Kitchen Essentials

Pin It

Tweet

Kitchen Essentials

These are the essentials for the basic kitchen. A $300 investment will save money on dining out and buying costly prepared, packaged food. As your cooking skills grow, and your techniques are honed, the kitchen can branch out with more tools, cookware, and prep materials.

1-2. Medium and Large Saucepans, (the largest being 6-8 quarts) preferably with lids.
-everyday pans for boiling water, cooking soups, making sauces
3. 10 -12 inch Large sauté pan with lid.
-basic pan for sautéing , pan frying, sauces and gravies
4. 10 inch Cast Iron Skillet
-traditional southern skillet for pan-frying, sautéing, baking, roasting
5. 8 inch Non-stick Skillet
-small, light skillet for frying and scrambling eggs, sautéing
6. Quality Chef’s Knife
-basic large sturdy knife needed for chopping, slicing, dicing, mincing, cutting
7. Paring Knife
-small knife needed for cutting, peeling smaller, more delicate ingredients
8. Colander
-though mostly used for straining pasta, a colander can be used to strain vegetables and meat as well
9. Box Grater
-a rust-resistant grater’s four-sided functions make it essential for many meals, and not just cheese
10. Flat Spatula
-rubber cooking tool good for turning and flipping
11. Kitchen Tongs
-tongs are a must have for tossing, turning, and moving food on hot surfaces
12. Slotted Spoon
-multi-use tool for serving, removing , straining
13. Wooden Spoon
-the basic cooking/baking tool, good for stirring, scraping, mixing, moving
14. Metal Whisk
-needed often in cooking and baking for beating, mixing, removing clumps
15-16. Rubber Spatula
-versatile tool that is great in every size for scraping bowls, mixing, folding, stirring
17-18. Measuring Cups and Spoons (dry and wet measures)
-needed for accurately measuring out all ingredients for baking and cooking
19. A Set of Nesting Glass Mixing Bowls
-every size bowl can be used for mixing ingredients in baking and cooking, and as double boilers when combined with a saucepan full of water
20. 9x13 inch Baking Dish
-extremely versatile baking dish perfect for meats, casseroles, brownies, and sheet cakes
21. Cookie Sheet or Sheet Pans
-essential baking sheet for everything from meat to cookies
22. Plastic Cutting Board
-cutting boards are essential for preserving knives and countertops, the plastic versions are more easily washable than wood and take up less space
23. Can Opener
-a must in every kitchen, for opening cans and bottles
24. Liquid Mixing Cup
- An easy to read Pyrex measuring cup for measuring hot or cold liquid ingredients

Get Paula Deen kitchen essentials online.

Read More From Cooking Basics.

Read More From Kitchen Basics.

Reader Comments:

Received May/June issue today. Page 78 has hanging lights that I love. Where can I locate the place to purchase these? It's called Smart Kitchen. Everything in these books is interesting. Love em'!!!!

By Shelby Foutz on May 06, 2013

my wife purchased the red/black essentials, which I call the pots and pans.Now the problem is you can't buy any of the 1-2-or 3 qt pots. We have looked everywhere and she is mad about it. I've told her and everybody else that will listen that you shouldn't buy junk like that, because they just take your money and don't care after that. I told her to buy another product and to throw that junk out the door. Thought you should know how people feel about your product. It's too bad that Paula Deen will not read this.

By jackie on January 09, 2013

Can someone please help! I read about having to prep my PD cookware with salt and then I read baking soda, then I read olive oil!!?? Please what do I start with first??

By MBJ on January 06, 2013

There is no better tool than my hands!

By Tracee on August 01, 2011

I have a cast iron fry pan, I want to know how to get the rust stains out.I don`t want to get throw it out.Please help me!!!! Thank you Frances Paulding

By Frances C Paulding on May 27, 2011

Hi Patty, Here is the product you're looking for: http://www.pauladeenstore.com/Product/detail/PepperMate-Ceramic-Blade-5-25-in-Pepper-Mill-White/579588

By Jonathan Able on April 12, 2011

I love your cookbooks, shows and website, however, there is one thing I would like to mention. Many of us home cooks can't use cast iron utensils because we have sealed surface cooktops. The first time I make a new dish that is made in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven it is questionable until I get the temperature adjusted for the cooktop. Since I have had one for the last 15 years, I have adapted my recipes to meet the needs of the cooktop. Most of the tops are some kind of tempered glass so they may break from the extreme heat of the cast iron. The pans ( cast iron and ridged bottomed pans) do not heat correctly (evenly). By the way, I still love to cook with cast iron when I have a gas range and I still have the skillet I started housekeeping with in 1961. It still makes the best cream gravy. YumYum

By Jean Travis on March 27, 2011

Please consider marketing "Grandmama's Spatchular (spatula)." I would love to have one just like it!

By Margaret Lindsey on January 13, 2011

I would like to know were I could get a pepper grinder like the one you use on your show,we have looked at all the places that sell your products but nun of them have the pepper grinder.My husband and I love your show.

By Patty Parker on January 07, 2011

I would like to know what the best food processor is to used. I have twins that are getting in to ALL cooking and LOVE Paula's receipts. I would love to help them keep enjoying cooking and baking.

By Wendy H. on January 06, 2011

By Edith Thorne on January 06, 2011

Your non-stick pans, is it all the way through or will it come off in time. Just thought I would ask. They are a beautiful set. Thanks Carolyn Bird

By Carolyn Bird on January 06, 2011

my whole kitchen is in red because I told my husand and family that all I wanted for christmas was Paula Dean pots & pans and stuff but it had to be your brand of cooking .I love everything that you do and make we watch you on tv all the time. thank you : Jan Morgan lane Grove , Ok.

By jan morgan on January 06, 2011

I ‘set up the kitchen’ for both my sons when they married. But I also gave the couples a list of Pantry Basics. You know, what you should have in the larder to begin your culinary career. I also explained why I picked certain items, and price points of what a ‘good price’ for an item is. I laminate the page and put in in a binder with some of the child’s favorite dishes so the new bride has a way to surprise her hubby with a familiar dish.

By Michelle Countiss on August 01, 2010

Pauladeen.com

Kitchen Essentials