recommendations for kitchen equipment

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Ella Du Toit

Welcome to the Scoolinary community!

Thank you for your question.

We’re thrilled to know that you’re interested in equipping your kitchen or learning more about the essential utensils you need.

Here are some ideas for kitchen essentials:

Knives:

-A good chef’s knife (20-25 cm) is essential for almost all tasks.

-A serrated bread knife and a paring or precision knife for finer tasks.

Keep your knives sharp with a sharpener or stone.

Pans:

-A high-quality non-stick pan for oil-free cooking or preparing eggs.

-A cast iron skillet (like Le Creuset or Lodge) for searing meats and cooking at high temperatures.

-A stainless steel pan for sauces and cooking that requires even heat distribution.

Pots:

-A large pot (ideally stainless steel) for soups, pastas, or stews.

-A smaller pot for sauces or steaming.

-A pressure cooker (like the Instant Pot) if you want to save time while cooking.

Baking Equipment:

Stand mixer: If it’s for home use and you don’t plan on working with very heavy doughs like bread or pizza, a KitchenAid is a great option. However, if you plan to make recipes that involve denser doughs, such as bread or pizza dough, I would recommend a mixer with a more powerful and durable motor. In that case, a Hobart N50 or KitchenAid Pro Line (which has a stronger motor than the standard versions) would be more suitable for handling heavy doughs efficiently. These mixers have a more robust motor, making them ideal for tougher jobs.

-Cake and bread pans and cutters, preferably made of steel or ceramic.

-A spatula and silicone mats for mixing, scraping, and baking.

-Parchment paper and a non-stick baking sheet.

Other Items:

-A high-quality grater (preferably stainless steel).

-A sieve or strainer for sauces, soups, and baking.

-A kitchen thermometer for meats and sweets.

-A vegetable peeler and mandoline for slicing thin.

These are just some of the basics. Depending on your cooking style, there may be additional tools that would be very useful. If you have something specific in mind that you’d like more details on, just let me know, and I’ll be happy to help you with it.

Best regards.