Cookware – The Ultimate Guide

Introduction

Essentially, it is always possible to create a delicious meal with simple tools such as a pan, pot, or grill over an open flame. However, it’s fun to optimize all processes in the kitchen and in that way help to fully engage your taste buds.

There are thousands of options for which direction you want to take in the kitchen and whether you wish to enhance your skills and equipment in different areas.

If you generally love being in a kitchen and have difficulty coming up with wishes for Christmas or your birthday, this article is also an excellent source of inspiration for you.

The price range of the various products here varies from just a few hundred kroner to over 30,000 kroner, so we have something for everyone.

We have compiled a small guide over different areas and which gear fits well:

Cooking

There are many cooking options for your ingredients. The most commonly used are stove, grill, or oven, but there are also pressure cookers, sous vide machines, and more. Here, we will go through the many different types of cooking equipment.

Stove

There are many different kinds of stoves in Danish homes, and generally, you should be aware that not all pans/pots are compatible with the different types.

Induction stove: Typically, it is an induction cooktop used in Danish homes. The cooktop heats up using magnetism and requires some adjustment if you haven’t tried it before. The advantage is that they heat up quickly and respond quickly when you increase or decrease the heat. However, you must ensure that your pots and pans have a magnetic base; otherwise, they will not work on the cooktop. Therefore, copper and aluminum equipment cannot be used with this type of stove.

Ceramic cooktop: A ceramic cooktop is characterized by having a completely smooth surface and is also called a glass-ceramic stove. The biggest advantages of this stove are that they are efficient at utilizing energy and that almost all kinds of pots and pans can be used on it.

Gas stove: The gas stove has the advantage of quickly responding to heat adjustments. Additionally, you can use nearly all kinds of pots and pans on it. Moreover, you don’t need to remove your pot/pan from the burner when turning off the gas, as the heat disappears immediately.

Oven

Steam oven: The oven cooks food using steam. It retains the food’s moisture, flavor, and vitamins better. Previously, steam ovens were only seen in professional kitchens, but more and more people are discovering that the oven can do something special when it comes to cooking meat, fish, bread, and vegetables.

Convection oven: Most ovens today have a built-in convection function. This means that instead of the heat coming from either the top or bottom, it comes from a fan placed at the back of the oven, circulating the hot air around. This is useful as you can have multiple trays in the oven at the same time. Convection is also great for many things, especially those that need a crispy surface (baked goods, potatoes, etc.).

Microwave oven: A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that uses microwaves to heat/cook food. Most homes today have one, and with good reason. It’s affordable, doesn’t take up much space, and is fantastic for quick and energy-saving cooking, defrosting, and heating various types of food.

4-in-1 oven: An oven with several functions: conventional oven, convection oven, steam oven, and sous vide function all in one. It’s very convenient as it opens up a wealth of new and exciting cooking possibilities. Additionally, it saves space in the kitchen as the 4-in-1 oven eliminates the need for an external steam oven and various sous vide equipment.

Pizza oven: An oven specifically designed for baking pizza, as good pizza requires particularly high temperatures. A pizza oven is typically equipped with a flat stone placed under a dome of ceramic, brick, or clay. However, some pizza ovens are also available in stainless steel, such as this pizza oven. If you are a dedicated pizza lover, an oven specifically designed for the purpose is, of course, indispensable.

Sous Vide

Sous vide has gained popularity among Danes over the past many years. Basically, it is a method that can ensure a constant temperature (typically with an accuracy of 0.1 degrees) and help ensure that your ingredients are cooked very gently and precisely. It is typically meat and vegetables that are cooked this way, by being wrapped in a bag or vacuum bag and submerged in water controlled by your sous vide.

The sous vide method is perfect for ensuring that, for example, your steak is cooked exactly medium-rare all the way through, just as you like it. Read much more about sous vide here.

