Kitchen Equipment & Utensils
Introduction
Baking trays androasting tins.
Cake tins.
Saucepans, stock pots and frying pans
Bowls, basins and jugs
Chopping, slicing,milling, grating and grinding
Kitchen electricals
Miscellaneous "Must Have" items
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Although it would be
wrong for me to give you specific recommendations on the best and most reliable
items of equipment to use in the kitchen, I can give you the fors and againsts,
and do’s and don’t’s on some of them together with my recommendations of those that
I find helpful, and those I couldn’t possibly live without! I will also give the sizes of some of the
most commonly available basic tins, baking trays and saucepans etc. When it comes down to
it though, it really is your personal choice, dependent on how much time you
are going to spend cooking, how adventurous you want to be, and just how far
your budget can stretch, but please don’t fall into the trap of buying cheap,
flimsy equipment for every day use, it honestly won’t last long, substantial
tins and saucepans really will go on for practically a life time if you clean
and care for them properly. Whether you
choose non-stick versions or not is up to you, many of the new non-stick
coatings are excellent, they are scratch resistant, making them suitable to use
with metal utensils, and can be cleaned with just warm soapy water, designed
for use in ovens and dishwashers too, however, you really do get what you pay
for so please choose wisely.
Make absolutely
certain that if you have an induction hob, the saucepans that you buy are
suitable as many of the hard core enamel and aluminium are not. Food will stick and burn on to thin aluminium
pans when frying.
I would advise, that
before buying any kitchen ware impulsively, you visit your local hardware store
and gain as much hands-on knowledge as you can. Pick up and experience the weight and thickness of as many makes
and sizes of different manufacturers products as possible, , but go with definite
ideas of what you need immediately, (right now), to get you up and running, leaving the less practical gadgets for
another time. Believe me, I have bought
so many useless things like herb mills and teabag squeezers etc., of little practical use, just taking up
cupboard space, before eventually being thrown away!
When buying saucepans, my advice, which
isn’t set in stone by any means, would be to go for professional grade
stainless steel with toughened bonded bases where layers of material are sandwiched together to give even heat
distribution. Baking sheets and
roasting tins should be sturdy, have raised edges with easy grip rims, large
enough to handle safely and securely.
Cake tins and loaf tins should again be
deep enough and of sturdy construction, they mostly come with nonstick
coatings, but please, what ever you do buy good quality every time or they will
simply buckle at high temperatures.
If you’re unable to visit a good store, there is no reason at all why you
shouldn’t buy directly from one of the many good online stockists, I can
particularly recommend qvc who also sell via the telephone and give very good
demonstrations of their goods on the television. Their whole “cooks Essentials” range is well worth investigating
as their saucepans, in particular, are
a good depth, which is an important factor when boiling or steaming fruit and
vegetables on top of the stove. Some of
this range are oven safe and suitable for dishwashers too. They also offer a 30 day, no quibble, money
back guarantee, so you are under no obligation to keep them, if, when they
arrive home, you find they are not what you expected. Visit the QVC website
at http://www.qvc.co.uk
Another good online
and telephone company are Lakeland Limited in Cumbria, A wide range of
excellent quality items can be bought there, and, once again, you can return
the goods if they are unsuitable with no questions asked. Visit their
website at http://www.lakelandlimited.com
Another good source for
kitchen and household items is, of course, the RNIB Online Shop at:
http://onlineshop.rnib.org.uk
(link fixed!)
Baking trays - To my mind, these are
some of the most indispensable, important and widely used items in the
kitchen. You will be calling upon them
practically every day to either, bake biscuits and scones, cook oven chips or
just warm a pie. The more substantial
the better as cheap thin tins will simply just buckle when subjected to high
temperatures after only having been used a few times and you will need to
replace them far too regularly! Choose
at least two oblong baking trays with a raised edge to prevent things sliding
off when in use, with a wider, protruding rim at each end so that you can
easily tuck your fingers underneath even when wearing oven gloves. Holding tins securely in both hands will, as
far as possible, help to balance the food when you’re carrying it from oven to
work top, making it less likely that accidents will occur. A good size for these is 8 inches wide, by
12 inches long, (20 by 30 cm. This size
tin can also be used to make a Swiss roll.
