Kitchen Necessities for Prepping, Cooking and Storing Food
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Fancy appliances and gourmet ingredients may get all the attention, but without everyday kitchen utensils, your cooking won’t amount to much. Before you get carried away planning five-star recipes for next week’s meals, remember all the essential (and, yes, sometimes boring!) equipment you’ll need to make anything from soup to soufflé.
For Prepping
Mexican Lasagna with entire vegetables in the middle won’t wash down quite the same as delicious diced peppers, onions and tomatoes, which is why you’ll need a set of kitchen knives and cutting boards. Expert chefs might be able to eyeball a teaspoon of chili powder, but if you want to avoid completely clearing your sinuses this weekend, pick up sets of measuring spoons and measuring cups. Other oft-used prep tools include peelers, graters, can openers, kitchen scissors, meat mallets and kitchen scales.
For Cooking
Now to the fun stuff: pots, pans and beyond that make the magic happen. Speaking of, make sure to start your collection with a range of heavy-duty nonstick frying pans, saucepans, pots, sheet pans, roasting pans and baking dishes. These handy items all serve unique purposes in the kitchen, so while cookware in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials may sound overwhelming, don’t fret. Don’t ruin Saturday morning with Egg Tot Muffins that look more like egg tot mush without a muffin tin!
To help with all that scooping, stirring, flipping and dipping, stock a kitchen drawer with spatulas, wooden spoons, whisks and tongs. Add a basting brush and colander to your list for foods that need glazed or drained. Finally, to ensure meat is cooked to perfection (or at least to safe doneness), you’ll want a digital thermometer to avoid a stomachache from not-quite-roasted chicken.
For Storing
Your work is done. The meal is complete. Belts are loosened and cleanup duty calls. But what to do with those delicious leftovers? Wrap solid foods in plastic wrap or aluminum foil then place in the pantry or refrigerator. Avoid smells escaping by using zip-top bags or plastic/glass containers (which also work well for liquids or messy recipes like spaghetti) that provide a better seal than simply wrapping foods up and putting them away.
If you’ve cooked for an army but the battalion didn’t arrive, you may want to freeze goodies so they stay fresh longer. Be sure to stock up on freezer-safe bags so food doesn’t spoil from freezer burn. Also consider keeping a supply of freezer paper on hand so you can buy and safely store meat in bulk.
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