Cooking

Essential Basic Cooking Supplies To Have On Hand

Cooking comes relatively easily to some, and not so easily to others. But whatever your abilities in the kitchen, you are going to need some supplies. These will see you through most basic recipes, and some more complicated ones.

You will need measuring equipment. Having both dry and liquid cup measures is a good idea, but not completely necessary. Only in the pickiest of recipes does it matter if you measure liquids with a dry measuring cup. Don't try to measure dry ingredients in a liquid measuring cup, though. As well as cup measures, a set of tablespoon, teaspoon, and teaspoon increment measuring devices is essential, too.

For baked goods, having the proper pan is necessary. There are many different types of pans for many different kind of baked goods. Of course if you want to make muffins, you are going to need a muffin pan, but for those just starting out, some kind of flat baking sheet and a square or rectangular cake or bread pan can be used with an awful lot of recipes.

Stove-top pans like a good saucepan and frying pan are essentials. Having different sizes is nice, but if in doubt, just get a medium size one of each. A colander or strainer is usually a good investment for when you are draining pasta, vegetables, or other boiled items.

A spatula for use in frying pans, and a long-handled spoon for stirring in saucepans should be in your kitchen. It's pretty hard to make pancakes, stir fry, eggs, and a lot of other things without a spatula. And having a long-handled spoon will keep you further away from boiling soups, pasta, veggies and more while making sure that they are thoroughly mixed.

Having a knife set will make your life easier, but a few specific knives will work, as well. A wide, sharp, non-serrated blade for chopping things, a shorter, more narrow serrated blade for cutting, and steak knives for serving meat dishes are all you really need. A bread knife can be useful, but it is more of a luxury than a necessity.

If you get overwhelmed by the wide variety of available kitchen supplies, consider what you make regularly and whether you really need a new item. If it is something you'll only need once or twice, see if you have a friend or relative that you can borrow it from. And always consider whether something else can do the same job at a lower price than whatever tool you are considering.