Sunday Supper

Gear guide

Only the tools these four recipes use, sorted by the job they do. For each one: why you need it, what to look for, and what to skip.

There are no brands or prices here. Look for the qualities below in whatever you can find or already own.

Knives and boards

Chef’s knife

Does nearly all the cutting in these recipes: potatoes, onions, beef, herbs.

What to look for

  • A blade around 20 cm (8 in) long, which suits most hands and most jobs.
  • A handle that feels secure when your hand is wet.
  • Enough height at the heel that your knuckles clear the board.
  • Steel you can sharpen at home.

What to skip

  • Large knife sets. One good knife you keep sharp beats a block of dull ones.
  • Serrated edges sold as never needing sharpening.

Cutting board

A steady surface for every recipe here, and for carving the chicken.

What to look for

  • At least 30 × 45 cm (12 × 18 in), so chopped food has room to sit.
  • Wood or soft plastic, both of which are kind to a knife edge.
  • A groove around the edge if you carve on it.
  • A damp towel underneath to stop it sliding.

What to skip

  • Glass, stone or ceramic boards. They dull a knife in a few strokes.
  • Boards too small to hold a whole onion’s worth of chopping.

Pans and pots

Roasting pan

Holds the chicken and potatoes in one layer.

What to look for

  • Around 33 × 23 cm (13 × 9 in), roomy enough that the potatoes are not piled up.
  • Sides about 5 cm (2 in) tall: high enough to hold the juices, low enough to let the potatoes brown.
  • A heavy base that does not warp in a hot oven.
  • Handles you can grip with oven mitts on.

What to skip

  • Thin foil trays, which buckle when you lift them.
  • Deep pans that steam the potatoes instead of roasting them.

Dutch oven

Browns the beef on the stove, then braises the ragù in the oven for three hours.

What to look for

  • About 5–6 liters (5–6 quarts), enough for the whole ragù with room to stir.
  • A heavy base and walls that hold steady heat.
  • A tight lid that is oven-safe at 150°C (300°F) or more, knob included.
  • A light-colored interior, which makes it easier to see when the beef is browned.

What to skip

  • Thin pots, which scorch the sauce on the bottom.
  • Pots too heavy for you to lift full and hot out of the oven.

Large pot

Cooks the pasta for the ragù.

What to look for

  • At least 6 liters (6 quarts), so the pasta has room to move.
  • Two side handles for carrying it to the sink.
  • A base that sits flat on your burner.

What to skip

  • Pasta pots with built-in strainers that are hard to clean. A colander does the same job.

Light-colored saucepan

Browns the butter for the apple cake.

What to look for

  • A light or stainless interior, so you can see the butter change color.
  • About 2 liters (2 quarts): small enough that the butter is not spread too thin.
  • A heavy base that heats evenly and does not burn the milk solids.

What to skip

  • Dark nonstick pans for this job. You cannot see when the butter is ready, and it burns quickly.

Oven and baking

Springform pan

Lets the apple cake come out with its top intact.

What to look for

  • 23 cm (9 in) across, the size the cake is written for.
  • A latch that closes firmly and a base that sits snug in the ring.
  • A light-colored metal finish, which browns the cake evenly without darkening the edges.

What to skip

  • Flimsy pans that leak batter at the seam.
  • Silicone springforms, which bend when you carry a full pan.

Mixing bowls

One for the dry ingredients, one for the wet, for the cake.

What to look for

  • At least two sizes, with the large one around 4 liters (4 quarts).
  • Stainless steel or glass, both easy to clean and light enough to hold while you fold.
  • A flat base that does not spin on the counter.

What to skip

  • Bowls with rubber bases that trap water underneath.

Small tools

Instant-read thermometer

Tells you when the chicken is done, without cutting into it.

What to look for

  • A reading in a few seconds, so the oven door is not open long.
  • A thin probe that leaves a small hole in the meat.
  • Degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit, switchable.

What to skip

  • Dial thermometers that take a long time to settle.
  • Pop-up timers that come in some chickens.

Wooden spoon

Scrapes the browned bits off the bottom of the ragù pot.

What to look for

  • A flat edge, which scrapes the base of a pot better than a round one.
  • Hardwood that does not split.

What to skip

  • Spoons with painted or varnished handles.

Whisk

Mixes the cake batter and the dry ingredients.

What to look for

  • A medium balloon whisk, about 25 cm (10 in) long.
  • Wires that are firmly sealed into the handle, so water and batter cannot get inside.

What to skip

  • Very small whisks, which take far longer to do the same job.

Flexible spatula

Folds the flour into the cake batter and scrapes the bowl clean.

What to look for

  • A one-piece silicone head and handle, with no seam to trap batter.
  • A head firm enough to push, soft enough to bend into a bowl’s curve.

What to skip

  • Rubber spatulas that melt or stain near a hot pan.

Salad spinner

Gets the lettuce properly dry, so the dressing sticks.

What to look for

  • A basket big enough for a whole head of lettuce.
  • A brake button or a solid lid you can work with one hand.
  • A bowl you can also serve the salad in.

What to skip

  • Small spinners that need three rounds for one salad.

Jar with a lid

Shakes the vinaigrette together and stores what is left.

What to look for

  • About 250 ml (1 cup) or larger, with room to shake.
  • A screw lid that does not leak.

What to skip

  • Dedicated dressing shakers. Any clean jar does the job.

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