Listicle: 10 kitchen tools for chefs and ambitious cooks

Chefs Urvika Kanoi, Nishant Choubey and Amninder Sandhu pick 10 kitchen appliances that are definitely worth the hype

Whether you’re a post-pandemic chef or someone who whips up a storm in the kitchen on weekends, you’ve probably been wondering about a few too-viral-to-be-true tools. Chefs Urvika Kanoi from Kolkata, Nishant Choubey from Delhi and Amninder Sandhu from Mumbai pick the ones that are worth the hype that you’ll actually get around to using.

Cast-iron pans are heavy, less forgiving than Teflon or anodised surfaces, but spread heat evenly, are almost non-stick when seasoned well, retain heat better and don’t need effort during the washing up.

Silicone spatula. Spatulas aren’t sexy the way knives or even pepper grinders are. But a silicone one is flexible and withstands high temperatures. It will let you spread eggs for an omelette, flip it, and even scrape up the sticky bits stuck to the edges without leaving a scratch on your non-stick pans. Nishant Choubey swears by it. He uses Meyer spatulas. They last long and flip a chilla perfectly.

A silicone spatula is flexible and withstands high temperature.

Cast-iron pans. They’re heavy. They’re less forgiving than Teflon and anodised surfaces. But they spread heat evenly, are almost non-stick when seasoned properly, retain heat better and are easier to wash. Just don’t use an iron scrubber, says Choubey. Splurge on designs that use one single piece of metal without screwed-on handles. Choubey prefers Le Creuset.

The razor-sharp chef’s knife is not just a survival tool for the professional, it’s just as versatile when you’re cooking at home.

Chef’s knife. The name has misled folks for years. But the razor-sharp chef’s knife is not just a survival tool for the professional, it’s just as versatile when you’re cooking at home, says Kanoi. You’ll struggle less when cutting up meat, your veggies will be precise slices, and you’ll end up using it for everything. Kanoi’s go-to brand is Wusthof.

The timer and settings in the rice cooker ensure you’ll never under-cook or burn rice, or have a messy boil-over.

Rice cooker. Asians swear by it. Indians just aren’t using this gem enough, says Choubey. The timer and settings ensure you’ll never under-cook or burn rice, or have a messy boilover on the stove. It cooks millets faster too. And on busy days, it’s the gadget that will cook your one-pot meals such as khichdi or Mexican arroz rojo. Choubey trusts the Baltra brand for its industrial sturdiness.

Air fryers are not just a fad.

Air fryers. Not just a fad. Professional chefs and home cooks have been becoming fast fans. Food cooks quicker, in less oil, and delivers the same kick you’d get from greasier, heart-clogging methods. “You won’t be able to tell between a deep-fried and air-fried golgappa,” says Choubey. Air fried items also have a longer shelf life than deep-fried ones, which turn rancid quickly. Pick a trusted brand like Philips over a lesser-known model.

The mezzaluna knife is a curved blade, with a handle at both ends.

Mezzaluna knife. This is a curved blade, with a handle at both ends. You chop in a rocking back-and-forth motion. It sounds complicated but isn’t, says Kanoi. In fact, it’s great for chopping herbs and vegetables. Kanoi also uses it to mince meat as it efficiently breaks down the fat. Moreover, if you have wrist pain or some problems with exerting force, this knife does all the hard work with its ingenious design.

The Stagg wireless kettle lets you set the temperature for different kinds of tea and coffee.

Stagg kettle. Coffee connoisseurs are already adding it to their wish lists, says Kanoi. This wireless kettle lets you set the temperature for different kinds of tea and coffee, which means it hardly needs any attention. Link it to your smartphone so your beverage can brew while you brag about it online.

Pacojet is immensely helpful for micro pureeing frozen items without waiting for them to thaw.

Pacojet. Chefs have found this high-end product to be immensely helpful for micro pureeing frozen items without waiting for them to thaw. It’s increasingly showing up on the kitchen counters of ambitious weekend cooks too, says Sandhu. The Pacojet has highly efficient blades, so soups, sorbets or even dough is less of a hassle.

A thermomix can saute, simmer, steam and blend food.

Thermomix. Another professional favourite that is being co-opted by the home chef. This all-in-one cooker is what gives dal makhni that perfect thick-but-not-gloopy texture. It can saute, simmer, steam and blend food, says Sandhu who loves hers.

You can set meat, rajma, chickpeas to cook overnight in a slow cooker and they’ll be ready by morning.

Slow cooker. Older models would manage mostly a runny gruel. But they’ve improved while we weren’t looking. Sandhi prefers the ceramic-plated version from Crock Pot. “You can set meat, rajma, chickpeas to cook overnight and they’ll be ready by morning. The taste is unmatched,” she says. To recreate flavours from a time before the pressure cooker, when food simmered slowly for hours, this is the tool you need.

From HT Brunch, February 11, 2023

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