Author: Jennifer Allen / Source: reviewgeek.com
Whether you’ve just moved out on your own for the first time or you’re finally getting serious about cooking, we’ve rounded up a handy starter kit to help you stock your kitchen and prepare some tasty meals.
The ideal kitchen setup can take a long time to assemble.
That’s why everyone who has been cooking for a while seems to have an endless supply of utensils and cookware. Obviously, you don’t want to buy a grandmother’s kitchen worth of tools in one go, so we’ve focused on the absolute essentials. Plus a couple of neat extras that should keep you happy if your budget (or enthusiasm) extends that far.In each case, we’ve focused on a solid mix of dependable and affordable. After all, if you’re new to cooking, you don’t want to spend a fortune, but you do want something that will last until you figure out what your next step is in the cooking journey. Here are our essential picks for stocking your kitchen.
A Chef’s Knife: Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife, 8-Inch Chef’s FFP ($37)
Cutting something with a cheap knife that can’t hold an edge is a horrible experience. It’s more effort for you and it makes a mess of whatever you’re cutting. It’s also more dangerous as you’re liable to press too hard to compensate for the dullness which just ups the chance that any mishap with the knife ends up a disaster.
Buy the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife, 8-Inch Chef’s FFP for an easier (and safer) time in the kitchen. It’s a high-carbon stainless steel blade that provides maximum sharpness and edge retention. Practically, that means it’s going to cut better for longer between sharpenings. The handle is textured and slip resistant so it’s easy to hold too. Whether you’re slicing or dicing, this blade is going to feel good in your hand. It’s a great starting point.
A Serrated Bread Knife: Mercer Culinary Millennia ($23)
Eventually, you will own many different knives for many different purposes. You’re just starting out though, right? Have a chef’s knife for the big chopping tasks and a serrated bread knife for cutting bread and you’ve got the two most basic kitchen tasks totally covered. While a good chef knife can perform 1,001 tasks in the kitchen, there’s no substitute for a serrated bread knife when it comes to cutting bread properly.
The Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife is a fine choice. Made from one piece of high-carbon, stain free Japanese steel, it’s pretty tough. It’s also super sharp so it’ll slice through your bread without any hassle. Don’t worry about your fingers though, as there’s a protective finger guard along with a sturdy grip and slip resistance on the handle. It’s built for comfort as well as effectiveness.
A Cutting Board: Greener Chef Organic Bamboo Cutting Board ($20)
The worst thing you can do is cut food on your kitchen top or table. It’s likely to blunt your knife, make a difficult to clean up mess, and it’s not particularly sanitary. Instead, buy a good quality cutting board such as the Greener Chef Extra Large Organic Bamboo Cutting Board.
It’s made from heavy duty bamboo with juice grooves around the edges for catching any liquid that falls from what you cut. By using it, you won’t blunt your chef’s knife, and it’s a far safer surface to use overall. The large size makes it great for small items as well as larger things like a substantial chunk of meat or a watermelon. It looks pretty attractive too.
A Skillet: Lodge Cast Iron Skillet ($15)
We could write thousands of words on good skillets, mostly because we already have. Check out our full guides to the best non-stick skillets, and cast iron skillets.
If you just want to get straight to the point, buy the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. It’s only $15 but it’s really good for the price. Pre-Seasoned, you won’t have to worry about preparing it before use (yes, that’s a thing for cast iron skillets). It has great even heat retention across the surface, along with a sturdy handle. It lacks a few finer details like a silicone handle for safety, but other than that, you can’t really fault the quality….
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