Easy cooking needs the right kitchen tools and equipment for the job. Rather than shopping for everything at once, you can gradually build up a stash of essentials that will make your cooking a lot simpler.
If you have the essential kitchen tools and equipment in your cupboard, cooking will be more of a pleasure. The kitchen market is constantly releasing new and trendy kitchen gadgets, but that doesn’t mean you need to own every single device to cook well. You will be pleased to know that essential kitchen tools and equipment are all you require to prepare tasty food.
This post will provide you with kitchen tools and a kitchen equipment checklist. These checklists offer essential kitchen tools and equipment ideal for new homes or cooks on any budget. By using these checklists, you will be able to rustle up just about anything and have your guests drooling over each dish you prepare.
Kitchen Tools Checklist
1. FRYING PAN
Every home should have a non-stick frying pan, especially when eggs or pancakes are on the menu, as they cook better on a non-stick surface. However, a frying pan can also sear meats, saute vegetables, and make sauces. Buying a set makes two sizes available and makes it feasible to cook two different foods together simultaneously.
2. POTS
When preparing something with liquids, such as pasta or vegetables and simmering sauces, a pot is a must. Be smart and invest in a quality set; that way, you have pots of varying sizes that will last.
3. STOCKPOT
For larger batches of stews, pasta and soups, you need a stockpot around. The base allows for even heating, so your food cooks thoroughly.
4. COOKING SHEET
Cooking sheets can take a lot of action, such as roasting vegetables, toasting nuts, cookies and meats.
5. GLASS OVEN DISH
Glass baking dishes are suited to baking meals like casseroles and enchiladas in the oven. You can also use it in the microwave. An 8-inch size can fit into a microwave when you need to pre-cook vegetables or even thoroughly cook vegetables when your oven and stove are in use.
6. KNIVES
When cooking, you will use a knife. If you have limited space and money, invest in a chef’s knife. A chef’s knife will perform 90% of your food prep, so invest wisely and take good care of it. If you can, invest in a serrated and paring knife. A serrated knife will allow you to slice through things like bread or tomatoes easily, and a paring knife is ideal for smaller jobs when a big knife won’t work.
7. MEASURING SPOONS
It’s a great idea to have a set of measuring spoons around for when you require precise measurements. The handy thing about measuring spoons is that they can be little spoons for things like dried herbs or spices.
8. MEASURING CUPS
If you bake, measuring cups are essential; however, they come in handy for everyday cooking.
9. WOODEN SPOONS
Wooden spoons protect your kitchen tools from abrasion, and they last a very long time.
10. FISH TURNER
A fish turner can do many things. You can turn fish, over-easy eggs, burgers and even pancakes. A thin, bevelled edge makes it super simple to slip under the foods you are flipping, and the slots will permit grease to drain away.
11. PEELER
A good, sharp peeler is an essential kitchen tool to remove the peels of vegetables, veggie ribbons or cheese shavings.
12. WHISK
A whisk is quicker and more efficient than a fork for emulsifying ingredients like kinds of vinegar and oils
13. TONGS
Tongs can flip significant portions of food, and they also help move ingredients around in a sheet or frying pan without the risk of burns.
CHOPPING BOARD
A quality chopping board will protect your hands during all prep work. A few cutting boards are an excellent idea for prepping various ingredients and eliminating cross-contamination. Plastic chopping boards can go in your dishwasher for thorough cleaning.
15. COLANDER
Every cook needs a quality colander for draining pasta and vegetables. Or you can use it for draining canned goods such as beans or to drain freshly washed vegetables.
16. SET of PREP BOWLS
It would help if you had prep bowls to organize all your ingredients. You can get collapsible prep bowls, which will save you a lot of space, and many come with covers that can seal off food that you are not ready to use yet. It is worth mentioning that if you prefer glass prep bowls, then you can also use them as serving dishes.
17. TIN OPENER
Tinned goods are great pantry staples. So please don’t forget this kitchen tool.
18. ZESTER
A zester is for zesting limes, lemons and oranges, also for grating cheese and ginger.
19. STICK BLENDER
If you cannot afford a blender, then a stick blender is a necessity. Make soups right in the pot, blend a smoothie, and produce creamy and smooth dressings. A stick blender is so convenient; even cleaning up is easy compared to a blender.
