“Cooking is a caring and nurturing act. It's kind of the ultimate gift for someone, to cook for them.  It creates all this beautiful stuff, conversation, appreciation, romance. All the most important things in life you do around a dinner table." – Curtis Stone Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone sums it up best; creating cuisine in your own, well-equipped kitchen for those lucky enough to be invited ensures a night filled with enjoyment for all.  Like Curtis, you can bring your family, friends, and loved ones together with a nice home-cooked meal.  To do that, you’ll need the right tools. From prep work to the final plating, a kitchen needs cooking vessels and utensils to make certain every meal is perfection.  We will discuss seven different, yet vital, components for your kitchen, each one helping you create a delicious meal.

GASTOLUX

  Gastrolux has developed some of the best non-stick technology in the game with durable Biotan non-stick coating.  Their PFOS and PFOA-free stovetop cookware are lightweight, durable, usable on ALL surfaces, and even allows use with smooth metal utensils.  This Danish company has produced superior cookware for over 40 years.  Roasting, sautéing and frying in Gastrolux is easy, since little to no oil is required.  And best of all, just a little soap and water will help your Gastrolux pot or pan be as good as new! The Gastrolux 6 Piece Cookware Set is the greatest way to start your well-equipped kitchen.  This set can truly do it all. Each pan and pot is also oven-safe up to 500℉.  Going from the stovetop to the oven is now hassle-free with Gastrolux!  This set includes:

• An 8” Fry Pan
• An 11” Fry Pan
• A 2.5L Stock Pot
• An 11” Roasting Pan
• A 20cm Glass Lid
• A 28cm Glass Lid

Le Creuset Dutch Ovens

A Le Creuset cocotte is the pinnacle of culinary enjoyment.  A method prepared in 1925 by Octave Aubecqusing & Armand Desaegher, using sand instead of clay plus an enamel coating has now become the industry standard.  Julia Child was one of Le Creuset’s favorite fans.  The stylish, artisan appeal is a force to be reckoned with.  There are over 100 color options. The heavy, tight lid guarantees a great seal for a perfect meal. As for meals, a Le Creuset Dutch Oven is essential to any well-equipped kitchen.  The uses are endless!

• Make stews & soups
• Bake bread
• Poach anything
• Deep fry
• Roast veggies and proteins
• Prepare casseroles 

In a nutshell, the Le Creuset Dutch Oven will make any meal extraordinarily good and delicious.  The bonus of these cocottes is that the clean up is almost instant!  Nothing sticks to this chip-resistant porcelain enamel. Plus, the famous Le Creuset limited lifetime warranty makes this a must-have purchase for your well-equipped kitchen. 

Danesco Ceramic Serveware

  Danesco has been around for over 50 years, producing quality ceramic serveware.  The minimalist elegance, along with its sturdiness allows any dinner table to look gorgeous.  A well-equipped kitchen must have serving plates, saucers, and more for your guests. Danesco offers a variety of serveware options to fit your needs. The Danesco (BIA) White 19” x 12” Rectangular Serving Platter is the ideal size for your whole chicken.  And who can resist a savory dipping sauce served in a Danesco Square 4” Ramekin?  Your presentation can be just as important as the food itself.   Danesco is a great friend to the well-equipped kitchen with numerous other products for culinary excellence as well.  Salad servers, cheese knives, cutlery organizers, and sustainable silicone straws are manufactured by Danesco.  Let Danesco always be a part of your prep, storage and service needs in the kitchen. 

Stand Mixers

  If you love to bake, then a stand mixer must be in your life!  If you love to cook, then a stand mixer is still a must-have. We all know a stand mixer kneads bread better than trying to deal with it by hand.  But, did you realize that a stand mixer makes life easier when you’re making these other dishes, too?

• Pizza Dough
• Meatballs
• Tortillas
• Meringue
• Brownie Batter
• Marshmallows
• Peanut Butter
• Dips
• Egg Salad

These are just a few dishes you can make with a stand mixer. It’s even more versatile with a wide range of attachments. Anything from citrus fruit presses to slicers and shredders can be attached to perform even more functions.  Being well-equipped starts with a stand mixer. KitchenAid has been an industry leader since 1919.  The bowl-lift design blends, kneads, and whips any item to their proper consistency.  The high-efficiency motor and huge 8-quart stainless steel bowl allows long mix times with heavier ingredients in the KitchenAid Empire Red 8QT Commercial Series Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer.   Cuisinart is a front runner in stand mixers. The beauty of the Cuisinart5.5QT Precision Master Chrome Stand Mixer will bring out the best in any kitchen.  Die-cast metal, a huge 500-watt motor, and 12 speeds make this the mixer of all stand mixers!  Accompanying the unit are all the great attachments such as a flat mixing paddle, chef’s whisk, dough hook, a splash guard and a dough hook. 

