Our new Executive Chef, Chef Mark Bodenstein gets a lot of questions from “at home” cooks in Cincinnati. We asked Mark to give us the five items that every at home cook (from the beginners to the experienced) should have in their kitchen.
1. A good knife

Don’t be afraid to splurge on a good knife. It’s your primary tool and you’re going to use it the most. A few things to look for in a good knife are rivets (a mechanical fastener), forged steel and a full tang (the steel attachment to the blade). Look at the handle of the knife, the tang should run all the way through the handle. You can spend anywhere from $50 to $250 on a good knife.

2. Measuring Equipment

Measuring equipment is one of the most basic cooking tools to have in your kitchen at all times. Most people cooking at home are following recipes. Recipes are meant to be guidelines not the word, but for most people (especially beginning cooks) having 100% accuracy is the best way to ensure the outcome you’re hoping for in a dish, especially in baking! Using proper measuring equipment like a scale or a measuring cup ensures the accuracy you want.

3. Blender

A blender is your gateway to good sauces, soups and purees. A blender can replace a mixer and doesn’t require you to constantly strain all the time. It’s another primary, versatile kitchen tool that you can use for a lot of different applications.

4. Food Processor

A food processor is an important tool because it chops everything evenly and accurately, while keeping everything contained – not to mention is a huge time saver!  A food processor goes hand in hand with a blender and you can use it for anything you can’t make in a blender.

5. Quality cookware

Quality cookware such as pots and skillets are basic items that can make a world of difference. It’s the vessel that heats so it’s important to have quality cookware with thick and heavy bottoms. A heavy bottom distributes heat evenly for an overall better quality of food.