Roasting tins - Over the years I’ve
found that the larger and deeper the better when it comes to buying roasting
tins. I’ve ended up giving away or discarding
smaller ones, I either didn’t feel they were safe to use, because they felt unbalanced
or unstable, or simply became too full when I carried joints or dishes
containing gravy. Choose one with deep
sides and a good wide rim so that you can
cover it with kitchen foil, but please make sure that as with the baking
trays, it is good quality, with flanges or an extended rim at each end so it
can be held properly when you’re wearing oven gloves. Enamel covered roasters
with integral racks are quite a good idea if you are only cooking for one, but
again be careful, sometimes the lids don’t fit too well, and they have very
narrow bases, making them awkward to stand safely on oven shelves, so check
this before you buy!
Sponge cake tins -
It is important, when
choosing cake tins that you buy the correct size and depth for the amount of ingredients
you are going to use. If you are planning
to make sponge cakes, for example, you need tins with enough depth for the cake
to rise. Our old, all time favourite,
is the Victoria sandwich, The most
commonly sold size and depth of tin for this cake is 7 inches (18 cm) in
diameter and about 1 and a half inches (4 cm) deep. Sold as “sandwich tins” these days, you will, of course, need two
of these.
Loaf tins - It is very confusing
as there are so many sizes around these days.
The most readily available, are 1 lb, (450 g) or 2 lb, (900) g. Basically the deeper the tin and straighter
the sides, the better result you will get, particularly if you are making
bread. The very old-fashioned tins with
straight sides, a slight rim, sharply angled corners and double thickness bases
are excellent and worth their weight in gold, but hard to find. Be sure to buy the correct tin as
recommended for the amount of mixture in your favourite recipes. You can also use these tins to make fruit
loaf cakes or my rustic cherry cake!
Cake tins for deeper
sponges, light, or rich fruit cake - There are three basic sizes
available, mainly round, although if you search for sturdy, professional
quality tins, it is possible to find square versions. Aluminium, non-stick, or Teflon coated, are all worth
investigating, some are weightier and less flexible than others. Good
average sizes to look out for are: 6
inches, (15 cm), 7 inches, (18 cm), and 8 inches, (20 cm). Some Christmas or other rich fruit cakes
sometimes call for a 9 inch (23 cm) tin, They usually have loose bases with
non-stick interiors for easier cake removal.
There is now some new silicone rubber cooks grade, flexible bake ware,
suitable to take from freezer to oven, but just how flexible and light I have
yet to find out. Tefal have a range
with stainless steel rims which should make for more stability when handling
them when they’re hot, but please take
advice first. I may well investigate
these myself and report back later! For
more information contact QVC at http://www.qvc.co.uk/
Other baking tins -
There are far too many others to mention individually, you may like to
buy a round pizza pan, non-stick about 11 or 12 inches, (28 to 30 cm in
diameter. A non-stick oven chip tray
with shallow sides and a slotted base for more even air distribution. Quiche
tins, are like the Victoria sandwich tins, (but they have loose bases and come in
various diameters). Patty tins with 12 holes for mince pie and fairy cake
making. A 4 hole Yorkshire pudding tin,
just to name but a few. Have a good rummage around your
local kitchen shop, and check the amount of ingredients and size of tin for your
favourite dishes.
Saucepans - Here is a category of
products that you should not just rush out and buy straight away, please take
time and care to choose wisely before you buy. Its very important
that you purchase a material suitable for your hob, if you have induction,
please be sure that you buy the right ones as some of the hard coated enamel
and aluminium based pans are not suitable.
Saucepans should be bought carefully, only buying the most appropriate
sizes, paying as much as you can afford
to get really good quality. Please
don’t be tempted to go for a cheap bargain and a construction with thin bases,
and sides, ill-fitting lids or a cheap non-stick coating which will peel, food will stick and burn on to them, and
you’ll have to spend hours cleaning them.
