Essential Chef Equipment for Beginners

While not everyone aspires to TV stardom like a celebrity chef, there is something that celeb and non-celeb chefs have in common: their essential equipment. That means that both beginner chefs and even home chefs with a serious hobby must accumulate the right chef equipment to hone their skills or take the cooking game to the next level.

If you’re looking to one day enter a culinary academy or just want to impress your friends with fancy meals, keep reading. We’ve put together a list of the equipment you need in your kitchen to may your own culinary magic.

Give it a Try: Top10 Dining and Kitchen Tables

Knives

Right at the top of the list for professional chef equipment are knives. You often see professionals packing cases that contain their knives, even when working in other people’s kitchens. Some of this is preference and some of it is familiarity.

You work best with the tools you know.

The heart of the pro knife set is the chef knife. It’s a hefty, all-purpose blade that you can use for most tasks. If you’re going to spend a lot on a knife, go for the best chef knife you can reasonably afford.

Cookware

Next up in the list of chef tools is cookware. Home cooks often prefer non-stick pots and pans, but it’s not necessarily because you get better food from them. It’s because non-stick pans prove far easier to clean afterward.

After all, no one craves the chore of scrubbing pots and pans after putting in a full day of work.

If you want to emulate professional chefs, though, you should be looking into cast iron, copper, or carbon steel cookware. Those are the most common choices among professionals. A grill is another must-have for chefs as well, and there are many types out there including charcoal, pellet, or gas. You can visit this website to know more about different grills and explore a wide range of models available in the market.

Cutting Board

Professional chefs spend a lot of time cutting, slicing, and chopping. That means you need a cutting board that can stand up to the constant and repeated abuse. For pros, that means a hardwood cutting board.

Ideally, you want one made from maple or walnut that’s around two inches thick. Cutting boards make from those woods take abuse for years and won’t typically warp. In a pinch, a thick bamboo cutting board will also do the trick.

Measuring Cups/Spoons

For anyone thinking of doing some baking, you cannot live without good measuring cups and spoons. Baking relies on fairly precise measurements of ingredients, so close won’t cut it. Shell out for durable measuring cups and spoons, since they’ll also take a spring amount of abuse.

Choosing Your Chef Equipment

Chef equipment is like most other kinds of professional equipment. Don’t go overboard trying to buy the very best of everything or you’ll go broke. Instead, do some research and start with brands that have a decent reputation. As your skills improve and your commitment solidifies, upgrade to better equipment over time.

Looking for more kitchen equipment tips for your budding culinary career? Head over to our General section for more articles.