You can do a lot with a little
Tools of the trade
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- Storage and lots of it! I have a kitchen refrigerator. But I also have a medium sized standing freezer, a small deep freeze, and a side by side in the laundry/storage room. There is a large custom built pantry that resides in the carport entryway next to the dining area that goes from ceiling to floor, is just 4 foot wide with shelves that are only 12 inches deep (so thing don't get lost in the back) and it doesn't stick far out into the room. There is a converted coat closet off the kitchen, the kitchen cupboards themselves, as well as, a kitchen table with two small rolling shelving units that fit underneath it.
- The concept of "A place for everything and everything in it's place" is important here! I do have to really work at it and am not always successful. Look around your space and see where you can maximize your working and storage areas, get creative if your space is small!
- You will also need storage containers for food stuffs to keep things in. There are so many choices out there. I use a lot of Tupperware and I need all of my containers to be able to stack both when in use and when empty!
- Zip style bags of all sizes in both storage and freezer weight are in the hall pantry. I have a white wire rack that hangs on the door with six shelves. It hold all of the boxes of zip bags, boxes of clear wrap, waxpaper, aluminum foil, parchment paper...
- MasterCook is a ValuSoft program that I highly recommend! This computer cookbook is an invaluable tool.
Many of the items are used for both Baking and Cooking. They are listed under each category so there is some repetitive listings.
Baking The "must haves" and the "sure is nice's"
Bowls At least one to mix batter and dough in. Preferably with lids, although plastic wrap or disposable shower caps work well when you don't have lids.
Bread Machine Not really necessary but a fun toy that can come in handy when you don't have time to mix and knead the dough or for that matter bake it. They are not, however, the dump stuff in and walk away from it miracle that the makers want you to think they are. So If you're going to be around and you have a second to look in on the dough and make minor adjustments if needed great.
Dough or Bench Scraper This handy little thing is a flexible plastic scraper and used to mix ingredients in a wide shallow bowl and to scrape up dough on the counter or board when rolling out or cut out dough.
Dough Whisk For batter breads, pancakes and starting yeast dough. Makes mixing easy and fast and then is quick and easy in turn to clean. The dough whisk comes in two sizes 11.25' or 15' and can be purchased through kaf.com or honeyville.com sells the Danish Dough Whisk in 14" size.
Dutch Oven You have the choice of cast iron, cast aluminium or enamel coated dutch ovens. You also have the option of flat bottom or spider ovens(with legs) and flat or domed tops. Flat bottomed ovens are what you want if you are cooking on the stove(home or camp), spiders are best when cooking over coals. Flat tops on cast iron or aluminium are best for cooking on coals, as coals can be heaped on top to cook from above and below, the flat lid can also be used as a griddle on it's own. Dutch ovens are heavy, even the lighter weight aluminium ones, I keep my enamel one on the stove top all the time, along with the smaller 4 quart cast iron dutch oven, The large cast iron one doesn't get used as often and lives under the counter with other pans stacked on top.
Food Processor Large or small. I rarely made biscuits, pie dough, scones or such before I got a food processor. I didn't like cutting in butter or shortening so I let others make that stuff and I did other things. Now I make these types of things at the drop of a hat. If you don't have space for a large food processor a small food processor (4cups) will work up a half batch of most recipes.
Grating Plane Used for grating spices like whole nutmeg and zesting citrus.
Knives/Lames You will want to cut all manner of things from slicing cookies from a roll of refrigerator cookies to slashing your bread tops before they are popped into the oven. A Bread knife makes all the difference in slicing cooled home made bread so buythe best one you can find, you can upgrade as you do. Lame's are used for slashing the dough before baking so that the bread will not vent on the sides from the pent steam and this allows the bread to puff up nicely and it gives you the cool designs on the bread tops.
Oven/Stove A heat source is right up there at the top of my list. This can be anything from a toaster oven to a bread machine to a kitchen oven to a dutch oven over a campfire.
