Here's a Checklist of Must-Have Kitchen Tools If You're Upgrading Your Space
Do you have all of these useful items in your kitchen?
Have you recently moved to your own space and are trying to build yourself a new kitchen? Or maybe you think your current one is in need of an upgrade. If you know you'll spend a lot of time in it, then that means that you should have all the proper tools of the trade—after all there are many kitchen tools that can help you be a better cook, a better baker, and a satisfied eater. For all those times you realized you're missing something, here is a quick list of useful kitchen items. Each and every one will find a way to make itself indispensable.
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1. Vegetable peeler
The vegetable peeler will be your go-to tool whenever you need to remove the peel of potatoes, carrots, sayote, and other hardy vegetables. It's the same tool that's best when you need to remove the rind from fruits, too. What's even more fantastic about this tool is that you don't need to spend very much on one that will do the job. In fact, you need to replace this regularly so when it becomes dull, it's easy to replace with a sharp one.
2. Can opener
The can opener is the only tool you should use to open cans if the can is not an easy-open can. While opening cans is its primary function, it can more than that. Even better, this classic can opener can do more than just open cans. It can pop off bottle caps, it can loosen screw caps, pull ring tabs, and pierce the lid for easy pouring straight from the can. It's a mechanical tool that doesn't require anything more complicated but there are many kinds of can openers in the market to choose from.
3. Knife set
No kitchen is complete without some kind of knife available for chopping, cutting, slicing, and dicing ingredients. While a branded set of knives will always be a coveted choice, it's a good idea to learn how to handle and maintain your knife set, no matter what brand it may be. Maintaining the edge using a whetstone, honing steel, or a knife sharpener, so your knife is always sharp is more important for your kitchen task.
4. Chopping boards
Whether you have a knife or not, a chopping board will make itself useful in your kitchen. It's the board you need to prepare many ingredients and you can even use it as a serving board or a grazing board if it's bigger than normal.
It's best to have more than one chopping board so you can maintain food safety protocols by using one for meats and another for produce.
5. Cooking spoons
Even if the only cooking utensil you have is a cooking spoon, it's enough to help you stir, toss, and mix whatever dish you're cooking. If you have an entire set of cooking utensils, you will have the option to choose the one better suited to your cooking task. A slotted spoon is fantastic for scooping out fried food from oil or vegetables from the stock. The metal spatula, also known as a turner or flipper, is madeÂto be used as that: to turn or flip food over, such as burgers, fillets, and even fried rice that need to be constantly tossed and mixed.
As additional super useful cooking utensils, the silicone spatula and tongs is commonly added to the cooking utensil set. While the silicone spatula might be a baking tool, it's just as indispensable in baking as it is in cooking. It's the scraper that can perfectly make tender scrambled eggs without scratching the surface of the nonstick pan you're using.
The tongs meanwhile is the tool thatÂcan pick up hot food even if it's swimming in a simmering soup or submerged in hot oil. Grasping pieces of food while it's hot, the tongs is the next best tool thing to use without burning your fingers.
6. Whisk
Say what you will about the whisk, but no other tool will do the task as well as it can. The whisk has bent tines to whip air into the mixture and the more tines it has, the easier and the faster it will whip. What's great about this tool is that it's more associated with baking but it can be just as useful in cooking. Sauces and gravy will benefit the best, the whisk making it smoother and silkier on your tongue. While a fork can mix mixture too, making batters and other liquid mixtures are better mixed with the whisk.
7. Mixing bowls
Mixing bowls are your constant companions in the kitchen. No other tool can hold ingredients in individual saucers. Large, medium, and small, made of stainless steel, melamine, plastic, or glass, bowls are not only functional, they fit inside each other for easy storage. Plus, these also double as serving bowls as needed.
8. Measuring tools
Measuring cups and spoons are essential tools you try out a new recipe. You shouldn't be relaxed with your measurements when baking but in cooking, you can get away without using these. However, without measuring your ingredients, your dish may not taste as your recipe writer intended it to taste. It may taste under-seasoned or overseasoned just because you didn't add enough or added too much of an ingredient.
To ensure that you get the right taste every time without any errors, use measuring cups, spoons, and jugs so you will achieve the right taste as intended.
READ MORE ABOUT KITCHENS:
How to Correctly Clean Kitchen Counterops and Other Surfaces Your Child Touches
Here's How To Organize A Really Tiny Kitchen
9. Trivet or hot pad
You may be using this but never knew that it had a proper name. Known simply as a "patungan ng kaldero", the trivet or kitchen hot pad will save your table or any other surface from becoming scorched from the heat of your pot.
Do you have all of these useful items in your kitchen?
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This story originally appeared on Yummy.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Realliving.com.ph editors.
