Aug 13, 20204 min read

Kitchen Tools, The Bare-Necessities

Or is it Bear-Necessities?

Besides pots, pans, pot holders, baking sheets, bowls, etc. here are a few tools you will need when starting to cook on your own. They are worth the investment for any home-cook, and last pretty much a lifetime if taken care of! There is no need to go out and buy an air fryer, blender, or standing mixer if you are just beginning to cook/bake, but below are a few tools you will want to have around.

1. The "Ladies"

Knives. The most important tool any chef can have. If you are just starting to cook, or even just starting to be out on your own you should really pick up some good knives. Trust me it is worth the investment with these ladies. You will want a sturdy, sharp, and reliable blade, as well as a variety of blade sizes.

DO NOT go cheap on these! I know, I know I am all about saving money and only getting the necessities as a college student but a good knife will last you a lifetime. You do not want to get a knife that you will just end up throwing out along the way because it breaks on you or can't even slice a strawberry. Good knives can also be resharpened and will help prevent a few injuries on your cooking journey...plus they come in handy for impromptu protection if need be.

2. Boards, But Never Boring.

Please spare your fingers and countertops! Look, I come from a father who builds houses for a living. I was lectured nonstop about granite and wood tabletops. If you are going to start cooking or baking you will definitely want to have a few cutting boards around. They protect your workspace and your fingers, eliminating a slippery workspace. I know, this is a basic one but I feel like it just had to be mentioned.

3. Spooning in the Kitchen.

My top-three spoon recommendations besides silverware: a sturdy baking spoon (for mixing dough and other tough hand-mixing tasks), a plastic serving spoon (for stirring in hot pots/pans to avoid scrapping the bottom of your pan), a straining spoon (for separating ingredients from hot water, oil, or other liquids). These do not have to be fancy at all, but they will last you a long time in your kitchen.

4. A Dash of This, and a Sprinkle of That.

Another must-have, especially when it comes to baking here in America. Baking is all about precision. If you get too much of one ingredient or too little of another you can be left with something that does not rise in the oven, or something that leaves you with a soggy bottomed pastry! Baking and cooking is a science, and these guys are a very important element to it all.

5. Pour Me 1 Cup.

A liquid measuring cup, the same concept as the spoons above but this should be used when measuring any liquid ingredients. You don't want to end up with a meal that is too vinegary, or a dough that is too moist because you used a normal measuring cup instead of a liquid measuring cup.

6. Can you Open This?

Can openers are often overlooked, I have seen someone try to open a can with a knife because they did not have a can opener. Trust me, a can opener is much needed when it comes to the kitchen.

7. Better Hot than Sorry.

When it comes to food safety this little tool is key. It is used to test the internal temperature of your food, to make sure that it is safe to consume. Chicken, for example, needs to reach an internal temperature of at least 165 before consuming. This cooking thermometer comes in handy when baking large meats or reheating frozen meals. I highly recommend grabbing one of these little guys to have around your home when taking up cooking.

8. Sifty Business.

Surprisingly, one of the first things kitchen tools I found myself missing when I went off to college was a sifter. These little tools come in handy for so many cooking techniques, dishes, and even just a few everyday random needs. In cooking these are usually used for straining canned vegetables and lentils or for removing pasta from boiling water. If you are like me and love the simplicity of pasta this tool is a must-have in your kitchen. It will prevent a few pasta burns in your culinary life. In baking it is often used to separate fruit from syrup, to wash ingredients, or it is used delicate recipes that sometimes call for sifted flour or sugar.

9. Spoons Who?

These are the two kitchen tools I use in place of my spoons. The spatula is perfect for removing bakes from a baking dish or sautéing food in a pan. The one on the right, which I have always called a rubber spatula, I often use for frosting and other random baking needs. Also, spot the burns on my spatula from years of cooking.

10. Keeping it Clean.

Not a necessity to most but definitely a necessity to me. This is a spoon rest and it works great for resting your spoon while cooking, to keep the mess off of your workspaces. It's simple, you put your dirty cooking tool on this bad boy, and then after dinner is served you have a much smaller mess to clean up! Plus these super cute ones by The Pioneer Woman are offered for a very reasonable price at Walmart!

Ok, that's enough of my bad puns and jokes for this blog! Thank you for reading. :)