Essential Kitchen Equipment

The other day, a friend of mine told me she was hankering after a fancy new kitchen gadget, and asked what I thought was indispensable. I don't think I had a good answer for her. Eight or nine years ago, I might have rattled off a bunch of nifty-looking one-trick-pony kinds of gadgets. But lately I've been paring down to the stuff that I actually use. Its not for lack of storage space--got plenty of that. We did move houses last year, which forced me to actually empty all those cabinets and package up all of those kitchen gee-gaws.

My list of essentials

Good quality, stainless steel, dishwasher-and-metal-utensil-safe pots and pans. Ours are All Clad, bought with a collection of wedding gift cards over ten years ago. They are indestructible. I think this is the set we originally bought:

which includes a 6-quart stock pot, a 3-quart chef's pan, a 10" frying pan, 2-quart pot, 3-quart pot. To that set we added a 1 quart sauce pan (for small batches of veggies or sauces), a colander (yes there are cheaper ones, but the all-clad one is pretty and, like the rest of their stuff, indestructible), and a double-boiler insert (perfect for melting chocolate or making pecan pie).

Non-stick frying pans. I keep two, a 8" one for making omelets, and a 12" for scrambled eggs for a crowd. Mine don't match. And they aren't All Clad. And I replace them every couple of years. I'd fork over a couple hundred $ for one if I was truly sure that the non-stick coating really never came off, but I'm not willing to take the chance. Better to spend $20 every 2-3 years. My main requirement here is a metal handle that is completely oven safe (up to 500 degrees).

Half-sheet baking pans. These are also sold as "jelly roll pans" and are a heavy-duty sheet pan with about a 1" lip around the outside. I bought a 2-pack for pretty cheap ($10? $15?) from the catering section of a warehouse store. Can be used for cookies, roasting veggies, frozen chicken nuggets, and, of course, jelly roll cakes. Mine are not non-stick--they are plain old aluminum.  They are also indestructible. (Notice a theme?)

Tools: Whisk, silicone-headed spatula, dough blender (for making pie crusts and biscuits--get one that has firm knives,not the wires--the wires just bend out of shape). I found mini-whisks at the grocery store for like $2 that are perfect for a single egg at a time.  Measuring cups that go down to 1/8 cup and 1/8 teaspoon. I don't need the weird sizes like 3/4 cup and 2/3 cup (thank you I did pass 5th grade math and know my fractions). Just something....{say it with me now}...indestructible.

Knives. My knives aren't fancy, nor does the set match. I have two chef-sized knives that get used frequently (neither cost over $20), plus bread knife, steak knives, and a couple of oddball small paring knives. I occasionally visit the knife section of the kitchen stores and check out the $500 sets. But truthfully, find a knife that can be sharpened, that fits in your hand, and that won't be ruined when someone throws it in the dishwasher.

A griddle for making pancakes. I've had like 5 so far, and am still not sure I'm completely happy with any one. I started with a reversible grill/griddle that I had to give away 11 years ago when we bought a house with a smooth-top stove.  I next got a stand-alone electric one that was huge but a pain to wash. Then came one with interchangeable grill, griddle, and waffle plates that began falling apart after 1.5 years (and I've never been thrilled with the waffle plates--too shallow). Finally I have a gas stove and am back to a reversible grill/griddle.


Stand Mixer - I have a Kitchenaid 5quart Heavy Duty one. Expensive, yes. But they can be repaired if you do something stupid to them (ahem). If I ever truly kill mine, I'd go for one with all-metal gears next time :) Also indispensible: a Side Swipe beater for the mixer. It has silicone wings to scrape the pan while yo mix--genius :)

Baking Pans - 1 12-cup muffin pan plus 2 6-cup muffin pans (need 24 for a batch of cupcakes, 12 for muffins, and having two little pans gives you flexibility for other recipes). A square glass pan (preferably with lid). 2 loaf pans (mine are either Pyrex or Anchor Hocking--I'm too lazy to check). A 9x13 glass pan (also with lid). Pie plates--I keep a metal one (for frozen pies), a larger-sized glass one, plus a Pfaltzgraff stoneware one that matches my dishes (and turns out really great crusts)  I really like the Chicago Metallic brand cake pans. You do have to baby them a bit and hand wash, but they have sturdy straight sides and a nice finish that bakes evenly. I've got a ton more odd-ball shapes and sizes (Tigger, mini bundts, rose-shaped muffin size, mini and Texas-sized muffins, donut pan), etc, because I like to bake.

Silicone Baking Liners for the pans, oven, and microwave. Brand names: Silpat, Betty Crocker, Kitchenaid, etc. I have a large silicone one that fits my large sheet pans and can be used instead of parchment paper. I have liners on the bottom of both ovens, plus one for the microwave carousel that make cleanup easy.

Sure I have more stuff that I use, but this covers most of my day-to-day cooking. What about you? What did I leave out that is on your essential kitchen equipment list?

7 Steps to Organizing a New Kitchen

Setting up the kitchen after moving to a new space, whether in a new(to-to-you) home or a remodel, can be a big challenge. Unless your old and new kitchens are identical down to every power outlet, nook, and cranny, you will need to make changes.

