Top 10 Essential Cooking Utensils

When it comes to cooking, the right tool for the job can not only save you time, but it can also prevent you from ruining your meal or worse. But with so many gadgets out there, you could spend a nearly endless amount of money and still not have everything you need on hand. What are the most basic items you'll need to buy to stock your kitchen? These top essential cooking utensils will be the foundation of your kitchen, ensuring that you can perform all of the basic tasks that your cooking requires.

1. Good Knives

A set of good knives is a must for any well-stocked kitchen. Sharp, durable knives make preparing your food faster and easier, and can also avoid accidents caused by slipping blades. Start with a high-quality paring knife for delicate work, a serrated knife for slicing breads and pies, and a 8-inch chef's knife for chopping and preparing meats.

2. Spatulas

Spatulas can be used for everything from scraping the batter from your mixing bowls to pan frying meats and vegetables. It's a good idea to have a few different spatulas on hand, both flexible and stiff, for various kitchen tasks. Wooden and rubber spatulas won't damage non-stick pots and pans.

3. Whisks

Whisks are great for scrambling eggs, making sauces, and creating meringues and soufflés. The wire whisk is traditional, but many today come with a silicon coating which prevents damage to non-stick surfaces or cast-iron seasonings.

4. Grater

Graters are essential for everything from cheese to top your tacos to shredded vegetables for salads or grated spices to use in recipes. Be sure to buy a grater that allows you to choose among several different size cuts for the ultimate flexibility.

5. Measuring Cups

All too often, a cook has stocked the kitchen with a huge variety of gadgets and accessories, only to discover at the worst possible moment that the humble measuring cup is missing. Modern adjustable measuring cups are easy to use and save storage space (and the frustration of not being able to find the right-sized cup when you need it).

6. Vegetable Peeler

Sure, you can use knives to peel your vegetables, but they usually take much longer and have a higher risk of accidents. A good vegetable peeler with a solid, slip-proof handle will speed your food preparation and avoid painful cuts.

7. Corkscrews

Whether you're planning to have a nice bottle of wine with your meal or use a splash of vino in your recipes, you'll want to have a quality cork-screw on hand.

8. Can Openers

A can opener is one of those kitchen utensils that are easy to overlook because they're so ubiquitous. Choose an electric can opener for ease and convenience, or a hand-held opener to save space.

9. Cutting Boards

Good cutting boards help you avoid unhygienic situations in your kitchen. Silicon cutting boards roll up for easy storage, are washable, and come in a variety of bright colors so that you can keep your meat boards separate from those you use to cut vegetables.

10. Sieves

A sieve is essential for draining pasta, cleaning vegetables, and straining bones and meat from stock. A sieve that hangs across your sink is easy to use, allowing you to pour out water from heavy pots and pans without scalding yourself with the steam. These ten essential cooking utensils will help you ensure that you have the basic items you need for easy and successful cooking. Be sure to refer to this list any time you are restocking your kitchen to be sure you have everything that you need on hand.

Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware – a resource for All-Clad and Calphalon cookware.