Thermometers To make sure that your oven is accurate and the ability to adjust for inaccuracy or the case of a campfire, the knowledge that just so many charcoal briquettes above and below the dutch oven will give you an internal temperature of 350 degrees for a certain amount of time. If you are in the market for a dutch oven go for the ones on little legs(spider dutch oven) and look for ones that have a little notch at the top rim that the thermometer slides into.
Parchment Paper and Waxed Paper I use both extensively and if I run out I go to the store! I bake Hearth breads and cookies on parchment along with almost anything I want to re-heat in the oven, it keeps my pans clean for the most part so I don't have to wash them. I line my cake pans with wax paper so that the cakes don't stick and break into smithereens! You can use parchment to line cake pans but I grew up using waxed paper it's also cheaper than parchment. You do have to wash the pans to remove the wax as well as the cake crumbs around the sides. The exceptions to the cake pan thing would be bundt pans, tube pans and character pans like Winnie
the Poo where the design needs to show up.
Pastry Cutter I grew up using two knives cutting through in opposing directions, a pastry cutter works faster. A food processor
works fastest.
Peel Whether wood or metal, peels are great for removing breads from the oven.
Pizza Stone If your oven heats unevenly putting a stone on the bottom of a gas stove or the bottom rack in the lowest position will even out the hot spots(I use one in my motor home oven). A stone is a great surface to cook breads and cookies on. Just remember to clean it with salt and water or vinegar and not soap as the soap will soak into the stone and your next bake goods will have a soapy flavor!
Pot Holders These should be large enough that you will not burn yourself when removing hot pans from the oven or from the stove top.
They should be thick enough that the heat doesn't transfer through quickly, but no so thick that you can't control the edge of a pan or the handle of the pot or pan.
Rising Buckets A rising bucket with a lid sure is nice because the gradient markings on the side let you see when your dough has doubled in size. A large bowl with lid works also but you do have to guesstimate the doubled in size thing. You can let the dough rise on a board or counter covered in a damp cloth, just be sure that critters can't get to it. A large 1 1/2 or 2 gallon zip style plastic bag works well and is my preference when camping (yes, I bake bread when I camp and so can you).
Sauce Pans A one-quart and a two-quart along with a six-quart sauce pan will give you a good selection to chose from. Chose pans with a thick bottom with lids that fit tight and that have comfortable handles. If you turn the lid upside down on the two-quart pan and then set the one-quart on top of it you should be able to hold it without it threatening to topple. If that is too heavy for you go to a little lighter pans or pans with two handles. A light weight pan will allow the ingredients to burn easily.
Scales A digital scales will really help when baking breads or anything else where accuracy is important.
Scoops Great for forming cookies that are uniform in size(they bake evenly that way), portioning cake batter into cupcake pans and quick bread batter into muffin tins.
Skillets Cast iron, copper bottomed, expensive or middle of the road, there are so many to chose from. Make sure the entire skillet can go in the oven. You wouldn't want to put a skillet of corn bread in the oven and then find out the handle has melted. Also, don't go for the light weight skillet, things burn to easily in them. One or two are all you need, probably. It is nice to have pans with lids that fit tightly.
Slicers Guides for cutting food stuffs. One kind is a holder for breads that have upright slats that you put the bread knife into to get even bread slices. The other is an electric appliance that is used to cut meats, cheeses, veggies and in some cases breads also. The first I use all the time, the second I borrow from a friend when I have a lot of some thing to slice. Pic of my bread slicer
Spatulas Oh what confusion this word can cause, spatula! There are turning spatulas, scraper spatulas, spatulas to frost cakes and spatulas to dig mayo or mustard out of the bottom of the jar. I don't think I can live without any of them and I sure don't want to find out!!!
Timer A timer or three is/are about the best investment for your buck that you can invest in. I have two kitchen timers and I use the timers on my two cell phones sometimes as well.
