Every chef needs supplies that make cooking easier — especially if you whip up your meals at home. Your kitchen should be a stress-free haven whenever you feel hungry. Swap your older cookware with a few professional tools and you’ll taste the benefits in every bite.
1. Digital Meat Thermometer
Meats need to reach different temperatures before they’re safe to eat. You might have a guide taped to the inside of a cabinet door, but it’s useless if your thermometer isn’t accurate. Digital thermometers have batteries that last for years and hardware that provides precision results. They’re also longer than older models. The next time you need to check the temperature of the deepest part of your Thanksgiving turkey, you’ll be glad you have a digital meat thermometer standing by to help.
2. Coil Whisk
Whisks are essential for smoothing sauces but aren’t all the same. Coil whisks are in most commercial kitchens to break up fine ingredients in gravy. The tightly wrapped wires break up the smallest clumps of flour or cornstarch. Your favorite gravy recipe will become even better if you use a coil whisk to smooth the texture before serving it.
3. 8-Inch Offset Spatula
Spatulas aren’t only for scraping brownie batter out of a mixing bowl. They’re also how you add icing to cakes. People may not mind using a standard knife to smooth frosting over their desserts, but they don’t have the width or length of a professional cooking tool like an 8-inch offset spatula. When you need to ice a cinnamon roll cake or multiple confetti tiers, use it to cover large areas quickly and avoid cutting into the top layer.
4. Bench Scraper
You might not have seen a bench scraper if you’ve never worked in a commercial kitchen. It’s a rectangular knife with a handle across the top instead of attached to the side. Chefs use them to move veggies off cutting boards, slice wide noodles and divide bread dough. Bench scrapers are handy to keep around the house when you need precise cutting control or help moving piles of diced ingredients.
5. Conical Strainer
Typical household strainers let water filter out of freshly boiled pasta or steamed vegetables. Conical strainers serve a different purpose. If you’re one of the many people who make homemade broths, you’d use it to keep bone fragments, herbs and other tiny particles out of the final product. You could also sift seeds out of berry juices or simple syrups.
6. PFA-Free Cookware
The dishes you rely on to cook your favorite recipes can support your health while making your kitchen routine easier — unless they feature a group of harmful chemicals called PFAs. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are engineered chemicals that don’t break down. Researchers have found them in both nonstick and heat-resistant cookware like pots and pans.
Upgrade your kitchenware with alternatives that have PFA-free labels. Stainless steel, cast iron and ceramic pans don’t need PFAs or similar chemicals to provide the same results.
7. Steak Weight Press
Some of the best meals don’t happen in the kitchen. If you have a porch or backyard, you likely grill your meat outside. If you’ve spent any amount of time with a grill, you know that heat distribution doesn’t happen evenly. A weighted steak press applies equal pressure to flat meats so they brown consistently. You can even use it while making meats indoors if you have a griddle or countertop grill.
8. Kitchen Shears
Knives aren’t always the most effective way to cut ingredients. Kitchen shears are an expert alternative you’ll never want to go without again. They’re extra-sharp scissors capable of cutting through multiple strips of bacon, freshly washed celery and even homemade pizza. As long as you only cut food with them, they’ll remain a sharp, clean tool that simplifies many everyday recipes.
9. Digital Scale
People sometimes think measuring cups are the best tools for adding precise amounts of ingredients. While those are helpful, a digital scale allows you to be even more accurate. If a bread recipe needs 500 grams of flour, put a bowl on your scale to get that exact measurement. You can even switch the settings so the scale displays ounces or pounds.
10. Food Processor
There’s almost no end to what you can make with a food processor. Professional chefs need them to blend chopped ingredients, smooth sauces and mix diced butter into pastry dough. Whether you use yours to create homemade salsa or freshly chopped cauliflower rice, you could cut your meal prep time in half. Some processors also come with attachments to shred chicken and slice veggies.
Upgrade Your Cookware Like a Pro
Simplify your kitchen routine by making meals with professional cooking tools. Upgrades that streamline steps in your favorite recipes while keeping you safe from harmful chemicals will revolutionize how you cook, no matter what you enjoy eating.
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