<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" There are tools and machines to take care of everything. But for everyday cooks just looking to put a decent meal on the table, you don&amp;#039;t need a lot of fancy gadgets or space-hogging equipment. Stick to a few basics and see how it will improve your cooking. Now, if you could only find a machine to make your kids like broccoli. 1) Don&amp;#039;t be afraid of a sharp knife! It&amp;#039;s much less dangerous than a dull one. Buy the best you can afford and we promise you it will change your life. Well, maybe only your cooking. Look to have a chef, a paring, and a serrated knife \u2014 these will handle most everything you&amp;#039;ll need to cut.  2) Use these knives on a large wooden cutting board; a 15&amp;quot; x 20&amp;quot; is good. Nothing is worse than watching your chopped-up veggies fall to the floor because you don&amp;#039;t have enough work space. Don&amp;#039;t forget the plastic cutting boards for handling meat and poultry safely. 3) Forget those sets of pots and pans with a zillion sizes. A medium-size skillet and saucepan for stir-fries and saut\u00E9s, a stockpot for boiling pasta, a nonstick skillet for easy omelets, and a Dutch oven to take care of all your braises or soups should suffice. 4) As for utensils, tongs are a must. They are an extension of your hands, allowing you to turn, grab, and hold.  5) Spoons (wooden, solid, and slotted) seem too obvious to have on a list, but without them, you&amp;#039;d be lost. Wood spoons are best used with nonstick pots and pans, so you don&amp;#039;t scrape off their coating.  6) Spatulas (rubber and metal) do what spoons and tongs can&amp;#039;t, like flipping pancakes, omelets, and grilled cheese sandwiches.  7) Kitchen shears are a newcomer to my own kitchen, but I&amp;#039;ve used them more than I ever imagined, from cutting a chicken into parts to trimming the stems from flowers. 8) The Microplane grater has revolutionized the home kitchen. The blades are razor-sharp, and designed to extract the best flavor from your food. It works best with hard cheeses, onions, citrus, and ginger. Since microplanes aren&amp;#039;t suitable for grating softer cheeses like cheddar, get a box grater too. 9) There is nothing more frustrating than trying to cook without the right size bowls. Nesting bowls give you a range of sizes, and provide easy storing. 10) Measuring cups and spoons are a must if you&amp;#039;re baking, especially for less-experienced cooks. You should have at least one Pyrex liquid measuring cup, as well as a set of measuring cups for solids. 11) Metal and mesh strainers are indispensable for draining pasta or making a smooth sauce. Though I love a salad spinner, it&amp;#039;s really not essential since you can soak the lettuce in the sink and drain in a colander.  12) Rimmed baking sheets can do double-duty, allowing you to bake cookies as well as roast meats without losing any juices. 13) As far as countertop appliances go, if you get just one, go for the blender. It can puree, whip, and chop at a fraction of the cost of a food processor. Liz Tarpy&amp;#039;s culinary life has brought her from growing organic sprouts to casting characters for a popular Food Network program. In between, she&amp;#039;s cooked, eaten, read, written and traveled - a lot - using all experiences to inform her work. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/kitchen-tools/cookware-reviews/advice/a881/kitchen-tool-must-haves/>