Essential Kitchen Items to Upgrade Your Home Cooking

I have a tendency to go a bit wild when it comes to culinary equipment. Specialty equipment like avocado peelers, strawberry hullers, and a teeny-tiny wooden spoon constantly sing my name as I go down a store’s food aisle. Unfortunately, I don’t have the space or the means to invest in these semi-practical kitchen gadgets, so I’ve had to pare down my kitchen arsenal to just the fundamentals. But what about those must-have kitchen essentials? Here is the equipment that every home cook requires, whether you’re wanting to declutter your kitchen or start from fresh. We have done exclusive research and chosen the best kitchen items for this article.

Timer

When it comes to cooking, timing is everything! It’s critical to maintain track of specific cooking times if you’re preparing many foods at once. Our test kitchen cooks wear timers around their necks, but you can put one on your microwave if you don’t want to buy one (or phone).

Immersion Blender

I kissed my standing blender goodbye once I touched an immersion blender. With the touch of a button, this portable instrument blends soups, smoothies, and pestos with ease. I find it much easier to use than a standard blender, and it also takes up a lot less room.

Dutch Oven

Another cast-iron need is the iconic Dutch oven. If you’re cooking for a small group, a 5 or 6 quart would be enough, but if you’re feeding a lot, a 7 or 8 quart will suffice. This pan may be used in the oven or on the stovetop, allowing you to sear meat before gently cooking a stew in a low oven for hours. (It’s similar to the first slow cooker.) You may also use your Dutch oven instead of the huge sauce pan mentioned above.

Cast-Iron Skillet

Cast iron pans have thick, heavy bottoms and sides that can uniformly heat to high temperatures and maintain heat for an extended period of time. They give a steak or scallops a lovely sear. Use them to make cornbread or cobblers since they go straight into the oven (and all these other delights). They have a rustic appeal that may be used from the stove to the table. Last but not least, they’re practically unbreakable. If you learn how to properly care for yours, it will last a lifetime.

Saucepans

Making pasta, boiling potatoes or maize, and simmering huge amounts of soups and broths all require a large saucepan. Choose a 5- or 6-quart container. For smaller stuff like boiled eggs, rice, and oatmeal, a smaller saucepan (1.5 or 2.5 quarts) comes in useful.

Silicone Spatula

Scraping out the food processor or the sides of the mixing bowl, swirling icing onto a cake, or folding egg whites into cake batter all require a silicone spatula. If your spatula is made of silicone rather than rubber, it may melt when exposed to intense heat. You might want to have a different spatula for sweet baking if you cook a lot of garlicky dishes.