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equipment

SMALL APPLIANCES

BLENDER Even if you reserve it for a few purposes—making smoothies and pureeing soups, for instance—a blender should be powerful (at least 500 watts). Besides being the best tool for giving sauces a velvety consistency, a blender is essential for making margaritas and other blended cocktails. An immersion (or stick) blender is a convenient alternative to a standard blender, especially for pureeing soups and sauces; you use this wand-style tool by inserting it right into the pot.

COFFEE/SPICE GRINDERS Whenever possible, we recommend using freshly ground spices for their superior flavor. Although you can buy a hand-cranked spice grinder (similar to a pepper mill), an electric coffee grinder is a nice alternative. The steel blades can grind whole spices into fine powder in just a few seconds. Buy two: one to use for spices, the other for coffee beans. It’s a good idea to clean the bowl after each use; process a few tablespoons of uncooked rice grains or small bits of bread for several seconds.

ELECTRIC JUICER Nothing can chop, shred, and spin the pulp of fruits and vegetables to extract every bit of juice the way an electric juicer can. If you like to make your own vegetable and fruit juices, either to drink or to use in cooking, this tool is a good (and not particularly substantial) investment, especially given the cost of juices purchased from a store.

FOOD PROCESSOR A food processor is an enormous help with many common, time-consuming tasks, including chopping, slicing, and shredding vegetables and other ingredients; grinding nuts; and making purees and breadcrumbs. It also offers an efficient way to mix dough for pastry and bread. Processors range in size, but one with a 7-cup bowl will suffice for most home cooks. Most come equipped with a multipurpose blade and two disks for shredding and slicing. Special dough blades are also available.

ICE CREAM MACHINE There are many versions available in a range of sizes and prices; the compact ones (with a 1.5-quart capacity) have a metal canister that can handily tuck into your freezer (allowing you to make ice cream on the spur of the moment). Choose among old-fashioned hand-cranked machines or the newer electronic ones that allow you to prepare a batch of ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato, or sorbet in about thirty minutes.

MINI FOOD PROCESSOR (MINI CHOPPER OR MINI PREP) Some kitchen chores, such as chopping nuts and mincing herbs, do not require the power or heft of the standard-size processor. A 3-cup version is the perfect size for making small batches of sauces, spreads, pesto, and dips.

MIXERS A sturdy standing mixer with paddle, whisk, and dough-hook attachments is a must for the avid baker. You can use it to mix cake batters and cookie dough, whip buttercream and other frostings, and even blend and knead bread dough. A hand mixer is a convenient alternative for some easy tasks, like whipping cream or egg whites.

POTS AND PANS

Every kitchen should have these essential items: a 10-inch skillet, a 2-quart saucepan, a 4-quart saucepan, and a large (8-quart) stockpot. A roasting pan is also necessary for cooking meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables; look for a pan with a fitted rack. A nonstick 10-inch skillet is perfect for making omelets, a covered sauté pan for braising meat. Always look for thick, heavy pans, as they tend to be durable and the best distributors of heat. Those made of aluminum (preferably anodized to make them harder) or stainless steel are good options for everyday use.

As your needs expand, you may want to add some of the following pieces.

DOUBLE BOILER A double boiler, essentially two pans in one, provides gentle, indirect heat: The bottom pan holds simmering water, which becomes the heat source for the top pan. (You can improvise by setting an appropriately sized heatproof mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water.) Do not allow the water to touch the bottom of the top pot (or bowl), or the mixture may scorch.