Level Up Your Cooking Skills With These Kitchen Must-Haves
Do you find your time in the kitchen frustrating? Fortunately, cooking is a skill that can easily be mastered. With the right knowledge, decent kitchen tools, patience and practice, you can learn the basics of cooking and be on your way to making snacks, meals and desserts that you and your family will enjoy.
Here are some top tips to help you get started with leveling up your kitchen skills.
Here are some top tips to help you get started with leveling up your kitchen skills.
Level Up Your Cooking Skills With These Kitchen Must-Haves
#1 The Right Knives
Owning the right knives will make the biggest difference to your meal prep, and there are three types of knives we strongly recommend you have in your kitchen: A chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated bread knife.
A chef's knife is an absolute must-have. It is multipurpose and versatile, since you can use it to slice, chop, mince and julienne. A paring knife will do all of your peeling and stripping. A serrated knife (also known as a "bread knife") is great for slicing thick loaves of bread, melons with tough rinds and even tomatoes!
Keeping your knives sharp will extend the life your knives, make them easier to use and actually keep you safer from accidentally cutting yourself, since a sharp knife does all the work for you.
Having these three knife staples in your kitchen is definitely the first step to leveling up your cooking skills.
  Cuisinart 3 Pc. Stainless Steel Knife Set, amazon.com |
  J.A. Henckels International Modernist 6-pc Studio Knife Block Set, amazon.com |
#2 A Good Cookbook (Or 2...or 3...)
Recipes can sometimes seem like a hassle, but they are a great way to learn and experiment. You can try your hand at different cuisines, use uncommon ingredients or find a course you enjoy cooking the most, like appetizers or desserts. Having step-by-step instructions that you can follow will make cooking stress-free as well, as the directions are clearly laid out for you. The best place to find cookbooks to experiment with are second hand stores, since you can purchase them for just a few dollars. Browse the book section for a chef you recognize or a type of cuisine that speaks to you.
Whether you watch cooking videos or follow a recipe from a cookbook or a website (like ours!), there will be images of the completed dish so you can see what you're shooting for. Recipes can make you a better chef, as you'll learn how to mix, measure, pour, strain, stir and saute, all from the techniques of a seasoned cook.
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#3 Upgrade Your Appliances
The appliances in your kitchen can vastly improve your cooking, so long as you invest in the right ones and learn how to use them properly. Some of the best appliances that you should have in your kitchen are:
A food processor is a must have in our house; we use it to blend, puree, slice and shred. A gadget like a Farberware Air Fryer can help you cook healthier meals in less time than it would to heat and cook in your traditional oven, and is definitely an appliance that can help you level up your cooking skills. Juicy steak & chops, fish and chicken are perfect proteins for cooking in an air fryer. And a rice cooker cooks more than just rice: use it to make delicious oatmeal or chili. You can even boil eggs in a rice cooker!
The appliances in your kitchen can vastly improve your cooking, so long as you invest in the right ones and learn how to use them properly. Some of the best appliances that you should have in your kitchen are:
- Food processor
- Food blender
- Farberware Air Fryer
- Meat tenderizer
- Rice cooker
- Non-stick pans
A food processor is a must have in our house; we use it to blend, puree, slice and shred. A gadget like a Farberware Air Fryer can help you cook healthier meals in less time than it would to heat and cook in your traditional oven, and is definitely an appliance that can help you level up your cooking skills. Juicy steak & chops, fish and chicken are perfect proteins for cooking in an air fryer. And a rice cooker cooks more than just rice: use it to make delicious oatmeal or chili. You can even boil eggs in a rice cooker!
  Farberware 3.2 Quart Air Fryer, amazon.com |
  Black & Decker 6 Cup Rice Cooker, amazon.com |
#4 Quality Ingredients
Ever wondered why meals can taste significantly different, even though you cooked them in the same way? More often than not, it's the ingredients you are using. Quality ingredients will make a huge difference in your recipe versus lower quality ones. For example, resist purchasing ingredients like imitation vanilla and butter substitutes and spend the extra dough on the real thing--trust me, you'll notice the difference. Fresh fruit and vegetables will taste far superior in your recipes than frozen (and don't even think about canned) and opt for ingredients that are ripe and in season. Even better: shop at a farmer's market, where you will find not only fresh fruits and veg, but a whole host of other quality foods like organic honey, syrups and jams and freshly baked bread. For your recipes to taste as best they can, you need to ensure that you are investing in the highest quality ingredients.
#4 Quality Ingredients
Ever wondered why meals can taste significantly different, even though you cooked them in the same way? More often than not, it's the ingredients you are using. Quality ingredients will make a huge difference in your recipe versus lower quality ones. For example, resist purchasing ingredients like imitation vanilla and butter substitutes and spend the extra dough on the real thing--trust me, you'll notice the difference. Fresh fruit and vegetables will taste far superior in your recipes than frozen (and don't even think about canned) and opt for ingredients that are ripe and in season. Even better: shop at a farmer's market, where you will find not only fresh fruits and veg, but a whole host of other quality foods like organic honey, syrups and jams and freshly baked bread. For your recipes to taste as best they can, you need to ensure that you are investing in the highest quality ingredients.
Leveling up your kitchen skills is a great way to make tastier meals, become better at cooking and spending your time in the kitchen more efficiently. You don’t have to go to culinary school to improve your skills--all you need is the right tools, ingredients and a bit of know how.
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