Whisks Are great for whipping or mixing liquid or very running things but are not good for thicker stuff.
Wooden Spoons There was a time in my life when I used wooden spoons all of the time. Not so much any more but they are handy to have around.
Zip Style Bags Any brand of freezer bag is good. The 2-gallon bag will hold a bread pan, just puff it up with a straw through a small space left unzipped than pull out the straw and close. With head room you don't need to worry about the bread sticking to the plastic.
Bread Machine Not really necessary but a fun toy that can come in handy when you don't have time to mix and knead the dough or for that matter bake it. They are not, however, the dump stuff in and walk away from it miracle that the makers want you to think they are. So If you're going to be around and you have a second to look in on the dough and make minor adjustments if needed great.
Dough or Bench Scraper This handy little thing is a flexible plastic scraper and used to mix ingredients in a wide shallow bowl and to scrape up dough on the counter or board when rolling out or cut out dough.
Dough Whisk For batter breads, pancakes and starting yeast dough. Makes mixing easy and fast and then is quick and easy in turn to clean. The dough whisk comes in two sizes 11.25' or 15' and can be purchased through kaf.com or honeyville.com sells the Danish Dough Whisk in 14" size.
Dutch Oven You have the choice of cast iron, cast aluminium or enamel coated dutch ovens. You also have the option of flat bottom or spider ovens(with legs) and flat or domed tops. Flat bottomed ovens are what you want if you are cooking on the stove(home or camp), spiders are best when cooking over coals. Flat tops on cast iron or aluminium are best for cooking on coals, as coals can be heaped on top to cook from above and below, the flat lid can also be used as a griddle on it's own. Dutch ovens are heavy, even the lighter weight aluminium ones, I keep my enamel one on the stove top all the time, along with the smaller 4 quart cast iron dutch oven, The large cast iron one doesn't get used as often and lives under the counter with other pans stacked on top.
Food Processor Large or small. I rarely made biscuits, pie dough, scones or such before I got a food processor. I didn't like cutting in butter or shortening so I let others make that stuff and I did other things. Now I make these types of things at the drop of a hat. If you don't have space for a large food processor a small food processor (4cups) will work up a half batch of most recipes.
Grating Plane Used for grating spices like whole nutmeg and zesting citrus.
Knives/Lames You will want to cut all manner of things from slicing cookies from a roll of refrigerator cookies to slashing your bread tops before they are popped into the oven. A Bread knife makes all the difference in slicing cooled home made bread so buythe best one you can find, you can upgrade as you do. Lame's are used for slashing the dough before baking so that the bread will not vent on the sides from the pent steam and this allows the bread to puff up nicely and it gives you the cool designs on the bread tops.
Oven/Stove A heat source is right up there at the top of my list. This can be anything from a toaster oven to a bread machine to a kitchen oven to a dutch oven over a campfire.
Thermometers To make sure that your oven is accurate and the ability to adjust for inaccuracy or the case of a campfire, the knowledge that just so many charcoal briquettes above and below the dutch oven will give you an internal temperature of 350 degrees for a certain amount of time. If you are in the market for a dutch oven go for the ones on little legs(spider dutch oven) and look for ones that have a little notch at the top rim that the thermometer slides into.
Parchment Paper and Waxed Paper I use both extensively and if I run out I go to the store! I bake Hearth breads and cookies on parchment along with almost anything I want to re-heat in the oven, it keeps my pans clean for the most part so I don't have to wash them. I line my cake pans with wax paper so that the cakes don't stick and break into smithereens! You can use parchment to line cake pans but I grew up using waxed paper it's also cheaper than parchment. You do have to wash the pans to remove the wax as well as the cake crumbs around the sides. The exceptions to the cake pan thing would be bundt pans, tube pans and character pans like Winnie
the Poo where the design needs to show up.
Pastry Cutter I grew up using two knives cutting through in opposing directions, a pastry cutter works faster. A food processor
works fastest.
