The past decade has seen a massive renewal of interest in home cooking. With the widespread popularity of TV cooking shows such as Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef and Hell’s Kitchen (to name but a few), and the efforts of Jamie Oliver to change our attitude towards food, cooking at home is experiencing a well-warranted renaissance. However, as much as some of these shows give us a glimpse into what can be achieved with the right ingredients (undoubtedly the core essentials for a decent, healthy meal), they don’t generally focus on the importance of good cooking equipment.
The Knife
A good quality knife is above and beyond the most important tool you can have in your kitchen. Have you ever tried to cook at a friend’s house, and find that you need about three different, equally useless knives to get one job done? Or perhaps your own knife drawer is littered with a pointless array of ageing, blunt Saboteurs and poor quality, serrated offerings? The best advice one can give to the kitchen owner in these situations is this: throw all of these knives away. All you need for the vast majority of preparation jobs is one decent knife and a sharpening stone or steel. A standard 20cm chef’s knife from a quality brand such as Wusthof, Henckels or Global will perform any task required in the kitchen, and it won’t clutter up your knife drawer either. So long as you take good care of it, it’ll see you through many years of home cooking.
Pots and Pans
Cheap pots and pans can ruin a good meal. A heavy-bottomed non-stick pan however can make cooking a breeze. Try making a white sauce on a cheap, thin-bottomed cooking pot and 10 times out of 10, your sauce will stick to the bottom, burning the pot as well as your dinner. Try searing a good quality cut of steak on a cheap pan, and you can expect to see smoke belching out of your kitchen long before the pan is actually hot enough to color your meat properly. The simple solution? Buy quality from Viners, or another recognised cookware distributor.
Get the Correct Tools
TV cooking shows have helped to make home cooking a desirable activity again. Without the correct tools though, it’s always going to be a struggle and a disappointment. Equip yourself with quality items and enjoy your time in the kitchen.
