Kitchen Equipment

Now, following here, I will write about some of all the equipment, that you can buy for helping you in the kitchen. At this moment I have only added equipment that I have myself, for baking and for cooking, - in the creative kitchen beyond ordinary.

Kitchen equipments

Measuring spoons; plastic and steel:
Measuring spoons are indispensable. ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon. (2½ml., 5ml., 15ml.)
For spices, baking powder, salt, etc.
Plastic or steel, I don't think it matters much. Steel is of better quality, and will not take color or taste, which plastic may be more sensitive towards.

Measuring cups, 1 dl, 5 dl and 1 lt .
A 1 dl. measuring cup is probably a must. Do you have a 2½ dl, or 5 dl - or a measuring jug you can use this.The most accurate measurement is done using an electronic weight. See below. Measuring cups are also available in many designs, and made of plastic or stainless steel. Plastics have the advantage that you from the outside can see the liquid or flour through the plastic. I've had a measuring cup of steel with a "window" of transparent plastic.
However, this of course started leaking. Goblets in steel are of better quality, but also costs more. I would choose a 1-dl and a 5-dl as allround. But maybe I should add a 1-liter measuring cup to the "toolkit".

Baking Stok and rolling pin:
My first rolling pin, I still have. It is of the general type with a handle on each side of a thicker roll. It also works fine, but I used it always, in the manner that I rolled with the hands on the roll and not the handles. So when I found a baking stick (a rolling pin without handles), I bought it. It is in beech wood which works fine. I dry it off before and after use with a cloth, but never wash it (unless it's necessary), and never in soap, it will dry out the wood. One can, or could, get rolling pins in marble (who said '80s), and I've seen a plastic one, that could be filled with water. Surely for the weight, but certainly also a good idea to use cold water for the doughs that needs to be kept cool (you can probably even get a few ice cubes inside it, or put the whole thing in the deep freezer).

Kneading trough
This is probably my best tool for baking. A good big kneading trough in pottery, glazed on the inside. It can be used for most batters. The sloping sides make it easy to handle the dough, and knead it up the sides.
I was about to throw out a frying pan with a glass lid, and came to the idea, to use the lid for the kneading trough. It fits, and it is really useful as I can see through it, and keep an eye on the dough. Otherwise, I fumbled with cling film, which of course is too narrow for the trough, so that took two pieces - pure chaos. So this recycling that makes my favorite of tools even better, is pure happiness.

Bowl
For baking, and cooking generally, I make much use of two bowls. They are of stainless steel.
The smaller one is only used for flour, for baking. Along with a sieve, I mention further below, they constitute the second place on the list of my best baking equipment.

I have an even larger steel bowl, that is round bottomed, and lay in a simple cradle which allows it to be rotated into the position you now want it. It is quite convenient if you whip either by hand or with a machine. Before I got my kneading trough I used this bowl. Due to its size, it is okay, but a kneading trough is far better - not so tiring for the hands.
The size makes it convenient also, for normal cooking. The round bottom makes it suitable for whipping, for example, of cream, eggs, etc.

Then I have a set of twin bowl, made in ceramics, glazed. Those two bowls I bought at a trunk market. I do not use them as often as the steel bowl as they weigh more, which makes them a bit unhandy. I use one of these bowls, as it fits perfectly both to the amount of dough and to cling film to cover it, and in size for the refrigerator, if I make bread of cold swollen dough.

Sieves:
As mentioned above, the pointed sieve, is only used for flour. It's tapped clean after use, but not washed, only when necessary. I always sieve flour to vent it a bit, and to remove any lumps. It is also convenient to "dose" the flour and spread it over a surface, like for dusting the table before rolling a dough.
Also, I have a sieve where the net is of plastic, and the frame is of wood.

Spatula for cutting doughs:
This spatula is made of plastic and I bought it when I ordered something else through a kitchen supply shop. I needed one, and this was selected only because of the price. I use it - and it can be used. But I should have spent more on one made of steel. This plastic one is quite simply too thick, so that it is not as sharp as one of metal. The idea is okay, so I'll buy one of steel one day. It is useful to cut dough. And it can be used to scrape the flour off the table.

