10 Tools Every Cook Needs
A list of my top 10 tools every cook needs!
As someone who cooks 90% of our meals at home, the tools in my kitchen are an integral part of the process! Wouldn’t you agree that, as in any job or hobby, one needs the right tools to do said job? So, with that in mind, I wanted to share my top 10 tools that every cook needs! A lot of kitchen gadgets come and go, but these I would stake my life on:
Top Ten Tools Described
1. Chef Knife: I took a cooking class once, and the chef said, “which knife do you always pull out of your drawer? The sharpest!” It doesn’t matter what brand, as long as it’s sharp! This is my personal favorite. I bring my knives to our local Ace Hardware to get sharpened. But you can also get a sharpener at home. Either way, a good, sharp knife is essential!
2. Vitamix Blender: Ok, now this is pricey. I don’t disagree. BUT the warranty is amazing and it will literally blend anything you put in there. The tamper is key! You can make “nicecream”, acai bowls, pulverize nuts for homemade nut milk, the list goes on. I seriously saved my pennies forever and bought this. I’ve never regretted this purchase a single day in my life. I’ve had mine for close to 10 years!
3. Big Cutting Board: I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to cut food on one of those small cutting boards we had it college, but it just doesn’t cut it! There’s nothing like a big ol’ cutting board where you can cut multiple things and push them to different parts of the board. I am here for it!
4. Espresso Machine: I don’t even feel like I need to explain this, but I will. If you are a coffee person, you MUST invest in this! I can’t tell you the amount of money I save now that I don’t frequent coffee shops. Not to mention, the brews I come up with are way better than your average Starbucks drink. It’s also super fun to make festive drinks like eggnog lattes, mochas, caramel macchiatos, and cortados. And entertaining with this, especially during the holidays, is a blast. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t make myself a bevvy from this baby, including this very moment ;o)
5. Dutch Oven: This baby stays on my stove-top at all times. I use it for soups, sauces, stews, and more! It transfers to the oven beautifully.
6. Cast Iron Skillet: I never really understood the cast iron skillet until I used it. When seasoned, it is the best tool a cook can have! It browns meat beautifully, is perfect for a stir fry, and makes a mean frittata. I really don’t need anything else!
7. Food Processor: So, this is perfect for making doughs, sauces, NICECREAM, pestos! You name it, this blends it. I also use the grater attachment for grating cheeses, apples, potatoes (for fritters) and zucchini (to add to recipes). So incredibly useful in the kitchen!
8. Zester: This is great for zesting anything from citrus to cheese! I use this for Parmesan, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, fruit. The possibilities are endless.
9. Kitchen Aid Mixer: My mother in law got this for me as a gift in college. I still use it on the daily 15 years later. Oh my gosh, have I been out of college that long!? At any rate, this is a staple for all of our cookies, cakes, ice creams, shredded meat mixtures, and more!
10. Spatula: I have used many-a-spatula in my day. But, this is one of my absolute favorites! While it’s preferred method of use is fish flipping, I use it for all of my spatula needs. It’s delicate and thin so it doesn’t ruin the food you’re turning. Absolute MUST!
These are definitely must haves in my kitchen! Here is a link to shop all of my favorites. I hope you find some goodies you can use in yours!
