Thursday, May 17, 2007 11:10 AM
What are the kitchen essentials?
Q: What are the must-have, desert-island tools I should have in my kitchen?
A: There are days when I look at all of the doo-dads and gizmos in my kitchen collecting dust, and I think about all the dough I could have saved knowing which gadgets are really essential and useful, and which simply take up the precious little counter space I have. I had-had-had to have the pretty yellow Kitchenaid stand mixer, and as much as I love cooking, I think I’ve only used it about 12 times in the six years I’ve owned it. I have nine colanders and sieves in different sizes stacked on my kitchen rack, but I only use one. I have three counter-top canisters filled with about 40 different tools—wooden, plastic and metal spoons, spatulas, skimmers, flippers, whisks, pasta forks, tongs and more—but the only tools I use religiously are a whisk, a spatula and an instant-read thermometer. Don’t even get me started on the pasta machine that’s been used once in the last 11 years.
Chances are, you registered for and received a ton of shiny, cool kitchen stuff for the wedding, too. But if you had to do it all over again, would you re-think that bread machine and register for an extra, extra set of 400 thread-count sheets, or a few backup sets of wine glasses, instead?
If you’re a new Nestie or a pending Knottie, maybe there’s still time to save you. Maybe you still have the gift receipts for the 20-quart stand mixer, or you haven’t registered for one yet. Because, seriously, take a look at any of the 300+ recipes in The Nest's recipe finder, and I promise you won’t need a hand-held soup puree-er or a stainless steel ravioli press.
Here’s my list of must-haves to set up your newlywed kitchen. Wait until your 1st anniversary to buy anything else. By that time, you’ll know what’s essential, and what’s just wedding gift euphoria.
Kitchen Essentials
- 8-inch chef’s knife
- Paring knife
- 3 flexible plastic cutting boards in different colors
- Instant-read thermometer
- Dry measuring cups
- 2-cup glass measuring cup (for liquids)
- Medium and large stainless steel mixing bowl
- Small, medium, large sauce pans
- Medium non-stick skillet
- Large heavy-duty skillet
- Medium colander
- Veggie peeler
- Can opener
- Metal tongs
- Microplane or box grater
- Silicone rubber spatula
- Whisk
- Thick oven mitts
- Lots of dish towels
- Water kettle
Am I missing anything? Let me know what your must-haves are.