When we travel either to our beach condo or vacation rentals, I pack my favorite kitchen tools. Over the years, I have learned that many rentals have inadequate utensils or equipment. I keep a bag especially for this purpose and unpack when we return home.
Recently on a 25-day trip to New England, I had my “Being Betty” cooking toolkit packed and in my suitcase. The final leg of the trip was to Canada for a 7-day group bus trip. We were limited to space for luggage, and decided the best solution would be to ship some excess items back home, scheduling delivery on our arrival date. My cooking toolkit was included in the items shipped home along with extra purchases made during the trip and the many items I bought from the King Arthur Cooking School.
When we arrived home one bag arrived on schedule, but the “Red Suitcase” was MIA. The Red Suitcase, of course, contained my “Being Betty Toolkit.” After almost 3 weeks trying to locate this bag, it finally arrived. Unpacking my favorite kitchen tools helped me get my cooking up and running for the rest of the summer. What a happy reunion!
My list of favorite kitchen tools:
KNIVES
I have purchased covers for several of my favorite knives. I always pack a Chef’s knife and a large paring knife. I have found that rentals often have inferior quality cutting tools that are dull. I keep knifes regularly sharpened (quarterly is my target.) For our beach condo, I have an extra set of Henckels knives and follow the same sharpening schedule.
FISH FLIPPER
At least that’s what I call the tool I use it for sautéing fish. Given the shape of the tool, it comes in handy for turning food when using a frying pan. You can find it under flexible slotted spatula.
GARLIC CHOPPER
I use two. One has a slot for slicing garlic and squeezing pieces, while the other I bought recently at Target has wheels on it. Just rolling it back and forth on the counter produces perfect pieces.
FOOD SCRAPER
This is used to gather chopped food items to move from the cutting board to a pot or pan.
ZESTER
I have two. One is a Microplane® Zester Grater. The other is a larger zester made by OXO. I prefer the larger zester because it makes the job much faster.
TONGS AND WHISKS
In my toolkit, I use silicone whisk and tongs, suitable for nonstick pans.
WINE AERATOR, PUMP AND CORKS
This tool is helpful to preserve and store opened wine.
MEASURING SPOONS
Dishwasher proof measuring devises are my preference.
WOODEN SPOON AND SPATULA
Again, I prefer to wood or silicone instead of metal.
PEELERS
The two I prefer are the traditional carrot peeler and a straight peeler.
MEAT THERMOMETER
My preference is by All Clad.
These are Betty’s favorite kitchen tools I pack for trips that will involve cooking. These should be sufficient for most travel kitchens and suitable for setting up a starter kitchen.