1. Clean-out / Throw Out. Moving is the perfect opportunity to de-clutter your space. If you're like me, you tend to have way more kitchen do-dads than you actually use, thanks to impulse buys and gifts from well-meaning family and friends. When you pack boxes before the move, take the time to think about which items you actually use. Make a "maybe" box for those items you aren't willing to part with, but that aren't part of your core tool set.
   
   As you un-pack into the new space, go through the same thinking again. Items that looked critical in the packing stage sometimes look less necessary when you are arranging your shiny-new kitchen. Part with what you aren't going to use. Plan to stow a couple of boxes away in a basement or attic of those items you aren't sure about. Remind yourself to donate anything left in those boxes a year from now if they haven't been used.
2. Arrange items nearest to where they will be used. Pots and pans, spatulas and cooking spoons near the stove/oven. Dinnerware and flatware near the eating area. Cups and glasses near the fridge or the sink.
3. Store seasonal items in the hardest-to-reach places. Above the fridge, the top shelves of cabinets, or in the basement/attic in well-labeled boxes.
4. Plan for clean countertops. Having an empty swath of workspace is a must for serious cooking. Prep space. Hot pans. Sanitation. Lack of distractions and dangers. Start yourself off on the right foot by keeping on the bare essentials out on a countertop (maybe just that coffee maker that truly gets used every day, and the spoon rest by the stove top). Find a home for everything else behind a door or in a drawer. And stick to your resolution. Come Christmas-Cookie time, you will be grateful not to spend three hours cleaning the kitchen BEFORE you can bake your three-dozen varieties of treats.
   
5. Consider designating a baking zone. This can be as elaborate as a large island or as simple as a single cabinet and stretch of counterspace that is left uncluttered for hot cookie trays.
6. Don't max out your credit card in the cabinet-organizer aisle until you've lived with a space for a while. Pull-out trays, in-drawer knife blocks, cookware organizers, in-cabinet trash cans, and stand-mixer-lifts are cool and nifty and oh-so-shiny. But they require installation and sometimes a bit of de-construction of your existing cabinetry in order to install. Be sure that you are happy with your setup before you pull out the reciprocating saw and drill.
7. Plan on re-arranging the space. Your first guess about the best placement of items is bound to be a little off. The best way to arrange a kitchen, in my experience, is to cook in it. Figure out which things you really want handy. It can take me three or four arrangements before I'm happy, and I plan to re-think the space with any major purchase (new dishware, a necessary new appliance, new furniture, etc).

Freaky Good Beer Can Chicken

Some time ago, I picked up a nifty little rack for making beer can chicken. Last weekend, we gave it a test drive.

Oh. Wow. Talk about good. And easy. And really funny looking. You might not even need the rack, but it did help keep the chicken upright. Oh, and you might want to think about a poultry thermometer also. You stick one of those into the thigh of the bird before it goes on the heat, and follow the markings for your doneness level. They come in a steak version too. Those suckers are good in an indoor oven as well as on the grill.


Ingredients

• One whole chicken, gizards and neck (and whatever else comes packed in the little bag) removed.
• One 12oz can beer. We used Heineken.
• One granny smith apple
• One sprig fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill on high about 10-15 minutes and clean the grates.

2. Drink half of the beer. (Or pour it out, but you want your can half full).
3. Stick the sprig of rosemary into the opening on the can, put the can into the stand, and stuff the can+stand up the bottom of the chicken. Yes, it looks kinda pornographic. The beer makes it funnier.
4. Carve the apple down until it is the right size to plug the neck cavity. This will keep the bear steam from escaping and also flavor the bird at the same time.
5. Leave one burner on high and turn the rest off. Place the chicken over the side of the grill away from the heat (indirect), and roast about 60-70 minutes until thoroughly cooked.

6. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest about 10 minutes before taking it off the stand and slicing.

My New Stand Mixer Attachment

I dearly  love my Kitchenaid stand mixer, but there are a few things it just cannot do. It cannot whisk less than a handful of eggwhites to stiff peaks. It cannot scrape all of the flour from the bottom of the bowl. It cannot make coffee (who knows, maybe there's an attachment for that...).  Luckily, several third-party companies have stepped up to add to Kitchenaid's array of attachments.

After seeing a few reviews of two of the new silicone-tipped beaters, I decided to buy myself the SideSwipe. So far, I'm pretty happy with it. this first picgture shows it head-to-head with the flat beater that came with my mixer. The blue wings are little silicone fins that flex and actually scrape the bowl while mixing. The package claims that it lowers the time needed.  I think it lowers the danger of killing your Kitchenaid by a poorly timed insertion of a spatula.

(Yes, that can happen. Yes, there are a few companies around who can fix busted mixer motors for less than the cost of a new mixer. Yes I have experience in this area).

I tried out my new toy on boxed cake mix this week. I did the minimum possible prep for the mix--i.e. dumped the bag of powder, the eggs, the oil, and the water in the mixer, and turned it on. After a minute or so of stirring, I cranked the speed up. After another minute or two, I was done. No spatula needed, and no hunks of flour stuck to the bottom of the bowl.

Bravo, SideSwipe.