After writing my "Kitchenware Essentials for Apartment Cooking" post, I thought it would be beneficial to also include a post that mentioned essential utensils when cooking. Below is my list.
Necessities (in no particular order)
1. Can opener
I honestly can't stress the importance of having a can opener enough. Have you ever tried to open a can of shredded chicken with a dull knife? Well, I have. Technically, I let my boyfriend handle that, but still. It wasn't pretty, I can tell you that. He ended up cutting himself and some flecks of the metal got into the chicken, so we couldn't use it anyway. Now, I have this one, but that's mainly because I was fortunate enough to have one in our basement at home. It's really nice because it creates a smooth edge and is SUPER easy to operate (my roommate might disagree with you, but I swear it is once you get used to it). You don't have to puncture the metal as you're opening it, so it doesn't take as much force on your part. This summer, I was living away from home and bought a can opener at Target for $3 or less. It wasn't the best quality, but it worked. I just suggest you have some kind of can opener if you're going to be doing any type of cooking.
2. Measuring cups
This is mainly because I'm obsessive when I cook and like to have all the exact measurements. Honestly, though, who doesn't? So making sure you have a pack of measuring cups with 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 cup measurements will help immensely. I think most sets come with a more complete pack, but those measurements are the only essential ones you'll need.
3. Knife set
I suppose this isn't as essential if you're not going to be doing a lot of recipes with diced chicken or cut vegetables. However, I think it's nice to have a knife set for those types of occasions. Having at least one or two sharp knives that you can use to dice chicken is extremely helpful if you ever find a recipe that calls for it (and a good amount call for either diced or shredded chicken). Even when a recipe calls for shredded chicken I can usually substitute diced chicken in instead so I don't have to wait for the chicken to cook in the crockpot.
4. Multiple stirring spoons
Especially if you're a pasta lover like me, it's a good idea to have multiple stirring spoons. That way, you don't have to wash it every time you want to make a meal. Even two or three instead of one can make a difference.
5. Spatula
I have a few spatulas, but they're extremely helpful to scrape the sides of the mixing bowls or the inside of a can. I have what I consider a large and small spatula that I use most often. I use the large spatula for a lot of batter mixing, and the small spatula for scraping the insides of soup cans.
Non-necessities (but nice to have every once in a while)
1. Garlic press
Okay, so I don't actually have one of these in my apartment, but I wish I did. I tried to buy a tiny jar with already pre-diced garlic, but it didn't work the best. Plus, bulbs of garlic stay good way longer than this jar did. I keep meaning to swipe a garlic press, but I always forget. Story of my life. The one we have at home is this one. It's insanely awesome because you don't have to peel the clove of garlic before you press it. The press does it for you. Talk about lazy perfection
2. Measure-All Cup
If you have measuring cups, you don't technically need this, but I find myself using this more than the measuring cups. It's nice because you don't have to scrape the food out of it. You just push up the base and the measured food pops into the bowl. Now they make them so you can measure liquid in the base. This isn't ideal for all situations, which is why I put regular measuring cups under the necessities, but it's nice when you're feeling just a little lazy. Pampered Chef now has a large and small version of these, which I must admit I have both. If I had to pick one, I would pick the larger size. In my opinion, it's better to have the possibility for larger measurements, even if you don't use them that often.
No comments:
Post a Comment