The Kitchen Essentials – The 5 Pieces of Equipment You Really Need
When you have a passion for cooking, it's easy to get swept up in the endless world of kitchen gadgets and gear. There's always something new and exciting to buy. But the more time you spend behind the stove, the more you realise something important: it's actually the same handful of tools you keep reaching for, day in and day out.
So to save you both time and money, here's a list of the most essential pieces of equipment that truly belong in every kitchen.
And remember the golden rule: buy fewer, but better things. You'll thank yourself for it later.
For any serious cook, the chef's knife works almost like an extension of the arm – and it's by far the tool you'll spend the most time with in the kitchen.
If we had to recommend just one knife to invest in, it would be our Gyuto Chef's Knife. With 67 hand-folded layers and a hard core steel, it stays incredibly sharp, and its smooth rocking motion makes everyday prep work feel effortlessA Good Ceramic
Honing Steel
This one is something of a natural companion to the chef's knife – and we've actually written a whole article about why a honing steel is such a great investment, so we'll keep it short here.
If you want to take proper care of your knives, you need to keep them sharp. The easiest way to do that is to give them a few passes over a ceramic honing steel.
regularly. This protects the edge of the blade, keeps your knives sharper for longer, and means you won't need to send them for a full sharpening nearly as often.
A Frying Pan That Only Gets Better With Time
As we said at the beginning: buy less, but buy well. And once you've sorted out a good chef's knife, the next step is to invest in a really good frying pan.
By "a good frying pan," we don't mean one of those supermarket pans with a thick coat of Teflon on it.
No.
We mean a frying pan that can get smoking hot, head straight into the oven, and give your meat a beautiful, deep caramelisation. A pan that doesn't just last for years – but actually gets better with every meal you cook on it.
A Solid Wooden Cutting Board
A sturdy cutting board is a must in any kitchen where good food is being prepared.
Notice we said solid and wooden – and that's no accident.
As convenient as a cheap, thin plastic cutting board might seem, there's a reason you'll never find one in a professional restaurant kitchen. Plastic boards slide around on the counter, they don't have the weight to feel stable under a knife, and over time they can actually dull your blades.
Instead, invest in a thick cutting board made from good-quality wood like oak or walnut. It's one of those upgrades you'll never regret.
A Mortar or Spice Grinder (and Some Great Spices)
Convenience and flavour aren't always the same thing. And aside from frozen pizzas, perhaps the best example of this is spices.
Pick up a good mortar and pestle and start crushing fresh spices yourself, rather than relying on the pre-ground versions from the supermarket. Or treat yourself to a spice grinder – which, by the way, can be used for far more than just salt and pepper.
A good mortar or spice grinder will last you a lifetime, and you'll instantly notice how much more flavour and depth your cooking has.
Bonus: A Utility Knife
If just one chef's knife feels a little too minimal for your kitchen, consider adding a versatile utility knife to your collection.
It works wonderfully as a herb knife and easily handles the smaller, more delicate cutting jobs where a chef's knife feels just a bit too big in the hand.
With the tools above, you really can't go wrong. Of course, pots, colanders, salt cellars and plenty of other bits and pieces deserve a place in your kitchen too – but we're going to assume you've already got most of those covered.
We'll save those for an article of their own.
