Going pro in the kitchen: Experts offer tips on what you need -- and don't -- in the kitchen

Marcy Porter Kelch, owner of Mia Cucina kitchen supply store on the North Shore, says it's key to invest in appliances and utensils that will stand the test of time.
Marcy Porter Kelch, owner of Mia Cucina kitchen supply store on the North Shore, says it's key to invest in appliances and utensils that will stand the test of time.

Want to cook at home like pros in the restaurants?

You don't have to have every gizmo and gadget available, the pros say, but what you do need are things that work well and the space to have those things at your fingertips.

"I have all of my spices out and at eye level," says Brad Grafton, food service director with Sage Dining Services, which oversees the dining at Boyd Buchanan School.

Things to consider

* What kind of dishes do you prepare? * What special cookware do you own and use often? * What appliances need to be accessible every day? What items do you use infrequently? * What groceries do you always keep on hand? * Do you need space to store wine? * Do you prefer to prep food and clean dishes in the same or different spaces? * How many people cook at one time? * Do you also entertain in the kitchen or do guests sit/mingle somewhere else in the home? * Do you focus on baking, and if so, what special appliances do you require? (Keep in mind, chefs and OVERSET FOLLOWS:bakers need different features in a kitchen.)Source: HGTV.com

photo Keep items you use often in easy reach while cooking.

Grafton knows his way around a kitchen, having been the executive chef at the Bluff View Art District, the Fairyland Club and Enzo's during his almost 25-year career.

"That way I can see what I have while I'm cooking and make adjustments," he says. "Don't put things in the back of the cupboard."

Marcy Porter Kelch, owner of Mia Cucina, a high-end kitchen supply store on the North Shore, says anyone with plans to design their home kitchen so it operates like a professional one should consider "budget, space and lifestyle."

"There are many things to consider like design tastes and heavy or light use, but also whether you will be baking a lot," she says.

Bakers, for instance, might opt for dual ovens and a marble slab for rolling out dough. "There are choices with cooktops, too," Kelch says. "They include electric, gas or induction, which might be newer to some audiences, and it requires certain cookware."

The key to a professional kitchen or for people who spend a lot of time cooking "is to have everything at your disposal," she says, and also make sure the appliances and utensils you use "will stand the test of time."

Whether you have saucepans or knives in every size and shape is a matter of personal preference, but both Grafton and Kelch say it is not necessary as long as you buy quality. A good pan, pot or knife will last a lifetime and save you money -- and aggravation -- in the long run.

Using a Le Creuset Dutch oven won't transform your franks and beans into coq au vin nor you from Chef Boyardee into Julia Child, but you will notice a difference in how evenly things cook. And, it will look nice on the shelf, as well.

"At home, I have more than everything I need," Kelch says. "I'm not one who believes you need every little gadget or piece of cookware. What I found is that you don't need a garlic peeler when you have a knife. And, you don't need every size sauce pan. Three max."

Two essentials in her kitchen are a quality mixer and a slow cooker.

For Grafton, a gas range is the way to go. The key, he says, is even heat and the newer ranges have wider diameter burners, which disperse the heat under the whole pan. For him, his home stove simulates what he uses at work.

"It's not big, but [the heat] is even," he says.

And, like Kelch, he isn't big on gadgets either.

"I'm a traditionalist," he says. "I have a Vitamix, which we mostly use for smoothies, and a toaster and a juicer. I do have a commercial espresso machine."

Grafton's home kitchen isn't limited to the indoors either, however. He does a lot of cooking year-round in his Big Green Egg grill, a smokehouse and a pizza oven he built himself.

But if there's one item Grafton recommends saving up for it's a quality chef's knife that fits your hand comfortably.

"A lot of people think bigger is better," he says. "Not true. Six or eight inches is perfect. A good knife makes a huge difference."

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.

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