6 Kitchen Essentials for Mastering Jamie Oliver’s “5 Ingredients” Recipes — Plus Where to Buy Them
With so many of us doing more cooking but making fewer trips to the grocery store, Kitchn’s May Cookbook Club pick, Jamie Oliver’s 5-Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food, couldn’t be more fitting! The recipes are easy, require five or less (!!) ingredients, and are incredibly satisfying and delicious. Before you start trying the recipes, though, you’re going to need the right kitchen equipment. To help you out, we’ve rounded up six of Oliver’s favorite kitchen tools, along with our own recommendations for each. Once you have all your gear, pick up the cookbook, and try whipping up a new recipe or two! Then share your comments in our Cookbook Club Facebook group, or post a photo of your dish on Instagram, with a short review of the recipe in the caption, and use our #kitchncookbookclub hashtag to be featured on our Cookbook Club hub page. Happy (easy) cooking!
1. Vegetable Peeler
“If you want to save time, there are a few kitchen gadgets that will make your life a lot easier,” Oliver notes in the cookbook. This nifty peeler is handy for prepping veggies and fruits for his many salad recipes or any of his vegetable-forward mains.
Kitchn Recommends: Kuhn Rikon Straight Peeler, $5
2. Mortar and Pestle
Just like the vegetable peeler, the mortar and pestle is “fantastic for creating great texture and boosting flavor,” Oliver says in the book of his favorite kitchen tool.
Kitchn Recommends: Milton Brook Unglazed Mortar and Pestle, $52
3. Baking Sheet
The cookbook has a sizable desserts section, and on his blog, Oliver recommends good mixing bowls that can be used “for everything from separating eggs and beating a cake batter to making quick, easy (and cheap!) bread dough.”
Kitchn Recommends: Pyrex 3-Piece Glass Mixing Bowl Set, $13
4. Food Processor
“A food processor is always a bonus, especially if you’re short on time,” says Oliver about this quintessential kitchen gadget. You’ll find it handy to dice and chop vegetables for salads and prep sauces and dressings for mains.
Kitchn Recommends: KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper, $35 (normally $50)
5. Set of Three Knives
“A set of three knives, including a small paring knife, a utility knife, and a larger chef’s knife will cover most kitchen tasks,” Oliver writes on his blog. Use them for peeling fruit, slicing tomatoes, prepping meat, or chopping larger fruit.
Kitchn Recommends: Zwilling Pro 3-Pc Starter Knife Set, $200 (normally $373)
6. Non-Stick Fry Pan
Whether you’re cooking his Ginger Shakin’ Beef, Thai-Style Crispy Sea Bass, or Asian Fried Eggs, a good non-stick, oven-proof frying pan is a must!
Kitchn recommends: Made In Blue Carbon Steel Frying Pan, $69
Everyone has a favorite Jamie Oliver recipe! What yours? Let us know in the comments below!