Best Kitchen Utensils

Everyone appreciates a good, home-cooked meal. High-quality food has the ability to brighten a bad day and fuel us to do the things we love, to say nothing of the health benefits that a good diet offers.

We all know that it’s important to use the best ingredients possible when cooking, but often people forget that it can be equally important to use the best equipment. Stock your kitchen with well-made utensils to suit every type of food and cooking technique, and you’ll find that the quality of your meals will benefit.

Core Kitchen Utensils

There is a specific tool for pretty much every activity you might need to perform in the kitchen. While some tools are used by most people on a daily basis, others are relevant to such obscure niches of cooking that the average person would never pick them up.

In case you’re not sure which utensils you actually need and which would be a waste of money, here are some of the most frequently used kitchen utensils:

• Slotted spoon
• Solid spoon
• Spaghetti server
• Slotted spatula
• Solid spatula
• Tongs
• Whisk

Best Material for Kitchen Utensils

Utensils are commonly available in a few different types of material, all of which have their own characteristics. Ultimately, it’s up to you to choose what you prefer to have in your kitchen, but we’ve gathered all the important tips to help you make the best decision.

Wood

Pros: Wooden utensils are extremely durable, and they don’t scratch pots and pans. There’s also no risk of leaving an unpleasant taste in the food, as there is with some other materials.

Cons: They’re hard to clean, and you may end up with stains or small pieces of food permanently stuck to the surface. They shouldn’t be put in the dishwasher, either, so it’s entirely up to you to keep them clean.

Silicone

Pros: Silicone can withstand extreme temperatures and forces, so it should pretty much last forever in any normal kitchen. Utensils made from silicone have smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces.

Cons: This material is flexible, which can be a good thing, but if you find yourself in need of rigid tools for cooking certain foods, you won’t want to have only silicone utensils in the kitchen.

Bamboo

Pros: Like wood, bamboo is durable and gentle on your dishware. Between the two, some people prefer bamboo because it’s typically considered to be more environmentally friendly.

Cons: Bamboo is pretty strong, but it’s still more likely to break than some materials. It also can’t be put in the dishwater or soaked, meaning you’ll need to wash bamboo utensils by hand and as soon after use as possible to keep them clean.

Copper

Pros: Copper is a durable material that’s typically easy to keep clean. Many people like copper kitchen tools because they are some of the most aesthetically pleasing options. If you want your kitchen to be pretty as well as practical, copper may be something to consider.

Cons: Copper is reactive, meaning that it can cause an unpleasant metallic taste in many types of food. It’s also soft, for a metal, so you need to be careful not to scratch or dent it if you want it to preserve its elegant look.

Stainless Steel

Pros: Stainless steel is easy to clean and maintain, and its generally dishwasher safe. It’s also very sturdy, so stainless-steel utensils tend to last for a long time.

Cons: The alloys used to make stainless steel utensils often contain metals that some people are allergic to, like nickel, or potentially dangerous heavy metals. It can be confusing to figure out how much of each metal a given item contains, and stainless steel is often expensive.

Nylon

Pros: Nylon is non-stick and easy to clean. Utensils made from nylon are generally among the least expensive available, which can be appealing if the idea of buying a full set of kitchen tools at once seems intimidating.

Cons: Not all nylon is created equal, and many lower-quality nylon products are prone to cracking or melting at high temperatures. If you do decide to go for nylon kitchen utensils, be sure to check the durability and heat resistance first.

Best Kitchen Utensil Brands

Once you know which utensils you’re looking for and what material you want them to be, you can look for a set made by a quality brand to find the best options for you. You can check out our recommendations for the specific utensils and utensil sets we like best, but there are also some brands that are generally trusted and tend to make good kitchenware, including:

• OXO
• Cuisinart
• Le Creuset
• Chef’n
• KAI
• Epicurean

More Kitchen Must-Haves

A good utensil set is an essential item to have when assembling your collection of kitchen tools, but there are other gadgets that will come in handy pretty frequently.

You may eventually want to get a set of different knives, but if that’s too extravagant for now, you can get by fairly well with just a couple of cutting tools. You should prioritize a multipurpose chef’s knife first, and maybe a pair of kitchen shears after that. Skillets and saucepans are a similar situation: in a perfect world, you’ll own a variety of sizes and perhaps even a variety of materials, but at least one of each will get your kitchen started just fine. You also might want a baking sheet or dish, which you can use for all manner of oven-baked snacks and meals.

Add a colander, a box grater, a thermometer, and a timer, and you’ll have a solid foundation of kitchen supplies to work with. You can continue to add specialty or luxury tools as you discover a need for them.

Our experts review the best kitchen tools so you can choose from the highest-quality options according to your preferences, whether you’re a professional or a first-time home chef. With these tips in mind and our thoroughly researched suggestions, you’ll have the perfect kitchen gear to suit your needs in no time.

FAQ

What are the different kitchen tools, utensils, and equipment?

There are tons of different tools and gadgets made for the kitchen, but they tend to fall into a few main categories. These include cookware, like pots and pans; utensils, like spoons, knives, and spatulas; and mechanical equipment, like blenders and mixers. Each category contains items that are found in almost every kitchen as well as items that are really only used by professional chefs, so start by getting only what you need.

What kitchen utensils do I need?

Some basic kitchen utensils, like the ones we talked about earlier, are likely to come in handy no matter what you’re doing. However, the full list of utensils you’ll need depends on what things you plan to cook. Once you know this, you can come take a look at the products we picked to find the best ones for your kitchen.

What material is best for kitchen utensils?

As long as the material is food safe, what you should choose depends on your personal preference. Different materials vary in appearance, durability, rigidity, and ease of cleaning. No one material is the best at everything, so pick a material based on which factors are most important to you.

Where can I buy kitchen utensils?

It’s easy to find kitchen utensils in kitchen or home furnishing stores, as well as online. Shopping online will give you a wider selection, but be sure to use the website of a trusted brand or retailer to ensure quality. You can always use our recommendations if you want to know you’re buying from a legitimate site.