20. SALAD SPINNER
You may be thinking that a colander would do for drying lettuce, but a salad spinner is a lot more effective. Salad dressings can have a hard time clinging to lettuce that is still wet, and your family/friends will also dislike soggy salads, tacos and sandwiches. A salad spinner gets rid of water in a matter of seconds and eliminates the need for a kitchen roll.
So before we provide you with the checklist for kitchen equipment, we thought we would give you the major global players for the best kitchen appliances brands, which are:
- Haier Group Corporation
- Samsung Electronics
- Whirlpool Corporation
- Smeg SpA
- LG Electronics
Kitchen Equipment List
- Freestanding Fridge Freezer
A freestanding fridge freezer offers you lots of options in terms of colour and design, and size. They are the perfect choice solution if limited on room but have the height to spare and require more freezing facilities than the typical icebox offered by a freestanding fridge.
Large American-style fridge freezers are becoming more mainstream due to their vast capacities and styling. Select the capabilities you require as the combination of these varies – and not all have independent controls. Make sure that you’re not relying on the fridge thermostat to control the compressor for the freezer.
Features to look out for in a freestanding fridge freezer:
- Auto defrost
- Anti-bacterial coating
- Fast freeze
- Frost free
- Holiday Mode
- Temperature
- Smart connectivity
- Freestanding Cooker
Your cooker is the epicentre of your kitchen, so you’ll want to select one that suits your lifestyle and kitchen design. Typical specs on a cooker are
- Don’t need to be housed
- Have a width between 50 to 60cm
- Economical choice if you have the room and don’t need built-in units
- Have adjustable feet so you can put the hob at worktop height
- Typically have wheels at the back to let you move the cooker forward to clean
- Manufacturers recommend leaving a gap of at least 5cm around your freestanding range to prevent possible heat damage.
Features to look out for in freestanding cookers:
- Electronic controls
- Timers
- Self or assisted cleaning
- Safety features such as child locks
- Warming drawers
3. Freestanding Washing Machine
Whether you live on your own and need a freestanding washing machine that can do smaller loads, or maybe you need something more robust such as taking on a family load whilst being economical with water and electricity. There is a machine that will provide just what you need. You need to know what you need it to do and what features you need before shopping. Here are the typical features available on freestanding washing machines:
- Energy efficiency ( we will discuss this later in the post)
Load size- The drum size you select will be dependant on the amount of laundry you do. Here is a rough idea:
- 6-7kg is ideal for one or two people
- 8kg is for the average family
- 9kg+ is for a large family.
- Wash programmes- such as reload, handwash, steam or variable temperature.
- Auto dosing- A machine offering this feature allows you to put enough washing liquid for around 20 washes, and the washing machine then cleverly auto doses according to what the load requires
- Smart connectivity.
- Standard Microwave
Microwaves are fast, reliable, energy-efficient and economical for your kitchen. Standard microwaves are perfect for:
- Cooking ready meals, soups or vegetables
- To save space on your worktops
- Need a simple and intuitive design
Features to consider are:
- Preset programmes
- Sensor- ensures the food won’t dry out
- Heating Category- A-E categories, with E taking the least time to heat food
- Turbo Reheat
How to choose energy-efficient appliances?
When you buy a piece of new kitchen equipment, think about how the running costs can assist you to save on bills. A revolution is occurring in energy efficiency, which means you can get the best out of your kitchen equipment and your budget.
Energy labelling has been with us for over 25 years, helping you shop for kitchen equipment that can save cash on running costs and reduce energy consumption. On March 21st, 2021, a new energy labelling system came into play in the UK. The new program rates appliances from A-G, with the most energy-efficient products, typically given a B rating. Also, each device is assigned a noise rating from A-D. However, it’s crucial to mention that even if a washing machine or fridge gets an E or an F rating, it’s still an energy-efficient product. So, consider your usage and when you need to replace goods to get the most efficient fuel and water models, visit Sust-it to check the best.
So now you have the essential kitchen tools and equipment needed to stock your kitchen, keep your costs down and help the planet. Happy shopping!