Top 5 Kitchen Essentials [To Cook From-Scratch]
Sharing my Top 5 Kitchen Essentials tools that every from-scratch cook needs in their kitchen.
In all my years of learning how to cook, it really does boil down to just a few things that any good cook truly needs. This is especially so if you are a person who opts to cook from scratch. Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be labor intensive. If you are armed with the right tools you can create just about anything you can think of. I find having a few great gadgets in the kitchen to be like a secret weapon in a sense. These are the ones I reach for most often and incidentally are the most versatile to use. Some even daily mind you.
If you love to cook from scratch, you might enjoy this blog post on the 7 Vintage Kitchen Skills That Will Change Your Kitchen. There you will find several new ways to up your game while cooking from scratch. Many of these skills complement the essentials I will be covering in today’s kitchen essential post.
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Top 5 Kitchen Essentials
Food Processor
Number one on this list is my trusty food processor. The one pictured here is at least 12 years old. This thing has zipped through salsas, coleslaw, pie crusts, biscuits, hummus, and pesto all while being slammed shut and banged back into place for another batch. My impatient self has forced it to close, packed it as full as it could possibly stand, and yet here it stands, turning on a dime. It is a true kitchen essential and a tool that has helped me many times over in my kitchen.
Cast Iron Skillets
You know this one was gonna be mentioned. These things are workhorses. They are affordable, work for many things including baking, have incredible durability, and for this, are a kitchen essential. If you are new to cast iron rest assured I have you covered. You can learn more about how to cook with, care for and clean these amazing pans in this blog post about how to care for your cast iron cookware.
Cast iron pans are great for a variety of things like searing meats, frying potatoes, and even grilling veggies. My cooking has definitely gotten better over the years and cast iron is one of my secrets. Below is a list of great cast iron pieces to add to your kitchen supply.
Immersion or Hand Blender
I debated on this one making the list. I mean is it truly an essential per se? Well here is what did it for me. The fact that I make our mayo. You need this tool if you are making mayo. It whips it up in literal seconds.
In our house, I don’t buy store-bought salad dressings either as they are packed with unhealthy ingredients and so this little tool works great to get them whipped up in no time. Not to mention smoothies, whipped cream, and blending-up creamy soups. It is a little hand-held wonder.
Dutch Oven
Ok, so I already mentioned cast iron. But the Dutch oven is a must, seriously. If you buy one cast iron piece, let it be this. You can fry in it, make bread in it and this is what I use to make our homemade fermented yogurt. Of course, soups and stews are great in it. But even a roast or whole chicken can be made up in a Dutch oven. They last a lifetime and will be used time and time again in your kitchen.
Stand Mixer
Saving the best for last, well maybe. I do love all of these items on this list. But perhaps I am saving the most expensive for last. So if you are wanting to invest in a great item and your budget allows for it, let it be a stand mixer. Now you might notice this one I have here is not a kitchen aid. Well, I have used kitchen aid mixers before in my kitchen. They work great however the price tag is a bit high in my opinion.
So when buying a new stand mixer, I did A LOT of research and found this wonder. Under 200 dollars, this mixer has been amazing to use. Bread, pizza doughs, cookies, cakes, whipped cream. You name it, it has been made here. My bread takes about 5 minutes of kneading on number 3 speed. The dough is perfectly supple and ready as if I did the work myself. I will link the one I got below if you would like to check it out.
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Cuisinart 8 Cup Food Processor
Cuisinel Cast Iron Skillet Set 10″ and 12″
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