Equipping your kitchen with essential hand tools can significantly aid in food preparation, cooking, and serving. I have linked to Amazon (affiliates) for some recommendations.
Here’s a list of basic sharp things that are useful to have in a kitchen:
KNIVES:
Not going to bs you here – better knives are really better. But, yeah, they are big money.
We use Cutco. My sister sold them in the 90s and my parents bought the set and my daughter sold them a few years ago and we bought the set. If someone is asking you for gift ideas this is it. Try to find someone who sells them – they have a lifetime guarantee. If you can’t find someone Amazon does sell them. There are other great brands sold there as well.
Start with a chef’s knife: A high-quality, versatile knife used for chopping, slicing, and dicing various ingredients. Add a paring knife: A smaller knife ideal for peeling, trimming, and delicate cutting tasks.
That should hold you for a bit.
OTHER SHARP THINGS:
Kitchen Shears/Scissors are handy for cutting herbs, opening packages, or trimming meats and vegetables. We use Cutco for these as well. I like that the Cutco shears come apart to clean them especially after opening a package with raw poultry. I use them for cutting herbs a lot as well. I feel super cheffy when I do that.
Vegetable Peeler: Used for peeling fruits and vegetables quickly and efficiently. Get something that is comfortable to hold. I really like the ones with the silicone or rubber handles. I feel like they won’t slip as easily. And, hate to tell you, you will cut yourself peeling something at some point. Here’s a tip – push the peeler away from you and not towards you ALWAYS.
Here’s another tip – I don’t peel a lot of vegetables. After having to cook for a large group every night I realized that the extra time was not worth it. So our mashed potatoes had washed peels (I used a paring knife to remove eyes [little growths] and anything else off). Our glazed carrots had washed peels. And our little cucumber snacks – yep washed peels.
BUT if you are going to peel SAVE your peels. Save your onion skins, your cucumber ends, your bits and pieces left over after chopping broccoli. Put them all in a ziplock bag and put them in a freezer. I will write a post soon about making veggie stock and what to do with it.
Next, buy a Box Grater: Provides different grating options (fine, coarse, slicing) for cheese, vegetables, and more. I like the ones with storage containers on the bottom. That way you can figure out how much you have shredded. I also like the ones with different slicing sides – then you don’t need a mandoline. There is usually a side with very fine grating options – great for fresh ginger.
After you move forward in your kitchen journey you should buy a food processor. They have different blades for slicing. Mandolines and slicing sides on graters always scare me. I like the skin on my knuckles.
YOU ALSO NEED:
Finally you need decent cutting boards. They are an essential surface for cutting and preparing food. Opt for a durable, easy-to-clean cutting board made of wood, plastic, or bamboo. Glass or marble will dull your knives and are breakable. Try to hold one with slightly slippery hands and drop one and you will agree with this.
We have multiple boards in multiple sizes and thicknesses. There are often disagreements about the cleanest surface for cutting boards. The main thing is to not cross contaminate items you cut. Wash your board with soap and hot water between items.
We have a few plastic boards in different sizes. I like these because I can put these in the dishwasher. I use ones that are a little thicker not the ones that fold to discard non-essential elements. Just personal preference.
We probably have 8 wood boards in different sizes. They can double as charcuterie boards as needed. We have an extra thick one with handles and feet that was a gift. I keep that one displayed behind our stovetop. It was a gift and it is beautiful.
I highly recommend an extra large board with a gutter for meats (after they have been cooked). We use this a lot and the gutter is fantastic for keeping juices off of the counter. Keep it in mind when you are ready for this chapter of your cooking adventure.
Cutting boards can be very beautiful as functional kitchen art. Check out local craft shows – there are usually a few wood vendors with cutting boards. Some friends of ours own a wood craft company – Adirondack Upcycled. We have many of their items including a 3.5 feet long charcuterie board with handles. Everyone comments on it!
As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out!
