Probably one of the most appreciated skills a person can have as an adult is being a good cook. Whether it’s for a special occasion or everyday for the ones in your life, we pride ourselves on our ability to cook an appetizing, visually appealing meal. The time and effort put into just a half hour, daily event can show a lot about the person preparing it.

How important is it to own the right kitchen tools? Have you ever tried to build a book shelf with a butter knife? It could be done, but at what cost in time and skinned knuckles? It’s far easier to have the tools you need right from the start. You will save time and a little skin by having what you need to get the job done.

Like any other job, you need to clearly define your objectives. Are you building a shed or a scaled down version of the Taj Majal? The same principles apply- do you plan on cooking like that often? Are you a connoisseur of pasta or just a plain “meat and potatoes” kind of cook? Believe it or not, there are tools for both extremes. The best thing you can do is buy a cookbook with recipes you like and read it. This will give you an idea of what to stock your kitchen with. Sometimes a single grinder will do multiple jobs where a mortar and pestle are just not practical.

Now that you’ve thought over what kind of cooking you prefer to eat, let’s look at how to get the tools you’re going to need. I suggest that you go to your local bookstore and buy a cook book. Every recipe will tell you what tools you will need to properly cook the dish. For the very basics you can find cooking tools in your local department store, the mall, or even in the grocery store. For bigger, more exotic purchases, I recommend the internet. There is a large selection of kitchen ware on the net and the prices are competitive when you compare quality. I wouldn’t buy a coffee grinder on the internet, but a new 12 piece knife set with cherry wood handles? Absolutely!

There are some basics you might want to already have on hand: I suggest a large glass measuring cup and metal measuring spoons. A solid knife set and a couple of plastic cutting boards are definitely a must. Rubber-tipped spatulas for scraping from the bowls and measuring cup and wooden spoons for pan cooking. Wooden spoons are very much recommended because they will not heat up as fast as metal spoons or melt like plastic ones. An apple peeler/corer is recommended for peeling vegetables and fruits. For fresh spices I you will need a grinder or mortar and pestle. Some food processors come with different attachments ranging from dough mixer to juicer and even a meat grinder attachment for sausage making. Unless you plan on cooking for the Waltons, there might not be a need for one of those monsters. A small processor will do and they can be found all over the internet.

Aside from what’s on the box there are literally millions of things you can do with just a simple paring knife. Fresh radishes become crowns for garnishment and added roughage. With just a few twists of a peeler and you have a nice apple ribbon on the side of your homemade apple pancakes. The two main things are to think healthy and think fresh. Fresh black pepper from the pepper grinder is preferred for cooking. The same can be said for ginger root and especially garlic. A good food processor can help with a lot of this and really cut down on time spent mincing and dicing. Fresh will always be better.

Remember when buying your kitchen tools to make sure whether or not they are dishwasher safe. If the box doesn’t say so, don’t put it in the dishwasher. Some utensils with rubber handles will see a lot of wear from a hot dry cycle and you might one day end with a metal post where your nice cushy handle used to be. If it’s meant to be plugged into the wall, that should be a no brainer, but just in case: do not put your electric knife, food processor, bread maker, etc into the dishwasher-ever. Keep a bottle brush on hand to get into small corners and crevasses. And for storage, consider an upright sliding shelf that can be mounted under a cabinet. This will avoid the “junk drawer” that makes it hard to find a spatula, much less a tsp measuring spoon. Plus, it will look cool to your friends.

Try to stockpile your kitchen arsenal with tools you know you will use on a regular basis. -Keep an open mind about things and have a good time. Remember, the most important tool you have in your kitchen is you.

Zeeman Haus enjoys writing articles online on a variety of subjects. You can check out his latest website on Slicer Meat which discusses various meat slicers on the market and which one might be an option for you and your family.

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