The key to any good recipe is finding the perfect balance of flavors while making sure the food looks as good as it tastes. Much like quality ingredients, being equipped with the right kitchen essentials is key to creating good food.
Here are five kitchen essentials you can use to whip up the perfect meal at home:
Spice: Organize a spice rack
Having multiple rows of vibrantly colored spice bottles in your cooking space is so pleasing to the eye. A bonus is that assembling the whole thing can be quite fun, therapeutic, even. Place multi-tiered organizers in your kitchen cabinet and use it to color-coordinate your different shades of saffron and turmeric. Line them all up wherever reaching out to them while cooking would be most convenient.
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Grow an Herb Garden
Whether it be a small row of potted plants by your kitchen windowsill or a fully functional kitchen herb well, having edible greenery growing nearby instantly enlivens the room. Those intimidated by gardening can easily purchase ready-to-harvest potted herbs in almost any leading grocery.
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Choose Your Fighter
There are five essential cookware pieces you’ll need for your kitchen:
- Cast iron skillet
Whether it’s brand new or a hand-me-down from your grandmother, with a bit of care, an honest-to-goodness cast iron skillet is an addition to your cooking arsenal that will last you ages. Use this for making good steak or for baking skillet cookies.
- Saucepan
This one’s perfect for making your famous bolognese sauce, or for boiling small batches of rice or pasta. It’s exceptionally versatile, so it’s a great addition to your collection of tools in the kitchen.
- Sauté pan
A sauté pan is excellent for shallow-frying, making large batches of food, or making stir-fry. Essentially, you should be able to make an entire meal using this pan.
- Non-stick skillet
Yes, that one handy frying pan you reach out for to fry your eggs and flip your pancakes. Remember, the non-stick coating on every one of these skillets will eventually chip off, no matter how expensive it is. We recommend you invest in a mid-range skillet so you won’t have to constantly replace bargain bin skillets, or spend too much on a fancy skillet that will indeed lose its coating anyway.
- Stockpot
Stockpots are essential when you’re making food for large groups, given that stock and/or broth is often used as a base for a lot of tasty recipes you can make in bulk. It’s perfect for things like making porridge, boiling water for your pasta, or for steaming veggies. We suggest investing in a sturdy stockpot that’s just light enough for you to lug it around after filling it up.
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Invest in Your Appliances
Think of it this way, you’re going to be using these appliances every day for decades on. Relying on a cheaply-made stove range or induction cooker definitely won’t get you that far. Choosing between gas or electric cookers and ranges is completely your call given that they both have their perks and disadvantages. When picking out a range for your kitchen, you’ll never go wrong with stainless steel.
Serve Like a Pro
When choosing your dishes and flatware, you can never go wrong with the classics. If you plan on keeping your dishes for years to come, investing in high quality pieces will be worth the money. Sleek, simple, and durable options are available everywhere, it’s only a matter of choosing between the thousands of design and color options available.
For a timeless look, we highly recommend bone white or cream-colored dishes and classic stainless steel flatware. Trust us, they’ll look good with any table setting your heart desires. For a pop of color, opt for simple rim designs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The guide names a cast iron skillet, saucepan, sauté pan, non-stick skillet, and stockpot. Together they cover steaks and baking, small batches of sauce or rice, shallow-frying and stir-fry, eggs and pancakes, and large-batch stock, porridge, or boiling water for pasta.
A mid-range skillet is recommended, since the non-stick coating on every skillet eventually chips off regardless of price. The guide advises against both constantly replacing bargain skillets and overspending on a fancy one, and notes a well-seasoned cast iron skillet can double as non-stick.
Place multi-tiered organizers in a kitchen cabinet and color-coordinate the spice bottles, lining them up wherever reaching for them while cooking is most convenient. The guide describes assembling the rack as fun, even therapeutic, and a pleasing sight once it is set up.
Yes. A small row of potted plants on the kitchen windowsill, or a fully functional kitchen herb wall, brings edible greenery near the cooking area and enlivens the room. Those intimidated by gardening can buy ready-to-harvest potted herbs at most leading grocery stores.
Classic, sleek, simple, and durable pieces are recommended, with high-quality items described as worth the cost for long-term use. Bone white or cream dishes and classic stainless steel flatware suit a timeless look with any table setting, while simple rim designs add a pop of color.
