The kitchen-tool A-list

It's not always a piece of cake to know what to buy when you're stocking your first kitchen.

And while dollar stores can be a great place to pick-up some things, like egg timers and oven mitts, other items, like measuring cups and knives will probably be cheaper in the long run if you spend more money up front.

"Buy the quality stuff versus the cheaper, because with the cheaper you'll end up buying it again,'' explains Amy Sell, owner of Signature Catering in Saline.

"Pay the extra $5 and get the better one at first,'' she adds. "If you want something to last, go to Gordon Foods on Carpenter Road in Ann Arbor.''

A spatula is the first item on her list of important tools to have in your kitchen drawers.

"You've got to have a spatula and if it's heat resistant that's better,'' Sell says adding a whisk, vegetable peeler and can opener as other essentials for every cook from novice to gourmet.

Francesca Giarraffa, Ann Arbor resident who teaches Italian cooking classes for Ann Arbor Public Schools community education, says the first things to buy are a medium 4-quart sauté pan and a 6-quart stock pot, she says.

"Those are essential to do any kind of cooking, even boiling eggs,'' Giarraffa says.

Sell prefers glass measuring cups even though they tend to be more pricey than the plastic variety. Measuring spoons are good to have, too.

Sell prefers stainless steel mixing bowls, because they don't rust or break. Look for the type with the measurements on the sides as an added bonus.

"Every kitchen needs to have a chef's knife,'' says Sell. "It has a longer heel and the steel goes all the way through the handle. If the steel doesn't go all the way through, the handle will break. Wooden handles will splinter on you and if they're cheaper they'll dull faster.''

Giarraffa agrees that a good cutting knife is key to any well stocked kitchen and she prefers Henckel and Wusthof.

"They last a long time,'' Giarraffa says. "I've had mine for at least 15 years and they're still sharp and still good.''

Once you're done cooking, you need to be able to properly serve the meal. So, Giarraffa says to stock up on serving spoons. She also suggests getting a good whisk and having a Cuisinart on your counter for those recipes that call for a lot of chopping.

Giarraffa says she often refers her students to Bed Bath and Beyond for quality items at reasonable prices.

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann, owner of Simply Organized Life (www.simplyorganizedlife.com), helps homeowners and business people de-clutter. She sees what happens when people have accumulated so much they need to get rid of the nonessentials. She sees what happens when homeowners stock their kitchens with too much.

"Stay away from the fancy gadgets that are impulse buys and you never use,'' Anderson-Fermann says. "That's true for the latest things that are advertised on QVC. People always think they're going to use them and they don't.''

She recommends focusing on getting a few high quality items rather than a lot of inexpensive tools.

"I'm helping people get back to the essentials,'' Anderson-Fermann says. "Get rid of the clutter and excess belongings.''

In fact, she thinks there's a lot of fluff in Martha Stewart's 20 essential kitchen tool list.

"I saw things I wouldn't consider essential, like a citrus reamer,'' Anderson-Fermann says. "When we squeeze lemons we squeeze them with our hands. "(Stewart) also said you need a cast iron skillet and a copper skillet. My philosophy is to buy one high quality skillet. I'm not a gourmet chef, but most people aren't.''

If Anderson-Fermann were to create her own 20 essential kitchen tool list, she would include an all-purpose knife, prongs, spatula, measuring cups, cutting board, all-purpose bowls, an oven mitt, skillet, pot and peeler.

Look for tools that can do what Anderson-Fermann refers to as "double duty.'' For instance, simple, clear glass bowls can be used to prepare the food and they can also be used to serve the entrée on the table.

People should think about the type of cooking and baking that they do before they make purchases. If you never make cookies there isn't a need for cookie sheets, Anderson-Fermann says.

"When I see people they already have what they need and we're sorting out what they don't need,'' Anderson-Fermann says. "The basic things people should think about is, how are they going to use these things that they're buying and putting into their spaces?''