Sous vide machine: Typically, sous vide devices are made as a bath/machine, resembling a deep fryer. The bath is filled with water, and the ingredient in the bag is placed in the water. The machines are relatively large, so they take up some space in your kitchen. You either need to use it relatively often before you can “justify” leaving it out. The alternative is to pack it away each time it’s used, but that can often result in it being used less frequently. Read our complete guide to the different machines available on the market here.

Sous vide wand: A simple way to get started with sous vide is by purchasing a sous vide wand. A sous vide wand resembles a large immersion blender in size, and the advantage of using one is that it only needs to be attached to a large pot, a bucket, or a plastic container you have at home. It is, therefore, easier to pack away afterward, but it functions in exactly the same way as a sous vide machine. We have written a guide specifically on the different sous vide wands on the market. Find it here.

Vacuum bags: Some vacuum bags are ridged while others are smooth. If you are uncertain about the difference between the two, you can find the answer in our article here. If you are looking for smooth vacuum bags, you might find inspiration here.

Pressure Cooker

The pressure cooker is a tool that we Danes are not very familiar with. It’s a shame as it is brilliant for reducing cooking time in soups, broths, and braising dishes. In this article, we delve deeper into what a pressure cooker can do.

Grill

A grill cooks food by roasting and typically consists of a lower container for combustible material and a grate above it – the English word, grill, means “grate.” The combustible material is usually either charcoal or gas.

Charcoal grill: Heated using charcoal briquettes or charcoal, typically ignited with lighter fluid. A charcoal grill has long been the most common grill type for private use but has faced increasing competition from gas grills. Charcoal grills range from the smaller, simple kettle grills to the very large and more complex ones. Some charcoal grills, for example, have built-in rotisseries. If you want to learn more about these, you can read more in this article.

Gas grill: Heated using gas. Compared to the charcoal grill, the gas grill wins on heating speed, and with a gas grill, you can easily control the temperature. The number of burners varies from model to model: Some gas grills have, for instance, 4 burners, while others have 7. Furthermore, if you have fallen in love with the sous vide method, you know that the meat should be well-seared afterward. Here, for example, The Beefer is a good way to sear your meat, as this gas grill can reach up to 800 degrees. This means that even if your meat is slightly moist, the temperature is so high that a uniform and beautiful crust is ensured all around.

Electric grill: Heated by an electric heating element. An electric grill does not reach as high temperatures as other grill types, making it best suited for grilling items like sausages and smaller pieces of meat.

Disposable grill: A travel-friendly alternative to the other – and often more or less stationary – grill types. A disposable grill traditionally consists of a small aluminum box filled with charcoal or briquettes, with a thin grate on top. A disposable grill cannot be reused and only heats for a short time, making it best suited for smaller cuts of meat and grilling sausages. The common types of disposable grills have raised several environmental questions as they do not decompose in nature and pose a potential environmental risk. However, some biodegradable disposable grills can be left in nature without issue and may be designed to achieve even higher temperatures. If you’re interested in reading more about these types of disposable grills, you can learn much more in this article.

Yakitori grill: The Japanese word, Yakitori, directly translates to “grilled chicken.” A yakitori grill is a long, open grill that uses charcoal and is specifically designed to make Yakitori. Read more about the classic Japanese grill in this article.

Smoker: A smoker is a grill specifically built for smoking. If you are very fond of BBQ, a smoker is essential. Here, Smoky Fun Tradition 5 is a classic offset smoker that can use briquettes, charcoal, and wood. We have written a whole article about it, which you can find here.

Gas Burner

If you’re not interested in investing in a whole gas grill but still want to use a similar cooking principle, such as The Beefer, for searing meat, something as simple as a gas burner can be a great alternative.

Creme brulee torch: A good gas burner should be easy to adjust and comfortable to hold. Here, a Masterclass professional gas burner might be a great option.

Blowtorch: At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you use a fancy creme brulee torch or something as simple as a blowtorch. You can find decent, inexpensive blowtorches, for example, at Harald Nyborg.

