I have learned that the right tools make a better cook. In this post I will run through the 5 things that make a better kitchen and therefore a cooking experience.
Having the right tools for the job is true for any profession, but is so important in the kitchen if you want to bee a successful cook. The right pans that will last and give good results to handy tools to make your life easier.
What are my 5 favourite things that make my kitchen better?
1. Cast iron pans
No matter what type of kitchen you have, a great addition is a cast iron frying pan. I hear you say “But they’re so heavy!” Yes they are, but that’s a good thing. They heat up evenly and prevent those hot spots where food can burn. They are perfectly none stick when cared for properly. The best thing is that they are an investment piece. A good cast iron pan will last you a lifetime and even be passed on to future generations. My oldest pan belonged to my great grandmother and is still going strong!
A cast iron dutch oven or casserole dish is another investment piece that will serve you well. I can be used on the hob or in the oven. This is great for those ‘one pot meals’ or for when you’re making a big batch of something that you just don’t have a big enough pan for. It is also the perfect tool for making a great sourdough loaf. It causes the moisture to stay in the loaf and makes a beautiful, soft bread. This is why cast iron is my number one tool in my 5 things to make a better kitchen list.
If you want to know how to make a sourdough loaf you can follow my step by step guide HERE
2. A Good stand mixer.
I am a huge fan of my Kitchenaid mixer. It is a crucial part of my kitchen and is robust enough to last for years. Any tool is my kitchen is going to get worked hard, but this beauty gets some real hard labour. She whisks, beats, kneads and all whilst looking beautiful.
The really great thing about Kitchenaid is the huge selection of accessories that you can buy to work with it. this turns a simple mixer into a meat grinder, a pasta roller or a sausage stuffer with just a simple addition of an accessory. They are easy to install and to use. I would be lost without it.
3. An Instant pot
Now this is a recent addition to my kitchen. I have always had a slow cooker and that is a great thing to have in your kitchen, but an instant pot takes it to the next level. The instant pot is a slow cooker, but it is so much more. You want to cook a whole chicken? From frozen? No problem! You want to make yoghurt? No problem! You want to cook rice? No problem!
I think you see where I’m going with this. This one tool replaces so many things in your kitchen and has so many functions. It is perfect for making bone broth, stews and for slow cooking. It is a pressure cooker and so much more. I love mine so much that I bought a wrap from an Esty shop to make it match my kitchen as it never gets put away. I use mine every single day!
There are different models of instant pot. Mine is the Duo 8 as I have a big family to feed, but there are smaller models too.
4. Copper Pan set
Copper pans are the Rolls Royce of pans and for good reason. Thes are something that you can’t just pop to the shop and buy. They are an investment as they aren’t cheap, but they are something that you will never need to buy again.
Just think, if you buy that regular non stick pan set. In a year do you think that the non stick will still be as perfect as the day you bought it? I highly doubt it. I can’t tell you how many sets of pans I have gone through in all the years I have had my own kitchen. They get tatty really quickly and it’s not something that I can repair so I buy more. I must have spent a fortune in the past on all those pans!
Copper pans are solid! They will last a lifetime. The handles won’t fall off, if they have good tin inside, you will probably never need to have them re tinned, but if they are looking worn that can be addressed. NEVER use a copper pan that the inside is showing the copper through. Copper can leach into your food and make you unwell. The tin inside the pan protects the food from that, but the copper of the pan is a fabulous conductor of heat and therefore gives even cooking.
A well maintained copper pan is not only a great tool, but it is a thing of beauty. I love mine so much I hang them on the wall. It makes me unnecessarily happy ?
Copper pans need the occasional polish to keep the copper nice and bright, but I quick wipe over with Brasso and a soft cloth, they are good as new. It isn’t too much of a chore and I actually do it once a month to keep on top of it. Like a monthly beauty treatment for your kitchen ?
5. Butchers Block or Good Chopping board
A Butchers block isn’t for everyone. They do take up space, but if you simply don’t have the space for one then a good heavy weigh chopping board is a great substitute. I use my butchers block for everything. It is the island in my kitchen and I work from the outside of my kitchen to the centre. This is an old fashioned way to use a kitchen, but I find it works so well for me.
Most modern kitchens work in the triangle method so that the main areas of the kitchen form a triangle. Sink, bin, and fridge. My method means that I pull everything to the centre as I work. I find it more efficient, but to each their own.
A good chopping board means that you will protect your work surfaces, and you’re knives. If I were to add a 6th thing to this list then knives would be it, but if you don’t maintain your knives and look after the blade then it won’t matter how good they once were.
A good chopping board prevents you dulling the blade of your knife on a work surface and will prolong their life between sharpening.
So what are you 5 things to make a better kitchen?
Did my list help? I hope so. I would love to hear what things you couldn’t live without in your kitchen. What are your 5 favourite things to make a better kitchen to you? There are so many things out there that make cooking easier. I hope you will find some of my suggestions make your life easier.
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This rounds up my 5 things to make a better kitchen. I hope you found it useful.
See you soon
Happy making and happy baking
Sam x
I grew up thinking my mum’s le Creuset was ridiculously heavy, however we bought a set from wedding gift money and have never looked back. They are amazing and so easy to clean. I want more!
I agree completely. My great grandmother and my gran both had them and they are fantastic. I use mine all the time and they just last for years and years under hard labour! Perfection