The following is a list of all the kitchen equipment you’ll need to follow the recipes or suggestions on this website. It isn’t a comprehensive or prescriptive list, by any means, and no doubt, you’ll have most, if not all, of it in your kitchen already.
§ Large Freezer – necessary if you’re going to be Cooking in Bulk. You’ll also find that most of the Standby Vegetables and much of the prepared food you buy will be frozen.
§ Microwave Oven and Toaster Oven (or similar alternatives) – a microwave oven is an essential in every kitchen, and if you’re baking in small quantities, a bench-top toaster-oven or air-fryer is much more efficient than your full-size oven. (A microwave/convection oven combines the functions of both. See 6 Ways with a Microwave/Convection Oven)
§ Toaster – many of the recipes that use bread on this website require it to be toasted first. Most kitchens have a toaster, or you could use a toaster oven or a sandwich press.
§ (Food Processor or) Bullet Blender and Stick (or Immersion) Blender – a bullet blender is ideal for puréeing, blending and liquidising small amounts and making smoothies. (However, keep in mind that it is designed for cold food, so cooked food will need to be cooled to room temperature before processing.) Meanwhile, when cooking in bulk, a stick (or immersion) blender makes it possible to liquidise soup while it’s still in the saucepan, saving the time, trouble and mess of transferring the contents to a blender jug. However, if you already have one, a food processor will combine all these functions, although it might not be quite as efficient when liquidising small amounts as a bullet blender.
§ Potato Masher – can be used to give soup a preliminary mashing before puréeing so as to get a faster result.
§ Pastry Brush – for spreading a thin layer of oil on food and cookware
§ Colander and Bowl set – used for straining vegetables, pasta, rice etc while allowing you to retain the boiling water.
§ Cookware – the following cookware for the stovetop and oven is recommended on this website:
- small saucepans and frying pans – you’ll need at least two or three 1 litre saucepans, including at least one non-stick, and at least one small frying pan, preferably non-stick with a fitted lid
- large frying pan – for making pancakes and fritters etc
- wok – for stir fries etc.
- 5 litre saucepan – for cooking in bulk.
- silicon egg poachers – after much experiment I’ve found them to be the safest, easiest and most efficient way to poach eggs on the stovetop with consistent good results. They resemble a small cup or pod into which an egg is broken after which the pod is lowered into boiling water.
- small oven trays – for oven baking fish, meat etc
- large oven trays – for baking biscuits etc
- 12 cup (or 2 x 6 cup) muffin tray – for Egg and Cheese Bites and muffins
§ Microwave Cookware – ordinary crockery can be used for microwave cooking as well as silicon cookware and plastic containers, especially those designed as microwave cookware:
- 1 litre bowls – for boiling small amounts of pasta etc during which boiling water might otherwise spill out of the cooking vessel.
- small ceramic pie dishes – can be used in both the microwave and oven for baking fish, meat, fritattas etc.
- small bowls or wide mugs – used for microwwave-baking cakes and heating or cooking small amounts.
- tall cups and mugs – used to scramble eggs, heat soups and hot drinks.
- covered microwave mug and dish – ceramic or plastic containers with fitted vented lids suitable for microwave cooking.
- microwave-proof stretch bowl covers – silicon covers in a range of sizes that can be stretched over cookware and are a re-usable alternative to cling wrap for both microwave cooking and food storage.
- microwave splatter covers – a wide inverted bowl, usually of plastic, that can be placed over food to catch splatter and help keep the microwave oven clean.
§ Measuring Aids – most measurements on this website are given in metric cup and spoon measurements. The kitchen scales could be used for weighing up individual portions of meat etc for cooking or freezing.
- set of measuring spoons
- set of measuring cups
- kitchen scales