The enjoyment of cooking comes from having good kitchen equipment. We’ve picked out seven top-of-the-range kitchen utensils that everyone should have. With these seven top-tier kitchen tools, you can elevate your own cooking or indulge a gastronome friend moving into a new home.
1. The mainstay of the kitchen
A sturdy wooden chopping board is the foundation of kitchen tools and good cooking. Wooden’s thick Offcuts chopping board stays in place when in use thanks to its rubber feet, and the handles make it easy to lift and move around while working. Compared to plastic, a wooden surface is not only gentler on the knife edge, but also more durable, as you can regularly maintain it yourself.
As the name suggests, the Offcuts chopping board is made from carpentry shop leftovers – in this case oak, with an oiled finish. After use, wash the board by hand, dry it and stand it upright to prevent water from soaking into the wood. The board can be sanded and oiled every six months or once a year, depending on the amount of use.
• Wooden's Offcuts cutting board >
• All cutting boards >
2. From good to grate
A favorite of professional chefs, Microplane isn’t called the best grater in the world for nothing. The chemically etched blade makes Microplane extremely sharp compared to other graters, with a longer lasting edge.
The graters of the US-based Microplane are favourites of professional chefs and demanding connoisseurs.
The stainless steel, all-black Black Sheep version has a rubberized handle for a firmer grip, and makes light work of hard cheeses, lemon rind, chocolate, and a whole lot more. The Zester model, meanwhile, is perfect as an all-purpose grater or for a beginner’s kitchen.
• Microplane's Zester grater >
• All Microplane products >
3. A pan that can handle anything
Looking for an easy, highly durable frying pan for all kinds of cooking? Fiskars’ Norden series steel frying pan is just what you need. The thick base and multi-layered structure heat up the contents of the pan evenly, while the ceramic coating ensures that food does not stick to it easily even at high temperatures.
Norden is suitable for all cookers, can be put in the oven, and even washed in the dishwasher if necessary. However, the best way to look after your pan is to use wooden or plastic spatulas when cooking and wash it by hand after use. Norden pans come with a 25-year guarantee.
• Fiskars' Norden steel frying pan >
• All frying pans >
4. A sharp kitchen aid
A medium-sized and beautifully shaped wooden-handled knife is the ideal all-purpose choice for the kitchen – just right for whatever you’re rustling up. The Cabin Chef kitchen knife from Marttiini fits this description perfectly. The handle is made of heat-treated and waxed birch, and the grip holds even when wet, as it may well be when cooking on a hike. The knife also comes with a lovely leather sheath to protect the blade during storage. To keep your kitchen knife safe and easy to use, you should remember to sharpen it regularly.
Designed by Harri Koskinen, the knife series is a collaboration between knife manufacturer Marttiini and top chef Pekka Terävä.
• Marttiini's Cabin Chef kitchen knive >
• All kitchen knives >
5. A stove top charmer
A versatile saucepan is one that is big enough, preferably more than five liters, to cook pasta properly or for simmering any kind of stew. The 6.5-liter recycled steel saucepan in the Eva Solo Steel Line range has a scale marked along the inner side for easy measuring while cooking, and sturdy steel handles that won’t get hot on the stove.
The saucepan is suitable for all types of cookers and is even ovenproof, making it the go-to partner for effortless cooking. The saucepan was designed back in 1977, and the designers were inspired by the popularity of open-plan kitchens and the fact that beautiful kitchen utensils can be left on display after cooking.
• Eva Solo's Steel Line pot >
• All pots & saucepans >
6. Cheesy does it
If you’re looking for a new cheese slicer, look no further than this winner from Heirol. Thanks to the serrated cutting blade, slicing even hard cheeses is a cinch, making this the perfect all-purpose slicer. And the cheese slices as smoothly and evenly as could be.
The durable Steely collection is easy to clean in the dishwasher.
Before slicing, remember to temper the cheese – that is, bring it to room temperature – in good time before slicing and serving. Tempered cheese has a better taste and is easier to slice. The Steely cheese slicer can be machine washed and hung in view from the handle if you wish.
• Heirol's Steely cheese slicer >
• All cheese slicers >
7. A casserole dish for the decades
Arabia’s Uunikokki is practically the dictionary definition of a superb casserole dish. Designed in the late 1970s, the dish has been a familiar sight in a great many home kitchens in Finland since then. It has certainly not become an icon of Finnish ceramic design by accident: this archetype of casserole dishes is perfectly formed in size and shape, and is made to withstand heavy use in the oven, freezer and microwave. What’s more, it’s dishwasher proof. When this beautiful wavy-edged dish arrives at the table, you know you’re in for something cooked with love.
• Arabia's Uunikokki lasagne dish >
• All serveware >
See also:
• All kitchen utensils at Finnish Design Shop >
Text: Jenna Kiuru Images: Suvi Kesäläinen and manufacturers