This essential list am about to share isn’t only for chefs it’s for everyone! From the cooking fanatic, to the foodie that loves to experiment, to the everyday home cook that really loves to quick it up a notch in the kitchen. I’ll be giving you all a list of my most essential products that I use both in my kitchen and at work. Some items on this list can be used as everyday items in your kitchen and everyday life. If I were to add chef items for plating, decorating and occasional catering well then, this list would be humongous in this case I want to keep things as minimalists and quick as possible only the essentials. I selected things that could be versatile and that could be used for different purposes. I am really that type of person that loves getting an “all in one” product or being able to use that tool or equipment for different uses or for different recipes.

Hope this helps and guides you to choosing items that can help you out in your kitchen or make things a bit simpler in your line of work.

FOOD CREATIONS I’VE MADE FOR CLIENTS

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HOW THIS WORKS!

A. ESSENTIAL POTS AND PANS

B. BIG KITCHEN ITEMS THAT ARE PORTABLE AND THAT LAST YEARS

C. HARDCORE KNIVES

D. MUST HAVE BASICS

E. EXTRA ESSENTIALS

Disclaimer – I will leave links to some of the items I mention; these items are not sponsored and were tested, used and bought by me. I have personally used and can stand by their quality, not only do they work but have been with me for years in my home and in work. As you’ll see in the video and pictures, I use these in an everyday basis. The links to some of the items I give you are my affiliate links. If you decided to purchase via my link then I will get a small commission that will go back into making more food content, web post and YouTube videos for free. Thank You!

CHECK OUT THE STORE WERE THESE PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE

SHOP THE STORE

A. ESSENTIAL POTS AND PANS

1. Stock pot or extra-long pot – Stocks, broths, Soups for 5+ people

2. Sauté pan preferably with a lid – Straight sided, a bit deeper and wider - For sautéing, deep frying, sauce making and stir frying

3. Frying pan with a lid – Wide flat pan and with slanted sides – Sautéing and searing of proteins + fish

4. Saucepan – Round high sides with lid and handle – Boiling of ingredients, regular sauces, soups, rice and mother sauces

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5. Regular large pot – Round deep pot with high sides with lid and handles - For soups, chowders, boiling items like potatoes + pasta

B. BIG KITCHEN ITEMS

1. Portable induction or gas cooktop – Cooking on the go, demonstration stovetop for parties, restaurants and extra stovetop cooking.

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2. Kitchen mixer – Stand up mixer with different knobs to change from ice cream maker to pasta maker and everything in between

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3. Portable oven – Quick broiling, easy baking, perfect to take on location, extra backup in case restaurant or house ovens are occupied.

4. Hardcore blender – Choose one with maximum power, speed and preferably for commercial use. My go to is the commercial vita-prep from Vitamix.

C. HARD CORE KNIFES

1. Classic chef’s knife 8” – Workhorse of knifes - I prefer the ones with hollow edges as this makes slicing and gliding much smoother when cutting hard or sticky foods like squash, yucca, apples, potatoes, chayote and plantains. My go to knife with these edges is the MAC 8’ inch chef’s knife.

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2. Light weight chef’s knife 6” or 8” – I use this type of knife for fruit cutting [avocado, mango, kiwis, strawberries] or soft vegetable cutting [zucchini, tomato, cucumbers, lettuce, garlic] and everything in between. I prefer the sleek and lightweight SHUN 8” inch chef’s knife.

3. Cleaver [this choice is optional] – I actually got mine at a Chinese food market very budget friendly [$25.00] I use this to slice open coconuts, prep cassava, boniato and I have even used this to cut through meat/chicken bones.

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4. A curved boning knife 6” or 7”- I use this to prep beef, poultry and fish. This knife is not to cut through the bones it’s more to remove the skin and bones from around the meat and fish. This knife should be very sharp, thin with a flexible blade. My go to curved knife is the MAC 6” boning knife.

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D. MUST HAVE BASICS

1. Sharp vegetable peeler

2. Fish spatula

3. Fine tongs 12” [for plating, serving, twirling pasta, picking up hot items]

4. Different types of spoons [for tasting, basting and plating]

5. A spider [for lifting and draining foods from the deep fryer, soups, stocks and can be used for blanching]

6. Ladles [small, medium and large]

7. Microplane [zesting citrus fruits, garlic, cheese, nutmeg]

8. Bench scraper [cutting dough, cleaning the surface of sticky countertops, transferring chopped veggies]

9. Tongs [I like to keep a lot in hand]

10. Silicone spatulas

[holds heat up to 500 degrees plus there non-stick, I keep a lot in hand as well]

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11. Wooden spoons

12. Whisk

13. Lemon squeezer

14. Heavy duty scissors

15. Black pepper mill

16. Precision tongs [for plating]

E. EXTRA ESSENTIALS

1. Non-stick round springform cake pan

2. Mandolin [with a safeguard for home cooks]

3. Thermal shock glass bowls with side grips and stainless-steel bowls [I do not recommend plastic bowls they soak up bacteria, color and smell]

4. Commercial cutting boards with HACCP colors [prevents cross-contamination]

5. Cooling rack [oven-safe] this is used to cool down baked goods but I also use it as a big roasting rack, I simply place a sheet pan bigger than the rack and place it directly in the oven