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HomeRecipesThe concept
← All the basics
Good to knowBefore you start1 min read

The basic kitchen kit: knife, board, frying pan, pot, dish

✅ The essentials

To cook almost everything in the basics, you need very little, and nothing fancy. A good knife matters more than all the rest put together. Everything else can be bought as you go, when a recipe asks for it.

💡 The one thing to know

One good kitchen knife with a 7 to 8 inch blade (18 to 20 cm), and a board big enough to hold a cut onion without it falling off. If you only buy one thing, buy that.

📏 The landmarks

  • A chef's knife, 18 to 20 cm blade, and a small paring knife for peeling.
  • A large cutting board, wood or plastic. Two if you can: one for raw meat, one for everything else.
  • A 28 cm (11 inch) non-stick frying pan with a lid.
  • A 2 to 3 litre pot with a lid, and a big pot for pasta.
  • An oven dish.
  • A colander, a wooden spatula, a whisk, a ladle.
  • A vegetable peeler and a grater.
  • A timer: the one on your phone is enough.
  • Tablespoons, teaspoons and a glass: that is your scale at the start.

⏱️ How long it takes

Nothing to do, it is a list to keep handy.

🩹 If it goes wrong

No lid: a plate on the pot does the job. No oven dish: a frying pan without a plastic handle goes in the oven. No whisk: a fork. No grater: the knife, in very small pieces.

🍽️ Make it tonight

Look at what you already have in your cupboards before buying anything.

In the same family

Read the recipe and set everything out first
Measuring without a scale (spoons, glass)
Kitchen hygiene
Kitchen safety: cuts, burns, oil fires
The basic pantry: what to always have
Adapt a recipe: servings, simple swaps
Organise a simple meal: everything arrives hot at the same time