Finding Inspiration In The Kitchen With Improvised Tools

Don’t have the desired tools to get cooking or working with a smaller budget? Don’t worry. Improvise. Get inspired. And come out on the other side with some delicious results worth raving about to anyone who will listen.

Pull up a chair. I’ll tell you what I mean without taking too much of your time.

Listen. We all aren’t able to immediately get access to the funds to outfit our kitchens with copper cookware, the latest appliances, or high-end gadgets. Know that this doesn’t mean that you can’t accomplish to pull off a fantastic bread roll, chewy cookie, or savory sauce or soup. 

Re-think how you approach your process and what tools are absolute deal-breakers. Imagine the disappointment of shelling out thousands or hundreds of dollars on top-of-the-line equipment, only to end up with a food fail.

So, what does this tell you about cooking and baking?

It’s not always about having the best tools or the “right ones” to do the job.

Case in point, I managed to churn out some highly addictive, golden brown chewy cookies without having my desirable baking pans at the ready.

How did I accomplish this feat?

First off, I took a breath and told myself it is going to take some time to get my kitchen the way I want it; including all the necessary bells and whistles to feel comfortable.

Next, I told myself that I am on a smaller budget and have more than a few constraints to what I can do and how soon I could do it.

Now that I got that out of the way, here’s what’s happened.

I decided I was going to take on the challenge of baking and cooking the things I loved most for comfort and familiarity using…

Items sourced from local discount or 99-cent stores. Now, for all your purists that are consumed with finding the finest of kitchenware and housewares begin to berate me for encouraging more frugal option, hear me out.

You have to start somewhere. And sometimes there are hidden gems available to at-home cooks and amateurs at thrift, discount, and 99-cent stores.

And yes, sometimes you have to pull out that ceramic casserole dish, or other specific tool to get the results you demand from your recipe. I get it. Okay.

Moving on and to keep things short and sweet. I managed to bake off some of the yummiest, most addictive, perfectly balanced chocolate chip cookies I have had the privilege to enjoy after many years being unable to visit a bakery.

Instead of resorting to a pre-packaged break and bake from a trusted brand to sate my sweet tooth’s desire for a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies, I rolled up my sleeves, cleared off some counter space, and decided to go all in with some DIY.

After delving into the joys that is baking a small batch of cookies, instead of tempting my waistline and pre-diabetic status into an abyss of no return, I found something worth keeping.

Making small batches of cookies can come out quite beautifully using disposable/re-usable foil pans. These pans come in a variety of sizes and usually with a foil lid. So, you might get two baking surfaces for the price of one!

Another wonderful thing is the cleanup is amazing because I use parchment paper to make releasing the cookies a cinch.

And you're likely to find that your pans are clean enough between bake-offs when there is a layer of parchment paper. So you can use them more than a few times.

Is that not a win-win for someone following frugal standards to survive in an increasingly expensive and stressful world?

Plus, these cookies baked off in less than 12 minutes and took less than 20 minutes to cook. I highly recommend putting your dough in the fridge for 30 minutes minimum before baking your cookies off.

And last but not least, if you are going to make a small batch of cookie dough, it's helpful to pre-make your cookie balls and stow them in the freezer until you are ready to put them in the oven.

So, when you are in the mood for a few cookies, you don’t have to bake off two dozen and feel guilty as hell later for not sharing and eating a week’s worth of sugar.

If baking and eating sweet things doesn’t make you excited, sorry for the digression. The cookies I made were so dangerously good I’m swearing to only bake them maybe once a week at most. 

You want to know what kitchen tools can you improvise around the kitchen, right? I did forget to mention some other gems beyond disposable/reusable aluminum foil pans.

Check out the following ideas:

• Heavy glass or beer bottle - In place of a rolling pin
• Using a fork - To make impressions and help shape or close dough instead of a mold
• Ice cube trays - Perfect for freezing vegetable/meat-based soup stock, sauce, and flavor boosts

Don’t have a chiller?

Place items in an ice bath using a larger stock pot or bowl instead of throwing off your refrigerator or freezer and any items inside.

Missing a biscuit or doughnut cutter?

Keep an aluminum can handy. Make sure you cut the lid completely off once it’s empty, clean up the edges and ensure it stays dry to avoid rust.

You can use a clean shot glass to help punch out donut holes or bagel holes. Or, if you can make it work, use a clean wooden dowel or chopstick to shape out a hole in your dough.

That’s it for now.

Before You Go

Can you think of any other clever ideas to re-use or repurpose items that are made for another use for in the kitchen? 

Don’t let anything stop your forward motion. And stay inspired to keep going when cooking or baking different recipes.

Up next… attempting croissants. I know, I’m a glutton for a challenge, no?