It is never a good idea to buy a full set of saucepans, if some of them
you will never, ever use, partly because they are not deep enough and also
because they will probably be far too small to hold a decent quantity of
liquid. You would be far better buying
pans individually, tailoring them to your own specific needs. By handling
them first. You will be able to Make sure that the plastic coated (phenolic) handles
are firmly riveted, checking that there is a minimum of metal exposed, where they
meet the pan. You will be able to make
sure that the lids fit firmly, yet still being easy to remove, and that the knobs are of a good size and can
be easily located. To estimate their suitability,
simulate a hob situation. Try putting a
pan on a flat surface, hold the handle in one hand, then reach over with your free
hand to lift the lid making sure that you locate the knob first time. There is nothing more painful or potentially
dangerous than grabbing a hot saucepan handle or lid by mistake, particularly
if it has not been designed well in the first place. Hold the pan by the handle with its lid on with both hands and
try to imagine how it would feel if it were full of liquid. Don’t be worried if you see pans with tempered
or toughened glass lids, these are practically shatterproof. Although they are a bit heavier, they stay
in place really well and many contain adjustable vents so that you can let out
the steam, stopping the lids bouncing up and down while your veg are
boiling. In fact, I have found these
really good, the steam only comes out in one place and, with one hand on the
handle to monitor the slight vibration created as the pan comes to the boil, it
is quite easy to turn the heat down, listening to the gentle whistling as the
steam is released, adjusting the heat until it is quieter, knowing that you
have reached simmering point. I can equate this to a gentle wind coming in
through a tiny crack in a window or door!
For a professional
look and sheer durability, You simply can’t beat, 18-10 heavy duty stainless steel
bodied, non-stick scratch resistant, interior, Dupont or Teflon coated, saucepans,
with tempered toughened glass lids and copper bonded
bases for even heat distribution. Its now possible to
buy hard- coated enamel non-stick interior, cookware in various colours to
match your kitchen decor and other electricals too! Some are also
designed to be used in your oven up to a medium heat. Others are dishwasher safe as well. Buying a branded name like Tefal, Prima, or the renowned Le
Creuset, and paying a good price for
individual items, gradually building up your range, will stand you in good stead for practically a life time or at
least many years to come.
The most popular sizes
for everyday saucepans are: Approximately between 5 and 6 inches, (14
cm), for a lipped milk pan, and for lidded pans, approx. 6 and a half, 7 and 8
inches, (16, 18, and 20 cms) In diameter.
Stock pot - I was bought a 30 cm
diameter, non-stick, Teflon-coated, deep stock pot with a toughened glass lid for
Christmas and its absolutely fantastic and comes completely clean with just a
rinse in hot soapy water. I have
already made several stews and soups, therefore, I can highly recommend
one.
Lidded Casserole dish - Buy a lidded, heavy
duty stainless steel casserole if you are going to transfer dishes between hob
and oven, something in the region of between 9 to 10 inches, (24 to 26 cms) in diameter should be adequate for most
purposes.
Pottery, earthenware
or ovenproof porcelain - Invaluable, of course,
if you are going to prepare casseroles or other baked hot-pots, shepherd’s pies
or even rice puddings etc., are either glass, Pyrex, pot or earthenware
ovenproof casserole dishes. When they
are empty, they shouldn’t weigh an absolute ton, or lifting them in and out of
the oven might be a problem! The lids
should sit on firmly, with a good large easy to find knob so you can lift them,
even when wearing oven gloves, but if you prefer unlidded versions check that
the rims will accommodate a sheet of baking foil to cover them. Handles on either side are vital so they're safe.
Frying pans - Look for a pan that
suits your particular purpose, e.g. if you want a good professional quality frying
pan, 18-10 stainless steel outer, non-stick, scratch resistant interior with a thick
copper thermo base (where layers of material are sandwiched together), will give
good, even heat distribution. For everyday
use, look at something that’s about 8 inches (20 cm), in diameter. A larger family-sized pan with deep sides
and a tightly-fitting lid would be suitable for sautéing and stir-frying too, 12inches,
30 cm in diameter. A 15 inch, (6 cm) omelette
pan would be helpful for frying small quantities, or if you’re cooking for
one. Look out for heat resistant, sturdy
phenolic handles with a good grip and the minimum of metal exposed where they join
the pan.
