We rounded up products that will improve your cooking skills.
Examples include a good chef's knife, a wooden cutting board, an Instant Pot, a cast iron skillet, a kitchen scale, an immersion blender, kitchen scissors, and a citrus juicer.
Being a good cook doesn't only take skill; it also takes the right tools.
2017-06-02
We rounded up some of the best products for improving anyone's cooking abilities.
From a Dutch oven to an avocado slicer, here are the items that both aspiring chefs and pros should have in their kitchen.
Although they're cheaper, plastic cutting boards are known to be a breeding ground for germs, which is why you should splurge and go with a wooden cutting board instead.
Having a clean and sturdy surface to prep food is essential for any cook.
The best part about cooking with a cast iron skillet is that you're never supposed to wash it, which means the skillet will impart the flavor it retains to whatever food you cook in it.
Beyond that, it also gets much hotter than other pans, making it effective for cooking foods that require a higher temperature, like steak.
Office scissors just don't cut it in the kitchen, where sharp scissors are almost as important as sharp knives. You'll notice a huge difference when cutting fresh herbs or slicing dried fruit.
There isn't much you can't do with an Instant Pot. It's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sautéer, yogurt marker, and food warmer all in one.
However, the best part is that it'll cook your food much faster than any other tool or conventional method.
This tool has become a staple for many cooks, as it will take care of all of your mixing, beating, and whipping needs. It also comes with dozens of attachments, from spiralizers to juice presses.
How many times have you come across a recipe that required a "zest" of some sort of citrus? Probably too many to count, which is why it's a good idea to have a zester on hand. The tool can also be used to grate cheese.
For the times that you don't feel like pulling out the cutting board and knife, there's the food chopper, which will allow you to effortlessly chop anything from raw vegetables to cooked meat.
It's especially useful for chopping onions and remaining tear-free.
There's a whole range of foods you can cook in a Dutch oven, from hearty sauces and soups to breads and cakes. It's an investment, but one that will last a long time and greatly expand your cooking repertoire.
Making sure that your ingredients are properly mixed is crucial for many recipes. This handheld blender lets you mix food directly in the vessel you're already using, which means fewer dishes for you to wash.
It's great for preparing a variety of foods, from milkshakes to soups.
Although the Amazon Echo has many uses, it's particularly helpful when cooking. You can use it for everything from setting timers to doing measurement conversions.
Plus, it's hands-free, so you won't have to worry about getting it dirty.
You'll get way more juice out of your citrus when using a juicer as opposed to just your hands. Most juicers also have a strainer, which will catch any pulp.
For those who love a good cut of steak but don't have a grill, achieving that perfect level of doneness can be tough. Sous viding can be an ideal solution.
The method involves cooking food in a temperature-controlled water bath, which makes it cooked evenly throughout, and extra juicy.
You probably chop garlic almost every day, and are left with smelly fingers. Cut your chopping time in half and keep your fingers smell-free with this device: simply place your garlic inside and roll.
This tool is essential for all your avocado needs: You can use it to cut the avocado in half, pit it, and slice it into salad or sandwich-ready strips.
It also decreases the very real risk of slicing your hand open instead of your avocado.
A Himalayan salt block takes the guesswork out of seasoning — something that is often challenging for cooks. The block will impart its flavor to the food you cook on it, from meat to fish to vegetables, meaning that you won't have to season anything beforehand.
Because it can be placed right onto your stove top, the block serves as an ideal alternative for those who don't own a grill.
Sarah writes for the travel vertical at Business Insider. She graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism and German. She is from Chicago, and currently lives in Brooklyn.
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