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Did you ever try to cook without the adequate equipment?
Believe me I did… I thought like a lot of beginner cooks that a knife was simply a knife and was just aimed to cut food… just like another knife would do it… So whatever the function or quality, I always bought the cheapest products to cook almost anything…
After taking some cooking classes and observing people who cook around me I was able to discern the various uses and specificities of cooking utensils then I recognized that some cooking equipment were the real essential kitchen tools.
So I want to share with you these essential cooking utensils for the beginner cooks.
The importance of a good cooking equipment for beginner cooks
About the cooking utensils for beginner cooks, we cannot emphasize more the importance of cooking equipment, it is very difficult for beginner cooks to start cooking well if you do not have the minimum essential cooking utensils.
I’ve made a list of basic necessities essential cooking tools — those without whom I really can’t do anything — but we will try to narrow it even further to create a “cooking survival kit” for beginners, which may be what you’ll find in these few lines below.
What Kitchen utensils you need to start cooking
In order of importance:
1) Kitchen knife: the first investment of a cooking beginner
When beginning to cook you need a good kitchen knife, medium sized, stainless steel, plastic or wood handle with a sharpener: the one with 2 discs of metal where the blade slides in between. If you feel confident, you can purchase a butcher’s steel but you will need to learn the correct technique, which is not so easy for a beginner cook.
A good kitchen knife is really the first thing you should buy. It is almost impossible to get good food without one. It can sound harsh but once you get a real good knife in hand, you work becomes easier and safer.
Do not hesitate to buy something that “looks” expensive, perhaps one of the premium brands. Think of it as an investment for the future. Check this post to get some good references.
2) Cutting boards for beginner cooks
Get a synthetic, broad and thick enough cutting board to allow you to use it comfortably. This will allow you to cut, slice and chop without messing up your table or your countertop, and without blunting your precious knives.
If you’re tempted to get a wooden cutting board that seems natural and convenient, it is preferable to prevent the wood to absorb and retain odors from the ingredients you are cutting. Know that it is also more difficult to keep it clean and you will inevitably end up putting wood dust in all what you do.
Similarly, avoid cutting board made of metal or glass, they look stylish but are not really necessary, especially for someone who just begin cooking. Here’s a trusted brands and products selection.
3) Kitchen Scales for beginners in the kitchen
There are so many things that needs weighing and measuring when cooking, especially when baking, the scales are therefore vital. I highly recommend electronic kitchen scales as the most convenient because they have an automatic weighing function module and are now very affordable. Beginners in the kitchen often overlook this aspect of cooking, but measuring is a part of the — almost — exact science of pastry.
4) Spatula:
a kind of flat wooden spoon is a multi-purpose tool for stirring the pot, pushing the elements of the cutting board, lifting, turning, etc.
It is important that this should be made of wood as it does’nt transmit heat like metal, you can leave it in a very hot pan with no risk of burns, which is not possible with a tablespoon, for example.
5) Vegetable peeler:
It’s just a special blade with a handle for easy peeling some vegetables. Everyone should be familiar with it, even cooking beginners… Who has never been proposed to help her mother to peel carrots or potatoes?
You can peel potatoes with an ordinary knife, but you need the skills of a professional chef to not end up with peels as big as your thumb! So a good vegetable peeler is a good choice for a beginner cook.
There you have it: this short list of 5 items is enough to get you started.
So, what are the most essential cooking equipment in the kitchen according to you?
