Kitting out your Kitchen
With so many gizmos and gadgets on the shelves and online — how do you know what you really need or what’s worth investing in? If you’re just starting out or if you want to add some extra pizzazz to your kitchen, here is a list of some of the equipment that I have in my kitchen that we use regularly. Some of it may seem fairly obvious; others may change your world (ok, possibly a bit dramatic) — but if you’re an avid cook or baker, you’ll love these for life.
Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
Silicone or rubber cooking utensils — Why? Because silicone or rubber won’t damage your pots and pans, and it lasts. It’s also hygienic and easy to clean properly after use. We have a couple of these silicone spatulae in our kitchen. They’ve lasted years and work like a charm with everything from frying onions to scraping out the cake batter. They’re flexible but sturdy — a real winner in the kitchen, in my opinion.
A good set of knives — Right, so here’s a no-brainer. A good set of knives is simply essential. I’ve written a separate piece about knives, that’s how important they are. Click here to read it — it’ll give you a good insight into what to look out for and how to build your set.
Chopping board —Another ‘well, doh’ suggestion, however, you’d be surprised by how little consideration people put into their chopping boards. To start with, I would suggest at least 2 or 3 good, solid boards. I know it may sound excessive, however from a kitchen hygiene perspective, we use one solely for raw meat — chicken & pork in particular and the other two for everything else. We prefer wood boards such as these, which we use in our home |raw meat| |everything else|.
A solid non-stick, thick based frying pan — buy a good ‘un, and you won’t have to buy another one for years. Ideally one that can transfer from stove to oven if needed; for example when you pan fry a steak to give it colour and want to finish it off in the oven. Why a thick base? Because it takes longer to heat up but retains and distributes the heat evenly. Again, there are so many to choose from and with pans, usually, you do get what you pay for.
We use this range at home and so far haven’t been let down. |Tefal Nonstick |
Blender — Perhaps not a necessity as such, but can be so useful in a kitchen. From crushing ice to liquifying foods, there are so many to choose from in the blender category. Anything from cheap and cheerful to the not-so-cheap-does-it-also-make-toast-for-that-cost variety. Unless you have a juice bar or similar and need something a little more industrial (like the beautiful Vitamix), for everyday use at home we have a | KitchenAid Classic Blender | — it’s a brilliant blender that my wife uses daily for her smoothies — it works like a dream with frozen fruit and is easy to clean. I’ve been known to whip up a hearty soup or two in it as well (ok, many soups — it’s just that easy to use). My best suggestion? Don’t buy a glass jug. If you bump it on the sink or have 2 naughty kids (hello!) it may not survive. The shatterproof, BPA-free jug in the KitchenAid blender looks like glass without the possible consequences— a no brainer for me.
Food Processor — Now we find ourselves at the ‘change your world’ bit — and for that, there is only one, the|Magimix 4200XL Food Processor|. Well, of course, there’s more than one, but the original Magimix is worth every penny, provided that you actually use it. From grating cheese to chopping garlic, mixing to slicing, this little beauty is a kitchen rockstar. And with its 30-year warranty, what’s not to love? I’ve used a Magimix in a few restaurant kitchens over the years and they performed so well even with heavy use that when Noah was born, it was the perfect excuse to splash out — especially as it has all the accessories needed to make Noah fresh, wholesome foods that could be frozen for ease. It’s a tough call to make, but this is definitely in my top 3 pieces of kit — and most used — that I have in my kitchen at home.
Spice grinder — Ok, so now we’re getting to the ‘say what now?’ section on equipment; and I know, because I’ve seen that look on my wife’s face often when I come home with something shiny and new for the kitchen (all essential, I keep telling her…alright, maybe not the truffle slicer for home use…). But if you really want to get the best flavour from your spices (have a look at some of the spice recipes we’ve put together), then this |Krups| is the spice grinder I use. It is actually a coffee grinder but it works just as well and is a 1/3 of the price of a dedicated spice grinder. If you would prefer to buy a dedicated spice grinder, then I’ve used this one in a few kitchens before and it certainly does the trick, as you’d expect| Cuisinart Spice Grinder |.
Stand Mixer —And finally, when things get a bit more serious in your kitchen, I suggest investing in one of these. Many to choose from but there really are only 2 contenders in my opinion — the |KitchenAid 4.8 Artisan Stand Mixer or Kenwood KMiX Stand Mixer |We went for the KitchenAid but to be honest, I would have been equally as happy with a Kenwood KMiX. From mixing dough for your own bread to attachments for rolling pasta and sausage stuffing; it’s remarkable what this little beauty can do. But you’ve got to want to use it — i.e. want to make your own cakes; breads; pasta etc to get your money’s worth. That’s why I suggest getting it when you’re feeling more confident in the kitchen and you want to start experimenting more. As with the blender though, my word of advice is don't buy a glass bowl. Accidents happen and it’s an avoidable one. It’s a beautiful piece of equipment that you will love and rely on for years to come — and, damn, it looks good in a kitchen too.
As always, let me know what your favourite piece of equipment is and why. With so many things to choose from, I’m always on the lookout for the next game-changer in my kitchen (just don’t tell my wife).
