Kitchen Items Old and New

Still about the food and kitchen but a little different to my usual type of entry. I recently read the start of a cookbook I downloaded onto my iPad, that was first printed in 1852. I was fascinated by the huge difference in kitchen gadgets and utensils that are modern day kitchen necessities! Usually when you buy a cookbook, although not all, right at the front of the book there are a couple of pages dedicated to the kitchen equipment you will need. (Normally items which will be featured somewhere within the book) This list will include small things like utensils all the way up to and including larger gadgets like a mixer, in some cases I have even seen a microwave mentioned.

Here is a list of kitchen items which are supposed necessaries, taken from several books admittedly but all items on the list are items each book claims to be essential kitchen utensils/gadgets. All items with a star in front of them are items I have.

1. *Three pans of various sizes, aprox. sizes, 2 litre, 3-4 litre and 6-8 litre

2. *Two frying pans os skillet, 20cm and 30cm

3. *One griddle pan

4. *Basic set of knives, paring knife, cooks knife, boning knife

5. *Honing steel

6. Blowtorch

7. *Digital scales

8. *Food processor

9. *Blender

10. Ice cream maker

11. *Mandolin

12. Microplane

13. *Pestle and mortar

14. Potato ricer

15. *Probe thermometer

16. *Oven thermometer

17. Sugar thermometer

18. Deep frying thermometer

19. *Sieve

20. *Vegetable peeler

21. *Whisk

22. *Cast iron casserole dish

23. *Roasting tin

24. Wok

25. *Bakeware, 12 bun muffin tin, 900g loaf tin, two 20cm sandwich tins, 23cm springform cake tin, bundt pan, flan tin with removable base and a pie dish.

26. *Carving fork, depends on your knife set, mine came with one

27. *Oven gloves

28. Mezzaluna

29. *Stick blender

30. *Scissors

31. Plastic clips

32. *Timer

33. Rice cooker

34. *Nest of mixing bowls

35. *Metal tongs

36. *Wooden spoons

37. *Potato masher

38. *Ladle

39. *Slotted spoon

40. Fish slice

41. *Plastic spatula

42. Speed peeler

43. *Wooden and plastic chopping boards

44.* Salad spinner

45. *Colander

46.*Measuring jug

47. *Box grater

48. *Rolling pin

49. *Tin opener

50. *Salt and pepper mills

51. *Citrus press

52. Dredgers

53. Forks, large wooden and metal

54. *Set of measuring spoons

55. *Measuring cups

56. *Brushes

57. *Pastry and cookie cutters

58. *Baking trays

59.*Cooling racks

60. Lattice cutter

61. Pasta tongs

62. Garlic press

63. *Apple corer

64. Melon baller

65. *Ice cream scoop

66. Bean slicer

67. *Skewers

68. *Dish cloths, a damp dish cloth under a chopping board will stop it from slipping

69. Olive oil for wooden items in the kitchen prevents mould and warping

70. Shallow swiss roll tin

71. Traybake tin

72. Oval pie dish

73. *fluted tin

74. Soufflé dish

75. *Gratin and baking dishes

76. Re-usable baking mats

77. electric grinder

78. *Flexible spatulas, for folding and scrapping bowls clean

79. Palette knife

80. Gravy separator

81. *Pastry scrapper

82. *piping bag and nozzles

83.*Corkscrew, bottle opener and bottle stopper

84. *Ice cube tray

85. *Egg separator

86. Egg slicer

87. Meat mallet

88. Pancake turners

89. *Electric grill

90. Bread maker

91. Jam maker

92. Electric cheese maker

93. *Slow cooker

94. Sauce maker

95. Waffle maker

96. Soup making super blender

97. Electric juicer

98. Yogurt maker

99. Electric carving knife

100. Deep fat fryer

101. Steamer

102. *Microwave

103. *Toaster

104. *Kettle

I could keep going! When I first started cooking, I started out with about 21 of those items.

Now for the nineteenth century cookbook list:

1. Cooking stove with oven and boiler

2. Tin saucepan and lid, 1 gallon

3. Tin saucepan and lid, 2 quart

4. Potato steamer

5. Oval frying pan

6. Grid iron

7. Copper for washing and brewing 12 gallons

8. Two cooling tubs

9. Tub or trough capable of working a bushel or two of flour

That's it, all that was on the list I am assuming that it's assumed that you'll have utensils! Including jugs and scales.

I have to say I was both amazed at the amount of Items on the modern day list and surprised, I know that I have taken the list from several books and therefore several different cooks with different cooking styles but still the amount of items is massive compared to what used to be "necessary." I wonder how the modern day cook would cope now, back then?