ESSENTIAL TOOLS
Here is a list of the items I use almost every day when I cook. You probably have all of this in your cabinets, but it can be a checklist to be sure you aren't missing something that I consider essential to the recipes I share. If you need to purchase a few essentials, please, do not go out and buy a new kitchen's worth of tools and pans. If you find you enjoy this process, you will add more as you go along.
Start slow. Buy only what you need. Try your local thrift shops.
You can often find the basics for a steal!
Start slow. Buy only what you need. Try your local thrift shops.
You can often find the basics for a steal!
Cutting Board
Because you shouldn't cut directly on your countertop, although I am sure we've all done it, all you need is a simple plastic cutting board. If you can get yourself two, one for your veggies and one for your protein, all the better. It will save you from washing in between. What did I start with? An 11x14 simple plastic cutting board I got at my local grocery store. I still have those two I bought initially, plus a few more I've added over the years. They wash up easily in the dishwasher, and even after years of use have little staining.
Because you shouldn't cut directly on your countertop, although I am sure we've all done it, all you need is a simple plastic cutting board. If you can get yourself two, one for your veggies and one for your protein, all the better. It will save you from washing in between. What did I start with? An 11x14 simple plastic cutting board I got at my local grocery store. I still have those two I bought initially, plus a few more I've added over the years. They wash up easily in the dishwasher, and even after years of use have little staining.
![]() Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst
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Cooking Utensils
A few items to cook with will make your life so much easier. A simple set of slotted spoon, whisk, serving spoon and a spatula often come in a set like the one pictured. I have a metal set I think I bought at Bed Bath & Beyond years ago. It has served me well. If you want to splurge on a few extras, I recommend a soup ladle, plus silicon covered tools, especially the whisk and tongs that you can use in your non-stick pans to stave off scratches. |
Can Opener
I actually almost forgot this one in the essentials until I was making my gnocchi and Italian sausage recipe and realized I had to open the cans of tomatoes and tomato paste. I love the ones that open the cans from the side so the edges aren't sharp. You can use an old can to catch all your grease from cooking, and since the lid fits back on, it is easy to keep on the counter until it is full. Then drop it in a plastic zip top bag, and it is super easy to throw away without a mess, and you didn't put that grease down your drains which will eventually create clogs and a huge mess. Plus, you don't have to worry about cutting yourself on the sharp edges. I won't go back to a standard can opener as long as these are available.
I actually almost forgot this one in the essentials until I was making my gnocchi and Italian sausage recipe and realized I had to open the cans of tomatoes and tomato paste. I love the ones that open the cans from the side so the edges aren't sharp. You can use an old can to catch all your grease from cooking, and since the lid fits back on, it is easy to keep on the counter until it is full. Then drop it in a plastic zip top bag, and it is super easy to throw away without a mess, and you didn't put that grease down your drains which will eventually create clogs and a huge mess. Plus, you don't have to worry about cutting yourself on the sharp edges. I won't go back to a standard can opener as long as these are available.
Measuring Tools
A set of measuring spoons and measuring cups for dry ingredients is all you need. They come in various styles. My original set was very flimsy and bought for less than $5 each at my local grocery store, but it worked and that was all that mattered.
You will also need something for wet ingredients too. I love the glass versions, that can be microwaved. The 1 cup version is all you need, but the bigger ones can be useful so you don't have to just measure 1 cup at a time. I have a few, although there are more sizes I'd like to pick up.
A set of measuring spoons and measuring cups for dry ingredients is all you need. They come in various styles. My original set was very flimsy and bought for less than $5 each at my local grocery store, but it worked and that was all that mattered.
You will also need something for wet ingredients too. I love the glass versions, that can be microwaved. The 1 cup version is all you need, but the bigger ones can be useful so you don't have to just measure 1 cup at a time. I have a few, although there are more sizes I'd like to pick up.
Chef's Knife
You can get away with 1 knife for almost all your cutting needs. I worked with an inexpensive Santoku style knife picked up at a discount store for years until my family bought me a knife block set for a present. I still primarily use a ceramic knife for most of my chopping and dicing. The blade stays sharp, and most have an included blade cover so you can keep it in a drawer. Do yourself a favor and hand wash it after every use. The dishwasher is not a friend to knives. Whatever you use, find one that feels good in your hand. You will add specialty knives, like a boning knife, as you find you need them.
