Cooking at home is not just cheaper and healthier, it can also be a ton of fun. From recreating your favorite dish, finding exciting new recipes, and even wholly making your own meal, cooking can easily be your new hobby rather than a necessity.
However, it can be quite a chore if you don’t have the right tools. Here are a few pieces of equipment that you should invest in to make cooking at home more enjoyable and easier:
Make Even The Smallest Space More Comfortable to Work in With A Silent Range Hood
It’s true that when it comes to cooking, color means flavor. Searing and caramelizing ingredients will add that restaurant-quality depth of flavor to your dishes, all because of something called the Maillard effect. For this, you need enough to reach a temperature of at least 140 degrees Celsius.
This means that cooking food that tastes great can result in a little bit of smoke, which can be a problem for smaller or less ventilated kitchen set-ups. A range hood is built precisely for this purpose. Range hoods also help in reducing the growth of molds on the kitchen surface and even in cabinets. Remember that steam results from the liquid that heats up during cooking. Smaller kitchen spaces also benefit a lot from the overall temperature reducing the effect that ventilation provides.
While you’re at it, it’s better if you invest in a range hood that’s quiet. Silent range hoods are significantly more high-tech than your standard range hood, all while having smaller dimensions in general and being quiet. This will enable you to save up on space and make your cooking experience better by getting rid of excess background noise that conventional range hoods have.
Trust Me on This: Get Yourself Some Excellent Cast Iron Equipment
Cast iron pans and skillets can look intimidating and even too unwieldy for those who have not used it before. They are generally heavier than your regular stainless steel pans, and they require a little bit more effort when it comes to cleaning and storing them.
But, cast iron pans are some of the most reliable pieces of kitchen equipment not just for professional cooks but also for home cooks.
Cast iron is very heavy-duty, and many cooks swear that they can last a lifetime of everyday use if you take good care of them. Unlike metal cookware, cast iron pans are even resistant to scraping damage. You can even make its cooking surface non-stick. How? You have to season your cast iron vessel.
If you haven’t used cast iron before, then you’re probably wondering what seasoning a pan means. It’s just a fancy word for prepping your pan for storage and future use by applying a layer of a carbonized idol to prevent rusting. While it sounds complicated, it’s relatively simple and involves just a few steps.
By doing this right, the layer of oil will make your cast iron equipment resistant to rust and effectively non-stick. This is why many cooks of all levels swear that their cast iron pans don’t seem to age: it’s because they know how to take good care of it.
But, aside from longevity, cast iron equipment is great for cooking because it can hold heat better than regular metals. This means that it won’t have a drastic temperature drop during the cooking process: translating into better browning of food and more even cooking.
Expand Your Recipes with A Food Processor
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Food processors are often thought of as the kitchen equipment that is too bulky, noisy, or even utterly replaceable by a blender to be worth the price. Having a food processor is definitely worth its price because it opens up a plethora of recipes for you. They can even help you save up on ingredients.
Let’s start with the basics. Every food processor should come with a bowl, a removable lid, a blade, and a base that houses the motor. Because of this blade and engine, a food processor can be straightforward to use a power knife to chop and grind ingredients faster than you can ever do. From dicing veggies to shredding hard cheeses, you can count on your food processor to cut them from you.
Now, this goes further if you use food processor attachments. You can knead the dough and even make smoothies. The powerful motor can even be used as a juicer for fruits and vegetables if you have the right attachment. Food processors are significant for a reason: it can replace several other kitchen equipment.
With a food processor, healthier food such as homemade mayonnaise and hummus is easily accessible. Ever wanted to try making your pesto? A food processor’s powerful motor can even be used for grounding meat. This means that you can select precisely the cut of meat that will go into your homemade burger patties. Or if you have some chicken, why not treat your children to healthier and tastier chicken nuggets? The possibilities are endless with a food processor in your kitchen.
Have Convenient and Delicious Meals by Getting A Slow Cooker
Finishing this list with something that anyone will appreciate on busy days. Slow cookers work by condensing steam onto the device’s lid, which then slowly cooks the food; this is known as ‘moist-heat cooking’ and ensures that the food stays nice and juicy. And as convenient as that you have a delicious meal.
Food is cooked anywhere from 3 hours to 8 hours in a slow cooker, depending on the ingredients. Because they are on a timer and how delicate the cooking process is, you can mix ingredients into the slow cooker, set the timer, and leave it plugged as you go about your daily routine. When you get home, you’ll have a warm, tasty meal that is guaranteed juicy because of the so-called “moist heat” cooking process.
Dishes perfect for slow cookers include casseroles, stews, curries, and other recipes with a fair amount of sauce. Slow cookers are also useful for making cheaper, tougher cuts of meat taste top-notch. The slow cooking process can tenderize cheaper meats that would otherwise dry out if cooked indirect heat.
These four pieces of equipment will surely make your home cooking adventures easier and your dishes even tastier. They can give you more room for experimentation and testing out recipes that you only dreamed of before. But, always keep in mind that when it comes to cooking at home, the most important thing is that you do it with love.
