Top 10 Kitchen Essentials

For me, it is an item that can be used for more than one thing or that one thing it does you will need every day. They are items when you walk into almost any kitchen, from a small apartment to a restaurant you might see. Just like you could not see eating without a plate or bowl, an item essential to a kitchen is the same. They are things like knives, pans, and spoons. Items you can not cook without.

It does not matter if you are moving out of your parent's house for the first time or have been on your own for years. There are a few items every kitchen needs to have that will make your cooking life so much easier. I'm not talking about fancy blenders, crock pots, one-time-use items, or the countless useless items you see everywhere. While some items are valuable, you can cook almost everything without them. This is an essential list of things I use daily that I genuinely can not see cooking without.

Knives- There are only three knives that you need in your kitchen, but if you can only have one of the three I list here, I recommend a good sharp chef's knife. With these three knives,s you can tackle any kitchen job, from chopping an onion, boning a chicken, to peeling an apple. KEEP ALL OF YOUR KNIVES SHARP, AS A DULL KNIFE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING IN YOUR KITCHEN!!

• Chef's Knife- A well-sharpened chef's knife is, to me, the most important knife to have in the kitchen. This knife should fit nicely in your hand and be well-weighted. A good chef's knife will be your best friend in the kitchen, and most of everything you do daily, from chopping to slicing, will be done with this knife, so make sure you like it. You do not have to spend your life savings on a good chef's knife, even though so people have, but you should look for a good knife that will stand the test of time. I will even say this is the only knife that you MUST have. While the other two I list here a great to have, this one is the must of the list.
• A Paring Knife- is suitable for small that you can not do with your chef's knife. Like peeling a apple or ginger. To me, there like the baby of a chef's knife and are always good to have on hand.
• A Serrated Knife- or bread knife. This knife is used to slice bread, some cooked meats, and various things. While it might be the blade you use the least out of the three on the list here, it is always good to keep on hand.

The video I have added to the right will tell you more about these kitchen knives, as well as others, and show you how to use your new blades. If you are new to the world of knives, I recommend you take the time to watch it.

While cast iron skillets are not as popular as they once were and have been replaced with nonstick and steel cookware, to me, a good cast iron skillet is still king. The cast iron is the original nonstick pan that, unlike many pans nowadays, is meant to not only last your lifetime but that of your kids, and maybe even their kids. While a cast iron skillet needs the same time care to keep it around for even and in good condition, it is well worth it.

Good cast iron will cost no more than any other good pan, but if you take care of it will last 10x as long. You might be able to even get one from a family member or friend that they are not using. When I moved out of my mom's home, I got two cast iron fry pans, one that was my grandmother's, and the other was one of my mom's. Since then, I have bought a few more, and most of my cooking and baking is done in cast iron pans.

A good cast iron fry pan you can cook in, fry in, and even bake in along with cooking on a grill or even a fire pit. I recommend that all kitchens have at least one good 10-inch cast iron in their kitchen.

The video on the right will show you how to care for your cast iron if you a new to them.

A Microplane is a must in my kitchen. I use mine daily for things like zest the lemon, oranges, limes, and grate fruit, to grade hard cheese such as Parmesan, and for spices like garlic, ginger, cinnamon, chocolate, and nutmeg. A Microplane looks like a handheld grater and works much like one. It just grates will fine. I you watch food networks or other cooking shows, you would have seen one of these baby's pulled out. It is a time saver and something I could not see not having.

I love this tool. It is easy to use and easy to clean.

I know you think this is a given, but many people do not have or have learned about the pepper mill. Like most spices, when you buy pepper already ground, it loses its flavor after sitting on your counter. Fresh ground pepper has a beautiful flavor that lends itself to almost any dish. A pepper mill will help you save money because the taste of your pepper will be more robust, meaning you will use a lot less than the already ground stuff, so your pepper will last longer. You can also buy an extra one for your sea salt if you would like, but for pepper, this is a must.

You can also adjust your pepper mill to do a coarse grind or excellent grind on your pepper, so it fits the type of dish you are cooking. Unlike when you buy ground pepper, you are stuck with whatever ground they did.

Kitchen shears are not like regular household shears; they are made to be able to cut through bones of meats, along with being able to snip fresh herbs, and cook twine. Just like knives, you will want to keep these sharp and only use these for cooking; they are suitable for deboning chicken and duck, cutting up ribs, snipping fresh herds that you do not want to chop, and removing twine, and a 100 other things. A good pear should be a good wright, fit nicely in your hand and be easy to clean.

A Stainless steel stockpot with a lid can not only be used to make stock but also to boil pasta, make stew, soup, boil vegetables, and more. While a good mix of pots and pans is always lovely if you do not have the space for them, this pot will do almost anything the others will. Mix with good cast iron and dutch oven you're set to go. I recommended a pool that is heavy and stainless steel. As it will last a long time and hold up to most any job, you set for it.

An oven-proof dutch oven will let you brown meat for stew, roast on the stove, and also let you make baked chicken, roasts, stew, mac and cheese, pasta sauce,e, and casseroles in the oven; You can use them like a pot on the stove and also bake in them. The multiple uses of a dutch oven are why I added it to the list. If you ever watched Rachel Ray's 30-minute meals on food network, you already know the 100 uses for the pan. I'm a huge fan of stews and roast, so I use mine every week, if not more than that.

An excellent wooden spoon will stand the test of time, and unlike the metal or plastic ones you can buy, it will not react to high acid dishes like homemade pasta sauce or melt in high heat. Wooden spoons are safe on every kind of pot or pan on the market, easy to care for, and will last a long time. While I use a wide range of spoons and other kitchen items, my wooden spoon is never far out of reach, and if you grew up in the kitchen as I did, I'm sure you saw your mother or grandmother with one, making sauces and stews and even gravy. No kitchen to me is complete without one.

I use my tongs for every meal. from flipping bacon to getting baked potatoes out of the oven. You will never run out of uses for tongs in the kitchen. They are suitable for frying foods, turning meats, removing items from hot water, cooking vegetables, and on the grill. You name it, a good pair of tongs can do it. I use them so much there, like on my right arm.

A kitchen stocked with items that be used for more than one thing is easy to cook in and also saves space. If all you have is the items above, pulse a cutting board and a colander. You make everything from bread to homemade pasta sauce quickly.

Some of the items I listed need some care, but they will last a lifetime. I love everything I have listed above and could not see cooking without them, and I'm sure you will feel the same.