These basics are essential in the kitchen

As a food lover, you naturally always want the latest kitchen gadgets. Although my madeleine mold, mandoline and KitchenAid make my life a lot more fun, you can absolutely manage without them too. If you have the following tools at home, you can basically make anything.

A good knife
The most important thing of all is a good knife. I will never understand that there are people who have nothing but those plastic potato-peeling knives at home. A good chef’s knife is a must; for a home cook, a knife between 20 and 25 centimeters is more than sufficient. Global and Wüsthof are great brands.

If you want to add a small knife, make sure it is razor-sharp. For example, the paring knife by Robert Herder. Affordable, and it cuts through everything effortlessly.

Cutting board
A good, large cutting board is essential too. Wood is kinder to your knives, and if you oil it well from time to time, your board will last a very long time. Plastic dulls your knives faster, but unlike wood, it can go in the dishwasher. A glass cutting board can go straight in the trash: your knives will be ruined immediately, and the sound while cutting is unbearable.

Pans
A few pans will get you a long way. You shouldn’t be without a large and a small saucepan. You use the large one for pasta and soups, and the small one for rice and eggs. In addition, a deep sauté pan with a lid is your best friend. You can fry a steak, toast bread and make sauces in it, but it is also deep enough to let meatballs or stewed meat simmer.

Immersion blender
With an immersion blender at home, you don’t really need a blender. You use it to purée soups, hummus and smoothies, or to make pesto. But a vinaigrette, mayonnaise or hollandaise is also ready in no time. You also get the most fluffy scrambled eggs and omelet by beating your eggs with the immersion blender.

Mixing bowls
I think I have about ten mixing bowls, and it is absolutely no exception for all of them to be dirty. Stainless steel ones are my favorite; I have two very large ones for when I want to marinate thirty chicken wings or toss a salad thoroughly with vinaigrette. For mixing sauces, marinating small quantities of meat and other nonsense, I use the slightly smaller version. Tip: get them at an Asian grocery store; they’re cheap there.

Tools
A few kitchen tools are essential for the enthusiastic home cook. A good spatula is very important; make sure it is sturdy and doesn’t bend easily. So get a metal one, not a plastic one. Otherwise, flipping pancakes, fish or other crispy things becomes a messy business. In addition, a good ladle (not too short), kitchen tongs, whisk, Microplane grater and vegetable peeler should not be missing from the kitchen. Oh, and a can opener, because nothing is more annoying than coming home with a can of chickpeas and being unable to open it.