These Are the Only Kitchen Tools You Need

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/dining/first-kitchen-tools-list.html

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The on-ramp for cooking is finding the recipes that make you want to cook, whether you get them from NYT Cooking or BuzzFeed or even a cookbook.

It doesn’t matter what they’re for (Slutty Brownies or kale salad or Bacon Explosion). What does matter is having the tools that make recipes work.

Why think about it in advance? If you suddenly need a spatula, you can get one at CVS. Who cares if it’s plastic? The dollar store sells measuring spoons. Is it a problem that they’re shaped like the state of Texas?

Yes, it is.

It’s a lot easier to spend one afternoon buying the right stuff than to spend every morning you want to cook something in a sweat, trying to improvise a substitute for a rolling pin (an empty wine bottle?) or a bread knife (good luck).

To outfit your kitchen, go to the big-box store of your choice: Upscale places like Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table are browse-worthy, but they often charge much more for the same basic tools. And don’t think you have to be completely sensible: Buy some crazy thing that appeals to you, like a set of miniature pie tins or a state-of-the-art meat thermometer or one of those old-school apple peelers. The things you don’t need but want are the things that will lure you into the kitchen.

To set up your kitchen for basic cooking (and some baking) tasks, you will need:

1 big (8-inch) knife

1 serrated bread knife

2 small paring knives

1 10-inch cast-iron skillet

1 small nonstick skillet

1 4-quart pot with a lid

1 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan

Metal measuring spoons

A metal whisk, long wooden spoons and a silicone spatula

A pair of sturdy metal tongs

Plastic or glass measuring cups (a 1-cup and a 2-cup)

2 13-by-18-inch sheet pans

A set of mixing bowls (plastic is fine)

And if you have some extra cash, buy some kind of chopping/mixing device — either a food processor with multiple blades or a hand blender with multiple attachments.

Finally, because someday you will give in to the voices that say you must learn to roast a chicken, do yourself a favor and buy some kitchen shears. Cooking is easy. Carving is hard.

Want more? You might also like:

• A guide to basic knife skills

• How to take care of a cast-iron pan

• 5 easy recipes you should know how to make