You can get away with 1 knife for almost all your cutting needs. I worked with an inexpensive Santoku style knife picked up at a discount store for years until my family bought me a knife block set for a present. I still primarily use a ceramic knife for most of my chopping and dicing. The blade stays sharp, and most have an included blade cover so you can keep it in a drawer. Do yourself a favor and hand wash it after every use. The dishwasher is not a friend to knives. Whatever you use, find one that feels good in your hand. You will add specialty knives, like a boning knife, as you find you need them.
![]() Photo by Uwe Conrad on Unsplash
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Soup Pot
From boiling water for a cup of tea or coffee, to making pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, soups or sauces this is essential to the kitchen. You can add all different sizes as you go, but for the first purchase, get something that will handle at least 2 packages of Ramen and enough water that both stacks are submerged. That should get you through most recipes. My first pots were hand me downs from family members as they upgraded their tools. I am sure you can find something inexpensive to start with. |
Frying Pans
A large shallow pan suitable for making most of my dishes, I have 2 that I use consistently. The first is a cast iron fry pan, well seasoned and handed down from probably a grandmother, that I use when I want to get a sear or a char on the food. The other is non-stick one I use for sautéing vegetables, making a sauce to toss with pasta, and other dishes like rice pilaf. Make sure you have a lid for the non-stick one as some recipes need to be covered for a portion of the cooking. Like the soup pot, mine were hand me downs to start with. |
Colander or Strainer
Maybe not an essential, but it's not an expensive buy. It beats using a lid on your pot to pour off the water from your pasta, or boiled potatoes. I've burned my hands once or twice and dropped the pot in the sink spilling what I was cooking down the drain. I like something with a stand, as I can leave pasta draining in the sink to cool down before adding it to a cold dish (always with a dash of olive oil to keep it from sticking together). Mine is a metal one, but it does have some rust from years of use, so I like the appeal of plastic and will upgrade when finally mine wears out.
Maybe not an essential, but it's not an expensive buy. It beats using a lid on your pot to pour off the water from your pasta, or boiled potatoes. I've burned my hands once or twice and dropped the pot in the sink spilling what I was cooking down the drain. I like something with a stand, as I can leave pasta draining in the sink to cool down before adding it to a cold dish (always with a dash of olive oil to keep it from sticking together). Mine is a metal one, but it does have some rust from years of use, so I like the appeal of plastic and will upgrade when finally mine wears out.
Food Storage Containers
When you cook up multiple portions at a time, you have to have a way to store them and reheat. At first, I reused sour cream and cottage cheese containers, especially the club sized ones. If it was plastic and washable, I kept it. If something went moldy in the back of my fridge that I forgot about, I could just throw the container away. My coworkers joked with me about my thrifty habits, but it was just part of the reduce-recycle-reuse mantra I grew up with. My mom was "green" before it became a movement.
If you need to buy something, do yourself a favor and pick one brand so that they will stack away easily to save space.
If I was starting over I would probably just pick up a storage set, as they often come as a value pack of different sizes. Some even comes in a storage tub.
I started with bowl shapes when I bought some new containers, since that was what I was used to with the reused containers. However, I have found that some of my recipes needed a longer flat shape to help with the reheat process, so I recently picked up more containers in single and divided rectangles. The divided works great to separate items with sauces like gravy from the rest of the dish. The standard rectangles work great for dense dishes like my potato gnocchi recipe!
When you cook up multiple portions at a time, you have to have a way to store them and reheat. At first, I reused sour cream and cottage cheese containers, especially the club sized ones. If it was plastic and washable, I kept it. If something went moldy in the back of my fridge that I forgot about, I could just throw the container away. My coworkers joked with me about my thrifty habits, but it was just part of the reduce-recycle-reuse mantra I grew up with. My mom was "green" before it became a movement.
If you need to buy something, do yourself a favor and pick one brand so that they will stack away easily to save space.
If I was starting over I would probably just pick up a storage set, as they often come as a value pack of different sizes. Some even comes in a storage tub.
I started with bowl shapes when I bought some new containers, since that was what I was used to with the reused containers. However, I have found that some of my recipes needed a longer flat shape to help with the reheat process, so I recently picked up more containers in single and divided rectangles. The divided works great to separate items with sauces like gravy from the rest of the dish. The standard rectangles work great for dense dishes like my potato gnocchi recipe!
last updated 11/19/21