Ten cooking utensils that every kitchen needs

winterybella

winterybella

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The experts say that to function efficiently we need certain basic cooking utensils. Here is list I came across while online.
1. Spatulas to Blend, mix and scrape
2. Spatulas or Flippers to lift, turn or remove
3. Wooden spoons
4. Openers for Cans, bottles and cartons
5. Vegetable Peelers
6. Serving salad spoons
7. Soup ladle
8. Splatter Screen
9. Pasta spoon or server
10.Whisks for mixing and blending

At a glance it appears I have all the basics but I would be lying if I said I always use them. I am a rush cook and often I will use what's right at hand. What about you?
 
Well I have most of the items listed here. There are a few, however, that I do not have, and then a couple others that I have and do not use. I do not have wooden spoons. I usually use a big silver spoon for cooking and dishing out. I could do with some vegetable peelers, but right now I use a knife for this purpose. I do have serving salad spoons, but these are only used if guests are coming to lunch or dinner. I do not own a pasta spoon or server.

There are a few other items that I would add to this list - something to mash potatoes with or a potato ricer; a strainer, and a kitchen scissors to cut open packages.
 
I think a juicer is still necessary. I do use it to liquify a fruit or vegetable which I want to add to a certain recipe. Also, I think it'd be great to have a shredder or grater on hand. I often use it to prepare cheese toppings for pasta or some other recipe that requires shredded vegetables.
 
xTinx said:
I think a juicer is still necessary. I do use it to liquify a fruit or vegetable which I want to add to a certain recipe. Also, I think it'd be great to have a shredder or grater on hand. I often use it to prepare cheese toppings for pasta or some other recipe that requires shredded vegetables.
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Xtinx. I don't think I have seen a juicer as a must have anywhere. I do own one but it's been collecting dust for a while. You are correct about the grater though. I can't really see myself functioning without one. Maybe it is in the top 20 list.
 
Caribbean girl said:
Well I have most of the items listed here. There are a few, however, that I do not have, and then a couple others that I have and do not use. I do not have wooden spoons. I usually use a big silver spoon for cooking and dishing out. I could do with some vegetable peelers, but right now I use a knife for this purpose. I do have serving salad spoons, but these are only used if guests are coming to lunch or dinner. I do not own a pasta spoon or server.

There are a few other items that I would add to this list - something to mash potatoes with or a potato ricer; a strainer, and a kitchen scissors to cut open packages.
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Caribbean girl, it looks like we are going to have to mash those potatoes with the wooden spoons or even that soup ladle. As it relates to opening those packages, we are going to have to use a knife (or our teeth:laugh:. I knew the list would fall short for some of use. I don't know the last day I have used wooden spoons.
 
I have most of those items, but tend to stick to using a few favourates. Electric whisk, silicone spatulas, potato mashers.
 
1. Spatulas to Blend, mix and scrape
2. Spatulas or Flippers to lift, turn or remove
3. Wooden spoons
7. Soup ladle
10.Whisks for mixing and blending

think that is the sum total of what I have and use....

personally I think a sieve/colander is also totally vital, plus I could not survive for long without my (antique) hand egg beater...
images.jpg
 
At the risk of sounding like a novice, I can't say I have ever seen this (antique) hand egg beater. I love the look but I know myself well enough to know that it would be used primarily as decoration. I can't remember when last I used a standard whisk. I have been preparing scrambled eggs a lot recently and I was quite happy to use a fork. Now I'm talking food so often, I should revisit some of the proper techniques and utensils for cooking.
 
Have all of these at home! Still, thank you for sharing this post. :D For those who are just starting to learn how to cook, then this is an important list for all of you.
 
I do not have everything on that list, nor would I have even thought of them as necessary. I don't eat pasta, so I don't need any pasta tools, No one in my family has ever used a splatter screen. Don't have a vegetable salad spoon but since I always make the salad in the bowl from which I will eat it, there's no need. Oh, I do have a vegetable peeler, but I never peel my veggies or fruits, I always eat the skin, even if it doesn't taste good.
 
DancingLady said:
I do not have everything on that list, nor would I have even thought of them as necessary. I don't eat pasta, so I don't need any pasta tools, No one in my family has ever used a splatter screen. Don't have a vegetable salad spoon but since I always make the salad in the bowl from which I will eat it, there's no need. Oh, I do have a vegetable peeler, but I never peel my veggies or fruits, I always eat the skin, even if it doesn't taste good.
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Dancing Lady you have me laughing. I have most if not all of them. Most are probably stored far away. I was looking for the splatter screen without any success. It's probably a bit rusty by now. They are all good things to have but we never really use most of them.
 
I have many of those items but I have survived just fine without a splatter screen or salad spoons. i serve salad with tongs or whatever big spoon I have on hand.
I don't really use a soup ladle either, just a huge spoon. I agree that a spatula is an absolute necessity. You can't really cook without a spatula or at least one big bowl to mix things in.
 
Because I was here learning about all these things I should be using, I decided I would actually take my whisk out to prepare some scramble eggs. Sadly, I saw a little rust so I went back to my usual fork. I am planning to pick up a new one today. I need to start behaving like a real chef and get my correct utensils out and use them..

I can't be posting things and then not put my findings to good use.:)
 
winterybella said:
At the risk of sounding like a novice, I can't say I have ever seen this (antique) hand egg beater. I love the look but I know myself well enough to know that it would be used primarily as decoration. I can't remember when last I used a standard whisk. I have been preparing scrambled eggs a lot recently and I was quite happy to use a fork. Now I'm talking food so often, I should revisit some of the proper techniques and utensils for cooking.
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Nowt antique about it. Just requires a bit of elbow grease to use properly.

If you're replacing kitchen items, go for stainless steel, very little chance of it rusting. Also slightly stronger.
 
classic33 said:
Nowt antique about it. Just requires a bit of elbow grease to use properly.

If you're replacing kitchen items, go for stainless steel, very little chance of it rusting. Also slightly stronger.
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I had originally used the term antique because the one I have is an antique... they seem to have the better mechanisms and are much smoother. I picked mine up at white elephant stall of a village fair a few years back - it came still in its original 1950's (guessing here, could have been 60's) box made by prestige... there was even a price tag on it which meant nothing to me! strange thing before decimalisation, talked about £sd... :whistling:
 
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