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Some Basic Cooking Tools
- By Maria Gray
- Published 01/11/2008
- Food & Drink
- Unrated
Maria Gray
Dr. Maria Gray is a featured member and regular contributor at ifood.tv, cooking and video recipe site. Her popular videos on the ifood.tv include Italian Recipes, Mexican Recipes, and Healthy Recipes
View all articles by Maria Gray
I am moving, and in doing so need to construct a temporary kitchen at the new house, while maintaining one at the old house, so I started thinking – what does one really need for a functional kitchen?
One of the cooking tools I couldn’t live without is my set of pans. OK - whats in a pan?? well, first of all the weight - you need a heavy gauge anything for it to be realistic. A really great pan is heavy, it has weight in your hand, that weight, or substance is usually stainless steel or cast iron. I hate nonstick pans, my feeling is if you cook properly and season a cast iron pan well you'll be fine without the nonstick surface. So, what does a basic kitchen need?? I love cast iron, well seasoned it is a wonderful heavy cooking surface for just about anything. I keep several skillets in my kitchen. I dedicate one to seafood, one to omlettes and one to regular dishes. I have small, medium and large cast iron pans. I have cast iron that was my great grandmothers, and so well seasoned you never need to oil it. I have brand new cast iron from some cook shop in berkeley ca that my husband carried for miles to get to the car, he complained, but it was worth it - heavy and wonderful in every size my cast iron skillets are the pans i reach for most!
Pots & pans
* 2 10 inch skillets (you'll use this pan most frequently so you should invest in two - a stainless steel skillet with sloping sides and a cast iron with steeper ones
* a 4 quart soup pot, including a lid. Make sure to get a heavy bottom (copper encased is great) to allow for high heat and prevent scorching
* 1 8 quart pot with a lid for boiling pasta, this is essential!! Pasta needs room to cook plus you can always
use it as a stock pot
* two 2 1/2 quart pans for sauces, vegetables, mashed potatoes, rice etc
* 9x13 inch baking dish - for yorkshire pudding, lasagna, ziti etc (pyrex is best)
* 8x8 inch pyrex dish (for brownies, etc)
* 11x17 inch baking pan
* a pie plate
* a bundt pan ( for fancy deserts that can make you look like an incredible cook, with so little effort)
Kitchen Tools
* Colander
* Rack or pan for cooling
* cutting board (butcher block if possible)
* cups to measure
* grater
* spoons to measure
* mixing spoons, metal and wood
* rubber spatula
* kitchen shears
* whisk
* wooden spoons
* tongs
* peeler
* meat pounder
* stainless steel mixing bowls in many sizes
A ridiculously basic pantry
* anchovies
* artichoke hearts
* baking powder
* baking soda
* balsamic vinegar ( aged)
* barbecue sauce
* bread crumbs (italian seasoned)
* brown rice
* beef stock
* chicken stock
* canned crushed or petite diced tomatoes
* couscous
* dried mushrooms
* hot sauce
* extra virgin olive oil
* dried pasta of many sizes and shapes
* roasted red bell peppers
* prepared salsa
* soy sauce
* sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
* terriyaki sauce
* oyster sauce
* tuna fish
* sesame oil
* cannola oil
* cooking spray
* white wine vinegar
* white rice
* wild rice
YOUR HANDS!!
the best tool of all, keep em clean and keep em active - reach for that salt and that pepper, season, season and season and mix and mix and mix and ALWAYS taste!!
One of the cooking tools I couldn’t live without is my set of pans. OK - whats in a pan?? well, first of all the weight - you need a heavy gauge anything for it to be realistic. A really great pan is heavy, it has weight in your hand, that weight, or substance is usually stainless steel or cast iron. I hate nonstick pans, my feeling is if you cook properly and season a cast iron pan well you'll be fine without the nonstick surface. So, what does a basic kitchen need?? I love cast iron, well seasoned it is a wonderful heavy cooking surface for just about anything. I keep several skillets in my kitchen. I dedicate one to seafood, one to omlettes and one to regular dishes. I have small, medium and large cast iron pans. I have cast iron that was my great grandmothers, and so well seasoned you never need to oil it. I have brand new cast iron from some cook shop in berkeley ca that my husband carried for miles to get to the car, he complained, but it was worth it - heavy and wonderful in every size my cast iron skillets are the pans i reach for most!
Pots & pans
* 2 10 inch skillets (you'll use this pan most frequently so you should invest in two - a stainless steel skillet with sloping sides and a cast iron with steeper ones
* a 4 quart soup pot, including a lid. Make sure to get a heavy bottom (copper encased is great) to allow for high heat and prevent scorching
* 1 8 quart pot with a lid for boiling pasta, this is essential!! Pasta needs room to cook plus you can always
* two 2 1/2 quart pans for sauces, vegetables, mashed potatoes, rice etc
* 9x13 inch baking dish - for yorkshire pudding, lasagna, ziti etc (pyrex is best)
* 8x8 inch pyrex dish (for brownies, etc)
* 11x17 inch baking pan
* a pie plate
* a bundt pan ( for fancy deserts that can make you look like an incredible cook, with so little effort)
Kitchen Tools
* Colander
* Rack or pan for cooling
* cutting board (butcher block if possible)
* cups to measure
* grater
* spoons to measure
* mixing spoons, metal and wood
* rubber spatula
* kitchen shears
* whisk
* wooden spoons
* tongs
* peeler
* meat pounder
* stainless steel mixing bowls in many sizes
A ridiculously basic pantry
* anchovies
* artichoke hearts
* baking powder
* baking soda
* balsamic vinegar ( aged)
* barbecue sauce
* bread crumbs (italian seasoned)
* brown rice
* beef stock
* chicken stock
* canned crushed or petite diced tomatoes
* couscous
* dried mushrooms
* hot sauce
* extra virgin olive oil
* dried pasta of many sizes and shapes
* roasted red bell peppers
* prepared salsa
* soy sauce
* sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
* terriyaki sauce
* oyster sauce
* tuna fish
* sesame oil
* cannola oil
* cooking spray
* white wine vinegar
* white rice
* wild rice
YOUR HANDS!!
the best tool of all, keep em clean and keep em active - reach for that salt and that pepper, season, season and season and mix and mix and mix and ALWAYS taste!!