Cooking is an art that everyone should learn. It’s a way to express yourself, experiment with flavors and ingredients, and impress your friends and family. However, cooking can be daunting if you don’t know where to begin. Here are the top cooking supplies that will make it easier for you to cook like a chef at home.
Cast Iron Skillet
Cast iron skillets are one of the best purchases you can make if you’re looking to improve your cooking and add to your cooking supplies. They’re durable, last forever, and require very little maintenance. Cast iron skillets are ideal for searing meat or frying up a mess of vegetables. The metal is nonstick when properly seasoned and heats evenly, which makes it great for baking as well!
If you haven’t yet invested in a cast iron skillet, I recommend doing so ASAP. You’ll find yourself using this kitchen tool over and over again in both sweet dishes (pie crusts) as well as savory ones (waffles).
Chef’s Knife
One of the essential cooking supplies is a good chef’s knife. It should be sharp enough to easily cut through meat and vegetables, durable enough to withstand constant use, comfortable to hold, easy to clean, and affordable.
This is where the Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Chef’s Knife excels. Made from high carbon stainless steel with a fibrox handle that stays cool during use, this knife is truly an all-around performer—and it looks pretty sharp too!
Wood Cutting Board
If you’re looking for a versatile kitchen item, a wood cutting board is a way to go! Wood is designed to absorb some of the impacts of chopping and can handle moisture. It’s also easy to clean and won’t hold bacteria like plastic. However, remember that not all woods are created equal. Avoid using your wooden cutting board with meat because it may transfer bacteria from one food group (meat) onto another (vegetables). Even days later, someone’s plant-based diet can be affected by the meat you cut today. While you could use your wooden cutting board for bread or fish, it’s best if you stick with plastic for these foods so as not to risk cross-contamination.
Instant Read Thermometer
You can use this thermometer to check the temperature of food, the oven, the grill, and even your meat. It has a magnetic back so you can clip it to any surface. This is a must-have for any home cook or chef!
This tool is also great for checking the temperature of eggs in their shells when cooking them on the stovetop.
Nonstick Pan
First and foremost, the nonstick pan is easy to clean. This can be a huge selling point for people tired of scrubbing baked-on food from their pans.
Second, the nonstick pan is non-reactive. This means it will not react with acidic ingredients like tomatoes or citrus juice and cause discoloration or corrosion.
Thirdly, you can use a nonstick pan for cooking or baking recipes with high heat without damaging your cookware. Nonstick pans are safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (about 260 degrees Celsius). If you want even more flexibility in what foods you cook in your new pan, look into purchasing one with an aluminum base instead of stainless steel. The steel one heats evenly and efficiently throughout the whole surface area.
If all this sounds like something you want out of a frying pan—or if you’re looking for something new—then check out our selection below!
KitchenAid Mixer
If you’re looking to be more of a chef at home, the KitchenAid Mixer is the perfect tool to add to your cooking supplies. It can make the dough and whipped cream and also help you make ice cream, mashed potatoes, and soups. You’ll be able to mix up sauces in no time at all! You can even prepare fruit jam for the cooking process.
The mixer comes with three different attachments:
- The paddle attachment is used to mix dry ingredients like flour or sugar.
- The wire whisk attachment can be used for whipping up egg whites.
- The dough hook attachment helps to knead yeast bread.
The mixer also comes with a pouring shield that prevents spillage from splashing onto your countertop when using high speeds during mixing operations. This is especially helpful if you make something sticky like cookie dough or cake batter!
Microplane Zester / Grater
The Microplane zester/grater is a great tool to have in the kitchen. It’s useful for grating citrus zest and fine cheese, chocolate, and ginger shavings. You can use this grater to make delicious lemonade by adding fresh lemon juice (zest the lemons first) and ice cubes.
The Microplane is also great for grating fresh ginger root. It removes any pith or fibrous core found in each piece of the root while leaving behind its flavor.
Baking Sheet
Few items have as many uses as a baking sheet for kitchen supplies. You can use them for roasting vegetables, baking cookies, and making pizza. Baking sheets come in different sizes and materials depending on what you want to make or bake.
They are made from aluminum or silicone (more flexible than metal). It’s important to know which material you want before buying one because each has different properties that make them ideal for specific tasks in the kitchen. For example, silicone is better at conducting heat than aluminum, so it’s better suited for cooking things like cookies. However, aluminum is excellent at holding heat, so it makes sense if you’re trying to roast vegetables on high heat without burning them
Conclusion
Cooking is a great way to unwind. We hope our list of cooking supplies has given you some ideas about getting started. Now go out there and make something delicious!