5 undeniable essentials that your kitchen needs

savoy kitchen

All kitchens are different, and they’re shaped by the people who use them. But regardless of its appearance or style of laminate kitchen worktops, almost every kitchen in the world requires the same basic set of essentials. That’s a view firmly held by almost every professional chef – and while their commercial kitchens might not have the same focus on ambience that you might want for your kitchen at home, their advice is still worth listening to if you want to ensure that your cooking space is fully equipped for whatever delicious dish you might fancy whipping up.

A full complement of pans and kitchen equipment

OK so let’s be honest, this is one of the most obvious, but it still bears saying regardless. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through cooking a meal to find out you’ve not got a certain type of pan or tray, whether that’s an oven-safe baking tray, or a cast-iron skillet. To make sure you’re prepared for any eventuality, make sure you’ve at least thought about getting a skillet, a Dutch oven, a sauté pan, a wok, a saucier, a stockpot, and a baking dish.

And of course, don’t forget to ensure that they’re the right size. There’s no point in having smaller pans suitable for modest one-person meals if you regularly find yourself cooking for the whole family. It’s worth the money to scale them up!

Sharp knives

You might rightly say that knives should come under general cooking equipment, but we think they deserve their own special mention for a couple of reasons. You’ve probably got a couple of general-purpose knives kicking around already that you might use for more or less everything. But it’s a good idea to make sure that your complement includes at least one of each of the following – a chef knife, a long serrated bread knife, a paring knife, and a slicing or carving knife.

A surprising amount of people still overlook one of the most crucial aspects of these knives – namely, the ‘sharp’ part. Investing in a sharpening tool is a really good move. It’s a common misconception that chef’s knives are less dangerous when they’re blunt, but they’re actually more so. When you’re cutting with a blunt knife you generally need more force to make the cut, which can all too easily lead to the knife slipping – and that can end up causing accidents or even injuries.

Cooking utensils in kitchen

Appliances that match the way you live

Modern kitchen gadgetry can do all sorts of cool stuff, and it can be really tempting to snap up that little gizmo with just the one showy trick – but you’ll have to ask yourself, it is something you’ll actually use? If you don’t often find yourself using a lot of tins for example, a gadget that opens them five different ways probably isn’t going to be all that useful.

In terms of kitchen gadgetry that it always a safe bet though, lots of professional chefs recommend a blender or a juicer, as it allows you to make plenty of stuff from leftovers – helping you to avoid waste, and save more money in the long run.

The basic spices and condiments

Turning away from equipment for a moment, it’s always smart to have a good selection of spices on hand, even if you don’t count yourself a keen cook. In fact, they’re good to have on hand especially if you’re not a keen cook, as they can be invaluable for rescuing a dish you’ve not tried before – whether that’s because it’s too bland, too hot, or simply not quite what you’d want it to be. We suggest at the very least having onions, root vegetables, garlic, ginger, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper, herbs such as thyme, cumin and rosemary.

A clearly defined atmosphere and style

Above all, your kitchen has to be a place where you feel comfortable, and have it match the style of your home. Thankfully there’s no shortage of ways you can do that – a good place to start is with your laminate worktops and cabinetry, since we’ve already recently covered what an influential effect they have on your kitchen’s overall style.

And if you’re looking for the best kitchen worktops or kitchen doors, you’re in exactly the right place. Here at Savoy Timber we have a huge range of laminate kitchen worktops to choose from – our ultra-thin Zenith range of laminate worktops is perfect if you’re a fan of a more contemporary atmosphere, while our Oak Effect laminate kitchen worktops are just some of the many options you’ve got if you’d like a more traditional feel for your kitchen.

You can browse them right here on our site, and we also stock them in our DIY stores in Blackpool, Preston or Wigan. We’re dedicated to helping you to shop safely during the ongoing Covid-19 situation, so don’t forget to check our latest Covid-19 service update before you visit!