Choose Me – Overlooked Kitchen Essentials

Jan 7, 2023 by Chef David

By Chef David

There are some things every wedding registry should include but does not. Newlywed couples trying to think of all the items they will need when setting up their kitchen tend to overlook the more conventional but pricier workhorse items. Registries include high ticket items gravitating towards fancier electronics, such as mixers, and espresso machines while omitting high-quality no-tech basics, like a set of high-quality cuttings boards, and kitchen shears from Shun Cutlery. When you are starting out you need everything, and yet, these items are rarely seen as priorities, until now.

Smaller Cutting Boards

For a chef, cutting boards are essential, and the bigger the better, because it provides a larger cutting area. For a cooking novice, or someone setting up a new kitchen, especially one in a small space, having a full-size board may be impractical. The Williston Trio made by JK Adams provides three cutting boards that range in size, which makes them especially practical as a starter board set.

As we explained in November 2021’s article Kitchen Essentials: The Secret is in the Board why every kitchen should have a wooden cutting board.  Although you can cut on any surface, the use of a wood-cutting surface improves your culinary prowess, and most importantly reduces accidents. Cutting with a wood board is a smoother experience than using a plastic board, even for a novice cook. Wood boards minimize damage to your knife, keeping your knife sharper for longer.

Providing Choices

JK Adams trio offers three maple cutting boards of graduated sizes, providing the user with choices. This variety allows you to select a board that matches the task (small, medium, or large). They even provide a sensible storage solution; each board has a hole in the top left corner. Using a leather loop with a snap, you can attach the boards. This allows you to store them together and detach them for use.

The small board, 12″x8″x.75″, is excellent for simple cutting, dicing, and preparation work. The medium board, 14″x10″x.75″, is perfect for slicing veggies, it can double as a basic challah board. The largest size, 16″x12″x .75″, has a juice groove that keeps your counters clean. Although it may be too large for everyday use, it is ideal for party preparation.

While maple is a forgiving hardwood, proper maintenance is important. Handwash your boards with warm, soapy water after each use and dry them thoroughly with a towel. Never soak or submerge in water, put in a dishwasher, or use in a microwave. Avoid placing hot pots or pans on your board, as this can result in lasting burn marks. Ensure you oil and maintain your board as necessary.

JK Adams Story

J.K. Adams is a family-owned business founded on December 31, 1944, dedicated to creating the highest quality, hand-crafted products that make cooking and entertaining easy and fun. Located in Dorset, Vermont their products are made using North American hardwoods.

As with all their products, the boards come with a Lifetime Guarantee.

Kitchen Shears

Who needs special kitchen shears?  Most home cooks use the kitchen shears that came with the knife block set, which tend to be of low quality. Besides, you can perform the same tasks with your knife. This is a common reaction from anyone who has not invested in a quality kitchen shear, which is why they are probably the most often overlooked kitchen essentials.

What kitchen shears do best is snipping, cutting, and breaking down poultry. They are also great as a way to quickly dice herbs. As a rule of thumb, reach for your kitchen shears when you don’t want to clean your cutting board.

What to Look for in Shears

A great pair of shears should be able to cut (rather than shred) anything including thin paper or plastic, snip herbs, and even crack through poultry bones. They should be strong, providing a clean accurate cut, and should come apart to allow easy thorough cleaning, which is essential when used for cutting raw poultry.

Then comes personal preference, select shears with a handle loop that is a good size and provides a comfortable fit for your hand. Lastly look for gadgets, a good pair of multi-purpose shears can be like a Swiss army knife, providing all kinds of added functionality.

Shun Kitchen Shears

Shun kitchen shears (Model DM7240) are heavy-duty, with blades that separate for easy cleaning, and a comfortable, non-slip handle. To improve cutting effectiveness, they have a smooth top blade with a micro-serrated bottom blade for clean, secure cuts. Shun shears include a notch making it easy to cut flower stems or thin poultry bones. Some additional features included are a lid lifter and a screwdriver tip in the handles.

The shears are handmade in Seki, Japan, using a proprietary high-carbon, molybdenum-vanadium stainless steel. Using high carbon provides strength while stainless steel makes the blade corrosion-resistant. These shears are durable, razor-sharp, and lightweight.

The Shun Brand 

Shun is a Japanese brand whose products are both high quality and elegant. Shun was created to bring Japanese cutlery to the US and European markets. The brand ‘Shun’ refers to the Japanese tradition of fresh seasonal, mindful eating. The Shun heritage is connected to Seki City, the heart of the Japanese cutlery industry since the 13th Century, with a long history of blade-making.

Shun balances ancient traditions of handcrafted quality, with modern, premium materials and state-of-the-art technology to provide quality tools.

Practically Basic

The most important kitchen items are the ones that will help you the most. They are not always the most elaborate or expensive. Often, they turn out to be practical, simple, and well-made.

I found that by buying high-quality brands, I find products I can trust. One purchase can last a lifetime. Both Shun kitchen sheers and JA Adams Trio of Maple Cutting Boards can be purchased on Amazon, in select stores, or on their websites.

Properly accessorizing your kitchen can be costly, and confusing. There are so many competing products, each looking to be noticed. Select the products that fit your lifestyle. After adding these basics to my kitchen, it’s hard to remember a time without them.