When you move into a new home, whether for the first time on your own, or just between places, it is easy to forget the basic utensils that will come in so handy for the first few days when you are settling in. There are some essentials that a lot of people inevitably forget to pack, and that turn out to be so much more vital than you ever thought.

The first has to be the trusty tin opener. A must have for getting into a lot of different foodstuffs; this is a very important one. You do not want to have to blunt a nice new knife trying to cut into a tin, so make sure you buy a tin opener when you go shopping for your new kitchen.

Bottle openers are another one. Yes you can use teeth, knives and other things to try and get open bottles, but it is not worth it when one easy utensil will do the job for you. Get one with a build in corkscrew and you have all of your drinks needs sorted in one.

Ladles, mashers and spatulas are next on the list. They often come in sets, traditional or modern with coloured handles and patterns to enhance the decor of your kitchen, but whatever you choose, you will need to remember to invest in a good set as they are surprisingly useful, whether flipping bacon in the pan or grill, or serving up boiled vegetables or soups. A wall mounted rack for these, or decorative utensil holder to keep on the work surface, will save space whilst keeping them close to hand.

A grater is a good utensil to invest in. Grated cheese can add a lot to even basic meals: soups, pasta and so on. This will allow you to feed yourself well, when all but a couple of saucepans and your grater are still packed. Get a multi sided box grater and you can also slice with it, as well as grate in a variety of ways. Get a whisk as well, to beat eggs, and you can make yourself nutritional, one pan, omelettes to keep you energised while you unpack.

Kitchen scissors are a necessary, but often overlooked, aspect of the kitchen cutlery drawer too, so get a good strong pair. You can even get ones with an added nutcracker built into the handle, for real multi-functionality.

Peelers will help you to improve the quality of your food no end. Instead of using a knife and eliminating half the flesh of a potato (or whatever you want to peel) as well as the skin, a peeler will help you keep to the outer contours of the vegetable, thus helping you get more value for money from your food and eliminating waste.

A good knife set is the last thing you will need pack for your new kitchen – essential cutlery to have. They will do a multitude of jobs and allow you to cut anything, from cheese, to meat, to bread. Get a full knife cutlery set with each specific knife included and you can’t go far wrong.

Matthew Bourne fancies himself as a bit of a chef, spending increasing amounts of time accessorising his kitchen. For more information about essential cutlery in the kitchen, please visit viners.co.uk/

What people say about Calphalon Contemporary 8-Inch Chef’s Knife (by Calphalon):

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Excellent value. Very good knife, close to $100+ german quality. The most useful thing in my kitchen! I didn’t know how much I needed this knife until I had it. The knife that lost its edge. The title is a play on words. Well balanced knife, good handle. I was surprised at how well this knife performed. German steel, chinese manufacturing: the best of both worlds. This knife is made from the same top-quality German steel used in Solingen kitchenware, but is ground and manufactured in China. Excellent knife. What can I say? It’ll cut ya! This knife’s edge is so viciously sharp that it cut my auntie’s finger real good. Calphalon chef’s knife. Excellent product. Mom likes it! I bought this for my mom as a Christmas gift. Love this knife! Well balanced, a pleasure use, and a real value for the money.

A bargian at three times the price. I was fortunate enough to pick this knife up as a “Gold Box” offering. Wonderful knife! I recently received this knife, and several others of the same brand. The Knife that Converted Me. I was using “regular” knives, nameless utensils that cut things for me, until I bought this knife as part of a set that was on sale. Better than I expected! After I bought my Calphalon cookware I knew I would continue to buy their products because they are very good quality, especially for the price.

Detailed Product Reviews

Features:

• High carbon, no stain steel from tip to tang; resists rust, stains, discoloration
• One piece forged blade, bolster, and tang for life long durability
• Full tang design for better balance and superior strength
• Contoured, comfort grip handle
• End of knife is etched with knife identification for ease of identification and reduced wear on blades

Detailed Product Description

There are countless articles written about meal planning and numerous gadgets out there designed to save time in the kitchen. Yet there are still many, many of us who tense up when asked the dreaded question “What’s for dinner?” Most of the time people don’t know what to cook that’s quick and healthy. Another common problem is we are unable to find or do not have the proper tools to prepare a recipe. Here are a few simple things you can do to make meal preparation easier and faster.

