Kitchen gadgets galore
Americans love cooking tools – although most food can be made with minimal equipment.
from the April 18, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Good tools are an investment
Owning good equipment may not always mean buying the highest-priced item you can find. Good equipment is not cheap, but it's good to think of whatever you spend as an investment in your kitchen and your cooking pleasure.
But how can you tell what good equipment is?
Talk with food professionals, cooking teachers, and good home cooks with well-equipped kitchens to learn what they look for.
Kitchen store owners can be helpful, too, and cooking schools may be another source. But beware: Some may push products from companies who give them endorsements.
Researching food and consumer magazines is also useful. They often have ratings of various kitchen tools.
Three 'must have' small appliances
A food processor, a blender, and a food mixer are three small appliances that can make some tedious kitchen work a snap.
Both food processors and electric mixers should be of large capacity and have powerful motors.
Cheaper, weaker processors and blenders will not do some jobs properly, such as kneading dough, and their smaller capacities set limits on the quantities you are able to process or mix.
The best food processors are those with a set of four or five different discs that can grate, slice, and cut into shapes not easily done by hand, such as julienne cuts.
A good-quality toaster oven and an electric hand blender (not a hand mixer) are also good investments.
Start with knives and cutting board
There are only two essential kitchen tools: a set of excellent knives and a large, sturdy cutting board.
Knives vary tremendously in quality, and it is wise to feel knives in your hand before deciding on this critical tool.
Low-priced knives are often not worth it. Find something in the medium- to high-price range and you will pass them down to the next generation.
If you own a set of knives that you don't like, replace them.
Four knives are essential to every kitchen: a large eight- or nine-inch chef's knife (that's the length of the blade) with a curving cutting edge that you can rock from tip to shaft on a cutting board, a small paring knife, a thin-bladed carving knife (or electric knife), and a large serrated bread knife.
Cutting boards come in different sizes. Equip yourself with the largest, sturdiest one you can find.
A second, smaller cutting board for little jobs, such as slicing cheese or cutting up an apple, is useful to have around. Cutting boards may be made of thick hardwood that won't warp or heavy man-made polyethylene. Both are equally good and easy to clean.
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