Steamers and strainers
- If eating healthily,
or, dare I say it, steaming sponge or suet puddings are your forte, a stainless
steel, graduated steamer is a must have item!
With holes in the base, handles on each side and a tightly fitting lid,
its outer graduated rings will fit most average size pans. Make sure that the one that you try sits
firmly in position and that it will hold the depth of bowl or basin you are
going to use for your puds or the quantity of veg you want to steam.
Another "can’t do
without" item for straining veg, pasta etc, is a colander. Plastic is all very fine but not
particularly stable when its standing in the sink and you are using both hands
to drain a heavy pan. Stainless steel
has to be the one, preferably with handles on either side and fine holes in the
bottom to catch those tiny pieces!
Ovenproof dishes and
pie plates - There are far too many
to discuss in detail. Decide what you
enjoy preparing regularly and plump for those that fit the bill. An Enamel 7 inch, (18 cm) diameter plate with
a well in the centre and a rim will be fine for making the average size pie. An oval, not too thick 3 to 4 inch, (7.5 to
10 cm) deep dish, for covered, deeper pies.
Mixing bowls - The larger and heavier
the better when it comes to this must buy necessity, if you are an avid pastry
or cake maker. Get two, I would, as a good pot or earthenware bowl will be
worth its weight in gold and last you years.
You will need this weight and size so that its stable and won’t jump
around all over the work surface when you are
beating air into those cakes or meringues! A stainless steel bowl of the
same size, is a bit lighter, yet still very durable. Smaller stainless steel Bowls sold in sets with lids for storage,
are useful, and there also sold separately without lids to hold ingredients.
Pot or Pyrex bowls in
smaller sizes, come in handy when measuring out ingredients for cakes. The old-fashioned pot “pudding basin” with
its rim and slight bell shape is fantastic for steaming, microwaving, and
hundreds of other things, get several as you’ll never want to be without
them. They come in 1 pint and one and
three quarter pint approx half a litre and one litre capacity, plus many sizes
in between!
Jugs.
Glass or Pyrex, large
and small with good pouring spouts and handles, I would not part with them! I pour from them, mix in them, measure with
them .......Get Several!
Plastic jugs are
perhaps not quite as indispensable if there small, but when you microwave milk
or gravy that needs head room to
prevent boiling over, they score hands down.
Some have tactile markings for pints and litres, not always legible or
understandable either on the inside or outside, but the RNIB sell a tactile measure
which might help clarify things. Contact them at:
http://onlineshop.rnib.org.uk/
Stainless steel knives
with tightly riveted wooden or plastic handles will last practically forever
without much blunting or discolouration.
Cooks knives with un-serrated fairly short blades and not too sharp at
the points are good for chopping and slicing fruit and veg. You must feel comfortable holding these, they
will be in every day use!. Try Lakeland
Ltd’s “all purpose” knife.
http://www.lakelandlimited.com
Other knives, one with
a fairly long, un-serrated blade for dicing meat etc., another serrated bread
knife. Would be good. I store all mine in a sealed knife block that
stands on a shelf with no blades exposed, please don’t buy the rack that hangs
on the wall, leaving blades uncovered pointing downwards!!
A pair of serrated kitchen
scissors, closely riveted with large handles are great for chopping herbs and
attacking those plastic shrink wrap packs that we have to fight with every day,
plus thousands of other tasks! Keep
them for kitchen use only for hygiene reasons.
An auto chop with its
plunger style handle and metal blades, twists and chops veg as finely as you
like. Put it flat on a solid wooden or
toughened plastic chopping board for best results and also ensure that the boards
designed with a pouring channel, then you can tip what you have chopped straight into a pan.
If you are looking for
a slicer and don’t want to buy a food processor, there are quite a few: A
mandolin, has blades protected by a plastic guard as you move it backwards and
forwards over your onion or potato, to my mind, not always completely safe. Cutter boxes where you slide a handle to and
fro, the angled blade is well out of reach and the box underneath catches the
slices, or, alternatively, just use
your small chopping knife.