Take 15 minutes and purge your utensil drawer. You may have duplicate items or infrequently used items that are cluttering up the drawer. If you can’t throw them away, move them to another spot in the kitchen that is less often used. This decluttering process may also alert you to basic utensils you may be missing. At a later time you can purge other areas (pots,pans,baking pans, and plastic containers). Cleaning out your utensil drawer is your first priority and will make it much easier to find the tools you need.

If you already own knives for cutting up meat and vegetables, get them sharpened. If you hate cooking, a good sharp knife will do wonders for your attitude. You’ll be able to prepare food much faster and you’ll spend less time in the kitchen. Check your local hardware stores or gourmet cooking stores in your area for sharpening services. If you don’t own the type of knife commonly called a chef’s knife – go out and buy some. These knives don’t have to cost a fortune. Check online or ask friends that cook frequently for recommendations.

Find a cookbook that emphasizes quick, healthy meals with a few ingredients. These books contain recipes that call for, at the most five or six readily available ingredients and you don’t need any fancy cookware to prepare them. I have several of these “easy meal” cookbooks and use them all the time. Again, go online or ask friends for recommendations.

Try as a first step to prepare one recipe a week from the book. You won’t be overwhelmed and feel you have to cook every night. As always, success breeds success. In time you will build up a repertoire of recipes and become more efficient at preparing them. You’ll eat better, feel better and save money.

Cookware has been one of the most important utensils in every household. For some, buying good quality cookware means spending much money. But if you are the type of person who has passion in cooking and food preparation, you might consider buying cookware seriously.

You would want to spend time looking for good cookware that is long lasting and has all the features you have in mind.

In choosing a cookware, the first thing that you should consider is the material from which it is made of. The most popular choice is one that is made of stainless steel since it is durable. It can resist wear and tear and it is also cheaper. However, this material has been criticized by some as hazardous to health due to its metals component like nickel, iron and chromium.

Other types of material used in making cookware are ceramic, enamel, and glass. These materials are heat resistant and are easier to clean. Newer models are made of plastic material that can be used in cooking and storing. Unlike other metals, plastic cookware is safe to be used in microwave ovens. This cookware is also lightweight and cannot be broken like the glass one.

In cleaning stainless cookware, use soap and water or warm ammonia and water solution. Rinse it with clean water then have it dried thoroughly to prevent having spots on it. Do not use cleaners such as chlorine and alcohol to maintain the good look of your cookware. Those made of cast iron are usually coated with heated unsalted fat or porcelain to avoid rusting.

Some types of cookware are made of copper and are more expensive than the stainless. A stainless type with copper bottom is also available and is cheaper than the all-copper type. The bottom of this type gets heated faster and chances are the food easily gets burned at the bottom.

When buying cookware, it is important that it is able to distribute heat evenly so that the food will be evenly cooked without some parts getting burned. Food cooked in those made of aluminum, copper, and cast iron tends to absorb the metal content of these materials. Stainless steel cookware is still the most recommended since it is affordable, easier to clean and has less reaction to food.

You should bear in mind that the ideal cookware is based on your preferences and how it suits your cooking and food habits. Enjoy cooking with your new cookware set!

The global chef knife in my humble opinion is a fantastic knife that I’ve recently had to opportunity to handle. There are many pros to the Global knife that I quite like as well as a couple of teeny cons, but lets focus on the pros first and why it’s important to have a good set of knives in your kitchen.

A good set of knives in arms reach can make the difference between you enjoying what you are doing in the kitchen and dreading going to see those same utensils that cause no happiness in your culinary lives. Seriously, I used to have the crappiest knives in the world until I realized that spending a few extra bucks on some amazing knives would make the difference between me enjoying making the meal and me wanting to run out of the kitchen screaming not wanting to be there at all.

The global chef knife is a sharp forged stainless steel and the blade runs through the handle so it feels well balanced and secure. As scary as it may seem to leap to using a super sharp blade rather then a dull crappy blade, if used wisely, you’ll probably be safer using the sharp blade.

It goes without saying that you should use a knife with 100% focus. Be very careful. As you start slicing with the global blades, you’ll find that it just goes through like butter and it’s so easy to do things quicker and more efficient because you’re using a proper sharp knife.

These global knives are going to last you a very long time and be your best friend in the kitchen granted you keep them sharp and clean them right away after each and every use. Check out how to sharpen your global chef knife

Cutlery is the most essential part of tableware. Known as flatware (of which silverware is just a form) in the USA, it refers to any hand utensil used to serve and eat food in. It traditionally includes spoons, forks, and knives. In the US, it also includes plates, besides spoons, forks, and knives.

