A basic kitchen needs a selection of pots and pans, some basic gadgets, and a collection of common spices and condiments.
Pots and Pans:
A minimum set includes a small frying pan, a one-quart saucepan
with cover, a two-quart saucepan with cover, a large frying pan with
cover, and a large pot (for spaghetti, stew, pot roast, or homemade
soup.) If you are cooking for more than one person, get two each of the
frying pans and saucepans. Covers are optional for the frying pans, but
try to get a cover to fit at least one.
Good quality pans spread the heat evenly so that food does not burn
in area of the pan and stay undercooked in another. The bottom of a
good pan sits flat on the stove. Cheap pans wear out fast and cost more
in the long run. Stainless steel pans with a porcelain coating or a
copper bottom are excellent. Stay away from aluminum pans. They get
bent out of shape easily and do not last. There have also been some
health warnings about cooking in aluminum, but no real proof of any
danger.
When using pans with a non-stick coating, turn the heat up only as
far as is necessary, and only use wooden or plastic tools. Wipe the pan
clean in soapy water. A plastic or nylon net scrubber can be used, but
never use steel wool pads. If you do not burn the food onto the pan,
and you wash it while the food is still fresh and moist, it will be
easy to clean. If you have birds as pets, you may want to avoid
non-stick coatings. If you use them, be sure not to overheat them. The
coating can release fumes that can kill a bird.
Some other useful tools are a slow cooker, a wok (for Chinese
cooking), toaster, microwave, blender, food processor, electric mixer,
and an electric knife. There are also bread machines available at
reasonable prices that produce a fresh hot loaf of bread rapidly. Most
machines also have a delay setting to allow one to place the
ingredients in the machine hours before the bread is needed, so the
machine finishes just in time for dinner.
Basic Gadgets:
You will need some wooden spoons. Get a selection of sizes and
handle lengths. These are always handy and they will not damage your
non-stick coatings. Unlike metal tools, they do not get too hot to
handle.
You will also want a collection of spatulas in different sizes and
shapes. The lightweight spatula that will flip an egg may not be strong
enough for a hamburger. Sometimes a narrow spatula is all that will fit
in a pan, and sometimes a wide one is needed to get under whatever
needs to be turned or lifted.
Whisks come in various sizes. They are very handy for mixing
lightweight ingredients quickly, and are easier to get out and later to
clean than a blender or mixer.
Get a good set of knives. Cheap ones make the job of cutting more
difficult and they wear out fast. With the knives, you will need a good
cutting board. A cutting board provides a flat working surface and
protects your counters. Plastic cutting boards are easier to clean than
wooden ones. Never cut vegetables that will be eaten raw on a cutting
board that was used to cut raw meat unless you thoroughly clean the
board first.
You will also need a selection of measuring tools. Measuring cups
for dry ingredients and measuring spoons come in sets. Get a set of
each. You will need a measuring cup for liquids, too. A one-cup measure
is probably sufficient, but two-cup and quart measures are also useful.
If you want to be precise in your measurements for dietary
requirements, buy a food scale and measure your portions until you get
used to the sizes and can estimate accurately without weighing
everything.
A lot of canned products are now being packaged with pop tops, but
get a good can opener for the others. There are some electrics that
sell for reasonable prices and do a good job, but get a manual one too.
When the power goes out, it can be frustrating not to be able to open
the cans.
Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper go without saying. Some dried minced onion peps up
a lot of recipes. Garlic is available fresh or in dried, chopped form
or as a powder. Caution: make sure you know the difference between
garlic powder and garlic salt. Garlic powder makes great garlic bread
garlic salt makes VERY salty garlic bread.
Oregano or "Italian Seasoning," gives an Italian flavor to
anything. A bay leaf cooked in stew brings out the flavor of the other
ingredients. Paprika is a red powder used mainly for appearance, but it
has been linked to some health benefits. If you like things hot, try
sprinkling some cayenne pepper or chili powder on your food.
Basic condiments include ketchup, mustard, relish and mayonnaise.
There are all sorts of mustard varieties available. You can probably
find traditional yellow mustard, Dijon, spicy brown, honey, and hot
Chinese mustard, just to name a few. Explore your local market and see
what looks good. Be adventurous, but buy the smallest size, so you do
not have a lot to discard if you do not like it.
Other condiments to try are steak sauces, barbecue sauces, tartar
sauce, and various stir-fry sauces. Read the labels. If sugar is one of
the first few ingredients, forget it. Ingredient labels list the
ingredients in descending order. The main ingredient is first, then the
others, with the least one last.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