Peel Whether wood or metal, peels are great for removing breads from the oven.
Pizza Stone If your oven heats unevenly putting a stone on the bottom of a gas stove or the bottom rack in the lowest position will even out the hot spots(I use one in my motor home oven). A stone is a great surface to cook breads and cookies on. Just remember to clean it with salt and water or vinegar and not soap as the soap will soak into the stone and your next bake goods will have a soapy flavor!
Pot Holders These should be large enough that you will not burn yourself when removing hot pans from the oven or from the stove top.
They should be thick enough that the heat doesn't transfer through quickly, but no so thick that you can't control the edge of a pan or the handle of the pot or pan.
Rising Buckets A rising bucket with a lid sure is nice because the gradient markings on the side let you see when your dough has doubled in size. A large bowl with lid works also but you do have to guesstimate the doubled in size thing. You can let the dough rise on a board or counter covered in a damp cloth, just be sure that critters can't get to it. A large 1 1/2 or 2 gallon zip style plastic bag works well and is my preference when camping (yes, I bake bread when I camp and so can you).
Sauce Pans A one-quart and a two-quart along with a six-quart sauce pan will give you a good selection to chose from. Chose pans with a thick bottom with lids that fit tight and that have comfortable handles. If you turn the lid upside down on the two-quart pan and then set the one-quart on top of it you should be able to hold it without it threatening to topple. If that is too heavy for you go to a little lighter pans or pans with two handles. A light weight pan will allow the ingredients to burn easily.
Scales A digital scales will really help when baking breads or anything else where accuracy is important.
Scoops Great for forming cookies that are uniform in size(they bake evenly that way), portioning cake batter into cupcake pans and quick bread batter into muffin tins.
Skillets Cast iron, copper bottomed, expensive or middle of the road, there are so many to chose from. Make sure the entire skillet can go in the oven. You wouldn't want to put a skillet of corn bread in the oven and then find out the handle has melted. Also, don't go for the light weight skillet, things burn to easily in them. One or two are all you need, probably. It is nice to have pans with lids that fit tightly.
Slicers Guides for cutting food stuffs. One kind is a holder for breads that have upright slats that you put the bread knife into to get even bread slices. The other is an electric appliance that is used to cut meats, cheeses, veggies and in some cases breads also. The first I use all the time, the second I borrow from a friend when I have a lot of some thing to slice. Pic of my bread slicer
Spatulas Oh what confusion this word can cause, spatula! There are turning spatulas, scraper spatulas, spatulas to frost cakes and spatulas to dig mayo or mustard out of the bottom of the jar. I don't think I can live without any of them and I sure don't want to find out!!!
Timer A timer or three is/are about the best investment for your buck that you can invest in. I have two kitchen timers and I use the timers on my two cell phones sometimes as well.
Whisks Are great for whipping or mixing liquid or very running things but are not good for thicker stuff.
Wooden Spoons There was a time in my life when I used wooden spoons all of the time. Not so much any more but they are handy to have around.
Zip Style Bags Any brand of freezer bag is good. The 2-gallon bag will hold a bread pan, just puff it up with a straw through a small space left unzipped than pull out the straw and close. With head room you don't need to worry about the bread sticking to the plastic.
Cake Decorating
Heavy Cake Pans Bundt, Wilton and USA pans are some brands that hold up well.
Decorator Tips The tips, and a holding case for them, will make decorating foods fun and easy(with practice).
Non-disposable Pastry Bags Along with couplers - these allow you to change out decorator tips with ease and they are not hard to wash up.
Heavy Cooling Racks Stack-able is a real plus.
Pot Holders 4 to 5 of them as I am always setting them somewhere and can't find them when I need them. Oven mitts are good too if you don't also have a fear of spiders crawling in and setting up house. Sigh...
Rubber Spatulas Some large, some small.
