Pick the right tools
Build your kitchen by investing in worthwhile cooking gear
Thinking it might be time to upgrade from your college-era frying pans to something of more, well, grownup quality? Wondering if it’s worth investing in that bread-making machine before you put money down on a good bread knife?
When it comes to equipping your kitchen, it’s sometimes an exercise in trial and error. Who doesn’t have a barely used sandwich press forgotten in the closet? But before you make another unnecessary dent in your bank account, here’s a helping of sound advice from the experts.
The knife: Chefs agree the starting point for any kitchen is a good eight-inch chef’s knife and a quality cutting board.
“It’s the thing you’re going to use the most,” said Joel Beneteau, a chef and product specialist at Williams Food Equipment.
These are also the two most frustrating tools to work with when they’re poor quality; and a good knife is safer to handle. Victorinox makes a good chef’s knife for $40, Beneteau said, but you can budget as much as $100 to $130 for really high-end knives.
The pan: Next, focus on the frying pan. “You don’t want to cheap out on a skillet,” Beneteau said.
Choose a heavy-bottomed pan made with aluminum that will distribute the heat evenly under your food and prevent scorching.
If you’re not very confident in the kitchen, invest in a durable non-stick skillet, he said, but if you’re a more proficient cook, don’t shy away from stainless steel or cast iron. He recommends titanium-clad Gastrolux pans or ceramic-coated pans by Thermolon from Europe.
The can opener and similar high-use tools: Lastly, think carefully about the small kitchen tools you use every day, Beneteau said.
A can opener, for instance, is something we often skimp on but can cause a lot of frustration when it doesn’t cut cleanly. It’s not outrageous to spend $30 on a good can opener if it’s something you use all the time, he said.
From there, where you spend your money and resources depends on what you like to cook, Beneteau said: “Invest in where your hobby lies.”
Andalwayschoosefunction over form, he added, avoiding items that are designed more for esthetics than for how they are meant to be used in day-to-day cooking.
Shop at a reputable store where staff can answer your questions and help you find the best items for your needs and your budget.
Ultimately, being in the kitchen should be fun, Beneteau said, so it’s worth making some careful investments to spare yourself frustration and failed meals.