Home Cook Kitchen gear

I'm a home cook who is starting to explore new and exciting things to cook. In the last week alone I checked off three items that I've never made before. Bread, canadian bacon and sausage gravy (yep, simple gravy).

For some of you more experienced home cooks and chefs, outside of the basic tools that most households would have, what are some of your most useful kitchen utensils/tools?

Thanks in advance.

Other than knives, of course.

Instant read thermometer (thermopen)
Lots of small spoons
Microplanes
Rubber spatulas, lots
Small bowls for prep
COMPLETE stainless steel bowl set without rubber bottoms
Salad spinner
Grease screen
Funnel
All sizes of wide mouth canning jars
Half sheet pans (thick)
Half sheet pan racks
Bottle brush
Cut glove
Proper wood cutting board
Salt pig
Unicorn magnum peppermill

Nick im assuming you have the basics like pans, strainers...

might be best to indicate what you think of when you say "basic tools most households would have". Otherwise I can't even come up with ah good starting point without knowing if I'm being waaaay too basic or starting off too far down the road.

WildBoar said:

might be best to indicate what you think of when you say "basic tools most households would have". Otherwise I can't even come up with ah good starting point without knowing if I'm being waaaay too basic or starting off too far down the road.

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Yeah, I went back and forth on this while creating the post. I figured most households would have an assortment of knives, can openers, peelers, spoon, spatula, some iteration of stock pot/sauce pan/saute pan/cake pan/cookie sheet. Things that Mucho mentioned that make sense, that, for instance, I don't have but have contemplated would be, microplanes, small bowls, small spoons, cut glove, half sheet pans, chinois strainer, fish spatula. I picked up a thermopen recently, but wouldn't have thought of it prior. Things that the more advanced home cook finds indispensable that a newer cook hasn't thought of or didn't know existed.

#1. Vitamix

For more complete reomendations, pls provide your summary of current kitchen "stuff", and where you want to go.

+1 to MuchoBocho's and DaveB's recommendations.

Anova
Ramekins. Only if the thought of doing creme burlee souflee and pate appeal to you.
Pressure cooker.

The lists above are good. :doublethumbsup:

Might be on the basic side, but I'd add whisks, a good chinois and a Tamis. Maybe an ISI whip. I use tons of plastic squeeze bottles. Plenty of good towels. Butcher's twine on a spool you can pull and cut with one hand.

if you entertain, you can never have enough sheet trays and/or hotel pans.

Immersion blender
Cheese cloth
Salt and Pepper Grinders
Wooden spoons
Tongs
Glass bowls
pen and paper (for remembering recipes)
aluminum foil, parchment paper, and cling wrap

Namaxy said:

if you entertain, you can never have enough sheet trays and/or hotel pans.

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What do you use them for? Cookies?

To the op

Find what you like to cook and the stuff will flow from there. Most of us have trouble going in the other direction I think. I only got a single purchase that was not tied to a recipe I was trying to make. My thoughts get a decent cookbook.

How could I forget Kitchen Sizers. In my kitchen their used as much as knives, ok almost. HA

Mucho Bocho said:

How could I forget Kitchen Sizers. In my kitchen their used as much as knives, ok almost. HA

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What are these?

Sizers. Prob a Carolina term for scissors.:scratchhead:

rami_m said:

What do you use them for? Cookies?

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Storage. When we entertain or cook for large numbers I use sheet tray racks. Think of sheet trays as added shelves...each a mis en place for a different course or dish.

Oh...and blue painters tape and a sharpie to label everything.

Daveb,

Here goes.
Knives - cck cleaver, old hickory butcher, forgecraft utility, cutco paring (yeah I know), among other crap ones.

Pans - three lodge cast iron, 5 in, 8 in 12 in (approx). 10 in copper bottom sauté, assorted sauce pans and stock pots. Pyrex baking pans cookie sheets, cooling racks.

Tools - plastic spat, metal spat, plastic and metal whisk, plastic batter spatulas (don't know the name). Measuring cups (both solid and liquid), digital scale, thermapen, juicer, grater,

Ga

Gas stove, electric oven, micro, genesis gas grill, weber Rocky Mountain smoker.

That should cover most. I guarantee I missed some. But at least it gives you an idea.

(HAve food processor, blender, kitchen aid mixer also. )

Nick

I bought conical sauce pots and use those nonstop for everything. Cast Iron dutch oven, branded whatever you like, uses these alot for braises, bread, and soup. My number one used piece of gear is a board scrapper. Plastic or metal I use them all. I prefer the plastic because I dont mind dishwashering those .

$.25 plastic bench scrapper and sizzle platters. When I am cooking for just my girlfriend and myself it's no big deal but as soon as there are more people over they come out. I got three of them 3-4 years ago and they see tons of use.

