Meinhilde’s Ten Favourite Kitchen Tools

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I do a lot of cooking – everyday meals for myself, but also family celebrations and hostess gifts. I have been reading cookbooks ever since my first year of kindergarten, and through testing and enjoying recipes, I found that I could not cook enjoyably without a few key kitchen tools. These are not the ridiculous gadgets (like those folding cutting boards, or separate potato and mushroom brushes), but useful and versatile items. What kitchen tools are your must-haves?

1. Good Chef’s Knife

Make sure the blade doesn’t bend; otherwise your hand might slip while cutting hard things (like carrots, potatoes, squash). A sharp knife is a must, since dull knives require more pressure to make the cut and you risk cutting yourself. A sharp knife is a safe knife.

 

2. Large Cutting Board

I use a collection of small boards that are commonly used as German dinner dishes, but a big board is great for a lot of preparation. It will hold the food you are chopping without all the food falling off and onto your counter. It also makes it easy when you need to move the food to a pan or bowl; just pick up the cutting board and scrape the food into your vessel.

 
3. Cooling Rack

This helps baked goods cool quickly. I have a two-level wire rack, but this 3-Tier Cooling Rack would allow you to cool a three-layer cake all at the same time.

 

4. Wok!

For stir-fries, firstly. My Japanese friend’s mom also uses her wok to deep-fry some foods, since the narrow base means that less oil is required. Proper stir-fries require super-high heat from direct flames, which is not something I can truly mimic on my tiny electric stove. Nevertheless, a wok is a must. If you cook on an electric stove, you’ll need a flat-bottomed wok like this Lightweight Cast Iron Wok; you can use a round-bottomed wok if you’re lucky enough to cook with fire!

 

5. Paring Knife

For finer tasks like hulling strawberries, I use a little sharp paring knife. It’s great for cutting cheese, trimming fruits or veggies, and other small kitchen tasks. Make sure the blade is sharp and won’t bend either.

 

6. Rubber Spatula

A rubber spatula is great for scraping the last remnants of batter from a bowl, help turn eggs in a pan, and is easy to clean. Just make sure you get a silicone one that won’t melt!

 

7. Casserole Dish (13 by 9 Inch)

I use my casserole dish for baking, for roasting, for cold desserts, and for marinating. It’s a rimmed dish that can hold liquid without spilling (unless you’re clumsy like Tomiko).

 
8. Wooden Spoon

A wooden spoon is a great utensil to stir things, either raw batters in a bowl or hot foods in a pot on the stove. Wood won’t scratch nonstick pans, feels good in your hand, and is rounded to get all the bits from the sides of the mixing bowl.

 

9. Kitchen Scale

A scale is mandatory if you do any cooking from European recipes – all of my Oma’s and aunt’s recipes use weight measurements. It’s actually a more accurate measurement than using cups and spoons, which measure volume. You can use a digital scale, or a mechanical scale like I have.

 

10. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons

I do a lot of cooking from North American recipes too, so of course I need measuring cups and measuring spoons to make sure my recipes are accurate.