Tools of the trade
Arm yourself with a great kitchen utensil set and cooking will be your oyster! You’ll need some trusty tools for prepping and serving, and first on the list is a hardworking kitchen knife. Save time switching between blades with a versatile chef’s knife that you can use for most chopping, slicing and cutting tasks. We recommend the Go Cook Riveted Cook’s Knife, made from high-quality German steel, with a tapered blade for precision. It comes with a 20-year guarantee and is available in selected stores. Next up: a few basics – a solid spoon, a slotted spoon, a whisk, a turner and a spatula. For style and substance, we like the Go Cook Acacia Silicone range. It’s comfortable to use, while still being super-effective (made from flexible silicone). The utensils are heat resistant up to 200°C and all come with a 5-year guarantee. Equally heat-resistant with the same 5-year guarantee, is the excellent Go Cook Nylon range. This collection includes a solid spoon, slotted spoon, turner and masher, and is particularly good for non-stick surfaces, as well as being dishwasher-safe.
Great gadgets
Good cooks have a few clever gadgets in their kitchen drawer to make light work of those fiddly tasks that can waste precious minutes. Let's start with this Go Cook Easy Release Can Opener, which removes can lids effortlessly and safely, no prizing the lid off with a fork required! The ergonomic handle feels comfortable and you can pop it in the dishwasher afterwards. Next, take a look at this nifty Go Cook Rocker Garlic Press. The innovative rocking action is efficient and fun, creating less mess for more pulp. On the subject of prepping raw ingredients, a great peeler is a must-have. Try this multi-tasking Go Cook Duo Peeler that gets to work quickly and includes a handy pointed tip to remove vegetable eyes. If you eat a lot of stir-fries and salads, you’ll appreciate this Julienne Peeler from the same range. It finely peels fruit and veg strips in seconds. And finally, don’t forget a durable chopping board is the ultimate kitchen essential for quick and easy meal prep. This non-slip board is up to the task of prepping ingredients safely, as well as speedily. We like the juice channel and user-friendly handle, plus the fact it’s dishwasher-safe. All products featured here come with a 5-year guarantee.
A durable chopping board is the ultimate kitchen essential for quick and easy meal prep.
Pick of the pots
When time is of the essence, you want to grab the right pot or pan in seconds. It’s worth taking stock of what you have first and what’s perhaps missing from your kitchen kit. A large saucepan is a must-have piece of cooking equipment for making soups, sauces, quick one-pots and pasta dishes. But if you can only invest in one new pan, our choice would be this family stockpot that’s hob and oven-friendly – no need to waste time transferring food from pan to roaster. This Go Cook All in One Stockpot has a generous 6-litre capacity, is dishwasher-safe and boasts a lengthy 20-year guarantee. If you’re after something a little more compact and just for hob-cooking (including induction), we’d plump for the Go Cook Eco 22cm Stockpot, made from 80% recycled aluminium, that’s non-stick and dishwasher-safe. We like the soft-touch handles, which make it perfect for hob-to-table transfers and, as you can see, it looks the part too!
Stir-fry staples
If you love a stir-fry for a quick and tasty meal, don’t overlook your stir-fry pan or wok for creating lots of other dishes, from quick curries and warm salads to heating up leftovers. What to look for in a good stir-fry pan? You want a hardwearing material, a quality non-stick coating and, if possible, a long guarantee. Our top pick is this Go Cook Heat Control Stirfry Pan that’s a substantial 30cm in diameter, yet it’s not at all clunky to cook with. The special feature is the Heat Control element: the handle glows red when the pan is hot enough, which is the key to swift and even cooking. Made from forged aluminium with a non-stick coating and coming with a 20-year guarantee, it’s built to last yet can be popped in your dishwasher, no problem. Worth knowing that there's also a 24cm saucepan, 30cm saucepan, grill pan and saucepans in the collection.
Smart storage
For those times when you want to save your cooking for another day, but fancy something fast and fresh, batch-cooking is your answer. Having homecooked meals lying in wait, either in your fridge or freezer is a saviour for the super-busy, particularly leading up to and during the festive season. You’ll just need some good storage: lidded, dishwasher- and microwave-safe containers are best, preferably in a variety of sizes. The Tesco Klipfresh range is so affordable and reliable, with the great-value 3 pack being a useful starter set for meal-prep. The range is suitable for the dishwasher, microwave and freezer, as well as being stackable. There’s definitely something satisfying about stacking lots of delicious dinners in your fridge/freezer, and with the right kitchen essentials, plus some tried-and-tested recipes, you’ll be one of those cooks who can rustle up a meal in minutes too!
