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Looking to improve your cooking and/or baking skills? These 9 Kitchen Tips for Beginner Cooks will ensure your kitchen, cooking space, and ingredients are ready so you can elevate your skills as a cook and help ensure your dishes turn out successfully.
First of all, you need quality utensils, knives, and cutting boards and you need things organized and efficient. Set yourself up for success with these 9 Kitchen Tips for Beginner Cooks before you even turn that oven on!
1. Declutter Your Kitchen
Can you work well in this space? Most of us would want to leave the kitchen as quickly as possible and that defeats the purpose of planning, prepping, and cooking nutritional foods for the week.
Some kitchens double or even triple as several spaces – office, kids’ play area, drop off space. It sounds simple, but the kitchen should be a place that only caters to successful cooking and baking in a calm, stress free, and organized way.
So begin by taking everything out of the kitchen that does not belong and finding other areas in your house to place them. If you have a small space and need your kitchen to double function, dedicate a drawer or small area for other uses and define the area that is just kitchen.
In this defined space, ensure you place all prepping, cooking, and baking tools close together, so you aren’t running all over the kitchen when preparing a meal. Then begin organizing and cleaning out all drawers.
Give away utensils, old appliances, and gadgets you never use. This will leave space for more efficient organization where you can easily find the tools you need.
Consider purchasing drawer organizers to optimize space and a tray on your counter that holds commonly used items like salt, pepper, wooden spoons and more. The tray helps to make things look tidier and organized versus having loose items all over the counter.
2. Drawer Organizers
Having your utensils easy to find will add to your success in the kitchen.
There is no need to be searching and wasting time for that wooden spoon, measuring cup, or pairing knife when you can have them readily available.
There are many styles of drawer organizers out there that can help make your kitchen more efficient and clutter free. Purchase a drawer organizer like the one above from amazon.
If you like things on your counter, buy a pretty vase or container to put the utensils you use most often like this ceramic vase with cooking utensils.
3. Knife Care
Ensure you invest in a few good knives: chefs knife, paring knife, and a bread knife should be all that you need in the beginning.
A good knife will make prepping easier and quicker and will cut your produce in the desired way – e.g., when you are attempting a batonnet cut, the vegetable looks like a thick matchstick and is not shredded or squished.
There are a wide range of knife prices, so pick what works best for your budget and they will last a long time if you treat them properly.
Do not store knives faced down in a chopping block as they will become dull as will chopping on a glass cutting board.
Hand wash the knives, as the dishwasher will also dull the knife. Get your knives sharpened from time to time, but hone your knife often with honing steel.
This will keep your knives sharp and better able to cut your meat and produce properly.
Knife methods and cutting techniques are a learned skill that take time and practise.
4. Cutting Board
Use wood and plastic boards for your food prep, as glass boards dull the knife. Remember to put a damp cloth under your board so it doesn’t slip when you are cutting on it. After washing your wood board, set it upright to dry so it doesn’t warp.
Plastic boards are good for cutting chicken, so the remnants don’t get into the board. Remember to sanitize the board thoroughly after cutting meat.
5. Cleanliness
A clean kitchen is paramount for food safety. Keep a sink full of hot soapy water nearby, so you can quickly wash up messes and clean dishes as you cook.
Have a cloth nearby so you can wipe your hands often and wash your hands with soap and water after handling meat.
A spray bottle with 1 litre of water to 1 tsp of bleach will help sanitize your cutting boards and cooking area before and after food prep, especially when working with meat.
6. Spices and Oils
Do not store spices or oils directly adjacent to the stove or oven as the heat ruins the aromatic properties of the spices and can make oils rancid. Most oils should be stored in a dark cool place or the fridge.
If out on the counter, use a dark container to protect from sunlight. Organizing and labelling your spices will help make your kitchen more efficient.
There are many cute jars and labels sold online that will make your spice area organized and appealing.
7. Mise en Place
After reading your recipe thoroughly, ensure you have all the ingredients for your meal. Mise en Place is a french term meaning all of your items in place ready to go, and all good cooks will tell you that this step sets you up for cooking success.
You do not want to be measuring and cutting things while your meal is cooking, wrecking the timing of the recipe.
8. Storing Herbs
Save this pin for future reference on storing herbs properly.
Learn how to store herbs properly so they last longer and are fresh when you go to use them. It is frustrating when you go to cook a delicious meal and the herbs you thought you had are old and slimy.
9. Plan and Meal Prep
Planning involves a little time upfront, but helps to save time and money in the long run. Planning also helps you stay healthy and on track of your health goals.
Pick a day of the week that you plan recipes that you want to cook and eat throughout the week.
After you have your recipes planned, create a grocery list and pick the day you would like to grocery shop and meal prep. Consistency in your planning, shopping, and prepping will help with your long term success.
On your prep day, you can wash and cut produce to help speed cooking during the week, you can batch cook things like whole grain rice or quinoa to add to stir fries and salads, you can cook 1-pot meals or soups that can be frozen and thawed in meal size batches, you can cook hard boiled eggs for quick breakfast or snack options, and you can make easy protein balls or strawberry muffins for healthy week time snacks.
Planning will decrease your snacking, binging, and fast food purchasing, which will consequently, help with your weight goals.
Conclusion
Beginning to cook can be daunting at first, but having a clean and organized kitchen with proper tools will help you get started on the right track. Consistent planning and prepping will not only help with your cooking success, but will help you pick and cook healthier meal options.
Use these 9 Kitchen Tips for Beginner Cooks to help guide you with the initial stages of cooking before you even turn on that oven.
