The Only Cooking Utensils You Need in Your Kitchen

Posted by Rachel Schwartz on 9/22/2020 to Residential

kitchen countertop full of variety of kitchen tools including toaster, knife block, cutting board, pots, and kettle

Everyone needs a certain amount of cooking utensils in their kitchen, but how to know which ones are actually needed or how many is too many? For starters, the ones you actually need are the ones you find yourself using on a regular basis or that can serve a multipurpose function. For example, do you find yourself reaching for the same spatula over and over even though you have five? Then you probably need all five. Or is there a utensil shoved in the back of your utensil drawer that you forgot was there and only notice when you have trouble closing the drawer? You probably don't need it either, then.

If you are purchasing new utensils, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is to not buy something unless you have an actual need for it or know you will use it regularly. Otherwise, it can be a waste of your hard-earned money and will just take up space in your kitchen. The second is to avoid buying the cheapest option available. Having a budget is fine but buying the cheapest utensil available at the store is not a great idea because it is the most likely to break after only a short time which will mean needing to repurchase the same utensil and spend more money.

Now, how people use their kitchen and the types of dishes they make will vary from household to household but in general the following items make up the basic collection of cooking utensils that every kitchen should have.

Perhaps one of the most multi-task utensils in the kitchen is a set of tongs. Available in a variety of styles and colors, tongs can lift, flip, mix, and move food with ease. They are also an inexpensive item and can be sold at some stores in packs, with several different clamp styles available together for one price. Tongs made of stainless steel are the most versatile and easier to clean as they are made of only one material.

Like tongs, spatulas can be found in a variety of colors and sizes. Good for scraping, scooping, stirring, and mixing food, spatulas can have either silicone or rubber tips. It's a good idea to have at least one small and one large sized spatula as the smaller sizes are great for getting inside jars while the larger sizes are good for mixing batter and other food in large mixing bowls.

Also referred to as a spatula by some, a turner is another cooking utensil that everyone should have in their kitchen. Used primarily for turning over or flipping meat, fish, vegetables, pancakes, and other foods on the stove or in the oven, this utensil can help you perfectly cook any meal. Turners can be made of plastic, metal, or a combination of both and can be found with or without holes or slots.

Overlooked by many, the slotted spoon is a great tool to have in your arsenal. The slots or holes in the spoon allow any excess liquid to drain out without losing the food you are trying to serve. This can be good for anything from fishing boiled eggs out of hot water to serving pasta to dishing up a side vegetable that may still have some juice in the bottom of the pan.

Unlike the slotted spoon, a stirring spoon is made for stirring food as it cooks on the stove, although it can serve other purposes as well. Wood is the primary material used for stirring spoons as it is the least likely to warp or melt over time when in contact with direct heat. However, they can still snap if old or mishandled over time. These spoons can also be found in a variety of sizes and handle lengths.

The potato masher may be the cooking utensil used the least overall, but it is imperative to have on hand when making mashed potatoes or mashing other produce like avocados. While technically, a fork can be used to make mashed potatoes, it would be a tedious process and prolong the mashing step unnecessarily. Because of their design, potato mashers can be difficult to clean but their speed and efficiency in mashing food outweighs this con for most.

Whisks are great for mixing baking ingredients, scrambling eggs, making sauces, and more. Available in different sizes, colors, and types of heads (stationary head vs flexible head), having at least one whisk in your kitchen is a good idea.

Vegetable peelers may be the most inexpensive cooking utensil you can purchase at the store. Also called a potato peeler, this utensil makes removing the skin from potatoes, carrots, celery, etc. a quick and easy process. They are also safer to use than a knife and can be found in a few different styles.

Whether it's an electric or manual version, everyone needs a can opener in their kitchen. While many canned goods have a pull-tab, not all do. For those that do not have a pull-tab or whose pull-tab has snapped off without opening the can, a can opener is needed. Quick, easy, and painless, using a can opener is also much safer than trying to open a can by stabbing it with a knife or by some other means.

While a ladle may or may not easily fit inside your utensil drawer, don't throw it out. Different from the other utensil spoons because of its deep spoon, a ladle is ideal when serving soup or other dishes that contain a lot of liquid. The deep spoon allows you to serve the food without losing the liquid or broth and makes it easier if wanting to spoon out the liquid specifically to pour over your food.

Measuring cups and measuring spoons might be some of the most useful utensils to have in your kitchen as most people cannot measure out teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, or their incremental counterparts by sight. Measuring cups and measuring spoons are each sold in sets and are usually fairly inexpensive. Both can be purchased in a variety of colors and materials (plastic, metal, etc.)

Although perhaps most useful to have for wine or beer bottle drinkers, having a corkscrew and a bottle opener among your cooking utensils is a good idea for anyone who enjoys cooking regularly. You never know when a recipe may call for an ingredient that has a corkscrew or that could be opened by piercing the top with the end of a bottle opener.

If you enjoy making your pizza or flatbread at home or buying the frozen versions at the store to heat up at home, a pizza cutter is a must. Although a knife can do the same job, it will most likely tear the dough and leave you with an uneven mess. A pizza cutter is designed to cut through the dough without tearing the pieces in the process.

A good pair of kitchen shears is always a good idea to have on hand in the kitchen. Great for cutting up herbs, opening packaging, and cutting meat into smaller pieces, they are a great multipurpose tool. Some pairs can also be taken apart which makes cleaning them much easier. While they can be found separately, kitchen shears can also be included in some knife block sets.

A few additional non-utensil but still essential kitchen items include oven mitts or potholders, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, a colander, a cutting board, a set of mixing bowls, and a nice set of knives. To learn more about the different types of kitchen knives, refer to our beginner's guide to kitchen knives.

The Only Cooking Utensils You Need in Your Kitchen

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The Only Cooking Utensils You Need in Your Kitchen

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