Cooking can be a timely task, especially if you have a family to feed. Buying enough ingredients, prepping them, and cooking for a family of four can definitely feel like a chore. Not only that, but you might find yourself becoming frustrated and overwhelmed with all of the steps listed in a recipe. This is why many people will favor easy-to-do recipes.
However, you do not need to simplify recipes to enjoy cooking. Instead, you might opt for a little bit of help, and this doesn’t need to be an extra pair of hands. In fact, the right kitchen accessories can enable you to cook meals efficiently.
In this post, three of the best kitchen accessories have been listed to ensure your future cooking adventures are easy to complete.
Sharpening Stone
As cooking can include lots of chopping and slicing, it is vital to have a sharp knife available in the kitchen at all times. Sharp knives will glide effortlessly through all types of ingredients, which can reduce the effort and time required when prepping for meals. Not only will the cooking process be much faster, but you can also ensure uniformity in ingredient size and shape. The consistency of cuts will guarantee even cooking and better-tasting dishes.
Fortunately, you can use a sharpening stone, also known as a whetstone, to hone and perfect the edges of your kitchen knives. This will ensure they are much safer to use; after all, a dull blade can cause more accidental cuts and slipping as it requires more force. However, you must use the correct techniques when using a whetstone to sharpen a knife effectively.
Most sharpening stones will include instructions, but they must be secured on a stable surface using either a damp cloth or a specialized holder. You should hold the knife at the right angle against the stone; either 15 to 20 degrees for European knives or 10 to 20 degrees for Japanese knives. Then, you can use smooth strokes to move the blade from heel to tip against the stone.
Smart Thermometer
While some home cooks rely on guesswork throughout a recipe, this can lead to a poor outcome in the completed meal. This is why it is wise to use a thermometer, which can measure the internal temperature of food, ensuring it is cooked to a safe and desired level. However, instead of a run-of-the-mill thermometer, there are numerous benefits to using a smart thermometer.
Smart thermometers help to monitor the internal temperature of food while it cooks, as expected, but this is typically accomplished wirelessly. It typically involves a probe and a smartphone app that tracks temperature readings, and may also use alerts to notify when the food reaches the desired temperature or requires flipping. This can be useful if you want to avoid overcooking or undercooking, particularly with meats.
Using a smart thermometer is generally the same as using an ordinary thermometer; it should be inserted into the thickest part of the meat. The most significant benefit of using this piece of tech is that you will not need to open the oven or grill repeatedly to check the temperature reading.
Food Processors
If you want to streamline time-consuming tasks further, then there are other pieces of kitchen equipment that you should purchase, and a food processor is a good choice. This incredibly versatile appliance can be used with rotating blades or discs to chop, knead, puree, shred, and slice ingredients, which means you avoid doing these tasks by hand. For example, while slicing one kilo of potatoes could take 15 to 30 minutes, a food processor could do this in less than a minute.
When you first use a food processor, you must ensure you understand the different blades and attachments to get the results you want. There will be a multi-purpose blade, otherwise known as the S-blade, that can be used for various tasks, included, and the “pulse” function will be preferred in most cases. It is a lot of trial and error with this appliance, but you can test it out and learn as you go.
To conclude, numerous kitchen accessories can be used to increase efficiency in the kitchen. The three mentioned in this post are often the most preferred to make the cooking process easy and effective.
