Wondering what are the essential tools you need in your kitchen? If you are on the beginning of your cooking journey, you may be full of confusion and frustration trying to find out what are the best kitchen utensils and prep tools for a beginner like you. In order to help you, here is a guide with all the needed functional and multi-purpose kitchen tools that will take your cooking skills to the next level.
- Wooden Spoons – quite useful and versatile kitchen utensils that can last for many years if taken care of properly. Every great cook should have a few sturdy wooden spoons in their kitchen.
- A Chef’s Knife and a Paring Knife – a good Chef’s Knife will be your go-to knife in the kitchen for almost anything like chopping vegetables and meat. Similarly, a paring knife is also essential to perform smaller, more precise tasks such as mincing garlic or herbs.
- Cutting Board- a wooden cutting board is our recommendation as it does not dull knives as quickly as a plastic one does. To protect your wooden cutting board from staining and warping as well as to ensure it will last you for many years to come, make sure to oil regularly this kitchen utensil with a food-safe oil.
- Can Opener – unless you are planning to open your cans with a knife (we don’t recommend this in any situation), a can opener is a mandatory kitchen utensil to make this daunting job easier.
- Tongs – you can use tongs to perform a variety of tasks in the kitchen such as lifting, flipping and mixing food. Simply said, it is a fantastic multi-purpose cooking tool to have in the kitchen. Stainless steel tongs are the most versatile types to choose.
- A Rubber or Silicone Spatula – high-quality spatula scoops, scrapes, mixes and stirs are some of the basic essentials you need to have in your cooking utensils artillery. These can be flat and angular, large and spoon-shaped, or narrow-ish for scraping jars. Choose a couple of them to have in your kitchen so that you’re able to complete any task that requires a spatula.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons – these are used for precisely measuring the quantity of solid or liquid cooking ingredients. They can be the difference between succeeding or failing with a recipe. They don’t have to be anything special, any set will do the job without a problem.
- Mixing Bowls – a set of quality mixing bowls is a must for spice rubs, mixing salad dressings as well as for storing leftovers. Choose a set that comes with bowls of different sizes and one that is made of plastic to avoid stains and food odor.
- Colander – a colander is an essential kitchen tool to wash your vegetables and salad greens or to drain your pasta. Look for a stainless steel one that features a nice design and has ergonomic non-slip handles and ‘feet’.
