KITCHENWARE TO EASE THE HOLIDAY STRESS
Originally published by Tramontina USA, 2018
It’s the holiday season and you’re in charge of dinner. That means you have days of prep ahead and a big to-do list. You’re soon to have a kitchen crowded with friends, family, and an overwhelming amount of dishes cooking at the same time, and you need to be ready. Set yourself up for holiday success and start off on the right foot by making sure you have the proper kitchenware for each task. It’s the first step in easing your holiday stress. Without it, you may just find yourself wishing you had ordered take out.
CHEF’S KNIFE
A laundry list of prep always involves a lot of chopping. If you’re still using that flimsy dull knife from college, it might be time to throw it out and get a proper strong and sharp chef’s knife. This cannot be stressed enough: a good knife will change everything about holiday prep and probably the rest of your cooking life. Stop sawing through onions or damaging your hands pushing down on a potato. Chopping should be the easy part of the meal prep— a relaxing and methodical step. Your hands and your mind will thank you.
Not sure if you’re holding a chef’s knife correctly? Check out our step-by-step guide.
MIXING BOWLS
You’ve got sweet potatoes to mash, dough to knead, pie filling to mix and salad to toss. Sounds like you’ll need a few mixing bowls to make that happen. You sure don’t have time to wash the same bowl 15 times and you’ll likely need a few at the same time as things rise, cool, or marinate. You’ll need a good set of mixing bowls to hold your pre-prepped ingredients the day before the big affair. Sturdy metal bowls are also ideal for those chaotic moments when kids are running around and adults are rushed. The last thing you want is broken ceramic or glass on the floor before dinner.
LARGE STOCKPOT
Boiling potatoes for 20 plates-worth of mashed potatoes necessitates a pretty large vessel. And you need to keep as many burners unoccupied as possible. Get a large stockpot and cook everything at the same time instead of using multiple pots. Use it for blanching green beans, mulled cider, or making turkey soup the next day.
ENAMELED CAST IRON DUTCH OVEN
The enameled cast iron dutch oven is the ultimate hosting tool. You can make a whole dish in one pot and it works beautifully on the stovetop and in the oven. It retains heat better than any other material, keeping food warm for hours. Oh, and it looks beautiful on the holiday table. Use this beauty for making stuffing, baking bread, braising any and every meat, or cooking up a savory sauce.
BAKING TRAYS
The possibilities are endless with baking trays. Bake off your favorite holiday cookies, toast nuts, roast veggies, or heat up appetizers with these shallow trays. They’re also great for storing prepped food in the fridge. These ceramic trays are super easy to clean, meaning less work at the end of the night.
ROASTING PAN
There’s nothing worse than pulling a steaming hot turkey out of the oven only to have that flimsy disposable pan double over and spill juices all over the floor. You’re roasting a heavy bird; you need a heavy-duty roasting pan to handle the weight. You can fill it with your favorite poultry, add veggies and herbs, roast it to perfection, and then throw the pan on the stove at the end to simmer away a mouthwatering gravy. A roasting pan also works well for searing a beef or pork tenderloin before cooking it in the oven. Use the pan to cook a whole ham, layer scallop potatoes, or bake a big fruit cobbler.
CARVING KNIFE
You’re about to put a lot of work into this whole holiday cooking process, particularly into the main meat dish. The carving process can be daunting. Don’t saw at the meat with a bread knife or try to shave off delicate pieces with your big chef’s knife. When carving a turkey, you need a carving knife. It’s a long thin blade that’s designed specifically for maneuvering around pieces of cooked meat. It also works well for roasts and other large cuts of meat.
These specialty products will awe and inspire your favorite foodie to get into the kitchen. And you’ll be happy knowing you gifted them their new favorite tool.