Kitchen Checklist- The Essential Items You Need to Keep Your Kitchen in Order
What is a kitchen checklist?
According to a research by NPD Group Inc. quoted by Bloomberg in 2020, 82 percent of the meals Americans eat were prepared at home. The results of this poll show that Americans prefer home-cooked meals. This underscores the value of having a comprehensive kitchen checklist.
What is a kitchen checklist, exactly? Well, it's a list of kitchen staples that are a must-have for anyone who intends to cook at home. This list will lead you through the necessities so you don't get lost in the kitchen store maze and wind up buying goods that will languish in one of your kitchen cabinets for the rest of your life. This list will not only save you money but will also aid in the smooth operation of your kitchen.
Kitchen checklist role of a restaurant kitchen
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The kitchen is the heart of your restaurant, where your menu is brought to life. It's where the food is made, cooked, and served. In addition to the dishwasher, your food components, and all the other tools, plates, and cooking equipment, the kitchen is the hub of activity in many more ways.
Unlike a home kitchen, where you and your family are the only ones that come and leave, a restaurant kitchen can have dozens of people coming and departing at any given time, so it must be well-organized. This not only saves time during peak hours in the United States, but also helps employees prevent accidents and decreases waste.
Trying to keep your kitchen organized can be a challenge when you have limited space
Create a kitchen checklist that includes the items you need most often, and use it to keep track of what you already have
Commercial kitchen equipment list
Here's a restaurant kitchen Inventory Checklist-
- Range
- Oven\Grill
- Deep-fryer
- Cooler with reach-in access
- Cooler with a door
- Fridge (either a chest, upright, or walk-in)
- frying pans
- Pots for stock/soup
- Saucepans
- Sheets for baking
- Screens for pizza
- Pans for baking
- Tongs
- Spatulas\Ladles
- Knives used by chefs
- Paddle for pizza
- Whisks
- Bowls for mixing
- Cooler inserts made of plastic
- Table with steam
- Plates for appetizers
- Bowls of pasta
- Plates of appetizers
- Plates for salad
- Plates for dessert
- Shelves for walk-in coolers can be made of metal or plastic.
- Clothes for cleaning
- Buckets for cleaning (specifically labeled for cleaning products)
- Floor mats made of rubber
- Dispensers of hand soap and sanitizer
- A fire extinguisher in case of mishaps
Kitchen Checklist - Cookware and bakeware
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If you're going to do any cooking or baking, even if it's just once in a while, it's crucial to know what kind of cookware and bakeware you'll need in your kitchen. This kitchen checklist will guide you through the process of purchasing kitchen items.
1. Stainless steel skillet
This cookware will be used for frying, searing, sauteing, and browning, among other things. Therefore, choosing a high-quality stainless steel skillet that will last a lifetime is critical.
You’ve got a great idea for a dish, but you can’t find the ingredients or tools to make it
Keep your kitchen organized with our handy checklist. It includes everything from kitchen items to food storage and cleaning supplies
2. Saute pan
There are a few key differences between a saute pan and a skillet. It features a wide flat bottom and vertical sides that rise much higher than the flared sides of a skillet. In comparison to a skillet, this makes it easier to prepare sauces and sear and braise meat.
3. Small saucepan
A lightweight and easy-to-handle saucepan is required for small-portion cooking of soups, stews, pasta, or sauces.
4. Large pot
You'll need a large pot to manage the volume of huge foods like soups, stews, pasta, and sauces.
5. Cast iron skillet
Cast-iron skillets can be used for a variety of cooking techniques, including sauteing, pan-frying, searing, baking, braising, broiling, roasting, and more.
6. Grill pan
A grill pan is essential for summer foods like burgers, roasted salmon, meatballs, and marinated veggies. It, like a barbecue, creates enticing grill lines in your food.
7. Baking sheet pan
A baking sheet pan is a rectangular metal pan that is used in the oven to roast and bake food. A high-quality baking sheet pan is an essential tool for a minimalist kitchen, from rapidly roasting cauliflower, broccoli, or squash to whipping up a delectable treat if you're inclined to bake.
8. Muffin pan
A muffin pan is a baking dish that has six or twelve built-in cups. They're also perfect for individual quiches and on-the-go breakfast cups, in addition to muffins.
