I think it’s safe to say that we all have those kitchen utensils or small appliances that get carted around from apartment to apartment or house to house, while swearing that the new version of us will use them more. But the reality is, we probably forgot they existed until the moving boxes came out. I’ve started to implement the same rule that I (try to) follow in my personal closet— if you haven’t touched it in a year, it’s time to go! There are always those obscure, “but what if I get invited to coachella-themed wedding” pieces of clothing, just like that tortilla press that you’ve never gotten around to using. And I’d argue that some of items, both in the kitchen out, are okay to keep, but it’s important to take some inventory either way!
While QVC might still be trying to convince you that another “veggie chopper” is mandatory, I’m here to hopefully do the opposite. My belief is that less is often more, and if you choose quality, you can get away with a small group of kitchen basics that will carry you through all sorts of cooking.
Here’s a list of the must-haves (in my opinion); I’m not including basics like sheet pans, cutting boards, or mixing bowls, etc. The goal isn’t to outline every tiny thing that you need, but more so speak to the stand-out stars, big and small.
ONE GOOD KNIFE— Yes, that’s right. You don’t need to house a family of knives, several of which are never used. If you have a knife block, I’m not suggesting you need to throw it in the trash, but if you’re looking to revamp or are starting from scratch, skip the block. You need *one* good quality chef’s knife (8 or 9 inches typically) and if you take care of it (read: sharpen), it can last you for decades. A serrated knife is nice to have as well (for bread or I use for tomatoes), but not totally necessary as a good sharp regular knife will cut both of those just fine. Japanese or German knives are known as being top notch, but there are also other brands that offer great products. For example, I own and love this one from Material.
CAST IRON FRYING PAN— I’m not going to go into detail on pots + pans in general, but this is one “ancillary” pan that I think everyone should have. They’re SO affordable (I’m talking $30), incredibly versatile (oven! safe!), and can literally last forever with the right care. Even if you find yourself the owner of a rusted cast iron pan, you can absolutely bring it back to life. It’s the best for searing and allows for really even cooking. Here’s some more info on how to take care of your cast iron (hint: no soap!).
MANDOLIN— I spoke about this tool in another post, but it’s one of my favorites and seems to be undervalued outside of restaurants. With one sharp blade, it allows you to cut those paper thin, beautifully uniform slices of almost anything. It’s especially useful for those harder veggies (think: fennel, cucumber, radish, carrot + onion). And while it’s much more efficient + accurate than trying to use a knife, make sure to take extra caution because they are SHARP. One extra swipe could mean losing a piece of your finger so use the slicing guard or at least stop cutting a few swipes before you think you should. Here’s my favorite one.
HIGH-SPEED BLENDER— Yes, I’m partial to Vitamix (my last one was 10+ years old when I gave it away and upgraded), BUT you do not need to splurge on that brand; there are so many great options on the market, including Ninja or Blendtec. It does not matter the brand, but more so that it has some power behind it. I use my blender for everything— from dressings, pesto and hummus to soups, smoothies and sauces. It’s a real workhorse and can change your game in the kitchen.
FOOD PROCESSOR— If I had to pick between a blender or food processor, I would choose blender as it’s more versatile. But I do find myself using a food processor pretty often, too. The main difference is that a food processor is wider and allows the ingredients to move around more so they don’t get stuck, especially when working with thicker ingredients. There are large versions and mini ones that are a great compliment to a blender. All this to say, I don’t think everyone needs a food processor, but I wanted to touch on it because I’ve been a huge fan over the years. This is also an area where I don’t necessarily think you need the highest quality; I had a Black + Decker (I think from Walmart?) for like 6 years and only recently upgraded to this Cuisinart (which I do love so much and think is worth the price tag). I had a just-as-pricey Kitchen Aid for a moment that was promptly returned as it was harder to clean and frankly came with too many bells + whistles (I’m not someone who wants an external box of ancillary shit to store and barely use).
MICROPLANE— Otherwise known as a “zester”, this simple tool doesn’t get enough hype. Its most obvious use is for zesting citrus, but I also routinely use it for grating garlic + ginger. Not only do I dislike peeling + chopping both of these vegetables, but it’s a real pain to mince them small enough so that you don’t have large chunks. This is especially useful when making salad dressings or sauces where you want the ingredients to disperse evenly. I also love to use a microplane for grating parmesan cheese into the perfect shavings!
DIGITAL THERMOMETER— A must! Take the guesswork out of cooking meat and get a good thermometer. They’re definitely not created equal as I’ve had a cheaper one in the past and noticed it wasn’t fully accurate. So this is an area to choose quality. Here’s an example of a good one.
This post is shorter than normal because, if I’m honest, life is BUSY at the moment and it’s past my bedtime. But I hope it’s still valuable, nonetheless! We are heading to France next week— soo I figured it would be a good idea to squeeze in a bunch of events and close down / wrap up half of my business before we leave (more on that later, promise). I’m panic buying clothes. I have not yet made dinner reservations for Paris. And the only thing I’ve packed so far is a bulk bag of Chomp’s meat sticks, because hanger is a state that no one wants to see me in. Also I’m forever focused on #bloodsugarbalance, in tandem with all the croissants of course.
I will be back with all the reccs and photos and stories!!!
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