When moving into your first own kitchen, besides the kitchen unit, there are a few other things to buy to experience an ideal cooking feeling. Especially cutlery and kitchen appliances must of course be present in every good kitchen. Because anyone who wants to regularly provide for themselves and not constantly order something from the nearest restaurant needs their own kitchen appliances and other aids. In many modern kitchens, there are now popcorn or cotton candy machines in addition to the usual basic equipment. In other words, many things that go beyond the normal basic equipment of the kitchen and which are not necessarily essential in the broadest sense. But what is it that you really need in a kitchen and what counts as normal kitchen equipment? At first glance, a pot, a pan, and cutlery come to mind, although there are a few more things that should not be missing in any kitchen.
The must-haves in kitchen knives
High-quality kitchen knives are usually not cheap. But saving on kitchen knives is definitely the wrong place. Especially for the initial equipment in the kitchen, it doesn't have to be a professional knife right away, and you don't have to have all types of knives at home. However, a certain basic set of knives should not be missing in any kitchen. After all, there is a reason why there are so many different knives. Because every knife in its shape, sharpness, and with or without serrations has a different function and is ideal for cutting different foods. Before you decide on the first selection of kitchen knives, you should first consider what you cook most often and which kitchen knives make the most sense in that regard.
Classics, apart from normal knives, which count as common cutlery and which actually every household should have at home are:
- The chef's knife: The chef's knife is classically used to cut and chop any kind of vegetable on a cutting board.
- Good chef's knives should be found in every kitchen. The blades of classic kitchen knives are about 20 centimeters long, but can also be significantly shorter or longer. Chef's knives are best used in a rocking motion, in which the middle third of the blade cuts the vegetables into fine pieces by pushing them forward evenly.
- The bread knife: A bread knife has a classic long blade with a serrated edge, i.e., with small teeth. These teeth are there to cut through the hard bread crust well and to cut slices of bread effortlessly. This type of knife also comes in a wide variety of designs. Depending on whether you prefer baguette or farmhouse bread, you need a bread knife with a correspondingly long blade.
- The filleting knife: As the name suggests, the filleting knife is mainly used to dismantle meat and fish, i.e., to fillet. The long, flexible blade of a filleting knife allows for a precise cut, with which the gutting of poultry or fish succeeds particularly easily.
- The vegetable peeler: Since fruit and vegetables should be on the table in every household at least occasionally, it is also advisable to purchase a knife for peeling carrots, potatoes, apples, and other types of fruit and vegetables. A vegetable peeler is best suited for this.
- The paring knife: For fine work, such as cutting onions or herbs, but also for preparing vegetables, a paring knife is best suited. It is a small knife with a slim, medium-pointed blade and is ultimately the little brother of the chef's knife.
- The butter knife: Anyone who regularly and gladly enjoys buttered bread or bread with other spreads also needs one or two knives for spreading. A butter knife is best suited for this.