Hand Mixer I've always liked Black and Decker hand mixers. They are strong little things that last.
Stand Mixer There are many out there and some have strong motors and others don't. Go for the best you can afford and upgrade when you can. I lived without a stand mixer for years and still don't have a top-of-the-line one.
Decorator Tips The tips, and a holding case for them, will make decorating foods fun and easy(with practice).
Non-disposable Pastry Bags Along with couplers - these allow you to change out decorator tips with ease and they are not hard to wash up.
Heavy Cooling Racks Stack-able is a real plus.
Pot Holders 4 to 5 of them as I am always setting them somewhere and can't find them when I need them. Oven mitts are good too if you don't also have a fear of spiders crawling in and setting up house. Sigh...
Rubber Spatulas Some large, some small.
Hand Mixer I've always liked Black and Decker hand mixers. They are strong little things that last.
Stand Mixer There are many out there and some have strong motors and others don't. Go for the best you can afford and upgrade when you can. I lived without a stand mixer for years and still don't have a top-of-the-line one.
Cooking
Bowls At least one to mix for meat loaves, etc. in. Preferably with lids, although plastic wrap or disposable shower caps work well when you don't have lids.
Dutch Oven You have the choice of cast iron, cast aluminium or enamel coated dutch ovens. You also have the option of flat bottom or spider ovens(with legs) and flat or domed tops. Flat bottomed ovens are what you want if you are cooking on the stove(home or camp), spiders are best when cooking over coals. Flat tops on cast iron or aluminium are best for cooking on coals, as coals can be heaped on top to cook from above and below, the flat lid can also be used as a griddle on it's own. Dutch ovens are heavy, even the lighter weight aluminium ones, I keep my enamel one on the stove top all the time, along with the smaller 4 quart cast iron dutch oven, The large cast iron one doesn't get used as often and lives under the counter with other pans stacked on top.
Knives/kitchen scissors You will want to cut all manner of things from slicing to slashing, so make sure that your blades are sharp and the handles actually fit your hand! Have several small knives that are good for paring and small work, at least one good cleaver, a filleting knife, a bread knife and a couple of general purpose knives with blades about five inches long. An electric knife is nice and if you have one great. A knife block will keep your blades together and out of the way, but wooden ones can harbor germs and dull your knives as you put them in and pull them out. I use a wall mounted magnetic stripe made to hold your blades up and out of the way.
A good pair of kitchen scissors will 1) come apart to be cleaned and 2) have a notch at the back of the blades for cutting woody herbs and bones.
Knife Sharpener Sharpen your knives as needed. Most serrated knives need to be sharpened professionally so ask around and find a good Sharpener and use them!
Oven/Stove A heat source is right up there at the top of the list. This can be anything from a toaster oven to a kitchen oven to a dutch oven over a campfire.
Parchment Paper and Waxed Paper I use both extensively and if I run out I go to the store! I roast vegetables on parchment along with almost anything I want to re-heat in the oven, it keeps my pans clean for the most part so I don't have to wash them.
Pot Holders These should be large enough that you will not burn yourself when removing hot pans from the oven or from the stove top.
They should be thick enough that the heat doesn't transfer through quickly by no so thick that you can't control the edge of a pan or the handle of the pot or pan.
Pizza Stone If your oven heats unevenly putting a stone on the bottom of a gas stove or the bottom rack in the lowest position. The stone will even out the hot spots(I use one in my motor home oven). A stone is a great surface to cook breads and cookies on. Just remember to clean it with salt and water or vinegar and not soap as the soap will soak into the stone and your next bake goods will have a soapy flavor!
Sauce Pans A one-quart and a two-quart along with a six-quart sauce pan will give you a good selection to chose from. Chose pans with a thick bottom with lids that fit tight and that have comfortable handles. If you turn the lid upside down on the two-quart pan and then set the one-quart on top of it you should be able to hold it without it threatening to topple. If that is too heavy for you, go to a little lighter pans or perhaps pans with two handles. A light weight pan will allow the ingredients to burn far too easily.
