Cooking is considered a basic life skill and yet, it can be so much more than that. While some only cook for survival purposes, others consider it an art and make it their passion and career. It’s true, food can be related to memories, emotions, and people we know. A single unique taste could bring you back to your childhood or remind you of someone you love. If you’re a professional cook, then you definitely recognize the magic in taking separate unrelated ingredients and making them into a delicious dish that has more than just a sustenance effect. You’d also know just how difficult it is to create this magical effect for multiple people at once, but with the help of the right tools, you can work your magic easily.
Here are some essential kitchen tools that you should invest in:
Food Processor
Having a food processor in your kitchen will save you hours of slicing, chopping, shredding, mincing, and grating. It comes with different attachments for each function, making the task of preparing a big batch of food easier than ever. Make sure you purchase a model that is powerful, easy to use and clean as well as easily stored. You should also check if the blades are dishwasher-safe to save even more time on cleaning them. You can use food processors to make pastes and dips like hummus, guacamole, mayonnaise, and you can also make peanut butter or whipped cream and, not to mention, chop or slice any amount of vegetables. There are some fantastic brands available these days including robot coupe food equipment which can make the whole cooking process so much more enjoyable.
Knives Set
Knives are the heart and soul of every professional chef and the most important tool in the kitchen. There are three types of knives that are essential for chefs to have; a chef’s knife, a smaller all-purpose knife, and a paring knife.
With hand forged Damascus kitchen knives, you get the perfect combination of sharpness, balance, weight, and grip. Make sure to invest in a good quality set as they’ll last longer with proper maintenance. The chef’s knife is for chopping and slicing and should be tough, durable, preferably forged with carbon steel for better resistance. The all-purpose knives are usually for vegetables while the paring knife helps with holding food with one hand and cutting with the other. Investing in a good set of knives is something you’ll never regret.
The chef’s knife is for chopping and slicing and should be tough, durable, preferably forged with carbon steel for better resistance. The all-purpose knives are usually for vegetables while the paring knife helps with holding food with one hand and cutting with the other.
To elevate your culinary experience, consider investing in the best Japanese knives—a choice that chefs worldwide regard highly. Investing in a good set of knives is something you’ll never regret.
Understanding the different types of kitchen knives and their specific uses can significantly enhance your culinary skills and make your cooking experience more efficient and enjoyable.
Cast-Iron Skillet
A cast-iron skillet is a must-have for any professional cook, and if you can, then you must get yourself the whole set with cast-iron pans, skillets, and pots. They are known for their impressive durability, heat retention, and distribution qualities which makes them perfect for cooking all kinds of meat. It will give the perfect sear for steaks or scallops and the heat retention attribute will also help you fry food faster and evenly. Just make sure you purchase one with a comfortable grip and enamel finish to eliminate the process of pre-seasoning the pan or lubricating so the food doesn’t get stuck to it. You can also opt for a stainless steel skillet that has the same durability and even better heat retention.
Dutch Oven
Another cast-iron essential in the kitchen is the Dutch oven, also known as stew pot, which can be used to cook almost everything. They are especially ideal for cooking stews, soups, braised chicken legs, or a loaf of no-knead bread. This cast-iron casserole can also come in handy for slow-cooking vegetables, fish, and searing meat. They can go in the oven or on the stovetop making them have versatile functions and recipes. Since it’s usually used to make big batches, you can get a 5 or 6 quart one if you’re not cooking for a crowd. Even though it’s quite expensive, it would be a smart investment since you’ll mostly use it regularly.
Cutting Board
This may seem like a strange tool to be in a professional chef’s essential list, but it’s actually underrated. Many cooks just cut on the counter or a plate, but a chopping board is essential to protect your knives from dulling too quickly. The knife’s blade goes into the wood fibers with a soft landing, protecting the edge from blunting or any other damages. They are also important for hygiene in keeping what you’re chopping from any countertop bacteria. That’s why a wood chopping board beats any glass or stone ones because they are hard enough not to dull your knives and can be easily wiped down. Woos is also known for having antimicrobial properties and it would be more durable and long-lasting.
Blender
Any professional cook looks for tools to speed up their food prep process to make more of their delicious recipes. A blender is a necessity in your kitchen for how quickly it gets things done and in great quality too. Often confused with a food processor, blenders are designed to blitz things into a liquid state while processors slice and dice. Soups, purées, smoothies, ice cream, popsicles, or sauces from scratch; a professional blender or immersion blender can do it all in no time. For professional cooking, you should of course make sure you get a heavy-duty blender that can take all the amounts of food and can run for long periods of time.
Stand Mixer
Using a whisk to mix food can take a lot of time and effort, and with high-pressure and limited time in a professional kitchen, it’s far from practical. A stand mixer would be ideal to mix large amounts and it can even be used at home for when you make big batches of cookies or cake batter. Some types even come with various attachments that can function as pasta rollers. Many don’t think of it as a necessity, but after using it a couple of times, you’ll realize how important it is.
With these tools in your arsenal, you’ll take the professional cooking scene by storm. The most important thing to do is research any tool you plan to purchase to make sure you get the highest quality that would also suit your needs, especially since they don’t come cheap. Even though most of the tools can be very expensive, especially the highest quality brands, consider them an investment in your capabilities as a cook and in your passion for cooking. They are likely to last a long time and prove themselves indispensable.