Each and every year, dozens and dozens of new kitchen and cooking gizmos and gadgets are released – and most of the time they sell millions and millions of units!
People love buying all kinds of kitchen utensils almost as much as they love cooking, and it’s not at all uncommon to find a kitchen loaded out with a bunch of weirdo products that look like they would be sold exclusively during late-night infomercials.
Unfortunately, a lot of people focus on filling up their drawers, cabinets, pantries, and countertops with these oddball utensils rather than focusing on the fundamentals that can transform the way that people go about cooking.
If you’d love to upgrade the quality of food that you produce overnight you’ll want to make sure that you have these top five utensils somewhere in your kitchen today!
A great chef’s knife that is razor-sharp
It’s going to be absolutely impossible for you to prepare quality meals in your kitchen without a top-notch chef’s knife that is razor-sharp and holds a vicious edge.
There are all kinds of different options out there to pick and choose from when it comes to chef’s knife style and design, as well as the kind of steel used to form the blade, and you’ll need to try out at least a handful of options until you find one that suits your needs right down to the ground.
As a general rule though, go for a quality 8 inch chef’s knife (and no smaller). It’ll become the workhorse of your kitchen prep!
A quality (and heavy duty) cutting board
The best chef’s knife on the planet isn’t going to last all that long – and certainly won’t hold and edge – unless you invest in a great heavy duty cutting board to prep on.
A lot of people have been swindled into thinking that plastic cutting boards hold less germs than wooden ones, but nothing could be further from the truth. We now know that bamboo and hardwood cutting boards (when cleaned and properly maintained) are the way to go from a food safety standpoint – and it doesn’t hurt that they look fantastic, either.
Get your hands on an oversized cutting board that’s rather heavy and you won’t have anything to worry about!
A digital baking scale
Life is going to get A LOT easier in the kitchen when you don’t have to worry about measuring a teaspoon of this, a tablespoon of that, and an ounce, quart, or pint of something else but instead can simply throw any of your ingredients on top of a digital baking scale and no EXACTLY how much you’re going to be adding to a dish.
You don’t have to break the bank on a digital baking scale to get something worthwhile, but just make sure that you are purchasing something that has a legendary reputation for accuracy.
A carbon steel wok
Cast-iron pans are exceptional for the kind of cooking that requires incredible heat retention, and stainless steel and no stick pots and pans also have their place in every home kitchen.
But if you really want to take your cooking to the next level you’ll want to get your hands on a carbon steel wok.
Not only will you be able to stir fry in this bad boy (especially if you get your hands on a flat bottomed unit you can use on any traditional cooktop or range), but you’ll also be able to deep fry thanks to its deep well and sloped sides – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Carbon steel will need to be seasoned the same way that cast iron cookware does, but it’ll happen a lot faster. You’ll fall in love with this kitchen utensil almost right out of the gate!
An instant read digital thermometer
With an instant read digital thermometer you’ll be able to guarantee that EVERY SINGLE meal you ever make from here on out (no matter what it is) is always perfectly cooked exactly the way you want it with no difficulty at all.
Every kitchen (EVERY kitchen) should be equipped with at least one highly accurate instant read digital thermometer. Your food will improve immediately after you make this investment, making it one of the most valuable utensils you need to have in your kitchen today.
Amanda is an avid food enthusiast who loves everything about cooking and especially using modern tech in cooking that can make even a novice cook look like an expert chef. She occasionally shares her opinion about the latest and craziest kitchen gadgets on the Kitchen Expert blog.