The Right Tools for the Job

Something I hear from a lot of people is that they don't feel inspired to cook, and often times this is because they don't love their kitchen or they don't have the right tools to make the job easier. For the most part, I love my kitchen. It's a little small if there are multiple people working aside one another, but I'm pretty fortunate to have all the features I do have. I find that if your kitchen is a space you enjoy, you'll enjoy working in it much more. Just like how you may not feel super motivated or creative if you're stuck in a monotone gray cubical for 40 hours a week, but adding some personal touches, pops of color, and the right office supplies may perk you up a bit. Same concept here. I am by no means going to sit here and tell you that in order to make your kitchen a functional and happy space that you need to do a complete remodel, invest in granite counters or buy all kinds of wacky gadgets that no one actually needs. I do, however, recommend arming yourself with a quality set of tools that serve multiple purposes, and also feel that some pretty towels, flowers, or artwork might lift your spirits.

So what kind of tools are in my kitchen? Well, let's start by saying that the following list/photos are not necessarily all the utensils or equipment I own, but they are some of the basics that I truly believe will make cooking more enjoyable and manageable for you. Get out a piece of paper if you must and jot down some of these items as ideas for upcoming gifts like Christmas or your birthday. As much as I would love to buy one of everything featured at Crate & Barrel or Sur la Table, I'd be in debt to my eyeballs and have tons of unnecessary things lying around. Prioritize which ones you think you are in need of most, and let the others be added to your collection over time. And just for fun, how about a little flashback to the kitchen in our first apartment to our kitchen now:

Our First Apartment

Our Current Home

As you can see, our current home has much more modern features, plus more storage and my favorite, the added dishwasher! But, it is also much more our style and we were able to add the back splash ourselves with the help of Jason's dad, Brent. While the decorations on top of our cabinet don't serve tons of purpose, they help if feel more like home, and they are added visuals without taking up any precious counter space!

So let's get to it. What tools will help make cooking at home more manageable?

Small Wares:
These are the items we use most often in our kitchen. For knives, I recommend a quality paring knife, chef's knife and serrated (or bread) knife, plus a pair of kitchen shears. Quality knives are not terribly expensive, but they will last you a very long time if you take care of them. Ever heard the saying "it's easier to cut yourself with a dull knife"? It's true, and it's because you are having to apply way more pressure to cut with a dull knife than you would be using a sharp knife. This means that the knife is more liking to slip and cut you, rather than gliding smoothly through the food. Maintaining sharpened knives also extends the life of them, and sharpening them yourself is very easy to do. I love my mother, but I hate using her knives. She knows this because I complain about it nearly every time, but once you experience using well sharpened knives, you'll understand and never go back. And don't forget about cutting boards. We have a few different sizes and materials, depending on what we are using them for. I prefer wood for breads, and plastic for basically everything else.

Other utensils that we use on a very regular basis include high-heat rubber spatulas, whisks, metal spatulas, tongs, and wooden spoons. Other items that are super helpful but not used as often include a garlic press, ladle, and citrus juicer. And remember how I said I love my mom? Yes, those are engraved wooden utensils she bought me one year for Christmas. I prefer using those for serving rather than cooking, and use some cheaper ones for day to day use that I don't care quite as much about if they get stained.

Equipment & More Specified Uses:
You've heard me rave about my immersion blender and my Crockpots, so here they are. These items pay for themselves very quickly in my opinion and can be used for so many different things.

We also have a few bigger pieces of equipment we use for more particular tasks. These include our food processor, pasta roller (not pictured), blender, stove-top popcorn maker, salad spinner and my beloved Kitchen Aide stand mixer. I use these items much less regularly, but they make a HUGE difference when I am making things like salsa, jams, pasta dough, and LaraBars (food processor), and cookie dough, breads, whipped cream, and even some DIY beauty products (Kitchen Aide). These are a bigger investment obviously, but will last a very, very long time and are great items to have on your wish list. If you have no intention of ever making your own pasta or don't eat popcorn, then those are probably not something you would need ;)

Pots and Pans:

There is very little cooking that can be done without the use of some pots and pans. I am THRILLED to be getting my hands on this new set soon thanks to my future mother-in-law, Patty. We currently have a set of Food Network Non-Stick pots and pans that have gotten a good workout the last five years. They still do the job, and we will hold onto them for when we are cooking for a crowd. We opted to go for ceramic non-stick this time around since they are more eco-friendly. We read lots of reviews and specs on numerous styles of pots and pans, but we loved that these were non-toxic, eco-friendly, non-stick, non-scratch and easy to clean. I mean, what's not to love about that?!

I also recommend a good set of sheet pans. The ones I have are available at Costco as well as many restaurant supply stores. I highly recommend looking into restaurant quality kitchen tools. They are typically no more expensive, and often actually less, than ones you would find at Walmart or Target. When you by rubber spatulas that are a package of 5 for $6, you can go ahead and assume they aren't heat resistant and they will probably be flimsy, as well as wear out quickly. And if you buy the nicer ones offered in box stores, you are paying for the name (i.e. Rachel Ray brand or Paula Dean). Quality pans will not warp on you at high temps and they are great for both baking and cooking/roasting in the oven. I knew nothing about Silpats (the orange/brown item pictured with the sheet pans) until I attended pastry school, and now I can't live without them. The name brand ones are kind of pricey, but Food Network and other brands are more affordable and work just as well. These replaced the need for parchment paper or aluminum foil when baking or roasting, which eliminates tons of waste (you know I love that). They also are awesome for candy and chocolate making, if you care to venture that far. And if you're a baker, a French Style wooden rolling pin, some different sized scoops and other various tools might be handy as well! 

Later this week I'll be posting about how we store all of our food and make the most of limited storage space, plus how we buy in bulk to save money. Am I missing any of your must-have kitchen tools?