Top Ten Kitchen Utensils Under £20.00!
I have tried and tested various kitchen gadgets, equipment and other so called “kitchen essentials”. I have pulled together my top ten kitchen kit that I couldn’t live with out.
These are in no particular order, they are all brilliant!
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1. Silicone Mats
These mats are a replacement for greaseproof or baking paper. I use them to line my baking trays for roasting vegetables, baking breads, biscuits or scones. The best thing of all is they are easy to clean and dry quickly.
2. Meassuring Spoons
If any one has been on one of my cookery workshops or watched my videos you will know how obsessional I am about measuring spoons, if you want to become a master at baking and produce the best results time after time you need to invest in accurate measuring spoons.
Mine are a bit plain but these ones from Anthropologie are beautiful!
3. Salter Scales
There is a huge variety of scales out there to buy, but in my opinion these are absolutely the best! These are my absolute favourite scales for so many reasons. You can change the units from grams, mls, fl oz in a click of a button. They are easy to store and take up very little room. They can measure up to 5kg which makes them perfect for measuring out large quantities.
4. Timer
Yes okay, this maybe old fashioned as we now have Alexa, our phones and even watches to set a timer for us but a digital timer (not the one that is shaped like a chicken...) is an absolute essential for me. Most of these digital timers are magnetic so they are ideal for sticking to your fridge. I have a collection of 4 so that I can keep track when I am cooking a dish with lots of elements.
5. Silicone Tongs
I first came across these in Japan and now use them on a daily basis. Most people associate tongs with barbecuing but they are useful for so much more. If you aren't comfortable tossing a wok, then these are just the ticket. They will also come in handy for stirring, flipping and lifting, make sure you get the silicone coated tongs to protect your pans!
6. Microplane Zester
Forget the box grater: this takes zesting to a whole new level. You may think that this is a high price to pay for something to shave your cheese with, but I promise you, this will change your grating life. They are very sharp but due to the low profile of the cutting surface, pretty difficult to grate your fingers on! This is brilliant for zesting citrus, pureeing garlic, grating parmesan. There are many grades of microplane but the finest one is the most useful.
7. Spatula
This is an addition of my husbands, he has a spatula addiction. Whenever we go on holiday and are self-catering, these are the first to be packed into his suit case. They are not just for scrapping out bowls they are ideal for stirring sauces, curries and stews. Make sure you get a siliconee head which is flexible, heatproof and won't scratch your non-stick pans - I highly recommend Le Cruset.
Spatulas on Philip Morris Direct
8. Pinch Pots
These little pots will make your life much easier. I have 3 pots, with salt, pepper and sugar right next to my stove. You have so much more control over how much you are adding rather than guessing how much your grinder has added for you. Egg cups, little saucers or chipped tea cups work perfectly.
Little Bowls on Not On The High Street
9. Loop Whisk
I don’t know why but my lovely guests get very excited about the loop whisk! They are just the right thing for whisking up a couple of eggs, stirring a white sauce to remove any lumps and beating up a Yorkshire pudding batter.
10. Knife Sharpener
This is an absolute essential to any kitchen. Having sharp knives will make your culinary life so much easier and much more pleasurable. You will glide through even the most stubborn of tomato skins.
What most people think of as a sharpening steel is actually a honing steel. This straightens the edge of the blade which is important for maintaining sharp knives. Once you've got the hang of it, honing can be done quickly and easily - some chefs even hone before each use.
On the other hand, restoring blunt knives requires sharpening which involves removing material from the blade to create a new edge. This should be done less frequently or you won't have a knife left! You can use a whetstone or even a diamond/ceramic sharpening rod but they require precise technique to be effective. A fantastic alternative are sharpening devices which guide the blade at the correct angle - I strongly recommend the AnySharp.
