Choosing Equipment for the Home Cook

Working in people’s homes, I get a good sense of what sort of equipment the average home cook has in their kitchen.  I find that people new to cooking are either working with minimal supplies, or have purchased all sorts of fancy equipment that now just sits on their counters collecting dust because they don’t know what to do with it. The same goes for more experienced cooks. 

I am often asked “how do I choose equipment that is decent but not too professional for my needs?”  

To answer that question, I put together this handy guide of what I find to be the most useful and often used tools in the kitchen, how to select the best for your budget, along with recommendations for my favorite types and brands. 

Chef's Knife: The first and most important tool you need is a good chef’s knife. This is where people should make a little bit of a splurge. A good quality knife will make chopping and cutting less daunting and more fun. People are often afraid of sharp knives, but the truth is, more injuries occur from dull knives than sharp ones because you are more likely to slip and have to work harder to get your slicing and dicing done. Your knife should feel like an extension of your hand so you want to choose one that is perfect for you. I always suggest that people not just read reviews, but also go to at least one kitchen supply store (Sur La Table, Bed Bath and Beyond, Williams Sonoma) and try the knives on for size to find your perfect fit. Feel them out for weight, grip, length and determine which feels most comfortable for you. Once you’ve selected the knife you want, you may be able to buy it cheaper online, but don’t buy it before you try it. My knife is a Wusthof and I cannot say enough good things about the brand.  I even bought my parents a less expensive one for Christmas last year. Other recommended brands are J.A. Henckels and Global. If you're only prepping veggies, the only knives you need are a chef's knife, a paring knife and a good serrated knife.

Blender: Vitamix or Blendtec are high-end blenders that will easily accomplish all your blending goals, for a price tag of nearly $500. If your goal is to make smoothies or soups daily, blend nuts, grind your own flours and similar tasks, you definitely want to go for one of these. However, you don’t need top of the line to get the job done. If budget is more of a concern, or you don’t want to spend a lot for something you may only use on occasion, opt for a lower end blender made by Oster, or a Ninja. I’ve had an Oster for years and while it takes longer to get things as smooth as a Vitamix, they are a great “starter” blender at an affordable price for someone new to preparing food at home who is not blending on a daily basis.

Food Processor: Hands down, no question, buy a Cuisanart. I have seen people use the same food processor that belonged to their grandma 25 years ago. These things are built to last! If you’re preparing small quantities, a 7-cup will suffice. Don’t go any smaller than that, but go bigger if you are planning to prepare larger meals. You want one that includes a stainless steel chopping/mixing blade, a dough blade, a slicing disc, and a shredding disc to ease preparation for multiple jobs.

Mandoline: I think this is a nice item to have but not really necessary, unless you’re doing fancier cutting (like waffle fries). I have a simple OXO and I rarely use it. Anytime I need to do high volume thin slicing or shredding, I just use my food processor discs. Mostly my mandolin just comes out for presentation purposes or when I need longer vegetable slices, like zucchini.

Cutting Board: Bamboo cutting boards are the best for extending the sharpness of your knife blade, and best for your health and the environment as the material is renewable.  Glass, marble or stone will dull your blade; acrylic boards will cause your knife to stick too much and flimsy plastic boards will slide around too much, creating dangerous cutting situations.

Storage Containers: Tempered glass with snap on lids are the best way to go for food storage. Glasslock Snapware makes great sets that are easy to use and store. Bonus if you can find storage containers that can double as mixing bowls. 

Mixing Bowls: These are more a matter of preference than anything else. Glass or stainless steel are your best options as they are versatile and can be used for hot or cold mixing. Ceramic are nice but can be heavy, making them a bit more difficult to use. Plastic tends to stain or run the risk of leeching so I don’t recommend them. My favorite bowls are OXO with the rubber bottoms as they keep your bowls from slipping around. Smaller glass, ceramic, silicon, or stainless steel bowls are great to use during prep to make cooking easier. Do all your cutting, chopping and mincing before you start cooking so that you can easily have everything in place, the literal translation of what we chef's call "mis en place." 

Measuring Cups and Spoons: I recommend having two different types of measuring cups because the serve different purposes. Those stackable cups that come in sets from 1/4 cup to 1 cup are useful for accurate dry measures, especially for flour in baking. The ones with the handle that look like pitchers are better for accurate liquid measures. You can actually fill them all the way to the measurement you desire, instead of it being just below the surface of the other cups; less mess, less fuss. For measuring spoons, I love the ones that have adjustable sliders because it means I only need two pieces (one for tablespoon and one for teaspoon measures), which means I am less likely to lose part of the set. I also keep measured shot glasses and a mini measuring cup on hand for small quantity liquid measure. 

Cookware: If you’re new to cooking and not cooking for a crowd, you don’t need a big set of pots and pans. When I’m cooking at home for just myself and maybe one or two other people, I have just a few go to items. 1) a big cast iron, enamel coated pot for stews and other one pot meals. LeCreuset is the investment piece, Lodge Logic makes an inexpensive, high quality piece, IKEA sells a budget version; 2) 3 quart and 8 quart stainless steel pots for cooking rice, quinoa, pasta and making batches of vegetable stock; 3) 10 inch stainless steel skillet with shallow sides for stir frying and other quick tasks. Cuisanart makes great sets at an affordable price, All Clad is your high end option. Stainless steel with aluminum or copper core, or cast iron have the best even heat distribution. However, if you are sensitive to metals, stainless steel may not be your best option; in which case, opt for good quality enamel cookware. I recommend staying away from products that are all aluminum or non-stick as there are health risks involved. Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s Disease; and Teflon has been linked to cancer and other health issues.  If you opt for non-stick, do your research first and aim for products that are ceramic or enamel. Natural Life Magazine has an interesting article on selecting cookware. 

Other useful tools: 

I personally couldn't live without my citrus squeezer and my microplane zester. The citrus squeezer helps to extract the maximum amount of juice from lemons and limes (and oranges if you get a larger size one), and prevents that burning sensation if you have even the tiniest cut on your hand -- you know what I'm talking about.  The juicer goes well with the microplane, as it allows you to easily utilize the zest from your citrus, among other things. To read more about my love of microplane, check out the guest post I did on my friend Christy Morgan's, aka, The Blissful Chef, blog. 

Is there any equipment I didn't cover that you have questions about?  

Leave a comment below and I'll respond to your inquiries.