Kitchen Essentials

If you're just starting out or you're looking to upgrade, you should buy the best kitchen tools and appliances you can afford.

This once-in-a-lifetime investment will make a big difference in your cooking. Your meals are only as good as the quality of your ingredients. Same with your equipment.

Quality is better than quantity. Gradually add items to your collection as you can afford them. A great starting point would be three knives - paring, serrated and chef's - and three pots and pans - Dutch oven, sauté and saucepan.

Here's a list of items that'll help you cook like a pro:

Food Processor
A must-have in the kitchen. This is invaluable for making vinaigrettes, chopping, dicing and pureeing. It’s best to get one with a heavy duty motor. They also come with lots of disks and a plastic blade for making dough. Some even come with a mini chop for smaller jobs.

Blender
Used for making frozen cocktails, milkshakes and pureeing soups. Also can be used for some chopping and fine dicing of vegetables.

Immersion Blender
This is a hand-held blender with a blade at one end, which is used to puree soups and sauces directly in their pots. Some immersion blenders come with whisk attachments for whipping cream and egg whites.