Time spent getting the kitchen getting ready is not a waste of time. Get out the ingredients and the equipment you need; mise-en-place is French for “everything in its place” is essential. It keeps you on a clear path and eliminates the stress of cooking. Without it, any professional kitchen would be dead in the water, which is similarly vital for home chefs. Get mise-en-place correct, and you will be way ahead of the game.
I’ve used and recommend both cookware sets, the ScanPan 10-Piece Cookware Set and the All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware; both are well-made pans with a solid, heavy bottom, heat fast, and they get the job done. Visit the ScanPan or All-Clad on Amazon.
Gordon Ramsay’s Essential List Of Kitchen Tools
- Gordon Ramsay Cookware Set Nonstick Pans: 8″ for eggs and omelets and 12″ with lid for general frying Gordon use ScanPan brand pans, but any reliable, good quality heavy bottom pans you can work) Saucepans – Nonstick: A 4 qt. and a 6 to 8 qt.
- Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet: Cast iron is excellent for searing or blackening food quickly on very high heat and stays hot. It will release food like a nonstick surface if it’s seasoned correctly.
- Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven: Much like the more commonly seen cast iron pots and pans, a heavyweight Dutch Oven will be a piece of kitchen equipment that will last you a lifetime.
- Wusthof or Zwilling J.A. Henckels Chef’s knife: Gordon Ramsay uses Wüsthof, and Henckels branded knives; he says a small set of good-quality knives is better than a whole drawer of dull, low-quality knives.
- Henckels Zwilling or Wusthof Knife Block Set: Boning Knife: For cutting around meat and bone.), Paring Knife: Gordon Ramsay uses for peeling fruit and cutting small vegetables, and Serrated Bread Knife.
- Pro Electric Knife Sharpener and Honing Steel: (for keeping knives sharp).
- Wood Block Cutting Board: Gordon uses a Boos Block Cutting Board, and he suggests buying any sizeable wooden cutting board at least 24″ x 18″ in size; this is not susceptible to slipping when used.
- Stainless Steel Food Digital Scale: Gordon Ramsay uses a digital scale with a large display, both imperial and metric measurements, and a tare function, which allows you to subtract the weight of the container and show only the value of the food being measured.
- 14-Cup Food Processor: Gordon Ramsay uses it for making pasta dough, pastry, and crumble toppings. Choose a low-starting speed processor, as some are too powerful and will blow your flour and icing sugar around the room when you switch them on.
- Smart Blender: A good blender should be a part of everyone’s kitchen essentials; it’s not just for soups and smoothies but also for producing silky-smooth purees, making aioli, and emulsifying dressing.
- Classic Super-Fast Probe Thermometer: A handy device that takes the guesswork out of cooking meat. A probe thermometer is helpful if you are roasting meat, for example, and want to be sure it is cooked at the center. There are two types: instant-read thermometers for a one-off reading or alarm thermometers that will tell you when the temperature reaches a preset level.
- Mortar and Pestle Set: Gordon Ramsay uses this for crushing and grinding herbs and spices. It gives a course more earthy texture than an electric blender, which is ideal for Asian cooking. It is also great for pounding garlic to a paste. Choose a mortar with a large bowl and a heavyweight pestle.
- Zester: Not just for zesting oranges and lemons, but Gordon Ramsay uses puréeing garlic or fresh ginger.
- Whisk: Gordon Ramsay uses Electric whisks for meringues and sponges, but a free-hand balloon whisk gives you much more control and makes it less likely you will overwhip the cream.