In an age when kitchen supply stores are cavernous spaces filled with thousands upon thousands of items, even the simple task of building a functional kitchen can be daunting. And while it may seem like you need that hand-crafted pepper mill or that set of pizza stones, the fact of the matter is that you can do a lot in the kitchen with surprisingly little. We’ve already looked at great ways to make your life in the kitchen easier with tech, but you’re gonna want some essential hardware to accompany it. With that in mind, we’ve assembled a list of five items that are endlessly functional, easy to use and above all, relatively inexpensive.
Slow cooker: The old adage “good things take time” could have easily been written about a slow cooker. Designed to maintain a set temperature for up to 12 hours, this appliance can turn a simple combination of ingredients into an astonishingly savory one-pot meal. Whether you’re eating for one and want to pre-make your meals for an entire week or cooking for a party, a little prep can yield a delicious array of meals. Best of all, that slaved-over taste can be created while you’re at the office or even while you sleep.
Knives: Sure, a big “block” loaded with an array of knives may seem like an impressive item for your countertop, but the fact is you’re probably only going to use two of them: a big knife and a small knife. Though they can vary in price from a few dollars to a few thousand, it’s important to buy the best you can afford. A simple way to spot a good knife is to look for one where the metal of the blade continues through the entire handle (this is called the tang). Depending on how much you use them, pay a few bucks once or twice a year for professional sharpening and enjoy what a difference a good knife makes.
Digital thermometer: Properly cooking a dish (especially one containing meat) ranks among the most stressful kitchen experiences. It doesn’t need to be; for just a few bucks, you can pick up a simple digital thermometer that will take all the guesswork out of that perfectly cooked protein. We suggest one that includes an extended cord so you can probe your dish, close the oven door and wait to hear the alarm that signals impending deliciousness.
Cast iron pan: The workhorse of any good kitchen, a cast iron pan will always blow any non-stick, triple-clad pan out of the water. Though they may be intimidatingly heavy and archaic to the uninitiated, they’re surprisingly forgiving to use when properly cared for. Designed to maintain consistent, even heat, it’s the perfect pan for cooking right on the stovetop or even roasting inside your oven. An added tip: since these pans are basically indestructible, it’s worth checking your local thrift shop’s kitchen section for a pan that has an entire lifetime of flavor seared right into it.
[tweetthis]Tip: Check your local thrift shop’s kitchen section for a virtually indestructible cast iron pan.[/tweetthis]
Rice cooker: This may seem like a strange item to form the foundation of a kitchen, but if you’ve ever tried to cook perfect rice, you’ll understand. The backbone of any restaurant, a rice cooker is the kind of set-and-forget appliance you’ll wonder how you ever did without. Even if you don’t eat a lot of rice in your regular diet, having one of these is likely to change that. Perfectly tender, cooked rice is a fantastic foundation for an almost limitless number of meals. Plus, since you don’t have to hover over a pot endlessly stirring and trying to figure out if your rice is cooked or not, you have plenty of extra time for that glass of vino.
