10 essential kitchen tools for beginners.

Welcome my beginner cooks!

Today’s post will be about kitchen tools. When I was moving abroad for uni I asked my granny what I should buy for start for my kitchen and here’s what she recommended:

1.Nonstick pan

IKEA Frying pan, 24 cm. 2.99 € https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/kavalkad-frying-pan-black-00267706/

For beginners, a nonstick pan will be the best! It’s easy to use, doesn’t require as much attention as for example cast iron (we love cast irons but I will get on that some other time), really easy to clean and your eggs won’t stick to it. But remember to give it a little love and don’t scratch them! That means no metal utensils or scrubbers!

2. A medium-sized pot

IKEA Pot with lid, glass/stainless steel 5l 9.99€ https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/annons-pot-with-lid-glass-stainless-steel-20366809/

As a student, you don’t need a huuuuge pot simply because you probably won’t cook huge meals for 10 people on daily basis. Start with a medium-size pot. You can make soups, stews and all kinds of one meal pots dishes in them as well as cook pasta and this kind of things.

3. Large spoon aka ladle

IKEA Soup ladle, grey 31 cm 0.99 € https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/fullaendad-soup-ladle-grey-80393089/ or buy a set — see next section.

This one doesn’t require much explanation. You will need that one for any liquidy meals. Just think about transporting your yummy soup into a bowl using only a regular spoon. It would take foreverrrrr.

4. Wooden or nonstick utensils

IKEA 5-piece kitchen utensil set, grey 3.99 € https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/fullaendad-5-piece-kitchen-utensil-set-grey-80435942/

In order to keep your nonstick pan nice, smooth. Use either wooden or nonstick utensils for tossing or mixing stuff in your pan. This way your nonstick pan can remain nonstick.

5. Proper knife

IKEA Cook’s knife, black 20 cm, 8.99 € https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/voerda-cooks-knife-black-20289236/

This one is important. Get a decent chef’s knife. It will make your cooking game so much easier. Dull knives require you (the amazing cook that you are) to use more force to cut effectively. However crazy it might sound with a sharp knife, it’s less likely to get a cut. Dull knives tend to slip around more and if you have to press hard on them you have less control. Keep that in mind! :)

Addition: Bread knife & small knife

IKEA Bread knife, black 23 cm, 9.99 € https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/voerda-bread-knife-black-10289232/

If you love to eat bread that’s not in pre-cut then get a bread knife (picture above) as well! You know when you cut a fresh little bread from the bakery and the inside get squished a bit? You can avoid that if you use a bread knife, it will slice right through it without crushing it or tearing it into messy pieces!

IKEA Paring knife, grey 7 cm. 0.99 € https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/skalad-paring-knife-grey-80256704/

A small knife is a good substitute for a peeler and sometimes you just don’t want to cut certain products with a big knife. See what feels good for you.

6. Cutting board

IKEA Chopping board, beech 30x15 cm, 2.99 € https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/proppmaett-chopping-board-beech-30233418/

You should NEVER cut things directly on the counter (many of us are guilty of that) and here as a savior comes cutting board. This not only can be damaging your counter and precious knives but also create a high risk of cross-contamination of bacterias! If you get a wood board you can also use it as a stand for your pots or for preparing cheese board! Multifunctional!

7. Measuring spoons

IKEA Set of 4 measuring cups, red/white/black, 0.99 € https://www.ikea.com/nl/en/p/staem-set-of-4-measuring-cups-red-white-black-10233259/

Cooking is a little bit like chemistry, a bit too much of that or a little of this and your meal can come out not as expected. This one especially applies to baking. Of course, you can just eyeball how much a spoon or cup is but you never know if that actually correct. Recipes are all about balance and measuring spoons can be a great help! In case you don’t want to invest in those here is some advice:

measuring cup = standard coffee mug

measuring tablespoon = dinner spoon

measuring teaspoon = coffee spoon

Keep in mind that every coffee mug and every spoon can have different sizes so it may not be accurate.

8. Sheet tray

IKEA Baking tin, black 40x30 cm, 7.99 € https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/lockbete-baking-tin-black-90435140/

If you don’t have one yet, get one. Perfect for making cookies and roasting vegetables. Feel like eating fries but don’t want to fry them in oil? Use a sheet tray and throw them in the oven. Sheet tray is your best friend when you want to make a quick dinner out of frozen food (no shame here, we all do that sometimes).

9. Sieve or colander

Colander 2.0 l, 5 € https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/klockren-colander-10449184/

You probably wonder why it’s the sieve and not the strainer. You can use sieve the same way as strainer but since “the wholes” are muuuuch smaller it will also work with rinsing smaller stuff like quinoa, rice, etc. Stuff that usually would just flow down through the spaces in the strainer. You can also put it on top of your pot and steam some veggies.

10. Whisk

IKEA Balloon whisk, stainless steel, 4 € https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/koncis-balloon-whisk-stainless-steel-30225951/

Of course, you can use a fork to whisk stuff but who over tried whisking egg whites just with a fork can confirm it’s a hell of a job! Using a whisk is so much better, makes it way easier and faster! Whisk comes so handy whether it’s mixing pancake butter, making your own whipped cream, or making an omelet.

This post is not sponsored by IKEA. I linked IKEA products so that it’s easy for everyone to find it. :)

Let me know what you think about this post!

Until next time ❤