Scales A digital scales will really help when baking breads or anything else where accuracy is important. Measuring ingredients by weight also means less washing up to do because you use less measuring cups and spoons.
Scoops for portioning out mashed potatoes, etc.
Skillets Cast iron, copper bottomed, expensive or middle of the road, there are so many to chose from. Just don't go for the light weight skillet, things burn to easily in them. One or two are all you need, probably. It is nice to have one with a lid that fits tightly.
Spatulas Oh what a confusion this word can cause, spatula! There are turning spatulas, scraper spatulas, spatulas to frost cakes and spatulas to dig mayo or mustard out of the bottom of the jar. I don't think I can live without any of them and I sure don't want to find out!!!
Thermometers To make sure that your oven is accurate and to have the ability to adjust for inaccuracy. In the case of a campfire the knowledge that just so many charcoal briquettes above and below the dutch oven will give you an internal temperature of 350 degrees for a certain amount of time is fantastic and without a thermometer how will you know? If you are in the market for a dutch oven go for the ones on little legs(spider dutch oven) and look for ones that have a little notch at the top rim that the thermometer slides into.
Timer A timer or three is/are about the best investment for your buck that you can invest in. I have two kitchen timers and I use the timers on my two cell phones sometimes as well.
Dutch Oven You have the choice of cast iron, cast aluminium or enamel coated dutch ovens. You also have the option of flat bottom or spider ovens(with legs) and flat or domed tops. Flat bottomed ovens are what you want if you are cooking on the stove(home or camp), spiders are best when cooking over coals. Flat tops on cast iron or aluminium are best for cooking on coals, as coals can be heaped on top to cook from above and below, the flat lid can also be used as a griddle on it's own. Dutch ovens are heavy, even the lighter weight aluminium ones, I keep my enamel one on the stove top all the time, along with the smaller 4 quart cast iron dutch oven, The large cast iron one doesn't get used as often and lives under the counter with other pans stacked on top.
Knives/kitchen scissors You will want to cut all manner of things from slicing to slashing, so make sure that your blades are sharp and the handles actually fit your hand! Have several small knives that are good for paring and small work, at least one good cleaver, a filleting knife, a bread knife and a couple of general purpose knives with blades about five inches long. An electric knife is nice and if you have one great. A knife block will keep your blades together and out of the way, but wooden ones can harbor germs and dull your knives as you put them in and pull them out. I use a wall mounted magnetic stripe made to hold your blades up and out of the way.
A good pair of kitchen scissors will 1) come apart to be cleaned and 2) have a notch at the back of the blades for cutting woody herbs and bones.
Knife Sharpener Sharpen your knives as needed. Most serrated knives need to be sharpened professionally so ask around and find a good Sharpener and use them!
Oven/Stove A heat source is right up there at the top of the list. This can be anything from a toaster oven to a kitchen oven to a dutch oven over a campfire.
Parchment Paper and Waxed Paper I use both extensively and if I run out I go to the store! I roast vegetables on parchment along with almost anything I want to re-heat in the oven, it keeps my pans clean for the most part so I don't have to wash them.
Pot Holders These should be large enough that you will not burn yourself when removing hot pans from the oven or from the stove top.
They should be thick enough that the heat doesn't transfer through quickly by no so thick that you can't control the edge of a pan or the handle of the pot or pan.
Pizza Stone If your oven heats unevenly putting a stone on the bottom of a gas stove or the bottom rack in the lowest position. The stone will even out the hot spots(I use one in my motor home oven). A stone is a great surface to cook breads and cookies on. Just remember to clean it with salt and water or vinegar and not soap as the soap will soak into the stone and your next bake goods will have a soapy flavor!
