Top 20 Essential Kitchen Utensils List Names and Uses

Kitchen utensils are tools found in the kitchen, used for food preparation. Each kitchen utensil is designed to do its task and give the expected results. Different Kitchen utensils are used differently depending on the style and time of cooking.

With proper cooking utensils, you are sure that your cooking will be quick and time-saving, and your serving procedure will be good, and in turn, the hygienic environment will be maintained. Kitchen utensils that you will probably need are: measuring, cutting, peeling, sorting, storage, among others. Here are some of the Kitchen utensils names and uses:

Knife

A knife is an essential food preparation tool that is used for necessary cutting. Knives are made of different materials and are of different types, depending on what you want to do. They include a bread knife, a paring knife, and a chef’s knife. It is important to have a stainless knife that does not rust.

Types of knives list

Chefs knife

Paring knife

Carving knife

Utility knife

Bread knife

Filleting knife

Salmon knife

Vegetable knife

Peeling knife

Chopping board

It is of no use having a perfect knife in your kitchen and has nothing to prepare your food on. The chopping board is essential because it helps you make food that needs to be chopped. Chopping boards are of different types depending on the material; plastic, wooden among others.

Garlic Press

People have different preferences on how they use their garlic and in what type of food. For those who like mincing their garlic, garlic pressers will suit you better. Mincing makes the garlic extract all its flavor. Garlic presser also reduces the risk of biting large pieces of garlic.

Sieve

It is of use when you want to use finer ingredients in your cooking. When baking, a sieve is useful because it is used for de-clumping flour, making the process of mixing smooth. A sieve also makes it easy to rinse finer ingredients such as rice and lentils.

Blender

Some recipes will do well with fine ingredients. You will, therefore, be forced to blend the ingredients. Blenders are of different types and make and sizes. Depending on your preference, choose one that will serve you best.

Spoons

Spoons have several uses depending on the type. There are stirring spoons and slotted spoons. Stirring spoons are used for mixing your food, while slotted spoons are used to remove food from the water. They are of different sizes and materials. The choice of spoon depends on the use.

Tongs

Tongs are essential because they are used to turn your meat in a, as well as lifting things out of water. Tongs can also be used to serve the salad. They reduce the risk of damage that may be caused while using other kitchen utensils like the spatula.

Food Thermometer

Properly cooked food reduces the risk of food poisoning or any other illness that may be a result of the same. A food thermometer ensures that your food is well cooked and ensures proper hygiene in your kitchen. It means there is no day you will eat undercooked food.

Kitchen Tool Organizer

Kitchen utensils need to be put in a place where, when you want to do your cooking, you can easily access them. Drawers can be used to serve the purpose, but some utensils that require easy and quick access need to be placed in the cooking and preparations areas.

Containers

Containers are of good use when you want to keep your food or leftovers in a refrigerator. They can also be used to freeze your leftovers in a freezer. Containers are made of different materials. When you think of buying, choose one that is safe to use in a microwave.

Mixing Bowls

They are of importance when you want to mix your spices, sauces, or salad dressings. They are also useful when you want to store your leftovers. Mixing bowls of high quality are recommended because they do not stain. They usually stick together for simple storage.

Ceramic Rod

If you want to maintain a quality knife in your kitchen, you should have a ceramic rod. They are of two types, sharpening and honing rods. A sharpening rod keeps your blade sharp for efficient cutting while the honing rod is used when you want to align the edges of your knife.

Saucepan

It’s of use when you want to warm your broth, melt your popcorn butter, or reheat rice. When you are doing a lot of cooking, a source pan is recommended for sauces. The choice of the saucepan to buy will depend on the type of stovetop that you have.

Grater

Some food recipes require the ingredients to be grated. Graters are of different types and made of different materials; plastic and steel. Depending on the kind of ingredients that you want to grate, a stainless steel grater made of high-quality material will serve you for long.

Cooking Pot

A pot is a kitchen utensil that is suitable to prepare soup or homemade broth. Pots are of different sizes depending on what you want to cook. Large pots such as stockpots are used to prepare large portions of soup. Small pots are used for making small meals.

Spatula

A spatula is of importance when you want to remove food from skillets or frying pans. Although some people use some types of spoons to do the same, a spatula is perfect for that kind of cooking because it has slots that allow excess fats to fall while removing.

Kitchen Shears

They serve different purposes in the kitchen, but the main purpose is to up poultry. Instead of using a knife and a cutting board to snip herbs, kitchen shears serve the purpose better. Kitchen shears are also used to open tough packages, cutting dough as well as cutting celery.

Whisk

It is a stainless-steel utensil that is used to beat ingredients into liquids. They are best used in beating eggs or creams. Whisks are also used to stir salad dressings and sauces. The most common type is the one that is used to beat the eggs and cream.

Vegetable Peeler

While some people prefer using a paring knife to peel vegetables, most cooks use a vegetable peeler. They are of different types: Y-handle that peels vegetables that are sitting on a cutting board, fixed blade suitable for tough skins, and straight-handled swivel peeler suitable for vegetables with thin skin.

Cooking Brush

A cooking brush is used when you want to paint sauces. They are of different types. When using a regular brush to paint your sauce, you will find that the bristles are melting off or separating. A cooking brush is therefore used to paint liquids and sauces safely.

