There’s something deeply personal about a kitchen. The smell of something simmering. The
quiet rhythm of chopping. The familiar clang of a pot you’ve used for years. Yet, for all the talk
we have around food — from taste and health to technique and tradition — we often leave out
one very important ingredient: equipment.
Most people only think about kitchen tools when they’re buying a new non-stick pan or replacing
a broken blender. But ask any home cook who takes food seriously, or any street food vendor
hustling through the heat of the day, and they’ll tell you the truth. Your tools are the unsung
heroes of every delicious dish.
In many Nigerian homes, cooking still relies on timeless equipment. The mortar and pestle is
more than just a symbol of tradition. It unlocks flavours that the electric blender simply cannot
reach. The coarse pounding draws out oils, aromas, and texture that bring depth to soups and
stews. Even okra, when chopped or grated by hand, offers a texture and mouthfeel that
machines can’t quite replicate. Try stirring that into your soup and see what it does.
Let’s not forget the sieve, often overlooked but absolutely essential. From filtering pap to
straining boiled rice or pureed tomatoes, it does the delicate work that elevates texture and
makes a dish more enjoyable. The grater is another example. Whether you’re making moi-moi
or coleslaw, the finesse of hand-grated ingredients often beats shortcuts.
Still, kitchens have evolved. Fast-paced living and growing food awareness have brought in
newer tools. Air fryers help create less oily meals. Electric grills offer smoky flavour without
actual smoke. Digital scales provide precision, and stand mixers take the stress out of baking.
These tools may seem like luxuries, but they often redefine the cooking experience. Suddenly,
baking chin-chin or trying out banana bread on a weekend feels less intimidating.
Then there are the pressure pots. They save hours of cooking time while locking in nutrients
and flavour. For anyone who has ever tried to cook cow leg or goat meat from scratch, this pot
is not just a nice-to-have. It is a game changer.
What’s fascinating is how equipment affects not just the process, but also what we cook. Some
people avoid jollof rice simply because their pot always burns it. Others discover a love for
smoothies only after buying a proper blender. A sharp knife might be the reason someone starts
chopping vegetables more regularly. These small details make a big difference.
In the food business world, too, equipment is part of the backbone. From portable gas stoves
used by roadside vendors to heavy-duty grills at food fairs, from ice cream machines in dessert
spots to the big coolers used for cold drinks, each tool has a job, and every job adds to the
customer’s experience.
At FoodBay TV, we’ve seen this firsthand. Whether filming in a makeshift roadside kitchen or
inside a modern restaurant, the energy shifts depending on the tools available. Some chefs
carry their knives wherever they go. Some cannot cook without their cast iron pots. Others
swear by wooden spoons over plastic. And for many, the open flame still wins over the electric
cooker.
We live in a time when food is everywhere — on our phones, on our timelines, on our minds.
But behind every mouth-watering photo or viral cooking video is a tool doing the quiet work. So
maybe the next time you enjoy a meal, think not just about who cooked it or what was in it, but
also about the tools that made it possible.
Because in the story of good food, kitchen equipment is not just background noise. It is part of
the flavour.
