Brandi Henson 
Keep these kitchen accessories close at hand to help make your cooking routine faster, simpler and more organized – perfect for beginner or even experienced chefs alike!
An effective spatula is essential when flipping pancakes, serving roasted vegetables or sauteeing salmon. Choose a silicone-handled model which can handle high temperatures while being both dishwasher and food safe.
Knives
Knives are integral parts of any meal preparation process, from cutting tomatoes to torting cake layers. Although it may seem intimidating to build a complete knife collection, industry experts agree that two essential items – a chef’s knife and serrated bread knife – should form the basis of any proper selection; additional tools such as paring knives and kitchen shears may be added for smaller tasks like trimming twine or chiffonading herbs.
Utility knives feature both straight and serrated blades for general tasks, while cleavers have special shapes designed specifically to cut bones. Other specialized knives may be needed such as:
Utensils
Utensils are small hand-held tools used in food preparation. While some utensils serve multiple functions – for instance knives – others specialize in specific tasks, such as cutting, heating, mixing, chopping and measuring.
Kitchen utensils come in all kinds of materials. Your selection can have a significant effect on its quality. Copper is known to conduct heat efficiently while still being heavy. Care must be taken when cleaning to remove poisonous tarnish compounds which accumulate over time, otherwise toxic tarnish compounds could form and tarnish could form again more quickly than with other metals.
Other classifications of utensils typically use “-ware” to indicate materials. Examples are earthenware utensils made of clay; silverware for kitchen and dining silver utensils (both made out of silver); and glassware which refers to those crafted out of glass.
Pans
Pans are indispensable kitchen tools in bakeries, restaurants and diners alike, providing even heating with effortless cleanup after every use and contributing to delicious outcomes.
Stainless steel pans are essential tools in many professional kitchens, providing durability and versatility while being easy to care for and use. However, proper handling must be observed in order to achieve successful results.
Saute pans feature tall sides and narrow bases to provide even heating from all directions, helping the ingredients reduce in thickness while adding intense flavor.
Tart pans are great tools for baking dessert tarts, breakfast quiches, and miniature pies. Look for one with a removable base for effortless serving; for better organization in your kitchen consider consulting with a kitchen designer about installing graduated drawer units that allow you to store pots and pans along with their lids.
Shears
Shears are heavy-duty scissors with one serrated blade that are used for opening canned food, cutting fish and meats, peeling produce and trimming herbs. More versatile than standard paper scissors, shears make cooking tasks simpler and faster.
Check for shears that can be unhinged for easy unhinging and cleaning, with blades that separate to make for simpler cleanup, bottle openers or curved blades designed specifically for poultry. Shears can also be great tools for cutting dough for pie crust, phyllo and puff pastry creation – plus some offer ergonomic handles that help reduce wrist and hand pain! Shears will become essential tools in your kitchen.
Tongs
Tongs are essential tools in any cook’s arsenal for everything from flipping burgers and plating pasta, tossing salads, and placing tiny garnishes onto elegant entrees – and their versatility extends from lightweight plastic models with smooth or scalloped food-gripping parts, all the way through larger metal models with scalloped gripping surfaces or smooth surfaced tongs that feature smooth or scalloped food-gripping parts.
Check for spring-based tongs that can quickly grip, move, lift, turn and jostle most foods while protecting your hands from hot items or cookware. Ideally they should come equipped with a locking mechanism so they can be used one-handed; just place the ring at the top of their handles and squeeze for one-handed use. Scissor-type designs may also come in handy for turning burgers or holding other foods securely in place.
Spoon
Although metal, silicone and plastic utensils tend to dominate your local kitchen stores’ utensil aisles, wooden spoons deserve their own place in any kitchen. Wooden spoons don’t quickly heat to scorching temperatures or chemically react with acidic foods as quickly as their metal counterparts do – two drawbacks inherent to metal tools that should not be overlooked when considering what tools should be in any given pantry or refrigerator.
Flatware caddies provide easy organization of spoons on the counter or dining room table for quick and casual meals as well as casual entertaining at home, without scratching pots and pans or leaching strange flavors into food like plastic utensils might do. Incorporate them into your kitchen to reduce scratching of pots and pans as well as leaching unusual flavors into food! Alternatively, try an over-the-counter serving tray to hold sauces and spices for casual meals at home!