Preparation of Meat and Vegetables

Vacuum Sealer

Can pack items in completely airtight bags. This way, food is kept fresher, and the shelf life is significantly extended. It’s especially smart to vacuum seal food items you want to freeze, as the quality of the thawed items will be much higher than if you had just used regular freezer bags. For the sous vide enthusiast, a vacuum sealer is indispensable since the ingredients to be cooked sous vide must not come into contact with the water.

Dry Aging Bags

With Dry-aging bags, you have the opportunity to age your own meat and get it exactly as you want it. It all happens easily in the smart bags that let the moisture evaporate without letting air in. This creates the perfect environment for aging meat.

Read much more about dry aging bags here.

Aging Cabinet

With an aging cabinet, you can dry-age your meat to achieve the absolute best quality – every time. The cabinet is best suited for larger pieces of meat, as the surface of the meat will dry out and need to be trimmed off before use.

We have a complete guide to the different aging cabinets available on the market. Read much more here.

Dehydrator

A dehydrator is a type of machine with trays. You can set the machine’s temperature between 35 and 70 degrees. It has a fan that ensures your ingredients are exposed to even heat. A dehydrator can be used to dry everything from fruits and vegetables to meat and bread.

Read more about dehydrators here.

Molecular Gastronomy

Molecular gastronomy is no longer reserved only for gourmet restaurants but is increasingly taking hold in Danish homes. If you are a true equipment and/or plating nerd, molecular gastronomy is likely of interest to you.

Siphon: Most people are familiar with supermarket whipped cream dispensers, and a siphon bottle is essentially the same. The bottle has a siphon-like dispensing mechanism, where the contents/liquid are forced through by releasing carbon dioxide pressure. The common bottle sizes are half-liter and one-liter siphon bottles. If you are cooking for a larger group, it’s naturally more convenient to use a one-liter bottle, but if you’re only making dishes for two people at a time, you can probably manage with a half-liter bottle. If you’re unsure whether to use CO2 or N2O in your siphon, you should read this article.

“Fake caviar maker”: Fake caviar – artificial caviar or fruit pearls – are small, uniform liquid-filled spheres that can resemble caviar. Fake caviar is used in both sweet and savory kitchens and is a classic in molecular gastronomy. The technique is called spherification. The Spherificator Kit is a machine that produces enough fruit pearls for your entire dinner party in seconds. You can also use the so-called Caviar Box, which is no larger than 16 x 12 x 6 cm and makes 96 small drops at a time.

Smoke Gun: Smoke in the kitchen has become popular in recent years, and the smoke serves as both a flavor enhancer and show. With a smoke gun, you can add a light smoky flavor to food. With it, you can cold smoke, for example, fatty fish, eggs, butter, and meat. However, it’s limited how much smoky flavor sticks to the ingredient, so it’s primarily fatty fish like salmon and mackerel as well as eggs that are suitable for smoking this way. We have two different presentations of different smoke guns. You can find them here and here.

Starter Kits: “The Little Chemist – Chemistry at a High Level” is a starter kit that contains everything a molecular gastronomy enthusiast can imagine. It’s “Chemistry at a High Level,” as it contains a lot and is suitable for both those who know what they want with molecular gastronomy and those who are just getting started with the discipline and don’t want to miss anything.

Basic Kitchen Tools

Pans

You should have at least two pans in your kitchen, for example, one large and one small. Often, you have several pans going at the same time, and it’s quite inconvenient to be limited by not having an extra one. So, acquire two from the start and remember to treat them well so they last long and provide a good cooking result.

Cast iron pan: As the name suggests, it’s a pan made of cast iron. The pan is fantastic for searing meat and vegetables at high temperatures. It can get extremely hot and withstand all types of knives and metal utensils. Due to its mass, the cast iron pan is heavy to work with, but it also means it retains heat well, giving you a beautiful crust on your steak. Read much more about what you can use a cast iron pan for here.

