My kitchen essentials: I’d be lost without…

More from this Series

• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . seaweed

  From nori to sea lettuce to kombu vinegar, the taste of seaweed can be harnessed in myriad ways

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . oysters

  Bivalves are tough to work with but there’s a world of flavour to be unleashed, writes Seabird’s Simon Lamont

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . a salad spinner

  There’s nothing more loathsome than soggy lettuce, says chef Jacob Kenedy. Take your leaves for a spin

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . champagne

  Discovering bubbles could be paired well with any dish inspired sommelier Sandia Chang to open a hot dog and champagne bar

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . a brass cogwheel

  Using this traditional tool for cutting pasta not only preserves historical techniques but also enhances the ingredients

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . a decanter

  Decanting can transform wines, bringing out their latent magic, but can also spell disaster

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . oats

  Chef Alex Hely-Hutchinson on why she opened a restaurant dedicated to porridge

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . bread

  For Russian restaurateur Tatiana Fokina, the warmth of a freshly baked loaf is simply irresistible

  
• I’d be lost without pici

  For chef Masha Rener, this pasta provides a perfect accompaniment for any sauce as well as being therapeutic to make

  
• I’d be lost without . . . beer

  Versatile and delicious, beer can enhance most things, from pies and stews to sauces and ice cream

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . pumpkins

  Full of hidden mystery, this is one of the most desirable of all vegetables, writes chef Margot Henderson

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . my stockpot

  From simple suppers to Michelin-starred meals, chef Daniel Fletcher praises the hardest-working utensil in the kitchen

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . my oyster knife

  After years of searching for the perfect blade, Nathan Outlaw has found a bespoke, precision instrument that is a thing of beauty

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . flour

  Cooking with flour brings back childhood memories of family feasts for Italian chef Lello Favuzzi

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . anchovies

  With their complexity and depth of flavour, these humble fish can lift almost any dish

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . pomegranate molasses

  This moreish ingredient has a storied past and, for chef Selin Kiazim, evokes memories of childhood summers in northern Cyprus

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . dried red chillies

  When fresh, they can lack depth. When powdered, they can be unpredictable. Better, says Asma Khan, to work with the delicate spicing of chillies picked at their peak

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . my kitchen garden

  The family farm not only provides produce for Bryn Williams’s restaurants but also gives him a greater awareness of the work that goes into each ingredient

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . my pasta maker

  ‘It’s the most important kitchen item I own,’ says chef Theo Randall of the reliable little machine that has travelled the world with him

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . teapots

  Focus and precision are essential for a delicious brew but a beautiful pot makes the ritual exquisite

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . my chef’s knife

  This Japanese blade makes light work of everything from chopping herbs to carving hunks of meat

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . my smoker

  From fresh turbot to home-made gnocchi, smoking adds a delicate and distinctive flavour

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . my tawashi brush’

  The Japanese scrubbing tool is ideal for cleaning vegetables and pans

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . a molinillo

  This wooden Mexican whisk dates back to Aztec times — and is the secret to making hot chocolate fit for Moctezuma

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . tasting spoons’

  Tim Hayward on how six Naafi spoons represent the point in his life when he completely changed as a cook

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . truffle oil’

  Chef Shaun Rankin on the ‘liquid gold’ that can transform the most basic ingredients into a magical meal

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . chopsticks’

  They are deeply embedded in Japanese life, not just for cuisine but in rituals of birth, marriage and death, writes Kimiko Barber

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . coconut’

  Karan Gokani salutes this multi-talented seed

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . Spanish olive oil’

  Chef Nieves Barragán argues it’s impossible to cook without this versatile ingredient

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . my fire iron’

  ‘Cooking on fire is an exciting way to prepare food — but you need the right tool to do it’

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . my pestle and mortar’

  Magic happens inside the mortar, says Vivek Singh, who’s used his to crush spices for more than one million meals

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . my pincers’

  ‘I am a complete perfectionist, so the pincers become an extension of my hand,’ says the multi-garlanded Anne-Sophie Pic

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without my . . . tandoor’

  Chef Santosh Shah on why the flavour from using a clay oven ‘simply can’t be beaten’

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . salt

  It’s a vital part of any kitchen but seasoning with it is not as easy as you might think

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . my sketchpad

  Chef Sat Bains on how this crucial tool helps to visualise dishes, many of which end up on his restaurant menu

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . fire and charcoal’

  Chef Hus Vedat argues that fire should be regarded as an ingredient in its own right

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . skyr’

  It’s similar to Greek yoghurt, but fat free. I use it in everything from dressings and desserts to sauces and smoothies, writes Aggi Sverisson

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . butter

  Hollandaise sauce to whisky sour: Andy Taylor on the versatility of this key ingredient

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without… olive oil

  A slug of this liquid gold makes just about any dish more delicious, writes Sophie Michell

  
• My kitchen essential: I’d be lost without . . . my lemon squeezer

  As soon as he saw the Mexican Elbow in action, Henry Harris knew it was just what he needed in the kitchen

  
• My kitchen essential: ‘I’d be lost without . . . a peeler’

  In the first of a new series, chef Rowley Leigh explains why this tool, more than any other, is an indispensable item wherever he cooks