1) SHARP KNIFE & CUTTING BOARD
Aside from a pair of clean hands, a good sharp knife is the most important tool in the kitchen. Most accidents happen when a knife is not sharp enough to easily slice through whatever is being cut. Extra force is needed to push the knife down and it usually slips, ending with fingers or a hand being cut. Some of the big name chefs will recommend fancy knives that can cost hundreds of dollars a piece. The average person, me included, can't afford that. I say get the highest quality knife within your price range. Before buying try out a few knives and pick the one that feels best in your hand. We were fortunate enough to be gifted THIS a block set for our wedding. I use the chef or the santoku on a daily basis.
Some basic guidelines for taking care of your knives:
-NEVER put them in the dishwasher
- Dry immediately after washing
- When the blade begins to dull, resharpen
As far as cutting boards go, I look for 2 qualities: that it's made of hard plastic (polypropylene) and that it has rubber grips to hold it in place. Wood boards are fine, but usually they require a lot of extra care and can't be run through the dishwasher. Never, ever cut on glass or porcelain. It is VERY damaging to your knives. A great option can be found HERE.
2) MEASURING CUPS & SPOONS
Every kitchen and home cook needs one solid set of measuring utensils. Use the spoons and cups for dry ingredients like flour, sugar, and spices. The 2 options I prefer can be found HERE and HERE.
I like these because they are sturdy and hold up well. They are dishwasher safe (always a plus in my book) and the individual measurements are engraved in the handle. I have had sets of plastic spoons and the markings end up washing off over time. They also have the metric system equivalent on them so no need for conversions if a recipe call for milliliters.
For measuring liquids, use a cup like THIS.
A bonus item in this category is a kitchen scale. Measurement done by weight are always the most accurate, especially in baking.
3) Y Peeler
Once you use a Y peeler you will never go back. It just might be my favorite thing on this list. If you have ever peeled anything or might peel something in the future, please go buy one of these right now! These peelers work infinitely better than a regular one. The brand I like to use is HERE. Their only downside is they are not dishwasher safe and have to be dried immediately or they will rust. This is because the blade is made of carbon steel, which stays very sharp without needing to be sharpened. I've had mine for over 2 years, using it weekly, with no complaints.
4) Grater and Mircoplane
If at all possible it's best to buy cheese in a whole block and grate it yourself. Almost all shredded cheese in a bag is coated in corn starch or some other substance to keep the cheese from sticking together. Grating from the block ensures the freshest cheese possible. Graters can also be used to shred carrots, potatoes, onions, and other vegetables.
The best selling option on Amazon can be found HERE, but honestly I just use the cheap one from Walmart.
A microplane is like a grater, but it has very small, fine holes. It can be used to grate garlic or ginger into a fine paste or to grate a little chocolate over a dessert. In my kitchen, the microplane is most used to zest citrus and whole nutmeg, both of which add tremendous flavor to their respective dishes. I also use it to grate cheese from a whole wedge of real parmigiano reggiano, which gives every Italian dish a restaurant feel.
The standard microplane can be found on Amazon HERE. I believe mine came from Bed Bath & Beyond.
5) Salt and Pepper
Lastly, but definitely not least is salt and pepper. Seasoning is the absolute key to a delicious meal. You may know the perfect technique for cooking a steak or whipping up some potatoes, but if those are not seasoned well they won't be very good at all. Salt is a flavor enhancer, which is why it's in almost all foods, even sweets.
Most people have a fear of sodium and tend to under season while cooking. The truth is that most over salting happens at the table as a last ditch effort to fix bland food.
Kosher salt will always be my salt of choice. It's good enough for Alton Brown so it's good enough for me. The large flakes adhere well to foods and make it easier for pinching. Always use your fingers to hold the salt (unless specific measurements are called for) and never dump directly from the container, this helps give more control when seasoning.
Black pepper is the other half to this essential duo, and there is only one requirement here. It must be fresh ground! Do yourself a favor and purchase a pepper mill. When you buy a container of pepper that is pre-ground, there is no way of knowing how long it's been sitting there losing it's flavor and fragrance.
I have a these grinders from Cost Plus World Market, one holds pepper and the other sea salt. My sister in law has a vinyl cutting machine and helped me make the "sel" and "pepe" lables. That's salt in French and pepper in Italian. I love their simplicity and my personalized touch.
I keep my kosher salt in this bamboo box from Core (a $7 TJ Maxx find). It has a secure lid that keeps out all moisture and the opening is wide enough for my hand to comfortably grab the salt.
In addition to the grinder, I keep more pepper in a small Le Creuset canister. This is for easy grabbing when I only have one hand clean, such as when handling raw meat, and can't use the grinder. Every few weeks I use a cheap coffee bean grinder to grind up whole peppercorns. This is most certainly not as fresh as it would be straight from the grinder, but it's better than store bought and it's convenient when I need an exact measurement.
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