As it's the new year and a time for fresh starts, let's inventory a few basic utensils that beginning home cooks need in their kitchens. You know, in addition to a can opener, a colander and a microwave oven.

I consulted with Bill Snyder, a nationally known cookware/housewares expert and co-owner (with wife Terry) of the William Glen store at Town & Country Village. Bill Snyder opened the store 45 years ago. Our starting point was this column's mantra – "Quality in, quality out." Please enlighten us, Bill.

"I like to start with reasonable quality, something that's going to offer longevity and get the job done right," he said. "Think of kitchen utensils as tools. If I'm in the garage making a cabinet, my saw has to be the right one for the kind of wood I'm cutting, and it must be sharp. If I use glue, I want glue that will last. And I want good hinges on it, not cheap ones.

"In the kitchen, I'm also producing a quality product with tools I must be able to depend on. Cooking is about friendships and sharing. I want quality because the relationship is quality. Otherwise, why bother spending the time? I would rather have better and fewer (utensils) to work with than too many inferior ones. Really, you don't need all that much."

Price ranges are included in our list of items, available at any number of stores. As for deciding how much to spend, it's generally true that you get what you pay for.

• Cast-iron pan, $20 to $60 for a 10-inch pan: "The metal gives excellent heat distribution. It will take high heat to give (meats) a quick browning, and you can put it in the oven (to finish the cooking). (For more money) you can buy porcelainized enamel-coated cast iron, which is like cooking on glass but with the properties of iron."

My note: My 20-year-old Lodge-brand black-iron pan cooks everything, from cornbread and omelets to roasts and fish. Even popcorn.

• Splatter screen, $2 to $20: "It sure can help in keeping a kitchen clean. When you fry or sauté, you're introducing (food) that contains liquid into hot fat – butter, oil, whatever. Put the two together and you get splatter. If you use the right-size pan (smaller is better) and the right temperature (not too hot), you'll reduce splatter. You want the right gauge of wire on the screen so moisture isn't kept in. If (the gauge is) too small, the retained moisture will 'stew' whatever you're cooking."

My note: I spent $3 on a low-end splatter guard, which disintegrated when I ran it through a dishwasher cycle.

• Oven mitt, $6 to $25: "You don't want to burn yourself pulling something out of the oven or by grabbing the handle of a hot pan, so a heavy-fabric or silicone mitt will do a fine job."

My note: I once got a cheap oven mitt as a gift and it caught on fire.

• Whisk, $10 to $30: "A whisk will give better loft to whatever you're beating, and (the results are) quicker than (using) a fork. A whisk adds air and emulsifies pancake batter. If you mix your batter in a (blender or mixer), you'll develop too much gluten and end up with pancakes that are fine to use as Frisbees."

My note: Don't think twice – get a whisk.

• Instant-read thermometer, $10 to $15: "It will give you a quick read of the internal temperature of whatever you're cooking – a roast, a chicken, large vegetables – so you don't overcook."

My note: An instant-read saved the day at a birthday barbecue in August. The hosts were ready to let the succulent beef tenderloin sit another 15 minutes over charcoal in the Weber, but the internal temperature registered 140 degrees – 10 degrees over ideal, but at least the meat was taken off before it was ruined.

• Pepper mill, $15 to $200: "Freshly ground pepper has flavor and texture, and is an entirely different product from something that's powdered out of a shaker. It's like the difference between frozen and fresh."

My note: In supermarket spice aisles, you'll find packages that blend five kinds of whole peppercorns. Use them to load the mill and set it on "coarse grind." Get ready for bold taste.

• Kitchen timer, $8 to 40: "It's easy to get distracted these days. If cooking is not your primary thing, a timer can be a dinner-saver."

My note: You can go digital and get flashing lights, but don't.

• Measuring cups, $5 to $20: "You need to be precise while you're learning recipes and developing 'eye expertise.' For beginning cooks, it's important to develop a feeling for the size of quantities. So at first, you do want to measure that 1/2 cup of vodka to add to the chili, instead of just tipping the bottle. You start small and get the feeling of how your tools work with your ingredients."

My note: If you can't eyeball a quarter-cup, half-cup and cup of a liquid or a solid, you need measuring cups. Or maybe eyeglasses.

Final note: With plenty of televised football still to come, it's time to think the wurst – as in hot dogs and sausages.

Appropriately, we spotted Hero the Hot Dog Steamer at William Glen. It's shaped like a happy dog and can steam four wurst in 8 minutes. It barks when they're cooked and shuts itself off. It's 35 bucks, which includes the "silly" factor.

Call The Bee's Allen Pierleoni at (916) 321-1128.