Essential Kitchen Equipment

Bish Muir	Use-it-all Cookbook

In order to make the most your leftovers, it is important to equip your kitchen correctly - putting the ‘kit’ into kitchen, as it were!

There are a few ‘must-have’ items which I feel are essential to give you the flexibility of produce a varied menu from your leftovers.

• Bottle opener – cooking shouldn’t be all hard work!
• Can opener - one that fixes to the wall is the best option.
• Cheese grater - try and get one that comes with a sealable container so that you can store any leftover grated cheese – Ikea do an excellent one with different sized graters.
• Heavy casserole dish - ideal for cooking soups and stews on the top of the stove and finishing off slowly in the oven.
• Food processor/liquidiser - so useful for making soups and smoothies.
• Microwave - not essential but, for ease and speed, very handy for re-heating leftovers.
• Plastic clips - these prevent spillage and keep things fresh for longer. Clothes pegs or elastic bands do the same job.
• Pyrex dishes - very useful when microwaving food, or re-heating in the oven.
• Selection of airtight containers - Empty ice cream containers will do, but ones with a special rubber seal will keep leftovers really fresh and avoid contamination and nasty smells in your fridge.
• Sharp knife.
• Weighing scales.
• Wooden knife block or knife magnet - a good way to store your knives as it protects the blades and makes them easy to find!
• Wooden spoons - for using with a non-stick pan.
• Wok or large non-stick frying pan - stir fries and quick curries are a good way to use up a single carrot, onion, etc.

It is important to keep all kitchen equipment really clean and stored in a place that is both easy to get at and safe from dirt and children - or just dirty children.

Bish Muir is author of The Use-it-all Cookbook, published by Green Books.

It can be purchased from Amazon and other sources.

Links:

Essential Kitchen Equipment

Essential Kitchen Ingredients

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