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Over the years, I have grown to enjoy cooking meals at home, especially during the pandemic. I started experimenting with making food from scratch, like english muffins and yogurt. The book Make the Bread Buy the Butter has really whetted my appetite into taking the deeper dive. As I’ve learned different cooking techniques and efficient ways to bulk cook, I’ve learned there are some tools that are essential to have. Having high-quality cookware not only allows me to cook delicious food, but it allows me to enjoy the cooking experience, making it more likely for me to cook more often. In turn, I end up saving more money with the upfront investment. Here are 5 items I consider essential for cooking
Stainless Steel Pan
Yes, stainless steel pans are finicky and food sticks to it. Yes, they can be a pain in the rear to clean. However, with some proper technique and using it in the right situations, they can cook super delicious food. For example, I love cooking salmon and chicken breast on my stainless steel pan. The pan allows for the perfect sear, and it tells you when the food is ready to flip. If you try flipping your chicken before it’s ready, it will still be stuck to the pan!
I went high end with my stainless steel pan with the All Clad. All Clad occasionally has sales on its 12 inch 3 ply pan. I was able to snag mine for under $100. I’d recommend sticking with the 12 inch because you don’t want to overcrowd your pan when cooking. Otherwise, you won’t achieve the desirable sear you bought the stainless steel pan for in the first place.
I like Chef Frank’s explanation of how to cook salmon.
I also like his chicken breast video! Instead of adding lemon to the sauce at the end, I prefer to add red wine with the chicken stock. Then, pour the sauce over a bed of rice for maximum deliciousness.
Cast Iron
Another one of my favorite pans is the cast iron. Although it’s bulky, it can be made nonstick with proper seasoning and is virtually indestructible. Even if it gets rusty, you can still restore the pan and re-season. With a properly seasoned cast iron, you can throw away your teflon-lined nonstick pan and say goodbye to microplastics in your cooking vessel.
I like using the cast iron to cook breakfast like eggs, bacon, sausage, and toasting bread in the leftover bacon grease. It’s also good for steaks, grilled cheeses, and other cooking needs. The one thing I would avoid is cooking acidic foods in it like tomato. The food will end up with an irony taste, and you’ll lose your precious seasoning.
I went with the mid-range option for cast iron with the Lodge 12 inch. A cast iron is a cast iron is a cast iron, so I don’t think it’s worth splurging on this item.
I understand cast iron pans can be heavy for many, and carbon steel can be a good alternate option. I don’t have much experience with carbon steel, but reddit tells me de Buyer blue carbon steel is a good pan.
Instant Pot
I love the simplicity the instant pot. All the buttons may seem overwhelming at first, but you learn fairly quickly how to use it. The instant pot allows for one pot cooking, which reduces the amount of dishes you need to clean after cooking. Although you won’t get the most delicious meals using an instant pot, the convenience and time efficiency for bulk cooking outweighs that con. It’s perfect for meal-prepping for the weekday. Save the fancy cooking for the weekends. I’d recommend getting the 6-quart instant pot since most recipes are optimized for this size.
Silicone Spatula
One of my recent purchases was the GIR spatula. If you’re noticing a theme, it’s that I really don’t like plastics or teflon in my cookware. High heat + plastic + food (aka fat soluble compounds that mix with the plastic) = disaster. I do not want to be eating that. Nor should you. I’ve only had the GIR for a couple months, but it feels sturdy and I like it. It comes in many different colors and a variety of shapes and sizes.
Ceramic Dutch Oven
This last one is more of a nice to have and can easily be substituted with a stainless steel stockpot. However, I really enjoy cooking with my ceramic dutch ovens. I couldn’t pass up a sweet deal for two Tramontina dutch ovens for $45 at Costco, but if that weren’t an option, I would have gone mid-range again with a Lodge dutch oven. What can I say, Lodge makes great products!
The most delicious thing I made in a dutch oven was french onion soup. I loved Babish’s recipe even though it required lots of time and effort. I also like making Korean dishes in it, like Deonjang-jjigae and kimchi-jjigae, since it mimics the heat retention of traditional stone pots. A third thing I regularly make is bread in the oven. I follow this recipe and it comes out delicious every time. For bonus points, I add flaxseed and chia seeds to make it at least somewhat healthier. Yes, I know its white flour so it’s not the greatest, but at least it’s free of preservatives.