Utensils
Below is a selection of basic kitchen equipment. To go into detail on all kitchen tools would involve another book. If you have any specific queries, please contact James using the contact section of the site and James will his our best to answer.
Spoons for cooking
Wooden spoons, unlike those made of metal, stay cool when cooking. Nowadays we have a great selection of plastic and silicone products that don’t stain like their wooden counterparts, are easy to clean and dishwasher safe. Some are even safe up to 400°C.
Ladle
Great for serving soup and potting jam, preserves and chutney. When using, always fill the ladle and then touch the surface of the liquid in the pan; that way it won’t drip from the bottom.
Basting and slotted spoons
A basting spoon is one with a long handle for spooning hot fat over cooking roasts. A slotted spoon is useful for removing vegetables etc from boiling water.
Fish slice
One made from heat resistant plastic or metal that is silicone coated is good as it can be used on all surfaces including non stick. The wide end on this is good for turning and lifting larger items such as fish and bacon.
Tongs
Really useful for turning items like sausages on a grill or frying pan or removing steak from a grill pan.
Palate knife
A flat edged pliable knife for decorating cakes, easing cakes out of tins and turning small items like fried eggs.
Oven gloves
Don’t overlook these and never use a dishcloth. Some people like a double mitt; I like two separate gloves or “gauntlets” to put each hand in. Spend as much as you can afford on these. Ones with integral steam and grease barriers are good, so if the outside gets splashed with hot fat or sauce, the inside stays cool.
Mixing bowls
A good selection of these in various sizes is good for all sorts of baking and marinating.
Whisk
A wire balloon whisk is very useful for sauces and mixing. However, if you’re a novice at cooking, a rotary whisk might be easier to use.
Spatula
At the moment I'm loving the silicone ones as they are heatproof to 400°C. It’s an ingenious gadget for cleaning out bowls and pans.
Scales
Scales with metric and imperial measurements are good, but don’t mix the two in a recipe or you may have issues. Electronic scales are best for accuracy. Spend as much as you can afford.
Measuring spoons
Most popular sizes of measuring spoons are those that hold 5ml, 10ml and 15ml of liquid. For dry goods, it’s roughly the same amount in grams. In running order, they are the same as a teaspoon (tsp), dessert spoon (dsp) and tablespoon (tbsp).
Measuring jug
These come in different sizes and I prefer the glass ones to the metal types. Ones with non-slip handles are good. It’s advisable to have two, one larger than the other, and I would recommend choosing ones that are microwave safe too. Go for a well known brand over design icons as the measurements inside the jug may be inaccurate.
Knives
I'm always asked “what’s the best knife?” Well, the answer is simple: it’s the best you can afford and the one that feels right in your hand. However, the concept of a “set of knives” is a misnomer. Go to a good cook shop and hold some knives; they should balance well when held in your hand. Never put a knife in the dishwasher, they will rust and blunt. It’s important they also have a comfortable handle and a good strong blade. Don’t get caught up with riveted versus fully forged, it’s a personal decision. Likewise, the term “Sabatier” is not an indication of quality. Any knife that comes from the town of Tier in France can be called Sabatier. It’s a bit like Champagne only coming from one region of France; you can get both good ones and bad ones.
Carving knife (and fork)
Great for cutting meat.
Bread knife
Lots of people who are left handed complain they can’t cut bread straight. That's because bread knives are specific for right or left handed users. Hold the bread knife in the hand you cut with; if you are right handed, the bevel should be on the right side, if left handed, on the left.
Cook’s knife
For cutting meat, chopping vegetables and herbs or chipping potatoes.
Utility knife
For general use; can be used to cut vegetables and meat.
Paring knife
Small blade to peel fruit and vegetables
Sharpening steel and alternatives
Different types of sharpeners are available for knives, but be careful. Conventionally, steel was used to sharpen knives but, if this is done incorrectly, more damage than good can be done to the knife. Purchase a sharpener from the knife range you have; that way you can be sure your knives are sharpened correctly.
To use a sharpening steel correctly, hold the steel firmly and place the knife blade at a shallow angle. Start at the heel of the knife (the bit of the blade near the handle) and pull up to sharpen the whole length in one go. Do this a few times and then repeat on the other side for the same number of times.
Storage
Never store knives in a drawer; not only is it dangerous, they will also blunt easily and the blades will get damaged. Keep knives in a roll, in a block or on a metallic strip.
Carbon steel
Knives made from this need to be sharpened regularly. Stains and rusts easily.
Stainless steel
Will hold a sharp edge longer than carbon steel, and will not become too blunt.
Ceramic
Expensive knives that never need sharpening. However they do break easily.
Kitchen scissors
Choose a sturdy pair that split into two parts for ease of cleaning. Great for cutting bacon, herbs etc.
Poultry shears
Look like garden secateurs. Good for cutting through chicken and other poultry bones. Choose a pair with a good spring. They make spatchcocking or jointing poultry easy.
