Essentials for today's kitchen

[donna]

Even though this forum of foods of Civil War, felt an essentials list for today's kitchen be helpful. This is my list for those with small kitchen or don't cook like some of us do,. I would never give what I have in the kitchen, it is overwhelming. If anyone thinks I left out an essential. please add.

Chef's knife It is the most useful knife in any cooks kitchen. A must for chopping and slicing vegetables, mincing garlic, and herbs and cutting meat.

Pairing knife. This for more density in cutting, such as peeling and coring apples, coring tomatoes, deveining shrimp or removing fat from roast.

Large skillet

Small skillet

Saucepan

Large soup/pasta pot

Jellyroll pan This one can be used to roast potatoes, or a whole chicken.

Cookie sheet

Cutting board

Measuring cups (liquid and dry)

Rubber spatula

Measuring spoons

Instant read thermometer. (A must for anyone who cooks a lot of meat and chicken)

A kitchen scissor.

 

[donna]

A few other items:

Can opener

Collander

Ladle for soups

Whisk

 

[KenH]

Tongs! Gotta have tongs. I'd rather have tongs than a turner for meats.
Turner! Need turner for eggs, pancakes, fried fish and other delicate things that need cooking on both sides.

 

[diane]

Mixing bowls! Big ones, little ones and in between ones. Also, cast iron skillet - cornbread! And a cast iron griddle. GOOD cast iron - I once had a cheap skillet from Taiwan and that thing busted in half while I was cooking fry bread. Now, the good thing about it was my kids are fire fighters...

 

[Sneathen]

a wife?

 

[pamc153PA]

Two of those little electric coffee grinders: one for the coffee beans I keep in my freezer for the times I can't get to the grocery store before I need coffee, and one for whole spices. I've also used them to make small batches of bread crumbs, and to chop nuts.

I agree with the jelly roll pans--I've used mine for everything from roast chicken and veggies to a half sheet cake. Buy a silpat sheet or two to line them.

 

[ami]

it's not essential, but I love my silicone mat, I do everything from cookies to chicken breasts on it! love it!!!

also. I use my crock pot a good amount too, make s a scrumptious pork shoulder

dishers or "ice cream scoops" for measuring meatballs, cookies, pancakes, muffins, cupcakes

 

[pamc153PA]

it's not essential, but I love my silicone mat, I do everything from cookies to chicken breasts on it! love it!!!

also. I use my crock pot a good amount too, make s a scrumptious pork shoulder

dishers or "ice cream scoops" for measuring meatballs, cookies, pancakes, muffins, cupcakes

It's funny, ami, that you said that about the silcone mats. For the longest time, I raved about mine when it came to making cookies, and then one day, I had to make chicken nuggets quick for my son, and I threw them on the mat, and they got really crispy. From then on, I've used them as multi-purpose mats, and they not only make things cook evenly and crispy, but they also clean up really fast!

 

[donna]

These are probably not essential to some, but I love my tea kettle and my coffee pot, both electric and drip. It also nice having a grater, potato masher and egg beater.

 

[jessgettysburg1863]

List looks good donna, l would hate to list what Helen has in her kitchen, every
known implyment of destruction a women can want, but l don't complain as she
is a brilliant cook and whats more she loves to cook.

 

[donna]

Sounds a lot like my kitchen plus I have all my cook books, my salt and pepper collection, my spoon collection, my mug collection, my bottle collection, my hens and chicken and rooster collection, and my pride and joy, my nutcracker collection. Thank goodness we have a large kitchen. I also have many old kitchen pieces from family and ones I have bought. I guess one could say my kitchen is my favorite room in the house.

 

[jessgettysburg1863]

Sounds like Helen's donna.

 

[KenH]

As a professional Personal Chef, I carry all my own pots, pans & utensils to every house I cook at. Like Alton Brown, everything for me is a multi-tasker. All this fits in heavy plastic 'foot locker' I got years ago from Linens & Things

18" skillet with lid
9" skillet with lid
8", 10" 12" nested metal mixing bowls
2 qt & 4 qt nested pots with lids
Strainer
Baking Sheet
4 cup Measuring Cup
4 Disposable Cutting Mats
Mini Food Processor - 1 cup size

Utensil Bag (contents vary depending on what I'm preparing):
Measuring Spoons
Spider
Tongs
Large Slotted Spoon(s)
Flipper
Whisk
Wooden Lemon Juicer
Peeler
Melon Baller
Spatula
Masher
Pastry Cutter
Measuring Spoons
12" Chef's knife
6" General Purpose knife

 

[diane]

Lol! I know you're a professional but I must say there's nothing that makes you feel more intrusive than trying to find your way around somebody else's kitchen!

Like a wooden lemon juicer the best - tried one of those electric juicers and they're all right if you have a lot of juicing to do but it tends to be too violent! Get too much bitter white and some rind even.

 

[KenH]

I've cooked in a multi-million dollar mansion where the oven didn't work, the garbage disposal was broken, and the pans were from the local Dollar Store! And the lady of the house had trouble boiling water!! And in other well-to-do-households where the hostess thought she was a good cook (and from her account so did I), but she didn't know how to use a garlic press... By taking all our own gear, we know where it is and how it works.

 

[pamc153PA]

I have a mixing bowl from the 1930's that I bought years ago at a flea market, and I use it for just about everything. There's nothing special about it, just a green mixing bowl, but I like the weight and feel of it. I also have a yellow one exactly like it, but I've never grown fond of it like the green one, don't know why. If someone ever breaks my green one, there'll be he** to pay!

 

[diane]

I've got a perfectly hideous orange one I've had since the first baby and everything from stuffing to whipped cream gets made in that. If it ever broke I'd probably curl up in the corner by the refrigerator and start sucking my thumb! There's a prize knife, too - good 8" butcher knife - I use for everything. Once the kids toted it outside for whittling. ONCE....

 

[ami]

I have a colander from probably the 50's - it was my great-nana's! hehe!

I also love my 6qt kitchen aid stand mixer, but I know a lot of people don't have room for them, but I use it for lots of stuff!

 

[RobertP]

A fridge is nice for beer, and yes a corkscrew also.

 

[donna]

I have my Mother's mixing bowls from early 40s. I love them and use them all the time. I also have old colander that was my Grandma's. My prize is a rolling pin carved by my great grandfather. It is beautiful but so useful.