My Kitchen Must-Haves

There is no end to the number of kitchen gadgets out there that will seemingly transform our kitchens into havens of ease. However, most of these end up cluttering up our kitchens instead of being used. After being asked what my top kitchen items were, I went through my cupboards and thought about what I actually use most days and it became very clear very quickly that it’s really only a handful of things. Most of our kitchen equiptment can be used for multiple purposes so there really are only a few key things we need. When choosing toolds for your kitchen, there are a few key things to keep in mind: will you actually use it or is on sale/pretty? Can you use it for more than one purpose? Is it high-quality or will you have to replace it in a year? I’ve invested a fair amout in my kitchen equiptment but I can definitely say I use everything I have, everything does more than one job, and it’s all good quality. Below is my list of top 10 kitchen must-haves:

Frying pan

So many things can be cooked in a frying pan and, if you have a big one, it can be used for so many things. I use my frying pan basically everyday for everything from frying bacon to sauteeing vegetables to making sauces. I have this one from Le Creuset and it’s great. When choosing a fryings, make sure to avoid Teflon and other PFOA coated pans because the chemicals in them leech into our food and our bodies can’t metabolise them. Le Creuset doesn’t use these in their non-stick products but, if you want to be extra safe, cast iron or enamel are a good way to go, too. In addition to my normal frying pan, I also have a cast iron gridle and it’s great for indoor grilling. If you’re going to have only frying pan, I would strongly recommend cast iron because it’s extremely versatile but, be warned, it’s higher-maintenance. If you look after your cast iron, it will last forever.

Casserole

Casseroles are wonderfully versatile- they can be used on the stove, in the oven, and to serve food from at the table. Before we moved into our house, we were staying in a rental, for what we thought would be a few days but ended up being 7-8 months, and had just a frying pan and casserole. It could be a bit of a pain at times but it was functional. I have this one, also from Le Creuset, and I would never be without it.

Saucepans

If you have a casserole, saucepans aren’t strictly necessary but they are a welcome addition to any kitchen. They are useful for sauces, of course, boiling water, heating soup, and making gravies, among other things. I have this set, guess where from, and it’s really useful to have a variety of sizes. I’d recommend copper-bottomed or multi-ply stainless steel pans as they distribute heat well and are really durable.

Knives

Good quality, sharp knives make things in the kitchen so much easier. My sister’s boyfriend, Jeff, is a chef and he recommened Gloabal when I asked where I should get my next set of knives. I got this six-piece set and am really happy with all the knives- if you want to know where I got them at a discount, let me know. The knife block is sort of hideous so we don’t use and instead have a magnetic strip we keep them on. Just as important as your knives is your sharpener. Sharp knives are safe knives and it’s a good idea to run your knive over a sharpener every few uses. Also, never put your knives in the dish washer if you want them to last and, instead, always handwash.

Cutting boards

You really need two cutting boards- a plastic or silicone one for raw meat and another for everything else. I use my big wooden one for most of my vegetables and it’s also good for serving roast meat. You should always use plastic or silicone with raw meat because, unlike wood, it isn’t porous so it won’t hold onto small pieces of meat that can cause food poisoning. You should also never cut vegetables on the same surface or with the same knife as used with raw meat to avoid cross-contamination.

Utensils

There are no shortage of cooking utensils out there but there are only a few that totally necessary: a regular spatula, a wooden spoon, and a flexible spatula. The job of most other kitchen utensils can be done by something else- potatoes can be mashed with a normal dinig fork, just as forks can be used to whisk batters. You might find that, based on what you cook, you might benefit from other utensils but these are good place to build from.

Oven gloves

If there is anything we learned from Pete Sutcliffe, it’s the importance of good oven gloves. I’ve had mine for years and these are the current version John Lewis sells. You don’t want to be messing around with tea towels when it comes to taking hot tins out of the oven. A safe kitchen is a happy kitchen and good oven gloves are a big part of that!

Roasting tins

You need a roasting tin for just about anything you cook in the oven so these are a no-brainer. They can be metal, glass, or ceramic and it’s good to have a few to make cooking multiple things at the same time a bit easier. If you do any baking, you’ll also want some roasting trays but, otherwise, most things can be cooked in a tin.

Colander

It may not be very glamourous but we need to drain the food we boil. I would suggest getting a metal one as the chemicals in plastic can leech out when exposed to heat and metal is also better for roughing up potatoes when making roasts.

Grater

Another not-so-glam kitchen item but they useful not just for grating cheese but also zesting citrus, thinly slicing vegetables, and can take the place of a garlic press.

Bonus:

Food processor

I use my food processor basically everyday and there’s very little it can’t do. I use it for smoothies most morning and I also use it to puree soups, whip up icings, and slice vegetables. Ironically, I bought it to make humous and I’m yet to make a batch that’s edible. The best thing about the food processor is that is can do so many different things so easily. I have one from Tefal that has been discontinued but I’d recommend looking for one with accessories so you get the most versatility.

These are the things I consider foundational in the kitchen and with them you can do just about anything. If you start from here, you can figure out if there are things that will make your cooking easier. Do you love making pasta but find it difficult? Get a pasta machine! Love Thai cooking? Get a wok! Love BBQ? Get a grill! Just don’t get something with a niche purpose before knowing you’re actually into it.

What are your kitchen must-haves? Have I missed anything? Let me know!