probably. But do you need to spend $200? Probably Not.
These items are meant to get you started without breaking the bank, but also be quality that will last and tools you will use almost everytime you cook.
Must Have Kitchen Tool: Chef’s Knife
Chef’s Knife - Zwilling J.A Henckels TWIN Signature Chef’s Kinfe, 8 Inch
Must Have Kitchen Tool: Large Skillet with Lid
T-fal Nonstick 12 Inch Skillet with Lid
Must Have Kitchen Tool: Dutch Oven
I find that I love my Calpalon the best, and turn it it more than I do my fancy cast iron Le Creuset.
Must Have Kitchen Tool: Silicone Utensils
Set of 8 Wood and Silicone Cooking Utensils
Must Have Kitchen Tool: Mini Tablespoon Measuring Cup
I love this thing and find it so useful and a lot less messy than a measuring spoon when needing to measuring a tablespoon or two of liquid ingredients.
Must Have Kitchen Tools: Small Metal Mixing / Scrap / Prep Bowls
Use these for mixing ingredients or sauces, as a scrap bowl to make clean up easier, or as prep bowls to stash chopped ingredients. Lightweight and easy to pull out of your cabinet and put them to use. No more lugging out those heavy ceramic nesting bowls and trying to find the right size.