Global Knife Set

  Komin Yamada conceived of the first Global knives in 1985.  The true art of Japanese craftsmanship by way of the ancient Samurai was the primary goal.  Strong, comfortable and superior sharpness were paramount. The balance and weight are felt instantly when holding this magnificent knife.  There are many different knives that perform distinct tasks; therefore, a knife set is your best bet to establish your well-equipped kitchen.  Global knives cut with ease due to CROMOVA 18 high carbon stainless steel. This kind of steel is ice-tempered, hardened to a Rockwell scale of around 57, then ground on both sides to sharpen to a perfect point.  The Global Kabuto 7 Piece Knife & Block Set is an absolute necessity for your well-equipped kitchen!  The set includes every knife you will need, use and want. The knife set comprises: 

• 8cm Paring Knife
• 13cm Cook's Knife
• 20cm Cook's Knife
• 22cm Bread Knife
• 11cm Utility Knife
• 14cm Vegetable Knife
• Black Storage Block

The Global 3 Piece Knife Set is an amazing set, since it contains the top three kinds of knives that you’d need most. These include:

• G-58, 6'' Chef's Knife
• GS-14, 6'' Serrated Utility Knife
• GSF-15, 3'' Peeler Knife

Cast Iron Pan

    Cast iron is low tech compared to the enamel and non-stick coatings of today.  Cast iron has an interesting history. Cast iron artifacts date as far back as the 5th century BC in China.  Englishman Abraham Darby started cranking out cast iron cookware in 1707.  The cast iron cookware of today is an absolute must for any well-equipped kitchen.  Cast iron becomes non-stick due to the polymerized fats that seal the iron.  This thin layer protects the pan and makes for a super easy clean! Boiling water in the pan will remove any baked-on residue.  Coarse salt with water mixed in as a paste with a paper towel will scrub away any debris. Then, just dry your cast iron.  Cast iron is used anytime you wish to cook hot and evenly.  Deep frying is great in a cast iron pan. Going from the stovetop to the oven is never a problem using this nifty, artisanal pan. Staub is one of the most innovative companies when it comes to cast iron.  The Staub 7qt Braise & Grill Pan is groundbreaking, to say the least.  Take this huge seven-quart cocotte’s lid, flip it over, and boom, you have a grill pan!  Sear your beef on the lid, then toss it in the cocotte to cook slow and low until dinnertime comes.  Joseph Lodge was an American pioneer of cast iron cookware.  He started his foundry back in 1896. In 2020, Lodge still stands as one of the best in cast iron cookware production.  Lodge triple seasons their cast iron for extraordinary taste and streamlined cleaning.  Bacon and eggs tastse best when cooked in a Lodge Black Lock 14.5” Cast Iron Skillet!  Durable, yet extremely lightweight and robust, this skillet is ready for camping, the stovetop, or the oven.  Any fire will warm up this skillet to an even, hot heat. Related: Is nonstick cookware safe? Here’s what you need to know.  

Cuisinart Food Processor

We can’t stress enough the value of a food processor.  A well-equipped kitchen ought to have a food processor.  Cuisinart and the words “food processor” have been going hand in hand since 1971.  Seriously, the uses are endless for a food processor.  Some of the culinary magic one can concoct with a Cuisinart are:

• Churning heavy cream to butter
• Grinding meat
• Making mayo
• Shredding (or make thin) potatoes
• Making nut butter
• Blending dips like hummus or guac
• Mixing pie crusts
• Making bread crumbs

We could type the numerous uses of a Cuisinart food processor until the wee hours of the night.  It could be the MVP of a well-equipped kitchen.  The time you will save with a food processor makes this purchase a no-brainer.

The Right Tools Can Inspire a Perfect Meal

A well-equipped kitchen will assist you in using your culinary skills to make your friends and family happy.  French Laundry owner Thomas Keller has said, “When you acknowledge, as you must, that there is no such thing as perfect food, only the idea of it, then the real purpose of striving toward perfection becomes clear: to make people happy, that is what cooking is all about.”  So come up with joy, be creative and curious, stay in the present, and remain well-equipped in all that you do! Check out our other kitchenware at Williams Food Equipment so you have professional-grade cookware to prepare every meal. Related: 12 Must-have Kitchen Accessories