Top 10 Kitchen Tools Under $25
It's tough to narrow down what you think are the most essential tools in the kitchen. There are so many tools that are available, but these are tools that I use the most when I cook at home.
Here are my top 10 kitchen tools that you can get for under $25.
From grating citrus and cheese to garlic and chocolate, these are essential in any chefs tool roll.
Not all peelers are created equal. The Y peeler (also called a tourne peeler) is preferred by chefs for their comfort, size and versatility.
Measuring Cups/Measuring Spoons
You can get inexpensive measuring cups, but spend a little extra and look for measuring cups that are thick and sturdy.
From checking the temperature of your frying oil, to the holiday turkey, you want one that is quick and accurate. Insant read thermometers are they way to go.
If you do a lot of baking these are essential as a lot of recipes are being printed in grams (for accuracy). But beyond baking they are great for portioning and helping keep your recipes consistent.
I prefer metal mixing bowls over glass. You can put them directly on the stove, they stack better than glass so they take up less space, and you don’t have to worry about them breaking.
Your spatula should not get smaller the more you use it and this is where the high temp spatulas come in. They're safe to around 500F degrees so you don’t have to worry about them melting in your food.
They have more uses than just to drain your pasta. Sift powdered sugar on top of your pancakes, use them to make your mashed potatoes silky smooth or to keep the lumps out of your cheesecake.
There are a lot of uses for these. From glazing cakes and donuts, cooling cookies, or roasting bacon. They are also great to put under hot pans so you don't destroy your counters.
Are these better than pot holders? Absolutely. Working in professional kitchens for years taught me to always have a clean, dry towel in your hand when cooking. Use them to grab hot pans from the stove or oven, place under a bowl so it doesn't slide around or use them to cover your bread when it's proofing.
There are so many kitchen tools available that it can be overwhelming. So when you are trying to decide what you need, look at what you cook and what could make it better and faster. Do you need a cherry pitter? If you cook with fresh cherries a lot, yes. If not, you can still take the pits out of cherries by cutting them in half and taking out the seed. (I prefer this method, they just look better when. you're done and most times the cherries get cut in half anyway).
There are a lot of kitchen "gadgets" that usually only have 1 use and they just take up space in the drawer. So think about what you really need and start there. Build up your kitchen tools overtime and get what's right for you.
