Being able to cook wholesome and creative meals may seem like it has everything to do with talent, but the truth is that it is a skill, and you can definitely improve your technique with constant practice.
But as in the case of any artist, the tools you’re working with are just as necessary as your dedication to your craft, which is why any novice home chef needs adequate appliances and gadgets in order to enjoy good results. Here are some tools that will elevate your cooking to the next level and allow you to come up with even more flavoursome recipes.
Storage space
Having sufficient storage space available is one of the prerequisites of a good kitchen, as you won’t be able to carry out your activities if you’ve got clutter scattered on every available surface. However, that doesn’t mean that you should give up on the aesthetic appeal of a beautiful ensemble, which is why you should look into painted kitchens for something that can guarantee the best of both worlds.
Another advantage of this design is its timeless appeal, which remains consistently popular among homeowners and lends itself well to any interior design.
Your kitchen should be able to accommodate everything comfortably, including fresh and dry foods, cleaning materials, utensils, crockery, herbs, oils, and so on. If everything has its designated space, you know where to find everything, so you save time while cooking. Moreover, you minimise the risk of spills or any kind of damage to the gadgets so that you can keep them longer.
Cast iron skillet
Cast iron cookware is highly praised and valued for its durability, heat retention, and ability to maintain its temperature for longer. This type of vessel has been used for cooking for millennia but remains just as relevant as ever, mainly because there’s an endless amount of dishes you can cook in them.
Pizza is one of them, as the pan’s material mimics the properties of a pizza stone, resulting in a crisp dough but thoroughly cooked ingredients. Chicken pot pie, cornbread, buttermilk fried chicken, grilled cheese, roast chicken, skillet cookies, and Dutch baby are a few of the recipes, but you can also use it for much simpler dishes, such as fried eggs.
Research shows that cooking in a cast iron skillet can help people battling iron deficiency. Make sure to keep your pan seasoned to prevent rusting, but be careful about how you do your dishes in the future.
Avoid detergents and the dishwasher, wipe your pan after use, or clean it with a stiff brush and hot water. If you have to use soap, look for a mild alternative and apply a thin layer of oil afterward. Some also swear by cleaning your skillet using coarse salt.
Sous Vide cooker
While not long ago, sous vide cooking was solely associated with high-end locales and fine dining, it is now accessible for household use as well. The technique lets you vacuum-seal a bag to cook in a water bath with a strictly regulated temperature. The long time it takes for the food to cook means that your dishes will turn out unlike anything you’ve tasted before.
Look for a compact model that is easy to set. Some models come with unique applications that offer step-by-step instructions that can guide you throughout the cooking process. This is particularly valuable if you’re a beginner and you’ve never tried sous vide before or you did but didn’t get the best results.
Some people are also adamant about getting a cooker that operates quietly, while others don’t feel that’s a requirement. Whichever you choose depends on yourself, but you should make sure to find a sous vide machine that allows perfect adherence to as many types of containers as possible and can heat water effectively.
Pressure cooker
This is a must-have appliance if you cook a lot at home since it allows you to serve the meals in no time. Apart from saving time, it also saves energy and helps your food retain more of its nutrients, which are frequently lost through boiling or deep-frying.
A pressure cooker can also be used for multiple purposes and is relatively simple to clean up. There are several full meals you can cook inside a pressure cooker, including Cuban chicken, which makes use of spices and citrus to give the dish its unique aroma, chilli con carne, meatloaf, French toast, cheesecake, sweet and sour pork, shrimp noodles and cherry rice pudding.
The pressure cooker is also a great idea if you don’t have a lot of space but still want to eat balanced meals and get all your nutrients. You don’t need a full set of pots and pans to have a healthy diet.
Food processor
The food processor is highly efficient and fast, so you save a lot of time and effort while also getting the benefit of coming up with dishes that just look better overall. It is also an incredibly versatile gadget that will get your ingredients ready right away, regardless of what you need. The food processor can:
- Dice veg in large chunks for a hearty stew or root soup
- Puree ingredients so that you can create sauces or baby foods
- Combine liquids to make mayonnaise or vinaigrettes at home
- Slice fruits and vegetables however you want so that they can be used in slices or as part of starters
- Peel apples, potatoes, and others
- Knead dough for homemade pizza, pasta, or bread
- Shred cheese to be used in fondues, tacos, or as a topping for pizza
When you ensure that your kitchen is well-equipped and you have all the necessary appliances, you’ll be ready to take on more daring culinary projects. You can expand your creativity and try cooking or baking more foods than you did before.
As a general rule, it’s a good idea to focus on gadgets that can be used for more than a single purpose and get high-quality models. Although the upfront costs might be slightly more elevated initially, you’ll get more use out of them, saving money in the long term.