If you like your herbs
finely chopped, then by all means try a mill!
but putting the herbs inside can be fiddly and you often end up with
very little left from your original large quantity.
Please get a good
quality wooden or stainless steel pepper mill.
They can be awkward to fill but just experience the aroma and you’ll be
hooked forever and never want to use ready ground again. The convenience and ease of use can’t be
beaten.
The traditional, four-sided metal grater
with its various textured sides is excellent for most purposes. Stand it on a plate, then hold the handle on
the top to support it and grate away!
Box graters where the perforated metal plate
sits on top and all the bits are captured underneath, means very little
clearing up afterwards, that makes them a favourite with me.
I wouldn’t be without my talking microwave,
both LG and Cobolt Systems sell models that are brailled or talk. Sharp make a
model with a manual dial that can be marked easily with bump-ons or Hi-marks. Microwaves come in various capacities, there
features and controls vary, its up to you to choose a particular model that
fits your needs, remember that products are always changing, what was available
yesterday may not be here tomorrow, we can only hope that they do not become
too electronic and high-tech to use through touch. Hi-marks and bump-ons are both available from
the RNIB online shop, contact them at: http://onlineshop.rnib.org.uk/
There are a number of talking products
available from Cobolt Systems, a measuring jug and talking kitchen scales being
just two,, they are a Company well worth contacting regularly for product
updates. Visit Cobolt on the web at www.cobolt.co.uk
Toasters are, as far as I have experienced,
either very good at making toast or absolutely dreadful and burn it
regularly, the browning controls vary
in shape, size and adjustability, as far as temperature are concerned!! What I would say is keep the control on low
to start with and go for a model with wide slots and a cool wall exterior. They will even bleep, giggle or baaah at you
when they pop up, if you want them too!
Kettles - A good jug-shape kettle that sits securely
in to or on to its base that swivels, so it can be turned round for us left-handed
users too, is really good. Watch the spout, try to buy one that extends out a
fair distance, that way you will be able to fill it from the tap without
removing the lid. There will be less
chance of spillages, when you aim for
the teapot or mug too. If you want them
to, When boiling point is reached, they will whistle, giggle or talk to you, Try
Morphy Richards products for these!! but
you can still buy models that don’t say anything at all!!!
Bread Makers - If you have always wanted to make bread but
find the idea of kneading and baking it far too time consuming, have a look at
bread makers. They range in price
from around 50 pounds to over 100
pounds for larger capacity fan assisted models. Some are very electronic which makes their controls confusing to
fathom out, but don’t despair, a few of these do have variously shaped buttons
which bleep when pressed, making them quite easy to operate. The smell of freshly baked bread is
wonderful and homely, it has to be experienced often!
Liquidizers and blenders - A jug blender with blades in the base that
stands on top of a motor( is great for making breadcrumbs, crushing biscuits,
making soup and many other culinary tasks.
Be sure that it has a cut out switch and a firmly fitting lid. They usually work on pressure, when you stop
adding food they cut out immediately, with an on-off control for extra
safety. Most leading electrical
manufacturers sell their own brand, check that the features suit your needs.
Hand
mixers - I love my Kenwood hand-held mixer with its
push in whisks and click through speed control. Its so versatile and portable for both cake and pastry making, whipping eggs and cream to name but a few
things. I much prefer it to a full size
food processor but please do take a look at some of them if you want to batch
bake or slice and chop in large quantities.
Bare in mind that the integral blade used for chopping and cake making
is extremely extra sharp.
Deep Fat Fryers - If you
are planning to buy a deep fat fryer, make sure that the controls are
easy to mark with bump-ons and that you know where the markings are for the
half and full measure for pouring in the fat.
Don’t buy those that are too small or awkwardly shaped. They are thermostatically controlled, of
course, but that doesn’t stop them popping and clicking when you lower the
basket of food down into the fat or when the lid is lifted or lowered, just
bear this in mind, and please get sighted assistance when marking one before use,
or during its first run through, if you are at all concerned about safety!
