My essentials of kitchen utensils
If you’re here reading this, then I will assume that you’re interested in all things food, cooking & expanding your knowledge! I can safely say that while my repertoire of recipes & cooking skills have broadened greatly in the last few years, I would be nowhere were it not for the kitchen utensils & appliances that help me master my craft!
It amazes me what’s available to assist the cooking process these days - air fryers, thermomixs, vitamixs to name a few. However, while these flashy appliances might be great, it is my belief that you can quite quickly & easily spend an absolute fortune on unnecessary items.
I like to keep it simple & easy! Relying on a few staple kitchen utensils & appliances that help me get the job done.
I should note - it does of course depend on your preferred style of cooking & recipes. For instance, I use a pestle & mortar in at least 60-70% of my cooking, because I love Asian & Middle Eastern flavours. Because of this, I find myself reaching for it when making home made curry pastes, dressings, nut mixes and more.
However regardless of this, I have decided to share my essentials list when it comes to utensils & appliances I use on the daily. Take it or leave it - but I can guarantee it will glow up your cooking!
Top Ten Kitchen Essentials
1. Invest in a good set of knives
I honestly cannot underestimate the importance of a good set of knives! Not only does it speed up the prep process, but it will elevate each component of your meal. Confused? What I mean, is that if you’re directed to finely slice spring onion for example, but are using blunt AF knives, you’re unlikely to achieve the desired result & precision when doing so will be difficult. Put simply, quality knives make the process that much easier & funner as well!
Ours are by Mundial & it changed the game for me. Ps. Don’t put your knives in the dishwasher they’ll blunt quickly. Pps. If you do, take them to your local butcher & they’ll sharpen them for you!
2. Non-stick pans
Do I even need to say this? An essential obviously. Purchase spenny ones or head to Kmart. It doesn’t really matter. We just purchased ours from Kmart & will replace when they wear out. Non-stick pans in a variety of sizes are great because not only can you avoid using a ton of oil to grease the pan, but can have multiple elements cooking at once so it’s all ready to go at the same time! Voila.
3. Commercial grade garlic mincer
For those who are onion & garlic whores like me. I pretty much add it to everything, so I simply must have a good quality mincer that won’t wear out! You can purchase these from a kitchen store like House.
4. Food processor
Forget the blender, a food processor is the way to go! Some people may not find a food processor that versatile but I simply could not recommend it enough. For everything from curry pastes, falafels, fish cakes, cauliflower rice, dessert bases and more - if you want to cook like me, you’ll need one hehe.
5. Pestle & mortar
Not only does it look beautiful on your kitchen bench top, but it is super handy for Asian, Indian & Middle Eastern style cooking. I use mine for crushing and grinding nuts, herbs & spices and making pastes. You’ll be surprised by how well the flavours & aromas of ingredients intensify after a whirl in the mortar!
6. Box grater
Because an array of recipes call for grated ingredients. Be it ginger, carrot, cucumber, zucchini, parmesan, turmeric etc. It’s just a good utensil to have & I use mine regularly!
7. Deep baking dish
To assist all things baking & roasting. Essential, especially when it comes to slow roasting meats, pies, vegetables & more. I recommend investing in a set of three or to be safe, a larger sized dish for greater versatility.
8. Set of saucepans
Great in general, but especially for all the winter warmers - pastas, currys, soups etc. Large are the way to go, but smaller saucepans come in handy for boiling eggs, cooking oats, rice and more.
9. Rice cooker
Only a few months ago I would’ve sworn I’d never use a rice cooker. I thought, what an unnecessary appliance, I can simply boil my rice or other grains in a saucepan. However, after giving it a whirl a few times, I now swear by it! All you have to do is place your rice, quinoa, legumes etc. & water or whatever other liquid you desire e.g. coconut milk for coconut rice, switch it on & leave it! Better yet, when finished it automatically switches to the ‘warm’ setting, keeping your grains warm and fluffy. Need I say more? Get one!
10. Prep bowls
Duh. Mixing bowls are essential - especially when working with both wet & dry ingredients, as well as dressings/sauces. You’ve just got to be sure those flavours are mixing well and TRULY together. You can purchase in packs from Kmart, Target etc. they don’t have to be fwancy, just sturdy!
Happy shopping !
