Sean’s Blog

When I first started cooking, I was kind of overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I thought you had to have. But as I got more into it, there are really just a few essentials that you need to get going. Two of my culinary heroes talk about this and it is really good advice to share.

The first is Alton Brown of the Food Network show Good Eats. His advice, repeated over and over again, is not to by anything that only has one specialized purpose in the kitchen. No unitaskers! The one big exception to the rule is a fire extinguisher. No cook (and especially one just starting out) should be without one. Every kitchen should have one.

Mark Bittman a while ago posted a great piece on how to equip a basic kitchen for around $200. He shows you how to use restaurant supply stores to get you up and running. It is a really great article and I am not just saying that because I think Mark Bittman is a god among mortals (How to Cook Everything has been my bible since I started).

I am going to go one better. These are the 5 things, that I believe are absolutely essential and will allow you to cook 80% of the food you are going to make. Here they are:

• A large saute pan (12? or so). I use this for almost everything from making sauces, to frying and sauteing. I got it for 15 bucks at Target and use it almost everyday. Make sure you get one with a metal handle so you can place it directly in the oven for roasting.
• A small paring knife. I get these at a restaurant supply store down the street. It’s ugly as sin, but does the job just as well as the $65 Wusthof paring knife I got for a gift. Just make sure it has a good grip and a sturdy blade.
• A large cutting board. We actually have kind of gone cutting board crazy, but if you have a good large one, it will double as a workspace for seasoning meat or any other messy sort of prep work.
• A large stock or soup pot.
• A pair of tongs. I prefer silicone ones since my girlfriend fiance enjoys melting anything that is not heat resistant to the temperature of the sun

Now by no means is this a complete list and if you are looking to tackle some baking this list will not work, but for day in day out cooking, this is what I find myself going back to. The most important thing is to actually start cooking. The gear will follow.