Helloooo.
Happy Wednesday.
This week I wanted to start a series… within a series. Last week’s post was about tips and techniques that professional cooks use at work that can be translated to a home kitchen. This week I began to compile all the tools and equipment that are necessary and helpful to a professional cook who works on a kitchen line. The tools of the trade that cooks use in restaurants that you can also bring home to use for yourself.
It goes without saying that tools don’t make you a good cook. Buying a good knife doesn’t suddenly boost your creativity or palette. Buying a new pan isn’t going to help you figure out how properly sear a fish. Just like how buying a new expensive camera doesn’t make you a better photographer automatically. But having the right tools paired with the knowledge of how to use them well will help open up your parameters. Better put, when you get the right tools you expand the opportunity to be able to learn and grow.
It takes a cook a long time to accumulate all the tools we need for our jobs, but we all started somewhere. I started by buying a cheap Misen knife. I wrapped it in a kitchen towel, secured it with a rubber band, and kept it in my backpack with my work clothes. The feeling of showing up to a restaurant with one dinky knife while every other cook has their own legit sets is similar to being that new kid in elementary school and realizing that your level of drip is archaic compared to the cool kids. Now after years of cooking, my home kitchen is packed to the brim with knives, blenders, dehydrators, pots, pans, etc. But… I still don’t feel like my tool kit is up to par with some of my peers. It’s a never-ending journey of collecting knives, tools, and unique equipment.
It takes time to build up your arsenal, but I just hope that if I can share with you the proper tools that you need and the brands that I have learned to trust over the years - it would save you some time and money.
This week I’ve compiled a list of the basic tools that I have used extensively in restaurants and at home. I was originally planning to post the master list of all the equipment, but after looking through it… it’s a bit overwhelming. Later on, I will post another list of equipment that has more singular, specific, and technical uses that more experienced cooks use that aren’t always needed at home but are useful. See this as a starter pack if you have no idea where to start.
I’ve attached links to each item after describing them to make it easy for you. But if you have a restaurant supply store nearby, make a list of things you need and they will have them at good prices. They may not always have the brands you want, but they are good places to buy the more generic smaller tools. Also, I think it goes without saying, but as a disclaimer, I am not getting paid by anyone to promote any of these. These are purely just the tools that I have used and appreciated over the years.
Knifes
Everyone who wants to cook obviously needs a knife. But the more you cook and the more techniques you learn, the more knives you start to collect. There is a knife for anything and everything. One for small cuts, one for deboning fish, one for deboning chicken, one just for vegetables, one for slicing, etc.
There are two families of knives that most professional cooks use: Japanese and Western (usually German). Japanese knives are known for their delicate metal crafting. Knife blades are usually made from harder steel that often requires a bit more maintenance but are immensely rewarding to use. Because the metal is harder it can retain its sharpness for longer periods of time, but they are more prone to chipping and breaking - if mishandled (aka throwing them in a dishwasher, dropping them, throwing them into a pit of dirty dishes, etc). They are usually thinner blades that have a straighter edge and are lighter in weight. Western blades are made with softer metals. The blades are often thicker, heavier, and have a more curved edge. They need to be sharpened more often, but they are great workhorses.
The knives reflect the food that they are used for. Japanese knives are ideal for thin cuts and precision (think of sushi). Western knives are ideal for heavier knife work. Cutting through heartier root vegetables, cutting through tougher meat, etc. An overall broad stroke would be to say that Japanese knives are ideal for slicing delicate ingredients and for a lil finesse and western knives are great for heavier knife work.
Ideally, a professional cook wants a knife collection that is a mix of both. A couple of western knives for blowing through prep knife work, and a mix of Japanese knives for delicate cuts, slicing meats, etc. Nowadays as cuisines are crossing over and mixing more than ever knives have started to reflect that reality as the differences between Japanese and German-style knives are becoming more narrow.
This week I won’t go into detail about the differences between the different kinds of Japanese knives. There are gyutos, honesukis, debas, nakiris, etc… all for different uses and purposes. Useful to know and have, but as a home cook starter kit - not necessary.
These are some knives that are good to have at home:
A basic chef’s knife (aka gyutos). These are your multi-purpose knives. Sharp enough to cut delicately, robust enough to chop through dense vegetables and meat. You need at least one chef’s knife
Misen Chef Knife 8” ($75)
Misen is an American company that has tried to make a knife that is a happy middle between a Japanese and a Western blade. Japanese steel that is made with a western-style handle.
These are cheap, stay pretty sharp, and can take a beating. I have one and I usually recommend these for friends who are wanting to graduate from their IKEA home knife.
Mac Knife 8” ($69)
A good starter knife as well. Out of the box they are sharper than the Misen, and they are durable. This is a great starter knife if you’re wanting to get into Japanese knives without breaking your bank.
Meridian Elité 8” ($150)
A stronger starter into the German knife style.
Mercer Serrated Knife ($24)
Please, stop cutting your artisan sourdough loaves from the local bakery with your normal knife. It’ll dull your knife quickly and it’s so much easier to cut with a serrated knife. You don’t have to press down and crush your loaf to get a slice if you have a serrated knife. Plus these are great for cutting tomatoes too.
