The Beginners Guide To Basic Kitchen Appliances

Setting up a new kitchen is both exiting and overwhelming. You will see new stuff that you do not have but might need in every store that you visit. On top of this, friends and relatives will swear by their own favorite kitchen appliances and utensils and store salesmen will convince you that your kitchen cannot be complete until and unless you pick up each and every appliance available in their store ranging from ovens, steamers and coffee grinders to toasters, citrus fruit juicers and grill sandwich makers. While you will eventually get to know what you need and what you don't as you start using your kitchen full time, given below is a list of necessary basic kitchen appliances that will help you out till then:

Food Processor: A food processor is the best thing to ever happen to the kitchen. Many people will tell you that the attachments are tough to handle and cleaning up is the biggest chore ever, but a food processor can actually speed up your time and productivity in the kitchen provided you know how to use one. Any good quality food processor will let you make juices; chop, slice, shred, mince and grate vegetables and meat; grind and puree and knead your dough for bread and pizza bases. Buy a food processor that comes with a blender so that you do not have to buy an additional blender, which is one of the most used and useful kitchen appliances.

Food Stand Mixer

Blender: If you are not buying a food processor or if your processor comes without a blender, then make sure that you buy a blender before you start cooking. It is a major necessity in any kitchen and extremely efficient and useful for making shakes, smoothies, purees, soups and sauces.

The Beginners Guide To Basic Kitchen Appliances

An Electric Beater Or Mixer: An electric beater, stand alone or hand held is a necessity for you if you plan to bake. These hand held or stand alone beaters ensure that your eggs and cream are perfectly whipped for cakes and that your batter is perfectly mixed. You can go for a manual beater/mixer if you are short of money, but they tend to consume a lot of time and energy and still fail to provide the results that an electric one does. They are also helpful in making soups, sauces and pastes of all kinds.

A Microwave: In a day and age of pre-packed, pre-prepared frozen foods, no kitchen is complete without a microwave. Microwaves are necessary for reheating and defrosting, which not only take up time but also result in a large amount of dirty utensils if you use a stove top. You can also use your microwave for basic cooking and end up saving a lot of kitchen time.

A Crock Pot: The only way that you can get perfect steamed rice with each and every grain standing out separately is by using a crock pot or an electric rice cooker. Just put in the desired amount of rice and water and switch in the device and your restaurant grade rice will be ready within no time. It is an ideal instrument for making soups and all-in-one meals and is also great for steaming vegetables.

The Beginners Guide To Basic Kitchen Appliances

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Two Simple Cupcake Recipes for Beginners

Every cupcake baker needs to start somewhere. These two recipes are for everyone's favorite flavors: chocolate and vanilla! Some people might find these flavors to be boring, but I think they are perfect! Additional ingredients can always be added to fancy them up and the "plainness" of the flavors allows for the use of more interesting frosting.

This chocolate recipe has been in my family forever and it is absolutely the best chocolate cake I've ever had. And as an added bonus, there are no eggs in the batter so feel free to lick the bowl!

Food Stand Mixer

No Eggs Chocolate Cake

Two Simple Cupcake Recipes for Beginners

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. cocoa
2 c. water
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
¾ c. canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, sift together the first five ingredients. Put the remaining ingredients in the large bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well blended, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the dry ingredients until well combined. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

This next recipe is for vanilla cupcakes. I love a vanilla cupcake because they are so versatile! You can add any flavor frosting to make it more interesting. You can also add in additional items to the batter, like sprinkles or finely chopped fruit, and it completely transforms the cake.

Vanilla Cupcakes

1-3/4 c. cake flour, not self rising
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces
4 large eggs
1 c. whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line you cupcake tin with paper liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on a low speed until combined. Gradually add the butter until just coated with flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With the mixer on a medium speed, gradually add this mixture in three parts. Beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but don't overbeat.

Fill the cupcake liners until they are 2/3 full. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Two Simple Cupcake Recipes for Beginners

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