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Most people do not realize it, but having the proper cooking equipment really makes a difference to the way your dishes turn out. No wonder then, you might have noted that most world renowned chefs pay utmost importance to the equipments they use and many even travel with their favorite equipments for shows and exhibitions instead of taking a chance with new ones. Therefore, if you are stocking up your kitchen, then make sure that you at least get the basics right. This way, you will never have to give up making a dish in the middle just because you do not have the proper equipment. At the same time, your dishes will turn out just the way they are supposed to instead of turning out to be surprises (often unpleasant ones).  We provide you here with a basic cooking equipment guide. This is stuff that every fully operational kitchen should have. You can go on adding equipments based on the kind of cooking that you do and the recipes you make.

Pots and Pans: Having the right type and the right size of cooking utensils is extremely important since they influence both the cooking time and the taste of your food. The list of essentials is as follows:

· One large, one medium and one small pot, with lids
· A medium sized saucepan with lid
· One large and one small frying pan, preferably non stick
· Two to three oven proof baking dishes in different sizes. Or buy at least two of the same size.
· Buy a pie pan and a cake pan –both medium sizes—if you plan to bake
· A set of different sized microwave proof bowls for storing and heating leftovers.
· A roasting pan and rack if you are into roasts

Knives: Most people do not pay as much attention to knives as they deserve. Buy the right kind of knives, good quality ones, and they will not only increase the quality of your output, they will also increase your efficiency in the kitchen.

· One chef’s knife 8 or 10 inches long
· One bread knife
· One paring knife
· One serrated knife
· One vegetable peeler

Spoons and Ladles: Having the right kind of spoons makes cooking very convenient. So make sure that you have the right ones for every process.

· Wooden spoons- with long and short handles
· Slotted spoons for deep frying- for non stick as well as regular pans
· Ladles
· Spatulas of different sizes

If you have non stick pans, then make sure that you buy spoons suited for such pans. This will save money since wood and plastic spoons can also be used with regular pans and pots.

Other Utensils and Accessories: No kitchen is complete without these necessities, so read on for more basic equipment that you need to stock your kitchen with.

· Grater with different hole sizes and some other basic functions
· Rolling pin
· Mixing bowls
· Measuring cups –one for liquids and one for dry items

Most people nowadays look upon cooking as a burden rather than as an enjoyable chore. As a result, we not only cut down on cooking times by making short-cut meals and dishes, we also fail to pay attention to our own safety while in the kitchen. Having a safe cooking environment is the most important thing to pay attention to before you start cooking. Follow our tips to a safe cooking environment to avoid kitchen accidents.

Don’t leave your stove unattended: The leading cause of homes burning down in America is kitchen fires that have been caused by unattended stoves. In order to avoid this scenario in your life, never leave a pot unattended while it is cooking. If you have to rush off during cooking for a minute or two, make sure that you set the stove to lowest or dim it. If you have to leave the kitchen for more than two minutes, then turning off the stove is a better idea.

Play safe with oil: A large number of burns in the kitchen are caused due to oil spatters. While most of us who have ever ventured into a kitchen have been subjected to minor burns caused due to oil spattering, the same has proved fatal in many cases. Make sure that the pan you are using for deep frying is stable and sits properly on your stovetop. Change the stovetop or the pan if it doesn’t. When your oil is hot, drop food to be fried carefully, always dropping it in a direction against your body, rather than towards it. Take care not to drop water or use wet spoons in hot oil.

Keep your kitchen clean: Food cooked in a dirty kitchen is liable to be contaminated by harmful bacteria that could cause serious illnesses. Make sure that your kitchen, countertop, stove and utensils are clean before you start using them for cooking. If you use a chemical or commercial cleaner for cleaning your countertop, then do not keep either raw or cooked food on it since the residue from the cleaner can poison your food. Avoid cross contamination by washing your chopping board and bowls every time you use them.

Have the proper accessories on hand: In order to indulge in safe cooking, it is important that you equip your kitchen with the proper accessories. So make sure that you have strong tongs to handle hot pans and dishes and thick oven mitts for taking out hot dishes from the oven. Use only good quality stuff made of non inflammable materials. As far as cleaning cloths and mitts are concerned, use only cotton ones, since synthetics are very prone to catching fire.

Dress appropriately: The kitchen is not the best place to show off your scarves and boas. The proper attire for working in the kitchen are clothes that are made out of cotton and keep close to your body. Flapping or loose clothes, especially nylon and polyester mixes can spell disaster in the kitchen. So say no to long, bell shaped sleeves, extra loose tops, shawls and scarves in the kitchen if you want to avoid personal accidents and injuries.