As the world becomes more health-conscious, home cooking has come back significantly. People are ditching processed, unhealthy food in favor of fresh, home-cooked meals. And as a result, home chefs are more popular than ever before.
Are you looking to up your home chef game? If so, you must know about the must-have kitchen essentials for every great home chef. These tools and accessories will make your time in the kitchen more efficient and enjoyable.
This list includes everything you need to become a great home chef, from wooden charcuterie boards to resin serveware. You’ll be whipping up gourmet meals with these essential items in no time.
Must-have kitchen appliances
When it comes to cooking and baking, the kitchen is where you do your best work. But, it’s also a place where we can be free to cook with all hearts, souls, and stomachs.
There are many options for home chefs who want to make their kitchens more functional and easy to use. Here are some must-have items for any great home chef:
Resin Serveware
Resin serveware is a great way to make your dishes look made out of glass without extra cost. The FDA-approved thermoplastic resin made up these durable vessels. Before replacement, you can use them multiple times.
Washing resin serving ware with warm water after usage is always advisable. However, we do recommend Ivory Liquid Hand Soap. This will help remove food particles left behind by previous meals before putting them away in their storage container.
It’s also important not to put plastic wrap directly onto these surfaces. Instead, use paper towels or cloth napkins to avoid damaging them.
Charcuterie Board
A charcuterie board is a wooden board with the design to hold a variety of meats and cheeses. It’s an essential piece of equipment in your kitchen. This is perfect if you want to add flair to your meals. In addition, it ensures that everyone gets enough protein.
Charcuterie boards can be made of wood, marble, plastic, or even something as unconventional as old tire treads. The possibilities are endless when it comes down to what materials for creating these pieces of art.
However, there are certain factors involved when deciding on which type works best for each situation:
The material you use can give off a certain vibe to your board. For example, if you’re looking for something that looks more rustic, wood or plastic may be better suited for the job. But, if you’re trying to achieve a more refined look, marble or metal may fit the bill better.
Cheeseboards
Cheeseboards are valuable tools for serving and displaying cheese. This is perfect for your home arsenal if you want to add flair to your meals. This also includes ensuring that everyone at the table gets protein.
To buy cheeseboards, it can be challenging to find your perfect match. With so many options on the market, here are a few of the best cheese boards you can find. They are;
- Large Acacia Cheese Boards
- Baguette Acacia Boards
- Round Cheese Paddle Acacia Boards
- XL Acacia Cheese Boards
- Medium Acacia Cheese Boards
But one of the most important things to consider is the kind of cheese you want to serve. And each of these cheese boards has its features and function for different events. They are great because;
- These cheese boards are perfect for serving a group of 2-8 people.
- These pieces blend gorgeous Acacia hardwood and eco-friendly epoxy to suit your needs.
- They create a one-of-a-kind piece of serveware for your home.
Knife Set
A knife set is a collection of knives you can choose to meet your needs. Of course, you don’t need many of them, but there may be more than one or two. A good knife set should have at least 4 knives:
A Chef’s Knife (Or “Cook’s Knife”)
This is your kitchen’s largest and most versatile cutting tool. It’s ideal for chopping vegetables and slicing meat or fish into smaller pieces. This blade type is also used for breaking bones or shredding cheese.
An 8” Paring Knife
An 8” paring knife is also called a “tiger.” This is because it looks like one when viewed from above. This short-bladed utensil has many functions, such as;
- For peeling fruits like apples and pears
- For trimming excess fat from meat products such as chicken thighs
- For making decorative cuts on pastry dough
- For cutting small pieces off turkeys after marinating them overnight in lemon juice & herbs
Wooden Serving Board
A wooden serving board is a must-have for any home cook. Why? Because it’s easy to clean and durable. The wooden serving board has a beautiful look that will complement any kitchen decor.
The wooden serving board is also used in various ways, from serving food to storing leftovers in the fridge or freezer. And if you’re looking for something more stylish than plastic containers, it is an excellent choice.
There are many benefits to using this type of dish:
- They’re easy to clean (no need to soak them)
- They’re dishwasher safe (which saves time)
- They won’t chip as easily as porcelain does over time.
Cookware
Whether you’re a professional chef or just a home cook, the kitchen essentials you need to have on hand are often overlooked. But without them, your culinary skills would be limited to what is available in your pantry and freezer.
Even those items may not be adequate for all of your cooking needs. Cookware is an essential tool that helps us prepare food and make certain dishes more enjoyable to eat.
They come in various materials:
- Stainless steel pans
- Aluminum pots
- Pans (which you can also use on induction stoves)
- Cast iron skillets, the list goes on.
What’s important here is that these utensils should suit your needs as well as possible. This will tell how long it will last before a change.
Storage Containers
These are the most important items you can buy. A suitable storage container will keep your food fresh. It will also prevent cross-contamination and make meal prep a breeze.
But if you don’t like glass or plastic lids, investing in stainless steel containers is a must-have for any serious chef. This is not just because they’re quick to use but also because they’re helpful.
Essential Spices and Seasonings
Essential spices and seasonings add flavor and depth to your food. This involves a traditional recipe or something new that you’ve invented. They will bring out the best in your creations.
From curry powder to cumin seeds, these ingredients can be used to enhance many different dishes. Some examples include cinnamon sticks (for sweet things) or marjoram leaves (for savory ones).
You may also want to keep some fennel seeds on hand for meats like pork belly or beef short ribs. They’ll lend their distinct flavor while adding moisture to the meat during cooking.
Why a Great Home Chef Always Has a Well-Stocked Kitchen
Many things can go wrong in the kitchen when you’re a home chef. For example, you could make an error when cooking and have a meal that’s too salty or dry. You might run out of ingredients to use in your recipe or forget to buy anything.
To avoid these problems, you need to have everything necessary at hand so that nothing gets in the way of good food.
How to Use These Essential Kitchen Appliances to Your Advantage
- Use the knife set to chop, slice, and dice.
- Use the wood and resin serveware to serve food.
- Use appliances like the food processor or blender for quick preparation of ingredients for soups and sauces; for example, making pesto sauce in minutes!
- Spice up your meals by adding extra flavor with spices such as cinnamon, cayenne pepper, paprika, and garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic).
To Wrap Things Up
Now that you’ve read this guide, you should be well equipped to create a kitchen that is the envy of your friends and family.
Let’s recap:
- Learn how to cook using these tools.
- Make sure that everything in your kitchen fits together correctly, so no one has to resort to eating out when they run out of time or energy.
