I have always enjoyed cooking, and I remember that in my school years, my friends would come to my house and while I was making cakes or cookies they would ask me, laughing, what many of the utensils that were normal to me were for, such as a sieve or a suribachi (Japanese mortar).
I've mentioned many times that I don't like having too many things in my house, and the kitchen is no exception. That's why I always try to have multi-purpose, high-quality products. However, I do feel that having the right utensils makes cooking easier, more enjoyable, and healthier.
It's no exaggeration, a salad is much tastier when the lettuce is well drained, and legumes cooked at home in a pressure cooker are infinitely better and healthier than a meal that goes from a store freezer to your home fryer.
This is what I use daily, or almost daily.
- Oven and gas stove
- Stainless steel pot and pan set
- 2 frying pans and an iron griddle
- 1 low saucepan with enamelled iron lid
- 1 pressure cooker
- Stainless steel ladle and spatula
- Wooden ladles
- An immersion blender and a stand blender
- Lettuce strainer (this one is plastic)
- Kettle
- French press for coffee
- Quality knives: a chef's knife and a paring knife are essential
The rest of the utensils I have—grater, mixing bowls, Tupperware, etc.—are made of stainless steel and glass whenever possible. As you can see, I do without non-stick pans, plastic and aluminum utensils, and a microwave, and I don't miss anything.
For reheating, I use a small saucepan or one of the cast iron skillets; for sautéing or stir-frying, the shallow saucepan or cast iron skillet; and for roasting, the shallow saucepan. I cook legumes and sometimes rice in the pressure cooker. Well-seasoned cast iron skillets—they always need to have some oil in them—are non-stick, and when food sticks because the skillet wasn't properly seasoned, cleaning it is quite simple with hot water and a steel wool pad (never with soap).
If you're just starting out, you can begin with a cast iron skillet and a low saucepan, as well as a pressure cooker, which is easy to use and very versatile. If you already have your kitchen set up, you can gradually replace aluminum, plastic, etc., with wood, bamboo, iron, copper, and steel.
I'd love to know how you manage in the kitchen, and what your must-have utensil is.
-Olivia