House & Garden UK’s food editor Blanche Vaughan recommends the cook's essentials she can't live without - from pots and pans to juicers and graters.
When it comes to kitchen equipment, I am a firm believer that less is more. Nothing gives me more pleasure than quality tools that I will use again and again, especially those that, with a little improvisation, can perform a variety of jobs. These are my kitchen essentials – and why I cannot live without them.
Pots and pans
The key thing to go for is a solid base, as heat is better conducted and food is less likely to burn. Large, medium and small sizes will cover all your needs. And make sure they have lids.
A very large lidded pot
Ideal for making stock; boiling water for six to eight portions of pasta; blanching voluminous leaves such as chard in quantity; and steaming mussels that need lots of room. Try Vogue (from Nisbets) for good-quality stainless steel or Iittala for something more stylish.
A medium lidded pot
You can use this for soups, braising, risottos, even baking sourdough. I have a trusty cast-iron Le Creuset – they are oven-proof, solid and last a lifetime.
A small lidded pot
Use this for heating milk, boiling or scrambling eggs, warming up a small portion of stew, etc. Do not skimp on this, as you’ll use it all the time. Mauviel and Le Pentole (stocked by David Mellor) are good brands.
Frying pans
Choice comes down to non-stick or stainless steel. I use both, but if I had to choose one, it would be heavy stainless steel with an oven-proof handle. In general, stainless steel lasts longer (non-stick scratches easily), and meat and fish brown or caramelise more effectively. I never scour pans: if there is stubborn residue, soak them with water and bicarbonate of soda. If you choose both, the general rule is non-stick for things like eggs, crêpes and delicate fish, and stainless steel for just about everything else. De Buyer makes good versions of both.
Silicone Kitchen Tools
- Silicone spatula (My desert-island tool. Use for stirring, smoothing and sliding around the inside of a bowl, scooping out every last ounce of mixture).
- Metal tongs with silicone handle (These allow you to pick up and turn hot food, with a good grip and protected hands)
- Peeler with silicone handle
- Silicone pastry brush (These won’t singe or shed bristles and are easy to clean)
Multipurpose tools
Pestle and mortar
Essential for crushing garlic or nuts for pesto, or for grinding spices. Porcelain or granite work best; they may be heavy, but they last forever and flavours do not soak into the surface.
Japanese strainer bowls
These beautiful and durable stainless-steel bowls can be small, medium or large. They stack together to save space and each will have its own colander/sieve. They are wonderfully versatile and can be used as mixing bowls, bain-maries, colanders, sieves or even steaming baskets. Try the ‘Bowl and Colander/Strainer Set’ from Margaret Howell.
Juicer/squeezer
Colourful lime, lemon and orange hand squeezers are as useful for cooking as they are for making cocktails. You insert the halved fruit upside down and squeeze the handles together to press the juice out. Because the mechanism inverts the skin of the fruit, it squeezes a little of the zest oils, too, giving the juice a fuller flavour. These inexpensive manual juicers are available from John Lewis or from Amazon.
Essentials and Basics, No substitutions
Knives and a sharpener
A good, sharp knife makes a world of difference. With three, you can do pretty much everything: a large, bladed kitchen knife or chef's knife; a small knife, with either a flat or serrated blade; and a bread knife. For your large, bladed knife and bread knife, stainless steel or Damascus steel are essential, and never put them in the dishwasher. Small serrated knives can be cheaper and easily replaced when blunt.
Measuring jug and electric scales
It goes without saying that if measuring is needed, there is not much you can use instead.
Rolling pin
Have you ever tried to roll pastry using a wine bottle?
Grater
Microplane makes the sharpest and most efficient graters, but if you do a lot of grating, you might find a stainless-steel stand grater useful, too.
Chopping boards
Try to keep a separate one for chopping garlic, chilli and onion.
This story originally appeared on House & Garden UK.
