TOP
10 ESSENTIALS FOR COOKING
Here's
my top-10 list of kitchen essentials for a well-equipped
kitchen:
1. An
8-inch chef knife and 3-inch paring knife. Make sure they
are high-carbon stainless, forged knives. Avoid the "82-knife
set."
2. Cutting
board. I favor nylon or bamboo. In either case, make sure
it is lightweight and at least 12-by-20-inches.
3. Measuring
cups and spoons. You'll need a 2-cup and a 4-cup liquid measuring
cup, a set of measuring cups for dry ingredients and a set
of measuring spoons. Stainless steel is the most durable.
4. A
12-inch nonstick skillet with cover. Tri-ply such as All-Clad
is the best for even heating. This pan does everything from
omelets to sautés.
5. An
8-quart stock pot. This is essential for boiling pasta, steaming
vegetables or making large batches of chili, soups and stews.
6. Colander.
Get stainless steel with firmly riveted handles.
7. A
3-quart covered saucepan. This rounds out your pots-and-pans
inventory for small boiling projects and heating canned soups.
8. A
four-sided cheese grater. Freshly grated cheese is a big
flavor boost for your cooking. This tool is also useful for
grating vegetables and shredding lemon zest.
9. Sheet
pan. This inexpensive pan has raised sides and can be used
to bake cookies, breads and pizza, or to roast vegetables
and meats.
10. A
6-quart slow cooker. This is a working couple's best friend.
Ten minutes of prep in the morning yields a dinner entree
and loads of leftovers. The models with the thickest insert
provide the slowest, most-even cooking. Be sure it's at least
a 5-quart capacity.
-
Chris Fennimore
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