Sauté pan: A sauté pan is used to lightly brown a raw ingredient at medium-high heat for a relatively short time. The pan has high sides, so it can hold a lot without the food spilling over the edge. Sautéing is used in many recipes, so a sauté pan is almost among the essential tools in the kitchen.

Grill pan: A grill pan has ridges at the bottom. The advantage of the ridges is that the fat runs off the meat and away from the food. This helps give steaks the perfect grill flavor while also giving them those beautiful grill marks that make them look even more inviting. The grill pan also allows you to collect the fat and use it for a rich sauce.

Teflon pan: A pan with a Teflon coating. Many find this type of pan good because food doesn’t easily stick, and it’s easy to clean. Never use metal utensils on Teflon pans; only use plastic or wooden utensils. Metal creates scratches in the Teflon coating, ruining the pan.

Casserole

A casserole is a dish or pot used for slow roasting in the oven. It comes both with and without a lid. The casserole can be seen as an alternative to braising in a pot, as you can make almost the same dishes with both cooking methods.

Pots

Roasting pot: A roasting pot is good to have because it has many uses. You can use it for simmering dishes, stews, and browning meat or roasts. The roasting pot is also great if you often need to make large portions, as its capacity is typically larger than other pots.

Kitchen Machines

Blender

Most people likely have a blender in their kitchen. The machine consists of a motor, on which a glass or hard plastic jar is mounted. Inside the jar is a sharp blade that can finely chop a wide range of things, depending on the strength of the machine’s blade, glass, and motor.

Immersion blender: An immersion blender is a stick with a built-in motor. At the end of the stick is a blade function that can finely chop various types of food. The immersion blender’s blades are smaller than those of a regular blender, and the motor is not as powerful. Therefore, it is best suited for soft items like soups, sauces, etc. It’s excellent for these because you can easily control the speed and how finely you want to blend. Additionally, it saves some washing up since the stick can be used directly in the pot, bowl, etc. You can read much more about immersion blenders in our article here.

Mini chopper: A mini chopper often comes as an accessory with the immersion blender and is almost a mini version of a food processor. It’s equipped with a sharp blade that can finely chop things. Due to its small size, it’s great for chopping nuts, almonds, Parmesan cheese, and herbs.

Stand Mixer

If you enjoy baking bread and cakes, a stand mixer is almost a must in the kitchen. The machine can mix, knead, and whisk, and most also have a wealth of other functions if you buy the right accessories. These can include meat grinders, food processors, citrus presses, and pasta machines, to name just a few. A good stand mixer is a significant financial investment, but it can be a very worthwhile one if used frequently. Read more about stand mixers in this article.

Food Processor

A food processor is a versatile machine that can chop and mix ingredients together in one go. Additionally, most models come with a wide range of attachments so they can whisk, chop, and grate ingredients, saving you time and effort in the kitchen. A food processor is hard to do without, especially if you make a lot of your food from scratch.

Hand Mixer

A hand mixer is a classic and staple in most kitchens. The hand mixer can stir and whisk—not much else. However, it is an incredibly useful tool, and anyone who has tried to whip cream with a hand whisk knows that you save both time and effort with this little machine. Some models come with a so-called balloon whisk in addition to the regular beaters. It’s great for things like whipping cream, which is whipped in no time.

Kitchen Machines with Heating Function

Thermomix TM5

This brilliant machine combines the functions of 12 kitchen appliances in one: it can weigh, mix, grind, knead, whip, cook, control heat, stir, and emulsify. By purchasing this machine, you save a lot of space in the kitchen, and you get the best of the best. The machine is expensive, but if you are a passionate home cook, it is worth saving up for. Read much more about the machine here.

