Introduction
Our goal at Zigeze is to make your time in the kitchen fun and as easy as possible so that you’ll have more time to enjoy deliciously prepared meals with family and friends. Dazzling and tasty meals don’t have to take hours, cost lots of money, use tons of ingredients, or cause uncontrollable eye twitching.
To give you a helping hand in the kitchen, here are some helpful tips on the essential kitchen tools you need to have in your kitchen right now.
Top 10 Must Have Tools in Your Kitchen
Whether you’re new to cooking, a culinary expert, or simply looking to declutter your kitchen, here is a list of kitchen essentials you will likely use every time you cook. These top ten must-have tools will save you time and make cooking so much easier and more enjoyable.
1. Durable Cutting Board
Plastic. Wood. Glass. Large. Small. Handle. No Handle. There are a lot of options when it comes to this essential tool, and just as many thoughts on which is best.
- Bamboo is eco-friendly, yet its hardness dulls knives easily.
- Plastic scars and stains easily, making it a challenge to clean.
- Wood is kinder to knives, though it does scar as easily as plastic.
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The best type of cutting board for you depends on your individual needs and preferences. No matter your choice or how many, you’ll want to make sure you have at least one medium-sized cutting board readily available when you start food prep.
I use all three types of boards in my kitchen. My favorites are a Reversible Wood Cutting Board, the natural smooth surface of Bamboo Cutting Boards, and plastic Gorilla Grip Cutting Board for everyday use.
2. Assorted Wooden Spoons
Chefs around the globe rely on wooden spoons over metal and plastic, and it’s easy to see why. They don’t react to acidic ingredients. They don’t conduct heat. They won’t damage a nonstick cooking surface. They won’t melt. Nothing compares to the timeless, sturdy wood spoon.
Not all wooden spoons are equal, so use care when selecting tools for your kitchen. Dense hardwood like beech, maple, or walnut makes the best spoons. These wood types offer durability, heat-resistance, and non-toxic construction that’ll last years.
My top pick is the OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Set, which includes the three most widely used essential spoons for your kitchen.
- Traditional solid wood spoon
- Slotted wooden spoon
- Wood turner or spatula
3. Sharp Cooking Knives
Knives are indispensable and having the right ones can change how you feel about cooking altogether. Among all the types of knives you can have, a chef knife and a utility knife are essential, must-haves in the kitchen.
The chef knife is your workhorse and it’s the ideal tool for cutting meat and tackling other tasks like chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing.
The Miyabi 8-inch Chef’s Knife is one of the highest rated. It’s an incredibly sharp and well-balanced knife that works on all types of cutting jobs.
The Wusthof Classic 4½” Utility Knife is one of the best on the market and it won’t let you down in the kitchen. It’s ideal for tackling your smaller tasks like cutting a sandwich, mincing shallots, slicing tomatoes, and other tasks too small for a hefty chef knife.
4. Dedicated Kitchen Shears
You already own scissors, right? I suggest you keep those in your junk drawer and equip yourself with genuine kitchen shears. Dedicated shears in your kitchen ensures you won’t cross contaminate food with whatever the heck someone may have cut with your basic house scissors.
Kitchen shears can take on all kinds of cutting tasks from snipping herbs to cutting twine, bones, meat, and veggies. Plus, the stainless-steel blades are rust resistant, so you can pop in the dishwasher to get them super clean for the next use.
If you don’t already have one, I recommend you add this essential tool to your arsenal. The KitchenAid All Purpose Shears is what I use. It’s one of the highest rated and very affordable.
5. Functional Spoon Rest
While often the unsung hero in the kitchen, the spoon rest makes the list of essentials for several reasons. Most importantly, it prevents utensils from becoming contaminated with germs and other funky impurities that may be present on your countertop. It also prevents spills and keeps the mess contained, making cleanup a snap.
There’s no spoon rest that’s better than another. I recommend you find one that matches your décor or speaks to your personality.
This Durable Spoon Rest with Drip Pad is a functional option that works great in the kitchen.
6. Sturdy Spatulas
If you’re not stirring things while cooking, you’re more than likely flipping it. There are many kinds and sizes of spatulas to help you do that, each with slight variations. At a minimum, I recommend that you keep a sturdy spatula on hand for lifting, flipping, and serving all kinds of foods.
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I’m quite fond of my Pampered Chef spatulas. The Mini-Serving Spatula is an all-time favorite. Its’ handy size makes it easier for serving over a long-handled spatula. And the Large Serving Spatula is versatile enough to use for anything I’m cooking, plus it’s dishwasher safe. Gotta like that.
7. Various Prep Bowls
Whether mixing ingredients, holding prepped foods in advance of cooking, or storing foods in the fridge, prep bowls keep me organized and make cooking so much easier.
I love the three sizes in the Cuisinart Steel Mixing Bowl Set. Each bowl has its own lid, which makes it quite convenient for storing foods.
I also highly recommend this versatile 8-quart Mixing Bowl. I’ve had mine for years and use it for everything from making meatballs to preparing a salad. It’s almost guaranteed that I reach for this prep bowl every time I cook.
8. Reliable Veggie Peeler
Every modern home kitchen needs a vegetable peeler. I use peelers all the time from peeling apples to shaving zucchini. While I’m not suggesting that you buy one of all types like I did, I am suggesting that you have at least one in your kitchen drawer.
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For delicate foods, a serrated peeler like the Spring Chef Vegetable Peeler is an excellent choice. It’s affordable and won’t tear apart soft fruits and veggies. The Y-shaped peeler is ideal when you have lots of skin to peel, like potatoes and carrots. Not only is it comfortable in your hand — left or right — it’s designed to cut swath, leaving more of the vegetable behind. And a good Ceramic Peeler is versatile enough to get just about any job done.
You may want to consider the Stainless Citrus Peeler for your home bar. The perfect zest for your cocktails, plus it does double duty in the kitchen removing zest for special dishes.
9. Accurate Food Thermometer
Having a food thermometer is the only way to ensure you’re killing all the harmful agents that cause salmonella, listeria, E. coli, and other infections and parasites. This simple tool will help prevent food illnesses that can have family and friends running to the bathroom or, worse yet, the hospital.
There are a lot of options ranging from disposable pop-ups to old-fashioned leave in dial types to hi-tech wireless digital probes. I prefer a basic, easy to use kind like this Digital Thermometer for Cooking and Grilling, which gives accurate reading within seconds.
10. Varied Measuring Tools
While I’m notorious for not measuring, I do know the value of having these essential tools in the kitchen. Without them, it’s impossible to get the ideal blend of flavors in any dish, every time you cook. I’m a victim of that, because my family will attest that they rarely get the same meal twice — until now, of course.
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For dry measuring, I like the Good Grips Measuring Cups for its comfortable grips, magnetic strips for easier storage, and the ability to toss in the dishwasher for easy clean up. I inevitably lose measuring spoons to the trash or garbage disposal, which is why bright colors and affordable cost of Farberware Measuring Spoons are a perfect choice.
Conclusion
Whether you’re new to the kitchen or a seasoned pro, having the right tools when you need them is undeniably important for easy food prep and cooking. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all tool, so find the one that fits your needs and lifestyle.
Ultimately, you’ll want to keep whichever kitchen tools you choose in good, clean condition. Because these come in direct contact with the foods you serve and eat, be on the lookout for tools that are well past their prime. Signs of wear and tear include tools that are damaged, discolored, smell bad, or no longer work properly. Toss and replace those immediately. Doing so will help you to maintain food safety and hygiene in your kitchen.
