Which Cookware To Buy For a New Kitchen

I f you’re a cooking novice looking for cookware for a new kitchen, then seeing the huge assortment of utensils in stores can be overwhelming when you don't even know how to boil water. The learning curve is steep when you start from scratch. In order to make the experience less daunting and more palatable, here are some must-buy kitchen utensils for beginner cooks.

Preparation Tools

This category includes all the tools necessary to prepare the ingredients before cooking. 

Chef’s Knife and Cutting Board

A proper professional quality chef’s knife is key when it comes to protecting yourself from injuries. If you get a cheap quality knife then its blade will most likely be duller and require more effort to cut vegetables, which would cause it to slip more as compared to a professional chef’s knife, therefore, increasing the chances of injury. A wooden cutting board is better than a plastic one but either should be fine.

Measuring Cups and Spoons

If you are a novice chef then measuring utensils will be your best friend. Since you’re just starting out, you’ll want to measure ingredients as accurately as possible to avoid any major blunders. 

Vegetable Peeler and Mandolin

A vegetable peeler is a must-have item and mandolin slicers aren’t the most important since you can do the same job with a knife but they will cut your veggies a lot faster.

Strainer

Strainers are useful for easily washing rice and cleaning veggies.

Grater

If you’re a fan of cheese and let’s be honest, who isn’t? then a cheese grater is also a must-have item for you. 

Garlic Crusher and Lemon Juicer

Chopping garlic and juicing lemons are seemingly small activities in the kitchen that can sometimes cause far more trouble than they should. Therefore, these will save you a ton of time.

Sharpening Ceramic Rod

Truth be told, if you're going to invest in a good chef's knife (which you should), you'll want to treat it well in order to make it last a long time. Maintaining a good knife does not need a lot of tools or time. 

Cookware 

Now, we can move on to all the utensils used during cooking. The perfect cookware will allow you to make delicious food with ease.

Teflon Skillet

Your kitchen's workhorse will most likely be a Teflon skillet. This cookware will be used for sauteing, frying, searing, sautéing, as well as browning, among other things. and since it's Teflon, it's really easy to clean since food won't stick to it. But the trade-off is that Teflon doesn't last as long as stainless steel.

Sauté pan 

There are a few key differences between a sauté pan and a skillet. It features a large flat base and high vertical sides which rise considerably higher than the flared sides of a skillet. In comparison to a skillet, this can make it much easier to prepare sear, sauce and braise meats. It’s a good idea to get small, medium, and large sizes to fit the portion of food you cook. If you want to clean it easily, then it’s a good idea to get non-stick ones.

Non-Stick Spatula 

If you're getting all your cookware that is Teflon, then unless you buy a non-stick spatula or any other spoon, you are very likely to ruin the non-stick surface. Spatulas are great for flipping burger patties, eggs, pancakes, etc. Plus the food won’t stick to the spatula and ruin the shape of the food.

Tongs

Getting sturdy tongs set that can take on a variety of various-sized meals is essential for easily turning meats and veggies. It's critical that they are made with silicone tips that prevent scratching and that they have a high level of resistance to heat, which will prevent them from melting the tongs.

Splatter Guard

If you’re new to cooking, the splatters of hot oil when you're frying something can be scary and painful so in order to save yourself from the pain, we recommend you buy a splatter guard that goes on top of skillets or sauté pans. They prevent splattering during high-heat cooking to stop the hot oil from burning you.

Silicone Stirring Spoon

We recommend buying a stirring spoon with stainless steel handle and silicone top. It will last longer and won’t melt in different places while also getting out the yummy juices without damaging the non-stick surface. This Tovolo stirring spoon is one of the greatest ones on the market!

Buying cookware for a new kitchen doesn’t have to hurt your wallet or your brain if you’ve got a good idea of what is necessary and what isn't. So, with that in mind, happy cooking to you all and good luck.