Buying Advice: Cooking Equipment Reviews and Recommendations
By Jessica Harlan, About.com Guide to Cooking Equipment
How do you know what cooking equipment you'll need? It all depends on what your cooking style is. Be aware of which pieces of equipment are the most versatile and useful.
Cooking Equipment Basics
Where to begin? There are a number of must-have pieces of cooking equipment that every kitchen needs. Start with these, and build your kitchen assortment from there.
- Most Essential Appliances
- Appliances to Round Out Your Kitchen
- Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets
- Cooking Equipment on a Budget
- Cook like a Top Chef
Cookware and Cutlery
Cookware and cutlery can vary widely in price, design and the materials with which they're crafted. You'll want to be well informed on what cookware and cutlery would be best for you before heading out to shop.
- Buying the Best Cookware
- Know Your Cookware Shapes
- Guide to Kitchen Cutlery Shapes
- Review of Lodge Logic Cast Iron Cookware
- Review of Camerons Stovetop Smoker
- Calphalon Panini Grill Pan
- Edgecraft Chef's Choice Electric Knife Sharpener
Appliances that Cook
The true definition of cooking is preparing food for eating through a heating process. And it's not just a stove or an oven that can accomplish this. Indoor grills and griddles, slow cookers, pressure cookers, rice cookers and other appliances all make meals by means of raising the temperature.
- Comparing Stainless Steel Indoor Grills – Breville vs. George Foreman
- Review of Camerons Stovetop Smoker
- Calphalon Panini Grill Pan
- Review of Cuisinart Griddler G-4
- Review of Fagor u-Cook Pressure Cooker
- Tips on Buying and Using a Slow Cooker
- Review of Hamilton Beach 3-in-One Slow Cooker
- Review of Crock-Pot eLume Slow Cooker
- Review of Panasonic Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker
- Review of All-Clad Belgian Waffle Maker
- George Foreman Lean Mean Spin Frying Machine
- Fagor Electric Multi Cooker
Products that Mix and Blend
Stand mixers, blenders and food processors are indispensable for pureeing and combining ingredients. These tools come in handy for all types of baking and cooking tasks.
- Review of Vita-Mix Blender
- Comparing Food Processors – Cuisinart vs. KitchenAid
- Review of Emerilware BAM! Machine
- Review of KitchenAid Immersion Blender
- Review of KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender
Baking Appliances and Tools
If you love to bake, there's a whole set of appliances and tools that will help you make your hobby even more enjoyable.
- Review of KitchenAid Classic Series Stand Mixer
- Review of the BeaterBlade
- Review of Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme
- Review of Emerilware Bread & Baguette Maker
- Review of Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker
Gadgets and Tools
Cleverly designed kitchen tools can make nearly any task easier and more efficient, whether it's peeling a vegetable, chopping mushrooms or coring an apple.
