For better texture and beauty (Update: currently unavailable)
mandolin
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For better grilling of meat
cast iron frying pan
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For a cleaner cut
knife sharpener
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When imagining the ideal kitchen setup, many people imagine owning an expensive kitchen. kitchen aid stand mixer or high end dutch oven Create the ultimate culinary masterpiece. But in addition to being good; chef knife, a few small purchases can actually be a better investment than expensive luxury items. In some cases, for just a few dollars, these tools can transform your cooking experience and make the elaborate meal preparations often included in the recipes we're trying out much more doable.
Here are six essential tools that will significantly improve the quality and beauty of the food produced in your kitchen. This list will be updated regularly.
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The best investment I've made in my kitchen over the past four years has been a mandolin. Essentially, it's an adjustable slicer for fruits and vegetables that makes salad preparation a breeze. All the intricate slicing that you normally have to do to make a delicious salad is much easier with a mandolin, and preparing vegetables for pickling is just as easy. Not only does this ensure that everything you slice looks even and beautiful, but it also gives you a great opportunity to enhance the texture of typical dishes. This particular model was not available at the time of this writing, but is an example of what to look for.
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If you grill steaks on a regular basis, you probably already own a cast iron skillet. But these skillets are equally useful for making all kinds of meat, from chicken to octopus. One of his favorite recipes that I've honed over the years is Taco Lime. bagna cauda — And well-grilled baby octopus is one of the most important ingredients. When it's too cold or you don't want to use a grill, a cast iron skillet is perfect for grilling little tentacles.
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A good chef's knife isn't cheap, but it's an investment that will last you for years. The problem is that many of us are content with a mediocre knife because old knives become dull. I also don't want to buy a $150 knife every few years. A knife sharpener is a tool that helps you maintain the best possible performance of your knives. You can buy a fully functional pencil sharpener for just $9 on Amazon.
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One of the biggest hurdles when preparing complex dishes is the preparation. When you need to chop, dice, or coarsely chop 6 different ingredients, a spacious cutting board can make all the difference. Sure, you can get small plastic cutting boards very cheaply on clearance at TJ Maxx, but it's a better investment to splurge $20 on a cutting board that's at least in the 18-by-14-inch range. He'll quickly appreciate it if he can put the herbs in three separate piles and chop the carrot slices without rolling them on the floor.
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If you want to seriously make high-quality breads and desserts, you need to buy a kitchen scale. You can buy it on Amazon for just over $10 and it will make your recipes more accurate. As the saying goes, cooking is an art and baking is a science. Science relies on mathematics, and good mathematics begins with accurate measurements.
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Five degrees can separate a good steak from a perfect steak, and unless you're an experienced chef, cooking by sight isn't a reliable way to get perfect results. A meat thermometer will be one of the most used tools in your drawer, especially if you're experimenting with different meats. It's been 3 years since he first bought it and I honestly don't know how he ever tried to cook meat without it.
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Look at this: Good kitchen tools make Thanksgiving more delicious
