Kitchen Equipment

Salt and pepper grinders, sometimes called salt and pepper mills, produce freshly ground salt and pepper and are irreplaceable. I personally find the smell and taste of freshly ground pepper to be fabulous. I love salt and pepper grinders so much that I have a few pairs.

I would recommend getting the basic versions made from wood. The best size is the 12″ since it is big enough for comfortable manipulation and stores enough (you don’t have to refill it all the time). At the same time, it is not so large that it is too awkward to use. Sometimes you can find two different grinders for each salt and pepper, but in most cases, you just have to buy the same grinder two times (they are often called a salt/pepper grinder or just a pepper grinder).

I have had very bad experiences with automatic grinders that run just by pushing a button. I bought them a few years ago for convenience, but was very wrong about that as it was slow, jammed a lot, didn’t hold enough, and broke very fast. I went through a few until I finally realized that it is not the way to go. While I like technology and advancements in kitchen tools, this is one tool which in my opinion should stay old fashioned.

You don’t find squeeze bottles very often in household kitchens, but you often find them in any professional kitchen. Since they are very practical, inexpensive, and come in multiple sizes, I would like you to consider them for your home. They are great for storing and quickly serving sauces, dressings, oils, and vinegars. Once you start using them, you will wonder how you could ever have lived without them.

A strainer can be substituted for a colander, and because it is finer than a colander, it can also be used to remove particles from thick sauces and more. It also usually offers the benefit of having a handle. The difference is that it is not usually self-standing, which makes it a little less convenient for collecting and cleaning vegetables and fruit.

You can buy multiple kinds which all will work great for you. I have a couple of strainers called china cap strainers, which I find most convenient. The reasons for this are simple. Since they have a triangular shape, they can stay upright in the sink to drain. The triangular shape is also convenient for faster cooling part of your ingredients after draining (this is especially helpful with pasta), while draining over a wide colander has the opposite effect. I find a strainer which has the diameter between 8 – 10” most convenient for households.