A flatware set commonly comprises a salad fork, a dinner fork, a dinner spoon, a soup spoon, and a teaspoon. It is available in the market both in single units as well as a set of five, twenty, or forty five pieces. These utensils are primarily of two main types, sterling silverware and stainless steel. There are other less expensive variants such as silver plated, plastic, and ceramic flatware. Based on the raw material used, the prices may vary from $10 to hundreds of dollars. Available in a wide variety of prices and styles, these items of flatware serve both utilitarian and decorative purposes.

The most expensive variety of silverware available is sterling silverware. According to US regulations, sterling silverware must contain at least 92.5% pure silver. The balance metal in sterling silverware is copper which is added for strength. Silverware required for a five place seating costs anything from $200 to $800, or perhaps more.

Silver flatware can be manufactured in an ornate and unique design, as silver is highly malleable in nature. Such cutlery is very flamboyant and is available in sets of not only five, but also in over a hundred pieces. Sterling silver, however, tarnishes very soon and needs regular polishing.

A more utilitarian and affordable variety of tableware is made of stainless steel. Manufacturers market them as 18/0, 18/8 or 18/10 stainless steel flatware. The figures depict the amount of chromium and nickel in the stainless steel alloy. In the 18/8 variety of stainless steel flatware, the 18 stands for the percentage of chromium and 8 stands for that of nickel.

Generally considered corrosion-free and stain-proof, stainless steel flatware is easy to maintain. There is a wide variety in the design and cost based on the finishing, weight, design, and knife blade quality.

Silver-plated flatware is another very good alternative to expensive silverware. Made from stainless steel coated with a thin layer of silver, it is more affordable and attractive. Production of plastic cutlery has increased manifold in recent years. Used as disposable flatware, it is very hygienic and has great usage in the fast food industry and by various airlines.

The flatware industry has come a long way since its inception in the 1800s. With a large variety in its design and its cost, it today caters to the demands of each strata of society.

Do you have a high tech kitchen in your home where you cook up the best dishes you come across in cookbooks and TV shows? if so, then you should pay extra attention to the kitchen workbench, and what instruments you have on it. a properly equipped kitchen workbench will have any tools that you may need for your everyday cooking. every person has his/ her own cooking style, and the workbench inventory should reflect it. Here’s how you can determine what to include in your kitchen workbench.

The staples

Decide on this set first of all. These will consist of the kitchen implements that you use regularly. Start with the pots, pans and ladles. These should be either non-stick, or made of stainless steel. the preference here is purely personal, as both types can be equally effective in cooking, and do not affect the taste of prepared food much. however, make sure that the utensils you pick up are carrying lifetime warranties. Nothing is more frustrating than having to purchase new sets of utensils every year.

You should also keep some specialized tools handy for special types of cooking. for instance, if you bake a lot, it would be wise to invest in a tempered glass mixing bowl with measuring lines marked clearly on it, along with a handle to hold it easily. You will also need high quality nylon scrapers that would not hold stains, or hold odors of finished projects. the measuring lines should be marked with permanent dye, to make sure those do not come off when the bowl is put into the dishwasher.

On the other hand, if you are in the habit of cooking up a number of crock pot dishes or casseroles on a regular basis, make sure that you have high quality cutting tools. You would need high quality kitchen knives, cutting boards that can be put directly into dishwashers, etc. make sure that all items you purchase carry lifetime warranties. This will reduce your worries about getting the equipment damaged considerably.

Direct cooking utensils

Do you cook directly over a stove? then you would definitely need high quality cookware with lifetime warranties. Glass lids are good to have, since these are bad conductors of heat, and will allow you to hold the lid comfortably, even when the pan is really hot. make sure that the handles are heat proof as well. if the pans have handles for hanging those up on wall mounted brackets, then even better! then you will be hang those up after washing, without having to worry about keeping those fragile lids inside crowded cupboards and cabinets.

Easy to clean equipment

Try to pick up utensils and implements that are easy to wash, and preferably dishwasher-safe. Nothing is more frustrating than having to wash loads of utensils by hand after a hectic cooking session. Measuring tools, spatulas, scoops, spoons, scrapers, and peelers can be washed up really quickly using dishwashers. one point to remember though, kitchen knives lose sharpness really quickly when cleaned in dishwashers. so, just clean these by hand.

A properly assembled workbench with the right tools can make cooking really easy to do. just be careful when organizing the workbench and you will have no trouble cooking up a storm.

Read more about Benkeplater at Nettoline.no