13 things I don’t keep in my kitchen as a chef

I don’t keep a lot of gadgets or preprepared food in my kitchen.

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I’m a professional chef, and there are several ingredients and appliances I keep out of my kitchen.
I’m not a fan of premade things like powdered drink mixes, seasoning blends, and garlic paste.
I also don’t think gadgets like bagel cutters, egg poaching cups, and tofu presses are worth it.

As a professional chef, I’ve learned a lot about what I do and don’t need in my kitchen.

Now that everyone seems to be discussing the best ways to downsize and declutter, I put together a list of the ingredients, basics, and appliances I don’t buy.

Fresh fruit and herbs taste better than powdered drink mixes.

I don’t think good bread should be able to last a whole week.

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Bread isn’t meant to last for days, and you shouldn’t be able to squish a slice into a marble-sized ball between your palms.

I’m not saying everyone needs to make their own bread, but I think it’s worth it to shell out a few extra dollars for the good stuff from a trusted bakery. You’ll skip the added preservatives and enjoy a better-tasting loaf.

I never risk ruining a recipe with premade seasoning blends.

I press my tofu by hand to get rid of excess water.

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I love crispy baked or pan-seared tofu as much as the next person, but you can press out the excess liquid all on your own — no single-use gadget necessary.

All you need to do is wrap the block in a clean dish towel and balance a heavy pot on top of it for a few minutes before cooking.

Silicone egg cups are cute, but they don’t poach better than tried-and-true methods.

Standard whisks work just fine.

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Fancy, modern whisks — you know, the kind with a knob of tangled wire on the bottom — aren’t for me.

That little lump prevents you from making contact with the bottom of your bowl or pan, essentially making the job of whisking impossible.

I avoid those and look for smooth-bottomed balloon whisks instead.

Fresh garlic is so much better than premade paste varieties.

I’ve never found the use for a bagel slicer.

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Maybe I just don’t eat enough bagels, but I’ve found that a regular bread knife with a serrated edge does a great job of slicing them open.

I’ll never need a special bagel cutter for that.

Salad dressing is one of the easiest things to make, so I don’t buy premade bottles.

There are all kinds of fancy slicers and choppers on the market.

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Multipurpose choppers and slicers lie somewhere in between a food processor (a highly useful appliance) and a knife (a staple).

But if you really want the chopping, mincing, or dicing done right, do it yourself. I wouldn’t rely on a one-size-fits-all appliance to achieve the uniform knife cuts I want for a presentable, evenly cooked dish.

Store-bought smoothies are loaded with unnecessary ingredients

I don’t like to buy single-use water bottles.

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If I’m somewhere with the luxury of clean and drinkable tap water, that’s what I’m going to drink.

I’ll happily skip the plastic waste, extra money, and lost storage space that come with buying bottled water.

You don’t need a bread machine to make your own loaves.

I prefer to just make bread in my oven.

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If you’re committing to making your own bread, don’t let the marketing noise convince you that you need a bread machine.

As long as you have two hands and an oven, you can make a simple loaf with the age-old ingredients of flour, water, salt, and yeast.

This story was originally published in October 2021 and most recently updated on October 16, 2024.

Read the original article on Business Insider

source:https://www.businessinsider.com/things-you-never-need-to-buy-according-to-a-chef-2021-11