List of Kitchen Utensils and French Cookware

Here is a list of kitchen utensils that you might find in a French home. Even if this is similar to how your kitchen is already equipped, I bet you can still find a new and unusual tool amongst these gadgets and utensils.

In France, the equipment that you find in the kitchen is known as la batterie de cuisine. The French will opt for quality over quantity in many situations, and French kitchenware is no different. Far better to have one high quality sharp knife that sings as you chop, then a drawer full of dull blades that you can't wait to put down.

Topping the list of kitchen utensils found in the French home is a large chef's knife and a paring knife. These are the strict minimum. Most people also have a long serrated bread knife and many people a sharpening steel. It is interesting to note that the French are terrific fans of Japanese cutlery which is prized for its precision and durability.

Some of the specialized knives and choppers that you will find in a better equipped French kitchen are:

Berceau (you may know this as a mezzaluna) Cheese knife Chestnut knife French fry cutter Mandolin Meat cleaver Oyster knife Poultry scissors

Pots and pans are next on our list of kitchen utensils. Anti-adhesive pots and pans are very popular in France these days. However, despite its convenience, this cookware is not very durable and many home chefs favor other materials, including iron and copper. Popular French cookware brands are Le Creuset, Staub, and Mauviel (for copperware). Staub cookware is treasured by chefs around the globe.

Other then the basic pots and skillets of different sizes (a minimum of three pots and two pans seems a strict minimum for anyone interested in cooking), some more specialized French kitchenware might be:

Aspargus steamer Chestnut roaster Couscoussier Crepe pan Double boiler Dutch oven Roasting pan

Bottle opener Can opener Chinois sieve Colander Cutting board French press coffee pot Garlic press Grater Ladle Melon baller Mixing bowls (of all sizes and materials) Mortar and Pestle Oil and vinegar cruets Pastry brush Pepper mill Salad wringer Salt mill Slotted spoon Spatulas (the more variety, the better) Spice mill Stainless steel food mill Thermometer Tongs Vegetable peeler Wooden spoons (How could you even think of cooking without one of these on hand?) Whisks Zester

Baking equipment is on most French people's list of kitchen utensils they can't do without. Baking pans will include cake pans, at least one tart pan (with fluted edges), and baking sheets as well as spring form pans and jelly roll pans. and perhaps a French bread pan .

Many people's cupboards also boast a madeleine pan or other specially shaped French cookware for making such treats as canneles. brioches, charlottes, tartlettes, and kugelhopf.

The French make some truly elegant au gratin dishes that look so great on the table you find yourself looking for things to bake in them. Kitchens are also likely to have a roasting pan, a souffle dish a tajine and French onion soup bowls on hand. Other baking equipment includes:

Cooling racks French rolling pin Icing bag and tips Measuring cups (Typically a French kitchen will have a Pyrex measuring cup that gives the weights of various volumes of ingredients - in liters of course.) Measuring spoons Pastry board Scale Sieve or sifter

The French are big fans of small kitchen appliances. Some popular marks of French kitchenware are Phillips, Moulinex, Cuisinart, and Braun. You can certainly make do without any of these items on your list of kitchen utensils, but you might also find something you fall in love with.

Blender Bread machine Crepe maker Deep fat fryer Electric pressure cooker Electric teakettle Electric wok Espresso maker Food processor Fondue maker Hand mixer Ice cream maker Immersion mixer Indoor grill Raclette grill Stand mixer Toaster Vapor cooker Yogurt maker

If you're ever in Paris and you like to cook, you really ought to check out E. Dehillerin. It is no-glitz cookware shop stuffed to the gills with all sorts of cooking tools, knives, bakeware and gadgets. A great place to stumble on hard to find items on your personal list of kitchen utensils.

It's located in the first arrondissement in the heart of Paris. You can peek in the window here: E. Dehillerin. Have fun!