Top Secret Recipe Blog

Today’s lesson starts with the basics of stocking your kitchen to prepare for just the basics of cooking.  Whether you’re doing eggs for breakfast or stew for dinner, there are just some items no working kitchen should be without.  It’s not unusual for beginner cooks to have only the barest of necessities on hand, an old non-stick fry pan, spatula from Mom and a couple of dull hand me down knives.   In order to have a kitchen that works with you instead of against you, it is vital that you have certain items on hand to facilitate ease while preparing your recipes.

Kitchen essentials can be pricey and although I’m on a tight budget, I seldom go cheap when it comes to buying items for my kitchen.  I have found, through experience, that paying a little more is way more efficient then buying as cheap as you can. Cheap will last one or two uses, quality will last years.  The exception to this rule, in my kitchen, is automatic coffee makers and toasters.  Either way they don’t last or won’t work long so cheap is just as good if not better.

So here is a list of what I believe to be 30 essential utensil items to start with in your kitchen if you’re planning on doing some serious cooking:

1. 1 set of measuring spoons (2 is better)
2. 1 set of dry measuring cups (2 is better)
3. 1 (16oz) glass liquid measuring cups
4. 1-quart liquid measuring cup
5. baster
6. can opener
7. citrus juicer
8. colander
9. corkscrew
10. 2 wood cutting boards
11. funnel
12. grater (large & hand-held)
13. kitchen tongs (long & short)
14. long-handled fork
15. meat tenderizer (or a rolling pin will do too)
16. 1 good set of sharp knives with sharpener
17. salad spinner
18. skewers (metal or wood)
19. slotted spoons
20. soup ladle
21. spatulas, rubber (3 or 4 of various sizes
    and 1 high-heat)
22. spice rack
23. strainers
24. tea kettle
25. timer
26. vegetable peeler
27. kitchen shears (scissors)
28. 2 wire whisks (large and small) plus a hard rubber whisk for your non-stick surfaces
29. wooden spoons (4 or 5)
30. kitchen scale

Next time, we’ll cover Essential Kitchen Cookware

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