Build a new-kitchen toolkit

In anticipation of the new home’s brand-new kitchen, the urge may arise to quickly fill it with the best kitchen items.

Not so fast. A deliberate plan will serve the new kitchen owner better. Whether an experienced chef, an aspiring culinary genius or the master of the microwave, plan to spend time finding quality pieces you’ll actually use.

First, incorporate drawers in the kitchen design process with the builder. It’s easier to pull out a drawer to access pots, pans and small appliances than to rummage through cabinets kneeling on the floor or climbing on step stools.

Look at shallow drawers, deep drawers, wide drawers, narrow drawers, drawers with flexible layered inserts and hidden drawers at floor level. Remember rollout shelves in cabinets. Arguably, these aren’t drawers, but they provide the same effective functionality.

Next, upgrade the cookware.

Hand-pick
your pans

Avoid a box set of pots and pans; these sets invariably feature items that get less use relative to the space they consume. Instead, focus on a few good pans. Of your existing stock, keep the sturdiest, highest-quality stovetop pans you have used in the past 18 to 24 months.

Donate duplicate pots or pans. Exceptions include nonstick skillets of varying sizes, which can be handy for simultaneously preparing made-to-order items such as omelets or grilled sandwiches.

After clearing some space, look for high-quality heavy pots and pans with multiple uses. Avid cooks may prefer cast-iron skillets in different sizes. One can be used for savory sauces, meats and fish while the other is used for breads, for instance.

Cooks of any skill level will benefit from enameled cast-iron skillets and pots, which don’t require the upkeep of exposed cast iron. These conduct heat evenly; the enamel helps keep ingredients from creating a sticky layer that requires deglazing or hours of soaking.

While looking at enameled stainless steel, consider a Dutch oven or two. These come in a variety of sizes — large enough for a huge roast or small enough for a loaf of bread — but their key characteristic is the heavy lid. The lid allows for ideal temperature and moisture distribution when used in the oven or for clean, low-and-slow stovetop cooking.

Also look at durable, fully-clad stainless steel or hard-anodized aluminum pots and pans. Although sometimes heavier than more standard pots and pans, they’re durable and designed to conduct heat evenly with a thicker metal base.

Ask the builder: Speaking of evenly distributed heat, ask the builder what type of stovetop comes standard and what other options are available.

If the kitchen is all or mostly electric, ask about induction stovetops, which use less electricity and also don’t leave surfaces hot to the touch after use. Induction stovetops also require the use of iron or steel pots and pans (no copper).

Select 4 or 5
good knives

Fancy knife sets look great in their pretty, solid-wood stands holding a dozen or more pieces. They also take up a lot of counter space, which is only worth the sacrifice if you use all of the knives regularly.

Because the new home’s kitchen will likely feature clever systems of drawers, consider dedicating one section or layer of a drawer to your high-end food-prep knives.

Include a large, sturdy chef’s knife in the collection. Try it on for size to get a sense of the handle that provides the most stability. Add a serrated bread knife with an ergonomic handle. And include two or three knives with shorter blades and sharp tips, but handles long enough to grip.

Remember that dull knives are dangerous. Invest in a good knife sharpener, either manual or electric, and use it.

Stir and scrape
with spurtles

The spurtle — traditionally a Scottish porridge stirrer — has many uses in the modern kitchen and comes in various styles and colors. One of its distinguishing characteristics is its easy-to-grip handle shape. A spurtle is also more even in width from top to bottom.

Wood spurtles can do exactly what long wooden spoons do but with less clunkiness or mess. They’re attractive and come in solid or slotted wood.

Silicone spurtles are great for keeping sauces and batters from sticking to the utensil. They’re highly heat resistant, so they can be left in a pan for much longer than a plastic-handled stirring spoon that would melt or a metal-handled spoon that would become hot to the touch.

Time to get cooking!