Cutters:
Cutters with figures is probably best for children cookies at Christmas. The Circular is quite practical, but for some reason I am always missing a size, for what I am working on. However, I have seen a set with several round cutters for some fair money. I don’t remember where or when...

Electronic Weight:
Weigh the water with 1/1000 of a liter accuracy (1 gr./1 ml.). - More accurate than you can measure out in a measuring cup. And more precise than mechanical scales.
You can put a bowl on the scale and reset the weight so you do not have to subtract the weight of the bowl from you result. The electronic weight will turn itself off after a certain time when not in use.

Electronic kitchen timer:
For precise timing. The mechanical timers cannot be as accurate as an electronic that can measure time in seconds.++

Parchment paper:
Should I weigh yeast or butter is I always put a sheet of paper on the electronic scales. So I don't have to wash the fat butter off the weight, and avoid getting it wet with water, as it's not tolerated. 500 sheets cost a small sum, 1€ / 1$, and they will last forever.

Baking stone and pizza spade:
Let me first give a warning .. I have destroyed two of the inexpensive molded baking stones, simply by using them for baking. I was beginning to bake at high heat, (250-270 degrees). And I got two of these otherwise too expensive plates.
You would think that a baking stone will work for baking. And that the stone would tolerate those relatively low degrees that a conventional oven in a household electric stove can produce. They have not had heat shock, but has been warmed up with the oven. But, nonetheless, both broke.

After experiencing this, we got advised by a couple of friends who told us to try a "real" stone. A stone carved out of lava. It will quickly get heated up, and retains heat incredibly long. And best of all, it is not blown. It, however, costs a lot more than the cast stones. But since they still do not work, I see no other solution if you want a stone for baking. Pizza at 4-5 minutes is among the reasons why I chose to buy the baking stone. And after I found a really good recipe for bread that just works. I feel that the use of the stone is near optimal. Nearly, since there is always something to learn.

Vinyl gloves:
At the pharmacy I buy vinyl gloves in packages of 100. I give around 6.25€, and I will not handle meat without them, it gives a good feeling of "just being able to go to it" without the clammy feeling I otherwise may have, when I have to fumble around with some meat that must be trimmed, cut and handled. Shaping meatballs, hamburgers, rissoles, or the kind, without the gloves, have been me inconceivable. When I bake eg. vanilla wreaths, or other dough where the cold butter must be worked into the flour I use them too. For ca. 0.125 € (2 pcs gloves), I see no reason not to use them. Again, one of the things in my kitchen I'm happy about, and I will recommend. The gloves are intended for "food service". One can also buy latex gloves if you will. This is what someone wishes, that they would use in all the places where you buy food.

Workbench:
I have written above that the kneading trough is my best tool. There is a competitor to that equipment, it's my workbench. The table is made of stainless steel with a vanity unit, plus also underneath is another cupboard located temporarily. The table is easy to clean and the cupboards contain both pots and pans, partly bowls and other equipment, mostly for baking. On the back of the tabletop there is an edge, useful in cleaning, and so flour and crumbs, etc. do not fall down behind the table.
If I knew before how good and useful this workbench is, I would have bought one a long time ago.

The Wardrobe:
My broom closet is not a broom closet. It is a pantry! Instead of a broom, vacuum cleaner and cleaning liquids etc., I've got room for 16 boxes. They contain all the ingredients I use, that are not to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Oil, flour, grains, pasta, sugar, rice, all the spices, beans, things canned, wine and so on.
There just lacks an outlet to the outside, so the temperature would be slightly lower. But I guess that you can not have it all in a closet.

Kindle:
One last thing, that I still do not fully exploit, is my Kindle. Kindle is Amazon's E-book reader and I'm about to rewrite my recipes into a format matching it and put it out for download. I have an early version of my recipe collection out now. But the new version will be a radical improvement. It is under reconstruction, and that new edition will be found on my webpage. It is extremely handy to have in the kitchen. And I can take it with me, along with the recipes when I am out shopping, I can see what I need to buy.