Essential Italian kitchen tools found in every kitchen

The kitchen, including kitchen tools, is the domain of Italian nonnas and mothers. An assortment of family recipes and a healthy dose of love can make a lot of recipes delicious, but that’s certainly not all. According to nonnas and mothers, there are also a number of essential items that should not be missing from your Italian kitchen.

11x Italian kitchen tools

Pasta machine

First of all, a pasta machine. There are different types with different settings and attachments that allow you to make spaghetti, tagliatelle and practically every type of fresh pasta. You can choose a pasta machine that you operate by turning the dough by hand, or an electric one where you hardly have to do anything. Long ago, pasta was rolled out with a long wooden rolling pin, but that is no longer the case. Some time ago, we already found out which pasta machines chefs swear by.

Dough scraper

This is an essential product when making bread yourself, but also fresh pasta. It allows you to scrape together the dough that sticks to the work surface, so you don’t have to waste anything. In traditional Italian families, waste is not taken lightly and nothing is thrown away. A dough scraper is also a must for sticky bread dough.

Stainless steel dough scraper – €11.95

Gnocchi board

A gnocchi board is a small wooden board with one smooth and one ridged side. You can roll gnocchi over it, creating a pleasantly ridged pattern. There are also other traditional types of pasta, such as cavatelli or garganelli, that can be made with the help of a gnocchi board.

Gnocchi board with rolling pin – €17.95

Moka pot

A moka pot is not only beautiful, but instantly makes your kitchen feel Italian. Coffee from a moka pot simply tastes like Italy, whether you want it to or not. It doesn’t matter if you also use another coffee system; a small moka pot should not be missing from your kitchen cupboard. Just make sure you don’t make these moka mistakes, and follow these golden moka rules for the perfect coffee.

Classic Bialetti moka pot – €27

Food mill

Or passe vite. To be honest, I thought this was called a “tomato passata maker,” but nothing could be further from the truth. Still, you’ll find one in every Italian kitchen. You can use it to make tomato sauce or purée, but also, for example, mashed potatoes. The larger pieces and skins remain behind, leaving you with a smooth sauce or purée.

Food mill – €23.49

Puntarelle cutter

Puntarelle are elongated bitter leafy greens that are traditionally soaked in ice water and eaten with an anchovy dressing. You can’t eat everything—only the inside of the vegetable—and it also needs to be cut into thin strips. Italian nonnas do this with a kind of square frame covered in sharp wires. You simply pull the puntarelle through it. They are not yet sold in the Netherlands, so be sure to bring one home if you’re in Italy. You can often even buy them in the supermarket.

Wooden spoon

This may sound silly, but a good wooden spoon is essential in an Italian kitchen. When cooking pasta and you want to stir it, the best way to do so is with a wooden spoon.

Set of 3 wooden spoons – €4.50

Potato ricer

If you want to make gnocchi yourself, a potato ricer or masher is incredibly useful. It is a square press into which you can place a boiled potato, skin and all, after which strands of mashed potato come out. Besides making gnocchi, Italian nonnas and mothers also often make mashed potatoes for their children. They call it schiacciapatate.

Potato ricer with peeler – €24.95

Risotto pan

You don’t make risotto in a frying pan—no, you make risotto in a risotto pan. At first, this seemed rather excessive to me, but it definitely helps achieve perfectly cooked risotto. With a risotto pan, making risotto becomes almost a relaxing affair. You don’t have to check anxiously whether everything is going well; the risotto pan ensures a relaxed cooking process.

Le Creuset risotto pan – €199

Ravioli cutter

A ravioli cutter creates a pleasantly crimped edge. So you can use it to cut ravioli, but also for crostata, for example—or when you hand in your CV at your future dream job. Success guaranteed.

Double pasta cutter – €13.95

Good stew pot

If you enter an Italian kitchen at seven in the morning, it often already smells of ragù or tomato sauce. A good stew pot is therefore half the work. So invest in one. If you’re lucky, it will last a lifetime.

Cast-iron Dutch oven – €78.19

Read also:

• We bought vegan mozzarella and it turned out to be a bad idea
• Can we talk about double-walled glasses?
• Stop frying spinach! This method is much better

Source: Italiamo