SILVERCREST KITCHEN TOOLS® Monsieur Cuisine édition plus

This lovely all-in-one machine is a cheaper alternative to the Thermomix described above. Of course, the quality is not the same, but the machine has nonetheless performed well in various tests given the price. In short, it is a mixer and blender that can be heated in a range between 37-130 degrees. The machine can be used for dough, milkshakes, and soups, and the blender is so powerful that it can crush ice. Read more about the machine here.

Baking Equipment

Baking

If you bake your own bread or cakes, there are a number of fundamental tools that will help ensure you achieve the best possible result.

Baking steel: A baking steel works much like a baking stone. However, many find the baking steel better for use in a regular oven because steel gets hotter than stone and therefore transfers heat more quickly to the dough. This results in lighter bread with a delicious, crispy crust. Read more about the baking steel here.

Baking stone: Few people have room for a real stone oven in their private kitchen. Therefore, many acquire a baking stone as an alternative. The stone provides quick heat transfer to the bread and ensures an even baking temperature. This gives a thick, crispy crust and a moister bread. Always heat the stone with the oven, as otherwise it won’t get hot enough before adding the dough.

Bread form: A heat-resistant form made of metal, silicone, or wood designed for baking bread. Typically made of aluminum with a Teflon coating. The shaped dough is placed in the form, and during proofing and baking, the bread will take the shape of the bread form. Rye bread is always baked in a form, but most other doughs can also be baked this way. You can bake both cakes and bread in fun and different versions by choosing more unconventional baking molds. Try, for example, this mold for the football fan, or this fun baking mold for the joker.

Sandwich bread form: A metal bread form with a lid. The dough is baked with the lid on, so the bread doesn’t rise over the edge of the form during baking. This gives you the characteristic, perfectly square slices of sandwich bread. The lid also prevents the crust from becoming too crispy, so the bread retains the moisture from the dough in addition to its shape. Read more about sandwich bread forms in this article, where you can also see a video on folding sandwich bread.

Proofing basket: There are also so-called proofing baskets that help a wet dough rise upward instead of outward during the final rise. The basket is dusted with a thick layer of flour before placing the dough in it, and the bread rises in the basket. Before baking, the unbaked bread is turned out onto a baking sheet and placed directly in the oven, so it doesn’t lose its shape.

Decoration and Serving

It’s said that we eat with our eyes. The way a dish is presented sets an expectation for the taste experience, which is why a significant part of enjoying a delightful meal lies in its plating. If you enjoy presenting beautifully decorated servings, you have several tools at your disposal.

Plating set: A collection of tools that help you serve fine and festive presentations. A plating set can include various types of small spatulas and tweezers. If you want to know more about what a set can contain and contribute to your culinary skills, you can read more in this article.

Airbrush: A mechanical spray gun with compressed air. An airbrush is used to apply color to, for example, cakes and can be used to color larger surfaces as well as perform small, detailed decorations with finer, thinner lines. If you’re interested in seeing an airbrush in action and finding out how an airbrush works, you can see and read more here.

Gold leaf: Ultra-thin edible gold foil used for decorative gilding of food, typically baked goods. Gold leaf can be used on all foods and has no taste but requires a little moisture on the food’s surface to adhere. Moisture is often added with a lightly moistened brush. Read more about edible gold leaf here.

Decoration set: A ready-made package of tools for decorating your baked goods, typically cakes. It can either contain the most common tools for piping, modeling tools, and more, or be pre-packaged in a given theme. You can, for example, decorate a football cake with this football-themed decoration set containing two goals, two goalkeepers, and four players.

Various Kitchen Accessories, etc.

In addition to the larger kitchen and cooking tools, there is also a wide range of other more or less fundamental equipment: Here, you will find everything from practical mixing bowls to fun gadgets for “the man who has everything.”

Clothing Items

Apron: A clothing item intended to protect clothing while working in the kitchen. As the name suggests, the apron primarily covers the front part of the body.

Grill apron: Grill aprons are made of a more durable material than the common kitchen apron, and the material is fire-resistant. Grill aprons are available in both fabric and leather, and some have a detachable hood for extra protection.