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So… You’re Learning to Cook? 🍳
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items Starting your cooking era? Here’s the little kitchen starter kit I’d actually begin with, from chopping and cooking to measuring, straining, and storing leftovers. Just the basics you’ll reach for again and again
Sections
4
Start Here, Chef
Prep, Chop.. chop
And, now turn on the stove
The Little Things That Make Life Easier
Start Here, Chef
You don’t need to know everything to start cooking. Just get these basics down first, then you can figure out the rest as you go
Read the whole thing first. Know what needs chopping, marinating, preheating, or cooking before you start.
How to (Actually) Follow a Recipe | Techniquely with Lan Lam
Learn how to hold your knife safely and make a few basic cuts, slice, dice, chop, and julienne.
9 Essential Knife Skills To Master | Epicurious 101
The preheat + water drop test + oil trick. Learn this before blaming your stainless steel pan
How to Cook Eggs In Stainless Steel WITHOUT Sticking (Foolproof)
under salted or oversalt
4 Steps on How to Properly Salt Your Food
Come on, at some point we’re all making vegetable soup.
STOP Ruining Vegetable Soup ❌ Do THIS for Unbelievably Delicious Soup Every Time! ✅ | Japanese Chef
Okay, now choose your egg: hard-boiled or soft-boiled?
PERFECT BOILED EGGS (EVERY TIME) | hard boiled eggs + soft boiled eggs
A few simple things you need to know to keep your board clean, conditioned, and in good shape for years
Chopping board care guide? DO'S/DONT'S
Even with a rice cooker, there are a few basics worth knowing, rice-to-water ratio and washing
Japanese RICE | How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker
Prep, Chop.. chop
The things you’ll want within reach before the pan even hits the stove
wood is gentler on your knife, has natural properties that can help limit bacterial survival and it’s also a nicer surface for everyday prep. Just keep it dry between uses.
Walnut End Grain Cutting Board: Butcher Block with Juice Groove, Chopping Board, Housewarming Gift
A dull knife can seriously kill my cooking mood, so I’d rather invest in one really good all-purpose knife that I can use for years. This Shun Santoku is sharp, comfortable, and the free sharpening service definitely makes the splurge feel a little e...
Shun Classic 7" Hollow Ground Santoku Knife
A 4-inch paring knife is much easier to control for peeling, trimming, coring, and working with smaller fruits and vegetables.
Zwilling J.A Henckels Solution 4 in. L Stainless Steel Paring Knife 1 pc
interchangeable blades so you get grating and slicing without filling your drawer with bunches separate gadgets
Börner Mandoline Slicer Vital Profi Set
this isn’t just for salad. I’d use it to wash veggies and fruit, spin-dry them, drain things with the built-in colander, and honestly… the stainless steel bowl can double as a mixing or serving bowl too.
Lunememo Stainless Steel Salad Spinner 5.3 Qt
And, now turn on the stove
The basic crew for actually turning all that chopping into dinner.
I’d go for the 3.5-qt size because it’s still easy to handle, but gives you enough room for soup, pasta, sauces, and bigger portions when you’re cooking for the family. And I love that the lid doubles as a strainer, you can drain pasta, noodles, or v...
3.5 Qt Stainless Steel Saucepan with Lid
I like a one-piece silicone spatula like this. No separate head or joints means fewer weak spots to break, and the flexible silicone edge is great for scraping every last bit from the wok pan.
GIR Silicone Spatula Turner – Ultimate Flip, Navy
For a ladle, I actually prefer stainless steel. It’s nice and sturdy for scooping soups, stews, and other liquid-heavy dishes, without needing to bend or scrape like a spatula. The flat bottom is a clever little detail too, it helps you get those las...
Chef Craft Select Ladle, 12 inch, Stainless Steel
Your extra pair of hands for flipping, tossing, and grabbing hot things without getting too close.
KitchenAid Stainless Steel Utility Tongs, 12 Inch
Because “I’ll just use a kitchen towel” sounds reasonable until you actually touch the hot pan.
Brown Buffalo Plaid Oven Mitts & Pot Holders Set
One of those little things you don’t think you need, until you’re holding a hot, drippy lid and wondering where on earth to put it.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Spoon Rest
Give your hot pan somewhere safe to land. Your countertop will thank you
Joyhalo 4 Pack Trivets for Hot Dishes
I’d pick a flat-bottom wok over a regular frying pan because you get that nice curved shape for sautéing and tossing, but still have a flat cooking surface for steak, sauces, stir-fries, or even a bigger batch of something Soupy.
And yes, you can get it nicely nonstick, preheat the pan first, then add your oil before the food
And yes, you can get it nicely nonstick, preheat the pan first, then add your oil before the food
Signature 12.5 Inch Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Wok
The Little Things That Make Life Easier
Not glamorous, but you’ll be reaching for these constantly once you start cooking
specially useful when you’re still learning what “a little bit” actually means
Pyrex 4 Cup Glass Measuring Cup
Especially useful when you’re still learning what “a little bit” actually means
Spring Chef Stainless Steel Measuring Set 14pc
I’d go with glass food containers for leftovers. I love that you can store your food in the fridge, then reheat it straight in the microwave without transferring everything to another dish. These Rubbermaid ones are also leakproof, stack nicely, and ...
Rubbermaid Brilliance Clear Food Container and Lid 3 pk
Sorry, I’m Asian. A rice cooker is a must. If rice is part of your regular meals, this is one appliance I wouldn’t skip. It takes care of the rice while you focus on everything else
Micom 3 Cup Rice Cooker & Warmer: Zojirushi, 8 Settings, Automatic Keep Warm, Nonstick, Timer, Light Silver, 450W
One of those boring essentials you’ll use approximately 700 times a day
Micro Fiber Cloths for Household Cleaning
This is how you get your eggs just right. A couple of minutes can be the difference between a runny yolk, a jammy egg, and a fully cooked one.
Personalized Kitchen Timer, Custom Chef Cooking Timer Clock with Loud Alarm, No Battery Required Magnetic Cooking Timer, Magnetic 60 Minute