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Gift Guide: Must haves for the new cook

Must haves for new cooks
Do you have newer cook on your holiday shopping list this year? Let me tell you about some of the things I can't live without in the kitchen. Starting in the top left hand corner is a basic, handled microplane. I use it for nutmeg, cheese, citrus zest, chocolate, garlic and ginger, making sure to wash it thoroughly in between uses. It's great for the new cook because it can play a lot of roles without taking up a whole lot of space.

Next is a series of Williams-Sonoma silicone spatula/spoonulas (or as we called them in my house while I was growing up, rubber scrapers). I have had their clear silicone spoonula for more than four years and it is still in great shape and I use it nearly every day. I especially love the fact that the silicone head does not pull away from the wooden handle, making it impossible for mildew and other crud to grow down there.

I believe that every cook should have a garlic press. I have this one from Zyliss and it has served me well since college. I even accidentally ran it through the garbage disposal briefly once, and it didn't seem to do much harm (though it does still bear a few scars from the incident).


One of the biggest favors you can do for any new cook is to get them some good, durable knives. I've picked out two from Russell Harrington (available at any professional kitchen supply outfit) that are easy to use, hard to destroy and fairly inexpensive. These are the knives you'll find in a lot of professional kitchens, so you know they have to be good. Get your burgeoning chef a serrated knife for bread, fruit and sandwiches and a chef's knife for everything else. If you want to get more, a little paring knife would round things out nicely.

I have about six different sized skillets, but the one I turn to the very most is this 8-incher from Circulon. The non-stick surface is hardy and it conducts heat nicely. Most people recommend cast iron when someone asks for good, cheap pans, but I think that maintaining cast iron is more work than most new cooks want to get into.

I love my Ikea 365+ stock pot. It is fairly light weight, but has a hefty heat-conducting plate welded to the bottom, which means it rarely burns and conducts heat well. It's great for pasta, soups, stocks, stews and those times when you need an extra-large vessel (I sometimes make caramel popcorn in mine).

I did not grow up with Jelly Roll pans. The first time I encountered them was when I was an RA during college. We would often do crazy things like make Rice Krispy Treats for 75 people and these pans were my lifesaver during those times. However, I came to discover that you can do much more than make marshmallow squares on them and they have turned into my go-to baking sheets. I also like the fact that they are nearly impossible to destroy.

The last two items on my must-have list are a good whisk and a couple of sturdy wooden spoons. When it comes to whisks I like the thinner French-style ones because the work well in small bowls and pots. I recommend grabbing a few bamboo spoons for the cook on your list because the are long-lasting and made from a renewable resource.

In the pursuit of making this an interactive gift guide, why don't you tell me what you can't live without in the kitchen.

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