I've had a pair of sizzle platters for 8+ years and used them like 4 times...for fajitas, of course....what do you use yours for?

foodaholic said:

$.25 plastic bench scrapper and sizzle platters. When I am cooking for just my girlfriend and myself it's no big deal but as soon as there are more people over they come out. I got three of them 3-4 years ago and they see tons of use.

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Zwiefel said:

I've had a pair of sizzle platters for 8+ years and used them like 4 times...for fajitas, of course....what do you use yours for?

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Whenever I need to finish any proteins or par cooked veg in the oven I use my sizzle platters. I also use them as my vessel to carry just about everything that fits from the oven and stove to my cutting board or plates. I like to use them for finishing because they hold their heat pretty well and it allows things to stay hot just a little longer than other vessels. If we have only a couple people over then I use one for seasoning and carrying raw proteins and the other two for finished proteins and veg. They also make a perfect sized snack plate of nachos!

As big of a wood cutting board as you can fit on your counter. End grain preferably, but edge grain if that's all you can fit into your budget. Don't let the sink size dictate the cutting board size, as you can clean the board on the counter and don't need to get it into a sink.

WildBoar said:

As big of a wood cutting board as you can fit on your counter. End grain preferably, but edge grain if that's all you can fit into your budget. Don't let the sink size dictate the cutting board size, as you can clean the board on the counter and don't need to get it into a sink.

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Any one tried to make a whole end grain bench? Then you can cut wherever. May not look good after a few month but you can then sand it.

A wok and cambro containers. Maybe debuyer pans if you get tired of hauling your cast irons.

i'm not gonna add to the regular list. these guys have it covered.

i have a 4x4x1 piece of marble. i use it for everything. smashing garlic, weighing down floating artichokes, pounding meat..pie weight..whatever. super useful.

oh, and a sharpie marker..and binder clips..for holding the thermoprobe into hot cooking things, clamping closed ingredient bags..

boomchakabowwow said:

i'm not gonna add to the regular list. these guys have it covered.

i have a 4x4x1 piece of marble. i use it for everything. smashing garlic, weighing down floating artichokes, pounding meat..pie weight..whatever. super useful.

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Sounds handy wonder where to get one

boomchakabowwow said:

i'm not gonna add to the regular list. these guys have it covered.

i have a 4x4x1 piece of marble. i use it for everything. smashing garlic, weighing down floating artichokes, pounding meat..pie weight..whatever. super useful.

oh, and a sharpie marker..and binder clips..for holding the thermoprobe into hot cooking things, clamping closed ingredient bags..

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I've wanted a marble square for ages. Any idea where to get one on the web?

....not the web but try a local stone & granite fab.....
I alos like parchment or 'bakers' paper. I get the 1000 sheet box of full sheet size (i cut them down) from Smart & Final. Like $40 and it lasts more than a year

Things I wouldn't want to go without.

Custard cups. Great for when you are getting your mise en place organized. You will lose the lids early on but I have had my cups for 10 years and use them all the time. Also great for condiments.

http://www.target.com/p/anchor-hock...snap-on-lids-set-of-4-clear-6-oz/-/A-11031034

Powder free nitrile utility gloves. I use them whenever I am working proteins, garlic or stinky cheese at home or work. Then if my kid runs up to me or my phone rings I can just ditch the gloves and not miss a hug or a phone call. Use 'em like they are free.

http://t.harborfreight.com/5-mil-ni...497.html?utm_referrer=https://www.google.com/

Towels you don't mind ruining. Lots of them. Smallish but bigger than wash cloths.

http://www.bonappetit.com/uncategor...s-favorite-side-towel-and-6-more-of-our-picks

Spider smallish. You won't use it everyday but when you need it there is no substitute and it is cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PKQ3YW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

A dedicated poultry board that fits in your dishwasher. Chicken is gross dude.

French oven or cocotte, 7 qt or bigger. I have LeCreuset and Staub. Tramotina is best value. Easy cleanup cast iron.

The OP is an adventuresome HOME COOK. With all due respect to all the professional chefs who are drawing upon their vast knowledge and experience in attempting to make very helpful suggestions, it seems to me that many of the items mentioned are overkill. Personally -- my $.02 as a home cook -- I like the suggestion (rami_m) that it might make sense to proceed slowly (and probably less expensively), selecting recipes and then purchasing any additional equipment really necessary (and usually one can improvise or settle for something already on hand; if the need clearly will recur in the future, then by all means by the item if it will save time and/or produce much more satisfying results). Not an approach for the impatient/impetuous. But I think restraint would be sensible, with a view in part to trying to minimize equipment that a home cook might use only once in a blue moon. Save your money -- for more knives, of course.