by: Geoffrey Cook
A basic kitchen needs a selection of pots and pans, some
basic gadgets, and a collection of common spices and
condiments.
Pots and Pans:
A minimum set includes a small frying pan, a one-quart
saucepan with cover, a two-quart saucepan with cover, a
large frying pan with cover, and a large pot (for
spaghetti, stew, pot roast, or homemade soup.) If you
are cooking for more than one person, get two each of
the frying pans and saucepans. Covers are optional for
the frying pans, but try to get a cover to fit at least
one.
Good quality pans spread the heat evenly so that food
does not burn in area of the pan and stay undercooked in
another. The bottom of a good pan sits flat on the
stove. Cheap pans wear out fast and cost more in the
long run. Stainless steel pans with a porcelain coating
or a copper bottom are excellent. Stay away from
aluminum pans. They get bent out of shape easily and do
not last. There have also been some health warnings
about cooking in aluminum, but no real proof of any
danger.
When using pans with a non-stick coating, turn the heat
up only as far as is necessary, and only use wooden or
plastic tools. Wipe the pan clean in soapy water. A
plastic or nylon net scrubber can be used, but never use
steel wool pads. If you do not burn the food onto the
pan, and you wash it while the food is still fresh and
moist, it will be easy to clean. If you have birds as
pets, you may want to avoid non-stick coatings. If you
use them, be sure not to overheat them. The coating can
release fumes that can kill a bird.
Some other useful tools are a slow cooker, a wok (for
Chinese cooking), toaster, microwave, blender, food
processor, electric mixer, and an electric knife. There
are also bread machines available at reasonable prices
that produce a fresh hot loaf of bread rapidly. Most
machines also have a delay setting to allow one to place
the ingredients in the machine hours before the bread is
needed, so the machine finishes just in time for dinner.
Basic Gadgets:
You will need some wooden spoons. Get a selection of
sizes and handle lengths. These are always handy and
they will not damage your non-stick coatings. Unlike
metal tools, they do not get too hot to
handle.
You will also want a collection of spatulas in different
sizes and shapes. The lightweight spatula that will flip
an egg may not be strong enough for a hamburger.
Sometimes a narrow spatula is all that
will fit in a pan, and sometimes a wide one is needed to
get under whatever needs to be turned or lifted.
Whisks come in various sizes. They are very handy for
mixing lightweight ingredients quickly, and are easier
to get out and later to clean than a blender or mixer.
Get a good set of knives. Cheap ones make the job of
cutting more difficult and they wear out fast. With the
knives, you will need a good cutting board. A cutting
board provides a flat working surface
and protects your counters. Plastic cutting boards are
easier to clean than wooden ones. Never cut vegetables
that will be eaten raw on a cutting board that was used
to cut raw meat unless you thoroughly clean the board
first.
You will also need a selection of measuring tools.
Measuring cups for dry ingredients and measuring spoons
come in sets. Get a set of each. You will need a
measuring cup for liquids, too. A one-cup measure is
probably sufficient, but two-cup and quart measures are
also useful. If you want to be precise in your
measurements for dietary requirements, buy a food scale
and measure your portions until you get used to the
sizes and can estimate accurately without weighing
everything.
A lot of canned products are now being packaged with pop
tops, but get a good can opener for the others. There
are some electrics that sell for reasonable prices and
do a good job, but get a manual one too. When the power
goes out, it can be frustrating not to be able to open
the cans.
Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper go without saying. Some dried minced
onion peps up a lot of recipes. Garlic is available
fresh or in dried, chopped form or as a powder. Caution:
make sure you know the difference between garlic powder
and garlic salt. Garlic powder makes great garlic bread;
garlic
salt makes VERY salty garlic bread.
Oregano or "Italian Seasoning," gives an Italian flavor
to anything. A bay leaf cooked in stew brings out the
flavor of the other ingredients. Paprika is a red powder
used mainly for appearance, but
it has been linked to some health benefits. If you like
things hot, try sprinkling some cayenne pepper or chili
powder on your food.
Basic condiments include ketchup, mustard, relish and
mayonnaise. There are all sorts of mustard varieties
available. You can probably find traditional yellow
mustard, Dijon, spicy brown, honey, and hot Chinese
mustard, just to name a few. Explore your local market
and see what looks good. Be adventurous, but buy the
smallest size, so you do not have a lot to discard if
you do not like it.
Other condiments to try are steak sauces, barbecue
sauces, tartar sauce, and various stir-fry sauces. Read
the labels. If sugar is one of the first few
ingredients, forget it. Ingredient labels list the
ingredients in descending order. The main ingredient is
first, then the others, with the least one last.