Good quality tools in the cooking process are essential for quick and enjoyable cooking sessions. Don’t let good quality scare you into thinking money, money and more money though! I love a bargain and I will often wait for the right utensil to go on sale before I lay my hands on them! Please, please and please do not buy cheap low-quality stuff - as you will regret it quickly! I have listed my idea of the very basics you need in the kitchen and how to get the best quality stuff. I love all the variety of kitchen equipment and utensils on offer so I will definitely talk about this again!
The question is - how do I know if the utensil you about to buy is of good quality? My answer is research, reviews and brand reputation. There are often the known brands for certain products and along with that, the popular reputation it holds. This is a good guide to go buy and then asking those you trust if they have had any experience with them. Alternative to relying on friends or family opinions - the world wide web provides generous reviews on so many products and websites such as Trustpilot, Amazon, Curry’s and other store websites. Brand reputation can go both ways but for the most part if a brand has lasted the generations, your parents know about it and don't dismiss it when mentioned then the chances are you are in a good place!
Budget
Now you have an idea of how to spot good quality, I'll say you need to always have a budget in mind before researching a particular product. For example, if you want to buy a new knife you could spend anything between £4 and an excess of £350. Having a price range in mind will reduce the options you have to look through as well as the recognised brand names. With that in mind you are ready to do your research, other things to help with research is, do you have a colour scheme or style, finish and do you want them to be displayed? Asking yourself these questions whilst shopping will help you narrow it down. When shopping in a physical store, do ask for expert advice but also do keep in mind their job is to sell it you, so some research beforehand is a good step always.
The Essentials
Ok so that out of the way - what do I think are the basics required in your kitchen are? Well, there are plenty and it will depend on what you cook and how many people you cook for etc. But for a starter a good quality set of pots and pans, knives, chopping boards, serving spoons, tongs and storage containers/bags. Not as essential but helpful will be things such as a notepad and markers to jot ideas, shopping lists, kitchen scale, measuring spoons and speakers or a phone to play your favourite music or podcast.
I love to cook in bulk as I find this more rewarding and an effective use of my time (will talk about this in another blog) so I do tend to spend a long time in the kitchen when I do. I do enjoy it and find that music or a podcast make it so much easier to spend a long time without even noticing. Lol maybe I just love cooking anyway, but you will find me laughing or dancing at the same time in the kitchen!
Pots and Pans
From my experience there are a few brands which are my go too, this will change over time as budget or style changes of course! For pots and pans, you want to at least have 1 each of a small, medium and large sized pot (depends on the number of people you cook for remember!), 2 sizes of frying pans (medium and large). This allows you to have the option to cook for 1 if you need to but also your normal quantities. I also suggest having 2 of the most used sized pot, so for example my large pot will cook 1 serving of sauce for 4 people but I also need to cook pasta, so I need the same size to cook at the same time. I frequently use Tefal, Ken Hom, and Vonshef pots and pans, for the most part stainless-steel, excluding the frying pans which are non-stick and a cast-iron pot.
I find the stainless-steel pots much more durable for the price range of pots I have accumulated over time, my oldest from uni which have actually survived are about 5 years old now. Remember to take into consideration the type of hob you have as not all pots and pans can be used on all. Take a look at my most recent additions below, this is what I wanted for my birthday last May and they pretty much replaced my dead and gone uni /+ish pots and pans which were long overdue to be chucked out!
Knives and Chopping boards
On to the sharp stuff - knives are obviously required to prepare a lot of meals, chopping and slicing vegetables and meats. So, a good quality set of knives are required, 2 as a bare minimum I would say but there are several block set knives out there and the variety will always come handy. Along with these, 2 or more chopping boards 1 for vegetables and the other for meat. Wooden (treated) chopping boards are more durable and limit the chances of cross-contamination from raw meat as they don’t absorb liquid. Have a look at my amazon list for my recommendations.
Serving Spoons, Tongs and Spatula
To mix, flip and serve food you'll obviously need some spoons, spatulas, tongs to not burn fingers. To sound like a broken record - do not buy cheap stuff, they will break! Also, the pot type you use will somewhat determines the type of spoons you can use. If you have non-stick pots you do not want stainless steel utensils, likewise plastic is more likely to melt if left unattended and discolour overtime. I mainly use stainless steel utensils, however I was bought silicone spoons from our wedding list and been loving them, so I have a set list on my amazon list for my next upgrade to have a full set! Wooden spoons are also great, my dad was gifted a set and dint need them so I helped myself to them last year 😂
I love my kitchen and I think buying matching or identical equipment and, utensils make it pretty! But I will not go crazy and buying everything at once, so buy everything in bits and upgrade to what you want overtime.
Storage containers and freezer bags
Lastly, if you want to cook in bulk or have any leftovers - airtight storage containers and double seals like the brand Ziplock bags or your supermarket's equivalent will be your best friend. Good quality, durable containers that can stand the test of the freezer, microwave and possible transportation is your best bet. A thin tip permanent marker to write on your containers and bags will come in handy. I have the 365+ series ones from Ikea in different sizes and shapes which have been good. In the nearest future I will convert to glass ones as these are better for your health and do not discolour.
That’s it for the basics, at least for now! As mentioned, I do love kitchen equipment and utensils so there will probably be additional blogs to explore my unlimited list later.
What do you think, is there a particular utensil you cannot do without? What's your history with certain brands - which do you recommend?
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Love the tips! Thanks 😊
Loved this, it was very helpful