Sharpening steel and alternatives
Different types of sharpeners are available for knives, but be careful. Conventionally, steel was used to sharpen knives but, if this is done incorrectly, more harm than good can be done to the blade. Purchase a sharpener from the knife range you have; that way you can be sure your knives are sharpened correctly.
To use a sharpening steel correctly, hold the steel firmly and place the knife blade at a shallow angle. Start at the heel of the knife (the bit of the blade near the handle) and pull up to sharpen the whole length in one go. Do this a few times and then repeat on the other side for the same number of times.
Storage
Never store knives in a drawer. Not only is it dangerous, but they will also blunt easily and the blades will get damaged. Keep knives in a roll or in a block or on a metallic strip.
Carbon steel
Knives made from this material need to be sharpened regularly, as it stains and rusts easily.
Stainless steel
Will hold a sharp edge longer than carbon steel, and will not become too blunt.
Ceramic
Expensive knives that never need sharpening. However they do break easily.
Kitchen scissors
Choose a sturdy pair that split into two parts for ease of cleaning. Great for cutting bacon, herbs etc.
Poultry shears
Look like garden secateurs. Good for cutting through chicken and other poultry bones. Choose a pair with a good spring. They make spatchcocking or jointing poultry easy.
Chopping board
Never ever use a glass one, they blunt knives. I like wood. I find it easy to clean and attractive. Plastic ones are good but many can discolour easily and show cut marks giving bacteria space to grow. Always give a chopping board a good scrub after use. It’s good to bleach every now and again, remembering to wash off the bleach thoroughly afterwards.
Grater
The old conical style works well with different blades on each of the sides. I do find it hard to clean if I'm grating cheese. A small nutmeg grater is brilliant for nutmeg and Parmesan. A Microplane™ grater is very safe as it’s hard to cut yourself, easy to clean and use - but they are expensive.
Lemon squeezer
Also known as a reamer. Wooden ones are attractive but can crack when dried. Glass and plastic ones with built-in bases are useful as they separate the pulp and seeds from the juice. Contemporary style large ones that stand on the work top are available, but I find they are very messy and take up too much space.
Colander
These come in metal, plastic and silicone. The metal ones are great as they will stand in the sink, and the silicone ones will collapse into themselves for ease of storage. Enamel ones are attractive but they tend to chip.
Sieve
Come in a variety of sizes and are used to aerate and mix. I prefer metal ones to plastic as they are more durable. Use a round-bottomed sieve for dry goods and a conical sieve or “chinoise” for liquids and sauces.
Baking sheet
Get a good solid one that is flat. The stronger it is, the less likely it is to buckle. A non-stick surface is useful.
Pie dish
Flat, round dishes. A bit like dinner plates with high sides for making pies and desserts like apple tart or lemon meringue pie.
Cake tin
These come in various sizes for round and square cakes. Spring-form are very useful as the side will easily pop off when the cake is done. Non-stick ones don’t need to be lined with greaseproof paper and this saves time. Loose base tins are useful too.
Patty tin
For making fairy cakes for example. Usually with twelve holes but sometimes have nine. Non-stick ones are best.
Loaf tin
These come in various sizes and non-stick ones are best.
Cooling tray
A wire grid for cooling cakes, scones, bread etc. It’s important to remove a sponge or bread from the tin when it’s cooked; if it cools in the tin, the moisture given off will re-condense and leave a soggy product, whereas a cooling tray is raised off the table and has holes in it so the hot moisture can escape.
Rolling pins
Surprisingly, I find the ones without handles easier to roll. Wooden, silicone, acrylic, glass and marble ones are available. The silicone and acrylic ones have less chance of sticking while the glass and marble ones will be cooler when rolling pastry. Some expensive ones can be filled with water which can then be frozen.
Pastry cutters
Can be plain or fluted or in various shapes. Always stamp a cutter down and don’t twist it while cutting as this will distort the finished cut shape it’s better to pull the dough or pastry away from the cutter. It’s possible to buy dual-purpose cutters, with one side fluted and the other plain. However, these can be sore on your hands so it’s best to have separate cutters with rolled metal tops for comfort.
Pastry brush
Traditionally made from hog’s hair but silicone ones are available now as well. Use for glazing pies and bread, buns and cakes, and for greasing. Always wash well after use and leave the hog’s hair ones to dry well. I find the silicone ones difficult to use for glazing items like fruit tarts as the silicone won’t hold dense liquids like jam or jelly.
Can opener
Can be handheld, wall-mounted or electric. Choose a strong one. Always give the top of the tin a wipe before opening and never store food in the fridge in a can. Dented cans should always be discarded.
Bottle opener and cork screw
Two different items but both needed in the kitchen. Handy thing is most tin openers incorporate a bottle opener and some corkscrews do too. A “winged” or lever style corkscrew is the easiest to use. Corkscrews with a silicone “screw” are easier to remove from cork than metal ones.