There are hundreds of other electrical
items for steaming food, pressure cooking, hand blending, making ice-cream,
yoghurt making,, pop corn makers that are good fun and really healthy too! etc.,
etc. Why not browse around Argos at: http://www.argos.co.uk
O.k. here goes for a
hotch potch mix of "got to own" unrelated bits and pieces.
A good, long heavy
wooden rolling pin with handles.
Fluted and plain
pastry cutters in varying sizes, usually sold in sets.
A flour dredger.
Metal tablespoons with
deep bowls.
Wooden spoons with
long handles.
Large. Sturdy, plastic
spoons with deep bowls and long handles.
A good set of kitchen utensils with hanging
rack. M and S, barrel-handled stainless
steel are brilliant and should be kept near at hand. The fish slice, slotted spoon, ladle, potato masher and palette knife are fabulous!
Cooks knives with un-serrated
fairly short blades and not too sharp points for chopping and slicing fruit and
veg (very much a personal choice! Try Lakeland Ltd’s “all purpose knife”.
Other knives, one
fairly long, un-serrated for dicing meat etc., another serrated bread
knife. I store all my knives safely
away in a closed knife block.
Two good chopping
boards in wood or solid plastic one for chopping veg and the other kept for
cutting fresh meat only!
A sugar dispenser.
Pastry brush.
Plastic spatula or
scraper.
Set of measuring cups
and spoons, standard size as sold by the RNIB or Lakeland Limited.
A lemon or citrus
squeezer in solid plastic or toughened glass. Sold with a cup to catch the
juice and separate the pips.
Wire cooling rack.
Potato peelers with
horizontal blades running across the top of the handles.
A nylon sieve for
sifting flour.
A mesh sieve for
sieving hot liquids.
An egg slicer, to take
all the hard work out of making those egg and salad cream sandwiches!
Several sizes of
funnel for transferring wet and dry foods from large containers to smaller ones,
there will be thousands of uses for these.
Ready made cake tin
liners for sponge or loaf tins.
A pair of easy-grip
kitchen tongs.
Good quality oven
gloves those with a thumb, insulated with wadding not foam, bought singly (not
the mitts that are joined together with a strip of material as these could be
really dangerous if they catch on the oven or hob when you’re carrying hot tins
and pans.
Can opener that has
easy grips and comfortable to turn handle, preferably with complete lid removal
to leave “most” tins less sharp.
A sturdy bottle
opener.
A corkscrew with leavers
which lift up as you turn the handle to insert the screw thread into the cork,
then press them down to remove it.
Wine saver bottle tops
to keep wine fresh once opened.
A manual
ringer timer. Most hardware stores like
Wilkinson’s stock them, they run for an hour. Be sure that there is room round the edge of the dial to mark it
at either every 5 or 15 minutes.
Weighing scales,
should be the traditional balance kind with weights on one side and a large pan
for ingredients on the other, invaluable for using always! Excellent for weighing guide dog’s food!
Don’t forget the
weights, two sets, one metric and one imperial, either in brass or cast iron.
A good quality, round
stainless steel teapot with a good long spout and sensible handle.
A large oblong heat
resistant tray for tea or coffee making.
Storage containers
large enough to hold bags of flour and sugar once they have been opened.
Smaller containers for
dried goods (pasta or rice etc)
Flat boxes to keep in
the fridge to separate uncooked from cooked food.
A couple of plastic
cereal dispensers, you will thank me the next time the box of porridge oats or
cornflakes fall out of the cupboard on to the floor and nothing spills!!
There are, of course,
hundreds of items for those unusual fiddly little jobs, like melon ballers,
cherry stoners, and so on and so on, I could go on for ever but I won’t I
promise! This is by no means a full
list of products that you might need, and you may, of course, want to
specialise in something like, jam making or cake decorating. If you do, the equipment is available to
help. If you would like to
delve into the realms of necessity some more or simply look at those things you
never knew you wanted for the someone who has everything! That’s up to you, the gizmos and gadgets are
there for your perusal.
Happy cooking,
Sue.
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