Samin Nosrat’s Must-Have Kitchen Essentials Won’t Cost You an Arm and a Leg
One of the best things about Samin Nosrat (author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and host of its follow-up Netflix series) is her low-key, down-to-earth, and joyful approach to cooking. No matter what she’s making or talking about, she makes cooking seem fun and downright accessible.
During a recent guest appearance on the Forever 35 Podcast (episode 54), Samin hopped on the phone with hosts Kate Spencer and Doree Shafrir to talk about the way she makes people feel in the kitchen. “I love that you don’t need fancy stuff to make good food. That is a message that is really important to me and I really wanted that to come across in the show,” said Samin.
They followed this up with a discussion about Samin’s top inexpensive picks for must-have kitchen gear. Here are her choices.
1. Victorinox 8-Inch Chef’s Knife, $50
“One thing that I think is pretty frustrating for anybody is when they don’t have a good knife. If you have a good knife that is sharp and can be sharpened, that can work. It doesn’t have to be expensive. There’s this brand I really like called Victorinox, the same company that makes Swiss Army knives. They have really beautiful wooden-handled chef’s knives. Most people probably need the eight-inch chef’s knife. I have a bunch from when I started cooking. It’s a great investment and they last forever. You don’t need something fancy, you just need something that works.”
2. Lodge 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet, $30
“Another thing everyone should probably have is a really great pan. For me, it’s pretty hard to beat cast iron. You can buy pre-seasoned cast iron skillets from Lodge. Another thing I like to do is look at flea markets and thrift stores for old-time brands like Wagner. The smoother the pan is, the more nonstick it is. You can put them in the oven, on the stove, over a campfire — they’re indestructible.”
3. Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, $19 for set of five
“A stack of stainless steel mixing bowls are really helpful to have, and they don’t have to be expensive. You want to have bowls that are big enough; you want to have enough space.”
4. Tramontina Nonstick Fry Pan Set, $35 for two at Costco
“Costco has this funny brand right now that’s meant to be sold at Costco, Tramontina. A lot of times things they sell there are too much for one person or a small household. I was standing there eyeing a nonstick pan (I get a new one every year and replace it in case the Teflon scratches), but it came in a two-pack. I was like, I really don’t need two. Another lady came up and we made a pact, and bought the two-pack together and divided it. It was a total Costco moment.”
5. Crestware Aluminum Half-Size Baking Sheet Pans, $5.50 at Costco
“My favorite baking sheets are half-sheet pans. I find them to be superior to any fancy thing that you can buy at a cookware store. They are so useful. I use them to roast all of my vegetables or even to roast turkey so it can brown evenly. You can get them at a lot of restaurant supply stores or even Costco!”