Calling a country other than my birth country home has had a lot of benefits. I have learnt a language, made international friends and have a new world perspective. But one benefit I didn’t expect happened inside my kitchen. Thanks to not having access to the comforts I grew up enjoying in Australia, and for a long time the ingredients too, I have had to learn to cook, bake and get inventive with what’s available. I have turned from an inexperienced cook who considered cooking rice in a rice cooker and adding a jar sauce to some chopped chicken, to a frequent cook and baker who enjoys discovering new recipes and ways to satisfy my cravings.
So when recently asked about my essential kitchen items for cooking and baking here in Switzerland over on Instagram, it got me thinking. How different does my kitchen look to the one I would have if I hadn’t moved to Switzerland?
Looking through my kitchen with a fresh set of eyes, I came up with this list of Swiss kitchen gadgets that have made their way into my kitchen cupboards. Some make life easier, some essential for cooking Swiss dishes that have made their way into my repertoire.
1. Teighölzli – Dough sticks
Have you ever wondered how those homebaked Swiss Christmas cookies look like they came straight out of a professional kitchen? Well, Swiss precision and attention may have something to do with, but these dough-sticks undoubtedly help. All is required is to choose the stick height needed for the height of the cookie you want, pop your dough in between the pair and use a rolling pin to get an evenly flat sheet of dough. They are cheap, come in as a set with varying heights (and sometimes in a handy storage bag) and are great for not only appearance sake but for ensuring an evenly baked dough. I have these Teighölzli from Betty Bossi.
2. Knives
While a very stereotypical item to suggest, especially as Switzerland is famous for them, but what would a good kitchen gadget list be without them? Without a good set of knives, life in the kitchen is frustrating, a blunt blade, after all, takes the fun out of cooking. I find bad knives so frustrating that I even travel with my own.
And thanks to living in Switzerland, I quickly discovered that Victorinox doesn’t just make the army variety, but a varied selection including these paring knives that make prep a breeze. The serrated version is my favourite, using them to cut everything from carrots to in a pinch bread (although I prefer a larger bread knife).
3. The Rex Vegetable Peeler
I had no idea that this type of vegetable had a specific name, let alone that its design was Swiss. A little different to more traditional vegetable peelers I grew up with a pointy tip (great for potatoes and apples), I much prefer the rex-style for things like carrots, asparagus and cucumbers. It takes a much thinner layer of skin off – hence its name “spar” or savings peeler, and requires less power to use, great for little kids who want to help in the kitchen.
4. A variety of Graters
Little did I know before moving to Switzerland that I would require not just one grater but a myriad of them, each performing an essential task. No longer do I just grate cheese, no-no. But I grate cooked and cooled potatoes for rösti on the “röstirafel”, whereas apples for my bircher muesli require a much thinner grate. And then I still need a standard grater for all that cheese, for dishes like älpermaggeronen.
5. Spätzli Sieve – Spätzlisieb
The spätzli pro in our house is my husband who once in a while will spend a weekend afternoon whipping up batches upon batches spätzli to freeze. There is nothing compared to homemade spätzli, even after being frozen, and we all agree this time-consuming task is well worth it. While you could use the back of your rösti grater (see above) to make your spätzli, if you will be making a lot, a special sieve is well worth it. Just pop it over a pot of boiling water and scrap (see tip 9) the dough into the boiling water. It’s like magic!
6. Fondue Pot
Of course, no Swiss Kitchen round-up would be complete without a fondue pot on the list. There are little requirements when it comes to choosing a fondue pot – let beauty be your only guide. But you will have to watch out for which type of fondue pot you require, cheese or meat? The first is ceramic, and the later is metal, and there are different forks too (the meat fondue forks have more prongs). As to heating that pot, you will need a Rechaud and have a couple of options to heat it: gas, a type of burning paste and there are even electric ones. We stick with the refillable gas one. We started collecting the Schallen Ursli Fondue Pot and matching plates years ago with each year we add a new piece. Don’t know who Schallen Ursli is? Check out this blog post all about Swiss children’s books.
7. Raclette Grill
Raclette But don’t forget Fondue’s sister, raclette! We are still melting cheese here, but this time underneath a grill! Raclette is a social event, so when choosing a grill, think more than just your own family. Our grill serves 8. Also makes sure your raclette pans are non-stick – I promise you will thank me come washing-up time and one that combines a grill on top is a must for us – we love to turn a raclette experience into “Tisch grill”. In addition to raclette cheese, we grill bacon, thinly sliced meats and pre-steamed vegetables. If I had to purchase our raclette grill again today, I would look into something like this.
8. Bamix
Did you know the brand Bamix is Swiss and is a commonly found Swiss kitchen gadget? We purchased ours at the local autumn fair (Zuger Messe) an eternity ago and use it regularly to puree soups or make salad sauce in a snap.
9. Bread Board and Knife
I must admit when I first arrived in Switzerland, I was gobsmacked to find the bread was sold unsliced. But of course, if they pre-sliced that soft, fresh bread, it would quickly go stale. Enter the need for a breadboard and serrated bread knife. Ours is a simple wooden one that doesn’t hide the crumbs, but you can get some great ones that even store the knife cleverly inside.
10. Salad Schleuder – Salad Spinner
What on earth did I do before owning a salad spinner? Eating wet and soggy lettuce, that’s what. I really thought that this was an unnecessary gadget at first, taking up a considerable chunk of precious kitchen space. But how I was wrong. We usually it multiple times per week and salad is just that much more enjoyable when it is freshly washed and doesn’t come from a bag. Our salad spinner is from Zyliss and is over 20 years old. Here are some more up to date versions.
11. Plastic Scraper
A plastic scraper is an unsung hero in our kitchen. Usually hidden away in our junk draw, it comes out to save the day when Zopf dough has stuck to the kitchen bench, to scrap down the bowl after making spätzli and to get those last little bits of melty fondue.
12. Vermicelle Press
Ever wonder how the sweet chestnut puree Vermicelles get their worm-like shape? Enter the specialised Vermicelle Press! Buy a block of the pre-made chestnut puree from your local supermarket, fill the tube and press creating spaghetti shaped puree ready to pair with meringues, vanilla ice cream and cream!
