It's official. That long-awaited moment has finally arrived: you've just moved into your first rental apartment. Except that, apart from your ten fingers, you have nothing else to cook with. Here is the complete list of the essential utensils to have in your cupboards to cook.
You don't have a huge kitchen. You need a beautiful center island worthy of the finest gourmets. But if you want to get started in the kitchen, there are some essential accessories you need to have.
Utensils and accessories have to raise the temperature
Want to be the king or queen of baking? To do so, you need the right essentials.
Kitchen knives: you need a set of ceramic or steel knives (each has advantages and disadvantages) to cut your sausage, vegetables, and meat. Be careful not to cut yourself.
A cutting board: big, small, wooden, plastic. The bamboo wood cutting board will serve you to cut your food and put a hot dish. It will quickly replace your non-existent work surface and can be used as a chopping board.
A saucepan (less than 20 cm) will allow you to cook small portions, preparations for one or two people, and sauces and side dishes.
Two pans (one small and one larger): the small one will be ideal for cooking eggs, a small fish, or meat for one person. Reserve the large one when you need to cook for more than yourself and for large dishes that need room in the pan. If your budget allows, invest in an oven-safe skillet for dual use.
A stewpot: as its name suggests, the stewpot is the perfect ally to do EVERYTHING. It will be ideal for making large dishes that need to simmer and soups and will allow you to heat everything in the blink of an eye thanks to its lid.
Dishes: To get to the point and bake everything in your small oven, you'll need a casserole dish, a pie dish, and a cake pan. Just make sure they can handle all types of baking. Don't hesitate to choose pans with removable handles. This will take up less space in your cupboards.
Utensils and accessories to have for stirring, mixing and serving
A wooden spoon: it will be your weapon. Your partner in crime. A large wooden spoon will always help mix ingredients, serve and cook.
Why wooden? Because it will only melt if you remember it near the pan.
A whisk: this accessory will help make cakes and pastries for making pancake batter or egg whites. Be patient, and the hand blender will come later.
A flat spatula: mix your food in your pan or turn things in the oven without burning yourself. Wooden is always better.
A pair of kitchen tongs: a must if you swear by pasta and want to serve it Italian style, but also to turn meat or fish. I promise it will save you time when you cook.
And what does it say about the dishes?
Plates: at least four flat plates; if you have room, four soup plates.
Bowls: Four bowls will be a few for breakfast, snacks or dinner parties.
Glasses: You may not have room for different glasses for each drink. We recommend buying at least four large glasses that will allow you to quench your thirst with whatever you want. Or almost.
Mugs: you'll need at least four to keep the hot drinks coming.
Cutlery: we recommend a set of four (knives, forks and spoons) that will go with your plates.
Utensils and accessories to have for everything else
A salad bowl: a must-have for your culinary preparations, but also for your salads or large dishes of pasta, semolina, rice, etc.
A colander: you won't be able to do without a colander if you're a pasta addict like us. We advise you to choose a silicone model that folds up to take up as little space as possible in your cupboards.
A vegetable peeler: this tool will be your best ally for cutting and peeling your best potatoes.
A corkscrew: Choose a corkscrew that doubles as a bottle opener to open any of your bottles.
Whether or not you have a compass in your eye, a measuring cup will allow you to measure the quantities of food before you start cooking. Plus, if all your glasses are dirty, you can always drink from them.
A pastry bag: this is optional and really if you like baking.
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