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Basic equipment

Find a list of the basic equipment required for a standard kitchen catering for family dinners.

There are as many cooking tools, pans and pots as sand on a beach. OK, may be no as many, however, there are many more that would fit in a standard kitchen and many more that any conventional home cook will ever really use. Below is a list of the basic equipment for a standard kitchen.

Basic baking equipment: Wet measuring cup, dry measure, measuring spoons, baking sheets, muffin pan, square cake pan, oblong cake pan, loaf pan and pie pan. Don’t forget a whisk and/ or mixer, mixing bowls in various sizes, large mixing spoons and a spatula.

Basic pot set: Large pot for cooking pastas and boiling potatoes, medium and small sauce pans, frying pans in at least 2 sizes.

Making piecrust from scratch? You’ll need a pastry cutter or food processor, glass mixing bowl, rolling pin and a pie pan.

Roasting Meats? Equipment to have on hand includes a roasting pan, basting tool and meat thermometer. Of course, you’ll need a carving knife and fork for serving.

Essential equipment for the gas BBQ: Tongs, spatula, basting brush, meat thermometer and cleaning brush.

Knife set essentials: 6-10” chef’s knife, small paring knife and serrated bread knife.

Essential kitchen prep tools: Knives, cutting board, can opener, vegetable peeler and a cheese grater.

More tools for cooking: Strainer, tongs, spatula, salt and pepper shakers, oven mitts and storage containers.

Hot oven: Silicone oven mitts are more heat resistant and often have better grips than traditional oven mitts.

Handle it: Pots and pans with metal handles allow for more versatile cooking and movement between stovetop and oven. Just beware; they get hot, so use mitts!

Cutting boards: Because cutting boards can absorb bacteria, having a separate one for raw meats may be a good idea.

Is it worth it? While a salad spinner may seem like an extravagance, it’s likely a money saver in the long run. It makes it easy to clean and dry your lettuce to reduce spoilage.

Versatile: A hand blender is a very versatile tool that allows you to blend, chop and whip and it’s easy to clean up. You'll love your hand blender.

Shopping for the right tools

Fitting a kitchen with the right equipment is not a thing to do in one day. It pays to do some homework first when shopping for kitchen essentials. Cooking tools and equipment last for years so quality should weight more than price. Nevertheless, keeping a budget in mind will help to take decisions and prevent overspending, something all to easy when shopping for any cookware or tableware.