If you’re a single guy or gal who has just moved into a new apartment, a newly married couple moving into your first house or anybody who needs utensils, tools and basic cooking ingredients for a new kitchen. Your kitchen should always be well equipped if you eat at home or if your family regularly visits you. Impress visitors with your array of kitchen tools and your know-how in the kitchen.
Below are some of the things you need to have in your kitchen, pantry or fridge just in case friends come over for a cook out. You’ll be able to throw together a healthy meal or midnight snack with no trouble!
1. The Hover Bar
This is a great tool if you’re trying new recipes and want to use your tablet as your guide. The hover bar holds your tablet using an adjustable arm that can be rotated into portrait or landscape positions. The clamp can be attached securely to any surface where you need it.
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2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a must in your pantry. It is one of the healthiest oils to use in cooking. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and it tastes good! It is also the reason why Mediterranean dishes are considered some of the healthiest in the world. You can use extra virgin oil for salad dressings, you can cook with it, stir fry with it or drizzle it over your finished dishes like meats, fish and vegetables.
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3. A Decent And Durable Peeler
Peeling vegetables with a knife is such a hassle right? What you need to have is a vegetable peeler that can peel fruits and vegetables whenever you need it. A good peeler can take care of potatoes of all kinds, carrots, cucumbers and zucchini. Although some vegetable skins are nutritious others need to be peeled clean, so get your hands on a few good peelers.
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4. Broth
Whether it’s chicken, beef, seafood or vegetable broth, you have to have it in your kitchen because soups are the easiest and the most comforting food to eat. Use broth to make tasty gravy for your mashed potatoes or roasts, to thin out heavy sauces, make chicken soup during cold days or as a base for your beef stew.
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5. Cutting Boards
Every kitchen needs a decent cutting board. Cutting boards come in many sizes and can be built-in or a regular board. Whatever your preference, you should have at least two good quality boards for cutting vegetables and meats.
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6. A Set Of Good Knives
Ceramic, stainless steel, titanium; whatever the material is, get yourself a good set of knives. A kitchen will not be complete without a set of sharp knives for food prep.
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7. Oven Toasters
Oven toasters are very simple to operate and can do many things such as toast bread, bake, broil or reheat small to medium quantities of food. Oven toasters are versatile, plus you can adjust the power and the cooking time to suit. Make toasted baguettes with butter and garlic, reheat your lasagna and broil some sausages.
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8. Nonfat Greek Yogurt
It may seem that Greek yogurt is too creamy or indulgent, but don’t worry! It only has 100 calories per serving plus it can also be a good substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream for your sandwiches or salad dressings. It can also be a good choice as a dip or sauce for grilled meats and vegetables.
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9. A Sturdy Mandoline
If you need uniform or fancy slices of vegetables or fruits a mandoline will do the job for you. It’s a very useful tool that slices quick and easy. It’s also cheap and there’s no danger of slicing your fingers because all the necessary fitments are included. Kris cut fries, steak fries, sliced cucumber or zucchini for your stir fry and cubed carrots to snack on will be so easy to make with this tool.
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10. Tomato Sauce or Tomato Paste
Canned tomato sauce or tomato sauce made from scratch is a must. Just re-heat the sauce, cook some pasta, shred some cheese, toast a baguette using your oven or toaster and voila! You have a quick lunch or dinner without any fuss. Tomato paste on the other hand is a more concentrated form of tomato sauce, so it has more tomato goodness in it. Both are cheap and are good for pizza or to make your tomato sauce more zesty.
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11. Eggs
Can’t think of what to eat for lunch or dinner? Crack some eggs. Sunny side up, scrambled, omelette, baked, boiled, egg salad or fritatta. You can do so many things with the humble egg.
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12. Cast Iron Skillet
This is a classic. Fried chicken always tastes better when cooked in a cast iron skillet. An iron skillet is not just for frying; you can use it in the oven, to cook sauces, bake vegetables, fish, make pancakes, cornbread, or anything that you desire.
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13. Big Stock Pot
Making yourself some stock for your a soup or a hearty beef stew? Try using a big stock pot to slow cook your meal. Just throw everything in and leave the pot on low to medium heat for a good few hours. Your food will taste better and this medthod of cooking is so easy.
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14. Electric Kettle
A good quality electric kettle lets you heat or boil water for your coffee, tea, instant ramen or anything that requires hot water in a few seconds.
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15. Food Processor
One of the most versatile kitchen tools that you need to have. It cuts time in preparing certain ingredients. From making your own salsa, tomato sauce, dips, breadcrumbs or guacamole for your chips with just a few pushes of a button.
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16. Garlic, Onions And Fresh Tomatoes
These ingredients are the base for most dishes. Making a salsa? No problem – put onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos and lemon juice in a food processor and you’re done. Start with these ingredients when making stir fry vegetables or a meatball tomato sauce. Onions, tomatoes and garlic go with everything!
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17. Mixing Bowls
You don’t need lots of them. You can do with 3-5 bowls of different sizes. Get deep bowls with high edges to keep everything in place while you mix, blend or mash. Bowls are also good for serving many dishes and for eating cereals or popcorn when you have munchies at midnight.
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Are there any tools or ingredients you can’t live without in the kitchen? Let us know in the comments!