Sauce Pans A one-quart and a two-quart along with a six-quart sauce pan will give you a good selection to chose from. Chose pans with a thick bottom with lids that fit tight and that have comfortable handles. If you turn the lid upside down on the two-quart pan and then set the one-quart on top of it you should be able to hold it without it threatening to topple. If that is too heavy for you, go to a little lighter pans or perhaps pans with two handles. A light weight pan will allow the ingredients to burn far too easily.
Scales A digital scales will really help when baking breads or anything else where accuracy is important. Measuring ingredients by weight also means less washing up to do because you use less measuring cups and spoons.
Scoops for portioning out mashed potatoes, etc.
Skillets Cast iron, copper bottomed, expensive or middle of the road, there are so many to chose from. Just don't go for the light weight skillet, things burn to easily in them. One or two are all you need, probably. It is nice to have one with a lid that fits tightly.
Spatulas Oh what a confusion this word can cause, spatula! There are turning spatulas, scraper spatulas, spatulas to frost cakes and spatulas to dig mayo or mustard out of the bottom of the jar. I don't think I can live without any of them and I sure don't want to find out!!!
Thermometers To make sure that your oven is accurate and to have the ability to adjust for inaccuracy. In the case of a campfire the knowledge that just so many charcoal briquettes above and below the dutch oven will give you an internal temperature of 350 degrees for a certain amount of time is fantastic and without a thermometer how will you know? If you are in the market for a dutch oven go for the ones on little legs(spider dutch oven) and look for ones that have a little notch at the top rim that the thermometer slides into.
Timer A timer or three is/are about the best investment for your buck that you can invest in. I have two kitchen timers and I use the timers on my two cell phones sometimes as well.
Dehydrating
Oven A heat source is right up there at the top of the list. A kitchen oven set on the lowest temperature, which is usually 170 degrees Fahrenheit will dehydrate meats, veggies and sauces very well.
Dehydrator There are several brands out there that offer dehydrators with a heating element in the bottom of the unit that dries food. Some come with a blower fan to aid in removing moisture quicker. Older units are heated with an electric light bulb - be aware that the new style of light bulbs do not put out as much heat as the old style so you either need to stock up on incandescent bulbs while they are still on the shelves or replace your unit. You can find plans to make your own dehydrator on line and using a ceramic fixture for the heat source will allow you to use ceramic heating elements that are available on line or at your local pet store (where they are sold to heat reptile cages for instance)
Dehydrator There are several brands out there that offer dehydrators with a heating element in the bottom of the unit that dries food. Some come with a blower fan to aid in removing moisture quicker. Older units are heated with an electric light bulb - be aware that the new style of light bulbs do not put out as much heat as the old style so you either need to stock up on incandescent bulbs while they are still on the shelves or replace your unit. You can find plans to make your own dehydrator on line and using a ceramic fixture for the heat source will allow you to use ceramic heating elements that are available on line or at your local pet store (where they are sold to heat reptile cages for instance)
Grilling If your gas grill comes with a side burner you can boil water for potatoes or corn, you can do a quick stir fry up it a skillet...
Dutch Oven You have the choice of cast iron, cast aluminium or enamel coated dutch ovens. You also have the option of flat bottom or spider ovens(with legs) and flat or domed tops. Flat legged ovens are what you want if you are cooking on the stove(home or camp), spiders are best when cooking over coals. Flat tops on cast iron or aluminium are best for cooking on coals, as coals can be heaped on top to cook from above and below, the flat lid can also be used as a griddle on it's own. Dutch ovens are heavy, even the lighter weight aluminium ones, I keep my enamel one on the stove top all the time, the cast iron one doesn't get used often and lives under the counter with other pans stacked on top.
Thermometer A digital thermometer probe will take the guess-work grilling for you, letting you know if your meats and veggies are done. Pot holders In this case heavy oven mitts are recommended. I use leather mitts that come almost to my elbows.
