The “Right” Tools?
Thirty years ago, my writing teacher told me to “stop buying pretty journals. Get yourself a cheap spiral bound, lined notebook and a box of pens or pencils. When you’re writing in a fancy book, you place expectations on yourself to write something ‘good.’ You know what makes a writer?... she writes. Buy a plain notebook and write every day.” This sage advice has stuck with me all this time. Getting good at your craft, whether writing or cooking, comes with practice, and the tools we use should be built for the job. In the kitchen, how do we know which tools are “best” and which ones are simply a distraction?
Honestly, there are A LOT of kitchen gadgets on the market that, despite their claims, are a waste of money. Most cooking can be done with the staples (chef knife, your hands, a whisk, a rubber spatula, etc.). Let’s take chopping garlic, for example. There are literally hundreds of garlic peeling, chopping, slicing, and mashing tools out there. But the best tool for the job is the multifunctional chef knife.
Trade secret (shh…): Those of us that work in the culinary industry rely heavily on a number of simple, mostly inexpensive tools. I’m currently working on a page of links, which will honor the straight-forward, most used, no frills tools that I recommend. Until then, here are a few staple tools that chefs love* (stay tuned for a blog post about appliances, coming soon):
Bench scraper; wooden spoons; fine mesh sieve; offset spatula (various sizes, but I love this one); mixing bowls; silicon spatula; wire whisk; tongs; peeler; and, most importantly, knives...
A high quality knife that feels good in the hand is invaluable. That said, there are some super inexpensive knives on the market that are great for beginners. In our kitchen classroom we have a fleet of Victorinox’s Fibrox** line of knives. They need to be honed regularly and sharpened more frequently than a higher quality knife, but they are super affordable and very comfortable to hold, making them great for beginners. I am not embarrassed to say that this serrated paring knife is my one of my favorite knives at home, and it costs less than $10!
Along the path you will be tempted to bring home all the newest, sleekest gadgets. Stay focused! Invest first in the basic tools. Don’t over spend on designer tools from fancy stores, get what’s functional and affordable and learn to develop skills with what you’ve got. And if you need help learning, we’ve got you covered!
*These links are not endorsements of the linked-to sites.
**we have no affiliation with Victorinox nor have we been compensated for this mention.