Common Kitchen Utensils & Their Uses

The preciseness of many baking recipes demands the use of different kinds of utensils.

A kitchen utensil is any tool used for cooking or baking, including cooking vessels like pots and pans and appliances like microwaves and refrigerators. Usually, however, "utensil" refers to simple tools intended for the preparation or handling of food. A well stocked kitchen should contain many essential items that are suitable for most tasks, and a few items suitable for specific tasks.

Knives

Many households opt to buy knife sets, with as many as 15 different knives, sometimes including steak knives and shears or scissors. The essential knives for most kitchens are usually an 8 or 10-inch steak knife for most jobs, a small paring knife for trimming vegetables and fruits, a boning knife for trimming and deboning meats, a serrated bread knife for bread or tough rinds and (sometimes) a heavy butcher's knife or cleaver. To store these knives, a wall mounted magnetic strip can be employed. A cutting board made of either wood or polyurethane is essential to protect the knife from being excessively dulled.

Measuring Utensils

Measuring utensils are useful in determining doneness, ensuring food safety or adhering to a recipe. A full set of measuring cups and spoons are useful for dry measurements (and sometimes wet measurements). A digital kitchen scale is especially useful for baking recipes, as weight-based measurements are more accurate than volume-based measurements. Analog thermometers are good for monitoring oven or refrigerator temperatures, while digital thermometers are best for measuring the interior temperature of food that is cooking. Many of these also come with timers.

Mixing Utensils

Large metal bowls are used to hold ingredients during preparation, for example while baking ingredients or salads are mixed, meat is marinated, or while sauces are prepared. Spoons, ladles, whisks and spatulas can be used for preparation as well as mixing. Wooden spoons and ladles are usually used in simmering liquids, incorporating liquids into other vessels and sauteeing foods. Whisks are used to incorporate hot, cold, wet and dry ingredients into each other by breaking particles up with physical agitation. Spatulas and tongs are usually used to turn food or transfer it from place to place.

Specialized Utensils

Some utensils are used to help prepare foods in specialized ways. Many of these tools are specifically created for certain tasks and are self explanatory, such as citrus juicers or reamers, apple corers, grapefruit spoons, can openers, vegetable peelers, potato mashers and meat mallets.

References

• Campbell's Dinner Ideas: Common Kitchen Tools
• Teri's Kitchen: Essentials for the Well-Equipped Kitchen