Sauce Pans A one-quart and a two-quart along with a six-quart sauce pan will give you a good selection to chose from. Chose pans with a thick bottom with lids that fit tight and that have comfortable handles. If you turn the lid upside down on the two-quart pan and then set the one-quart on top of it you should be able to hold it without it threatening to topple. If that is too heavy for you go to a little lighter pans or pans with two handles. A light weight pan will allow the ingredients to burn far too easily.
Skillets Cast iron, copper bottomed, expensive or middle of the road, there are so many to chose from. Just don't go for the light weight skillet, things burn to easily in them. One or two are all you need, probably. It is nice to have one with a lid that fits tightly.
Spatulas for turning, you need to have a long handle metal spatula or turner as I like to call them.
Thermometer A digital thermometer probe will take the guess-work grilling for you, letting you know if your meats and veggies are done.
Thermometer A digital thermometer probe will take the guess-work grilling for you, letting you know if your meats and veggies are done. Pot holders In this case heavy oven mitts are recommended. I use leather mitts that come almost to my elbows.
Sauce Pans A one-quart and a two-quart along with a six-quart sauce pan will give you a good selection to chose from. Chose pans with a thick bottom with lids that fit tight and that have comfortable handles. If you turn the lid upside down on the two-quart pan and then set the one-quart on top of it you should be able to hold it without it threatening to topple. If that is too heavy for you go to a little lighter pans or pans with two handles. A light weight pan will allow the ingredients to burn far too easily.
Skillets Cast iron, copper bottomed, expensive or middle of the road, there are so many to chose from. Just don't go for the light weight skillet, things burn to easily in them. One or two are all you need, probably. It is nice to have one with a lid that fits tightly.
Spatulas for turning, you need to have a long handle metal spatula or turner as I like to call them.
Thermometer A digital thermometer probe will take the guess-work grilling for you, letting you know if your meats and veggies are done.
Gardening
When it comes to gardening a little goes a long way. And while there are lots of gadgets out there you really can do without most of them.
Whether you are building raised beds to protect your knees and back or sinking beds below ground levels to conserve water and protect plants from strong winds, there is a gardening style that will work for you and a few good tools will make your gardening experience rewarding!
Spade A good spade will cover most of you digging needs! If you spade has a wooden handle, sand it down at the end of the year and give it a good coat of wood oil and it will last you a long time. Make sure you don't put it away for the winter with rust on the metal parts. Steel wool and then coat in mineral oil to protect the blade. If you are a year-round gardener like I am, give your tools a good cleaning at least once a year.
Hand Trowel Is probable the other tool I use regularly. A metal tang that mounts up into the handle several inches if not all the way will prevent the handle breaking off. The trowels that have prongs on the other end of the blade are very useful! I really do not understand the concept of plastic trowels!
Rakes Both a spring rake and a garden rake are needed if you have any lawn at all and if you have trees and bushes that shed their leaves.
Gloves Really you can't do without them! From protecting your nails/manicure to saving your skin from sharp pointy things.
Whether you are building raised beds to protect your knees and back or sinking beds below ground levels to conserve water and protect plants from strong winds, there is a gardening style that will work for you and a few good tools will make your gardening experience rewarding!
Spade A good spade will cover most of you digging needs! If you spade has a wooden handle, sand it down at the end of the year and give it a good coat of wood oil and it will last you a long time. Make sure you don't put it away for the winter with rust on the metal parts. Steel wool and then coat in mineral oil to protect the blade. If you are a year-round gardener like I am, give your tools a good cleaning at least once a year.
Hand Trowel Is probable the other tool I use regularly. A metal tang that mounts up into the handle several inches if not all the way will prevent the handle breaking off. The trowels that have prongs on the other end of the blade are very useful! I really do not understand the concept of plastic trowels!
Rakes Both a spring rake and a garden rake are needed if you have any lawn at all and if you have trees and bushes that shed their leaves.
Gloves Really you can't do without them! From protecting your nails/manicure to saving your skin from sharp pointy things.