The right tools in the kitchen can help save time, extract essential flavours, and just make life in the kitchen more enjoyable. But what tools do I really need in the kitchen? The culinary industry is saturated with so many utensils and ‘do-hickies,’ from garlic peelers, to egg separators, to slap chops. It can be very easy to fill your kitchen with useless clutter. There are a few tools however that we use a lot in the
ELLICSR Kitchen, so I created this list of the top 5 essential utensils.
The Chef’s Knife
Forget the full 30 piece knife block set, throwaway the slap chop and invest in one good quality
chef’s knife. A chef’s knife (sometimes called a French knife) will be used for about 95% of your cutting needs (paring knife and bread knife making up the rest). Do some research and find a supplier that specializes in chef’s knives and take one out for a test drive. It should be comfortable in your hand, weighted properly (not too heavy or too light in your hands), and very sharp.
Rasp
We use the
rasp a lot in the ELLICSR kitchen. I call it our flavour boosting tool. It can remove the zest from your citrus fruits, which is an underused ingredient for boosting flavour. You can also use it to grate garlic, ginger, cheese, and whole spices much more effectively than with any other tool.
Food Processor
Aside from being able to do a lot of the chopping and prep work for you, a food processor can also make complete dishes. Think hummus, pesto, almond butter, marinades, aioli, and even frozen yogurt. Speaking of dessert – check out our recipe for
Green Tea Frozen Yogurt with Maple Caramelized Bananas.
Coffee Grinder (for spices)
I always suggest that you use
whole spices instead of the pre-ground stuff. They last much longer and add a bigger punch of flavour to your meals. For about 15 bucks you can find an electric coffee grinder that will turn your whole spices into customized flavour concoctions. Blend a fresh Garam masala, Chinese 5 spice, or Malasian curry in an instant.
Speed Peeler
This Y shaped peeler is great for doing regular peeling duties like removing the skins off of carrots and potatoes, but it also provides you with the thinnest slices of raw beets or zucchini ribbons to make some exceptional salads and dishes.
What’s your favourite kitchen tool?
For questions on where to find these tools and anything else culinary related, please feel free to email me at
geremy@ellicsrkitchen.ca or tweet me
@ELLICSRKitchen. Also don’t forget to check out our website full of delicious recipes, videos and nutrition tips at the
ELLICSR Kitchen.
