Cooking & Prep Tools

Everyday tools for cooking, baking and prep: grinders and squeezers, peelers and graters, baking pans and mats, proofing baskets and coated cookware.

What should a first kitchen have?

A peeler, a grater, tongs, a heatproof spatula and one good baking sheet will cook most things. Specialist tools are worth buying once a recipe has been made twice, not before — a drawer of single-purpose gadgets is the most common way a small kitchen runs out of room.

Silicone baking mat or parchment paper?

A mat is reusable, sits flat and gives more even browning on biscuits. Parchment is better when something needs lifting out of a tin, and for anything sticky you would rather throw away. Most bakers keep both.

What is a proofing basket for?

It supports a wet dough while it rises and leaves a spiral pattern on the crust. Rattan is the traditional material because it wicks moisture from the surface, which is what lets a crust form properly in the oven.