Basic kitchen utensils names

They include Chef’s knife, paring knife, grater, garlic press, measuring jug, mixing bowl, vegetable peeler or slicer machine, chopping board, roasting bin, baking sheet, tongs, spatula, whisk, pot holders food thermometer, saucepans, blenders, pan openers, ladle, sieve, bottle opener, rolling pin, kitchen scales, frying pans, honing rods, corkscrew, sharpening rod.

Old kitchen utensils names

These are the kitchen tools that are rare to find in modern kitchens. They are Cook press, cake breaker, Flour canister, Bread box, Sugar canister, butter molds, tea canisters, strainer sieve, condiment serving tray, iron trivets, egg poacher pan, food mill, French butter dish, French dry cutter, nesting pastry cutters, hand mixers, ice cream sandwich maker, ice pet, meat tenderizer, Aluminium ice trays, nutmeg grinder, pot strainer, casserole dish, potato mashers, slicer, soda siphon, baking molds.

Cooking spoons names

Dessert spoon, bar spoon, bonbon spoon, ladle, mote spoon, a stirrer, slotted spoon, soup spoon,

Indian cooking utensils list names

Stainless steel skillets, deep pans, wide pans, sauté’ pans, saucepans, steel pots, iron wok, mixing bowls, serving bowls, stainless steel spoons, ladles, rice server, idli scooper, pot lids, pan lids, casserole, ghee containers, platter, rolling pin, board, skimmers, strainers, turner, pressure cookers, tongs, churners, spice box, bottle opener, ice cream scoop, sieves, mesh, colanders,  pincers, garlic press, lime squeezer, sifter, spatula, mortar and pestle, jalebi bottle, pizza wheel, measuring cups, graters, slicer, pastry brush, whisk, skewers,

Kitchen items A to Z

Aluminum foil, baking dish, beater, blender, butter dish, cake pan, can opener, casserole, coffee grinder, coffee maker, cup, cutting board, dish, egg beater, fruit bowl, frying pan, garlic press, glasses grater, grinder, honey pot, hot plate, jar, milk jugs, juice glass, juicer, kettle knife, knife sharpener, ladle, lid, measuring cup, measuring spoon, meat grinder, meat tenderizer, meat thermometer,

mixer, mixing bowl, mold, muffin pan, mug, nut cracker, opener, pan, pepper grinder, pepper shaker, pestle, pizza cutter, pizza pan, pizza wheel, plate, pot, potato masher, pot holder, pressure cooker, quiche pan, rice cooker, roasting pan, rolling pin, salad bowl, salad spinner, salt shaker, sauce pan, serving platter, sieve, slicer, soup bowl, spatula spice jar, spoon, steamer, sugar bowl, table spoon, tea cup, tea pot, thermometer tin, toaster, tongs, tray, trivet, vegetable brush, vegetable peeler, whisk, wok, yogurt maker.

Aluminium utensils names list

Aluminum utensils are cumbersome kitchen equipment that can serve you for a very long time. Aluminum utensils are divided into three groups: eating utensils, cooking utensils, and stirring and cutting utensils.  Aluminum is used to make kitchen utensils because; it is an alternative to stainless steel, it is considered a good conductor of heat, utensils made of aluminum do have a longer life. It prevents corrosion due to its ability to form a protective oxide layer. Aluminum holds up heat well and does not tarnish quickly. Aluminum utensils include:

Importance of Kitchen Utensils

Kitchen utensils are of importance because they help you make food and avoid eating fast foods. How then do you choose the right kitchen utensil? All cooks need not all kitchen utensils. Before thinking of buying a kitchen utensil think of:

Pots, and baking trays, graters, measuring cups, measuring spoons, spatulas, can openers and bottle openers, bottle opener, sieve, paring knife, measuring spoon, forks, plates, graters, slicers, skillets, lime squeezer,  pressure cookers, tongs, mixing bowls, serving bowls, scoopers, pan lids, pot lids, sheet pan, garlic presser, peeler, corkscrew, blender, Chef’s knife, flask, frying pans, jars, roasters, shears, vegetable peelers, tools organizer, honing rod, sharpening rod.

  • Whether you need it: A good-sized kitchen can give you the freedom to put whatever utensil that you want, while in a small kitchen you just need to put what you want. When it comes to essential utensils, pots, spoons, spatulas are just but a few that should not miss in your kitchen despite the size.
  • The material used to make the utensil: cooking utensils can be made of plastics, steel or wood. You should choose one that suite cooking needs and fits your budget.
  • Quality: Since each kitchen utensil is made of different materials, the quality is also different. For example, utensils made of steel are of good quality because they do not last. Kitchen utensils of high quality are expensive but will serve you for a long time.
  • Budget: It is good that you go for the essential kitchen utensils that you cannot do without, rather than stocking your kitchen with expensive utensils that put holes in your purse.
  • Food safety requirements. Some of the kitchen utensils are made if materials that rust or melt. They may not be the best for your cooking because they may have adverse effects on your health.
  • Type of service required from the utensil. There are kitchen items that have multiple purposes. They may be the best considering that you will forego buying others that serve the same purpose.
essential kitchen utensils

There are some dos and don’ts for buying kitchen utensils.

Do’s

  • Look for Kitchen utensils in thrift stores.
  • Ask families and friends for quality utensils that they know.
  • Check reviews by other users

Don’ts

  • Do not buy the cheapest utensils available in the market.
  • Do not buy anything out of desperation unless you are sure of it.

Bottom line

Whether a traditional or a modern kitchen, you need to have essential kitchen utensils that will make your cooking successful.