Do You Have the Right Kitchen Equipment?

November 14, 2017

One of the best things you can do for yourself is learning how to cook your own meals. Knowing that you made a delicious dinner for yourself, the feeling of independence, and it’s a huge money saver! No more paying to go out every meal. Whether you’re new to the kitchen or you’re Gordon Ramsay, we suggest this kitchen equipment to make every meal the best meal!

When You’re Slicing

Having a good knife can prevent a kitchen nightmare! They say that the most dangerous knife is a dull knife, so that makes it one of the biggest staple in your kitchen supplies. When you think about it, almost all cooking requires a knife. From slicing chicken, vegetables, fruits, and even as a tool such as opening packages, there is always a need for a knife. You will want one with a firm handle and a nice, curved edge. Make sure you always wipe the knife after each use, and wash it with warm water and dish soap after each use, making sure there’s no remnants of previous food particles on it. You can buy convenient knife sharpeners, or a wet stone to always keep a good, sharp edge on it. Simply use the coarse side 10 times, and then flip it over to the fine grit side and repeat. Pro-tip: When transferring food from the cutting board to the pan, use the dull side faced down to “scoop” it up. This way you won’t be dulling the blade dragging it across the cutting board. The versatility of a kitchen knife might make it the best investment as a kitchen equipment.

When You’re Flipping

Besides slicing and dicing, you’ll also need to do some flipping, grabbing and scooping. Your kitchen equipment needs to include good spatulas and tongs. Having these tools easily accessible will reduce frustration while cooking your meals. Metal spatulas are thin enough to get under delicate foods like omelets or cookies, while rubber spatulas are good for mixing, spreading, and scraping the last bits out from jars and cans. You’ll be using tongs to grab your proteins such as chicken and steaks to turn them over with ease. We suggest a good pair with a comfortable handle and serrated tips. They’re also perfect for tossing vegetables or salads! Having a good ladle will save you time for soups and other liquids. One quick scoop is much more satisfying than fifteen scoops with a wimpy spoon. Look for one with a deep pocket, and possibly a curve on the handle to prevent it falling into the pan.

When You’re Checking

You’ll need a good meat thermometer for your kitchen. Nothing can ruin a meal more than unintentionally under cooking your food! Having a meat thermometer can give you an accurate reading of the internal temperature of the food, ensuring it’s cooked how you like it and safe to eat! This is especially important for steaks, and can measure how hot the oil is when you’re planning to fry. An array of measuring cups and spoons is essential because eyeballing how much ⅓ of a cup is might come with experience, so it’s be safer to know the exact measurement. Having quality kitchen equipment like a can opener is not only a relief, but you won’t be able to fathom how your kitchen survived without one before. No more turning it once only to see that it’s skipped the can and broke. Having a decent can opener can be satisfying feeling it cut around like butter.

How do you feel about our suggestions about essential kitchen equipment? What do you think needs to go in your drawer?

5 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Dishwasher

5 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Dishwasher

Dishwashers are an incredibly helpful timesaver, and in the fast-paced restaurant industry, staff and managers are desperate for even a small amount of extra time. Although simply putting dishes into a machine seems simple, if your dishwasher is not well-maintained...

read more
How to Keep Having Fun while Running your Restaurant

How to Keep Having Fun while Running your Restaurant

Restaurant owners typically have a passion for cuisine. Opening and running a restaurant is exciting, providing the opportunity to fully explore and develop your vision. However, if you have been in the restaurant business for any length of time, you know that it is...

read more
3 Great Reasons to Maintain Your Restaurant Equipment

3 Great Reasons to Maintain Your Restaurant Equipment

As the owner of a restaurant, you want a healthy and clean business. In the hustle of everyday restaurant management, it can be easy to forget to take care of issues that don’t seem as pressing as the customer complaining that they got the wrong order or that their...

read more
3 Tips for Maintaining Your Commercial Oven

3 Tips for Maintaining Your Commercial Oven

As a restaurant owner, buying a commercial oven is an enormous investment. You will desperately want this oven to work properly and you need to make sure it does. You are responsible for your restaurant business. But what if your commercial oven stops working on the...

read more
5 Steps to Cutting Food Waste from Your Kitchen

5 Steps to Cutting Food Waste from Your Kitchen

Food waste is a problem around the world. Taking steps to prevent food waste in your kitchen doesn’t just make your restaurant more morally strong; it can also help you save money on ingredients and attract more customers. Here are some steps you can take to reduce...

read more
Planning Your Equipment Needs When Your Restaurant is Expanding

Planning Your Equipment Needs When Your Restaurant is Expanding

Your restaurant is doing great, guests are coming in, and they’re spreading the word about the culinary masterpieces your restaurant offers, as well as the exceptional service that is provided by the kitchen equipment and staff.  But with all the new business, you’ve...

read more
How to Keep Cool in the Restaurant Kitchen

How to Keep Cool in the Restaurant Kitchen

Being in the kitchen, it’s hard not to feel overheated, especially during the summer. The heat of the stoves and ovens will quickly make the restaurant kitchen somewhere you don’t want to be. How do you keep cool in the kitchen? We have brought together some of the...

read more
How and Why to Make Your Restaurant Lead-Free

How and Why to Make Your Restaurant Lead-Free

If you own a restaurant, then you already know how important water is to your operations, and that poor water quality can adversely impact the success of your business. That is why you should ensure a restaurant lead-free environment.  Water is an integral part of all...

read more
5 Unique Restaurant Concepts Guaranteed to Thrill Diners

5 Unique Restaurant Concepts Guaranteed to Thrill Diners

With restaurants on almost every block, having a unique restaurant concept can help set you apart, making your establishment stand out. These concepts may have taken a bit to catch on, but they have quickly become popular sellers. Here are 5 unique restaurant concepts...

read more
How to Run an Energy-Efficient Restaurant

How to Run an Energy-Efficient Restaurant

You probably don’t need to be reminded of the high cost of electricity in running a restaurant compared to an energy-efficient restaurant. Right now, many establishments, including restaurants, are going green and adopting eco-friendly strategies to conserve...

read more
Tipping: A Restaurant Controversy

Tipping: A Restaurant Controversy

When it comes to tipping or no-tipping policies in restaurants, there are strong feelings on both sides. While many restaurants have implemented no tipping policies, others are strong proponents for tipping. Still others aren’t sure which policy is right for their...

read more