A Bachelor’s Kitchen – The Tools

1. A good knife – Go ahead and spend the money for a good chef’s knife or santoku. Good brands include Wusthof, Global, and Henckel. You can expect to spend about $100 on this knife (although you can sometimes find a deal on eBay), but, believe me, it’s worth it. Nothing can suck the joy out of your cooking experience quite like a cheap knife. Wusthof makes a knife sharpener that costs about $20 and is well worth the investment.
2. Cutting Board – Unless you like dull knives and jacked up counter tops, it’s probably a good idea to get a cutting board. You’ll find different types of boards from wood to nylon to flexible. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. For example, wood is easier on your knives but can harbor bacteria; the thin, flexible cutting surface is handy for transferring cut foods to the pan but they’re very light in weight and have a tendency to slip during cutting (not a good thing!) What type of cutting board you use will be based on your personal preference. I prefer the wooden boards. I use more than one depending on the job. If I’m cutting up chicken and vegetables, for example, I will use one board for the chicken and another for vegetables. I also use a sanitizer on the board when I’m finished using it.
3. A frying pan – I like the 10″ size for all-around, general purpose cooking. I also prefer non-stick for the ease of cooking and clean up, but it’s not necessary. The pan should be heavy and with a metal handle. The importance of the metal handle is in case you have a dish that calls for you to place the skillet in the oven. A pan with a metal handle is just more versatile. A good pan will have some weight to it and should be from a good quality brand.
4. Other pans – Sauce pans of different sizes and a stock pan will be necessary. Don’t skimp!
5. Other Tools - Big spoons, slotted spoons, spatulas, potato mashers, whisks, etc. should be included in your arsenal.
6. Luxuries – These are not necessary, but definitely come in handy. A food processor, a blender and a coffee grinder (for dried whole spices) each have their place in the kitchen and should not be discounted.

As you gain more and more skill in the kitchen, you will always find some helpful gadget to add to your tools. Often, however, you will go back to “The Old Standby.” For example, although I have a good food processor (which I now use for pasta dough) that can slice, dice and do your taxes, I tend to just use my knife (a Wusthof Grand Prix II santoku) for most of those tasks. For me, it’s quicker and easier to clean.