9. Casserole dish
A casserole dish is a large, deep baking or serving dish with high borders. A good casserole dish is essential for those lazy nights when you want to toss a one-dish meal in the oven like lasagna or a casserole.
10. Broiler pan
A broiler pan is a rectangular metal pan that is used in the oven beneath the high-heat broiler. It's considerably thicker than a conventional baking sheet pan, so it won't warp in the oven, plus it has grooves and a draining pan below to catch any fat that drops through.
Kitchen checklist - Cooking tools and kitchen utensils
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Here's a list of kitchen equipment and cooking gadgets that you'll require regularly.
1. Spatula
A spatula is a tiny kitchen tool with a wide, flat, flexible blade for mixing, spreading, and twisting.
2. Stirring spoon
Rather than buying multiple spoons, invest in one that is long-lasting, heat-resistant, dishwasher friendly, and won't harm cookware or pans.
3. Slotted spoon
Cooking is easier and safer with this large spoon that has slots or holes for draining liquid. It's ideal for removing something from a pan while still leaving the delicious juices behind.
4. Tongs
A sturdy pair of tongs that can handle a variety of different sized meals is essential for easily flipping meats and vegetables. It's critical that they have silicone tips to avoid scratching and that they have a high level of heat resistance so that they don't melt away after a lot of use.
5. Ladle
A ladle is just a giant spoon with a long handle. It's used to serve soups, stews, and sauces that are liquid.
6. Oven Mitts
When transferring hot food to and from the oven, oven mitts are used to keep your hands from getting burned.
7. Trivet
A trivet is a heat-resistant pad used to keep hot plates from burning your table.
8. Splatter guard
During high-heat cooking, a splatter guard is put on top of skillets or saute pans to prevent splattering hot oil and food from contaminating your stovetop.
9. Thermometer
If you frequently prepare meats and don't want to guess when they're done, a good meat thermometer is a requirement.
Appliances to add to your Kitchen Checklist
You can add the below mentioned appliances to your Kitchen Checklist-
Immersion Blender
An immersion blender (also known as a stick blender) is a type of blender that is used to mix or puree food in the container in which it is being prepared.
Kitchen Scale
A compact, lightweight scale is required for properly measuring raw food (and, in my case, coffee beans).
Blender
If you frequently make smoothies, sauces, dips, or soups, you'll probably want to invest in a powerful blender rather than relying on a food processor.
Other essentials to include on your kitchen checklist
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You'll need several additional kitchen basics in addition to culinary tools, kitchen utensils, cookware, and bakeware. Because these details are easily overlooked, a kitchen checklist is essential.
1. Food storage containers
For bringing lunch to work and storing ingredients (or prepared meals) in the refrigerator so they stay fresh for several days, high-quality food storage containers are necessary. Choose something that can be used in the dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, and oven, as well as being made of environmentally friendly glass.
2. Aluminum foil
Aluminum foil can be used for a variety of purposes in the kitchen. This multifunctional kitchen staple may be used for anything from cooking to cleaning, protecting, scrubbing, lifting, and steaming.
3. Parchment paper
In the kitchen, parchment paper is used as a disposable non-stick surface that considerably aids in preventing messes. Simply use parchment paper to line your casserole dish or baking sheet pan and clean up will be a breeze.
4. Towels
Towels are required in every kitchen for dish drying, spill cleanup, dusting, and routine cleaning. However, when it comes to outfitting their own minimalist kitchen, most people overlook towels.
5. Sponges
Sponges are a must-have in the kitchen since they help keep the utensils clean.
6. Dish rack
You'll need to hand wash some items or give cookware a quick rinse even if you have a dishwasher. You'll need a good dish rack since you can put your dishes on it and it will drain the water back into the sink.
7. Trash bags
Because everyone requires garbage bags, you might as well choose the most attractive ones available. Picking compact trash bags are ideal for apartment residents with limited space and a small garbage container.
8. Trash Bin
Kitchens generate a lot of waste, and you don't want to go from the kitchen to where your home bin is all the time. So having a separate trash bin for your kitchen is a good idea.
When you’re in the kitchen, you want to be able to move quickly and find everything you need
Use our checklist to keep your kitchen organized and efficient