Mandoline ($47~)
This is the BEST mandoline you can get. Every restaurant uses them. Please don’t get the V-shaped mandolines; those are just more dangerous and man-handle your ingredients rather than thinly slice them. These are tanks and they can last a very long time if treated well.
Honing Steel ($25)
Honing steels do. not. sharpen. your knives. They hone your knife blade. Every knife blade is made up of tiny microscopic “teeth” that slowly bend as you use them. Honing steels help straighten out those teeth. Your knife may feel sharper after, but it’s only temporary. In another post I will get more into why using a stone is best, but also how it’s just as good to get your knives sent to a professional sharpener as well.
But if you’re not buying incredibly expensive knives, honing steels can help you maintain an edge.
Board
Please for the love of god never get a glass or thin plastic cutting board. Those will destroy your knives. The cutting board you use is important. The material you choose is important.
Synthetic Rubber Board ($68)
These are industry-standard cutting boards. Rubber boards are the best IMO. They “heal” over time, they don’t stain as easily, and they are the best for your knives.
Boos Wood Board ($50)
Wood boards are great. But if you invest in a good quality wooden board (as you should) they do require more maintenance. They are prone to splitting and often require you to rub them down with mineral oil to prevent that.
Pots and Pans
When it comes to pans, you really shouldn’t skimp on them. The material that is used in pans matter. You want to invest in high-quality pots and pans so that they last you a long time. Like knives, there are many different pots and pans for many different purposes. It takes time to build up your arsenal of pots and pans but you really only need to start with a few mainstays. A good saute pan (fry pan), a dutch oven, a sauce pot, and a stock pot. However, like anything else, the tools you need are depended on how and what you like to cook at home. If you cook mostly chinese food at home, you’re going to want a good wok. If you like to cook soups, invest in a larger stock pot. If you like to braise, get a good dutch oven (cocotte).
Brands matter when it comes to your pots and pans. I wholeheartedly trust brands like All-Clad, Staub, Le Creuset, Matfer Gourgeat, and… some Cuisinart. I’ve spent a lot of time at different TJ-Maxxes, Marshalls, flea markets, etc to find good pots and pans. Take your time building this collection up and always keep an eye out for sales.
All-Clad Non-sticks (2 sizes for $70)
Everyone should have a good quality non-stick. They’re easy to cook in and easy to clean. Just make sure to only use wooden and rubber tools in them. Please. Please don’t scratch the hell out of them. We all know it’s not the best for you.
Non-sticks are not for searing and basting meat. They’re not for braising. I use them for eggs, quick sautés, and pastas.
Matfer Bourgeat Carbon Steel Pan 8” ($42)
Matfer Bourgeat Carbon Steel Pan 11” ($68)
Carbon steel pans are like the Lodge Cast Iron pans everyone likes to use, but better IMO. They’re lighter, easier to use, and I’ve used them extensively at restaurants. Most come pre-seasoned, but if you need to season them go on YouTube and it’s easy.
Staub Cast Iron 5 Quart Cocotte ($200)
I love Staub. They’re robust, they distribute and retain heat well, they’re sexy, and they’ll last a long ass time. I’ve owned dutch ovens by Lodge, Cuisinart, and Le Creuset but Staub has always been my favorite. They are expensive, but they’re worth it.
Braising, deep-frying, baking, boiling… do it all in them. Go off.
Small tools
Kuhn Rikon Swiss Peeler (3 peelers for $15)
These are the best peelers. Periodt. They stay sharp, they’re light, and every cook I know uses them.
Mixing Bowls ($37)
Rubber Spatula ($12)
I love my wooden spoons for cooking but these are great alternatives that are multi-purpose. Good for scraping mixing bowls, making sauces, using them on non-stick pans, etc.
Kitchen Tongs ($16)
Invest in good tongs. Not just for grilling, but deep frying, roasting, and serving.
Bench Scraper (Two for $7)
When working in a kitchen, these are amazing. They’re little hacks for scraping all the knife cuts off your cutting board and into their proper mise en place containers.
Microplane ($15)
These are the best for zesting citrus, grating hard cheeses, grating nutmeg, etc.
Sure, it’s great to have cute kitchen towels if you want an aesthetic kitchen color palette. But keep a stack of these in a drawer. We talked about keeping a clean kitchen while you cook, and having these will make sure you do.
I hope this starter pack list was helpful. I will eventually send more recommendations for tools that are a bit more niche. These are the tools that not everyone will necessarily need, but they are still tools that have their own purpose in a restaurant kitchen.
If you have any tools that you think are necessary for a starter pack I would love to hear what you think and I (if I have enough space) would love to try to put them in the next post about tools.
Thank you for taking the time to read through today’s post! I always appreciate you for reading, sharing, and subscribing to this newsletter. Thank you thank you.
After an immensely long travel day, all thanks to American Airlines for canceling our flights last minute and rebooking us with a heinous amount of layovers…. I landed in Mexico City last night and will be out here for the next couple of weeks. It’s my first trip since I last visited in 2019 and I am STOKED. If you have any recs and spots to check out I will definitely add them to my already massive list and I am excited to really dive deep into the city for the next couple of weeks.
If you follow me on IG, I will most likely be posting a little too much. Apologies in advance.
All love,
Edmond