#Cooking Utensils List That Every Kitchen Needs

By Mariette Mifflin. Housewares/Appliances Expert

Mariette Mifflin has been covering housewares and appliances for About.com since 2005. Read more

To operate a kitchen efficiently, we need basic cooking utensils and that includes chef's tools and serving spoons, to not only prepare the meal, but also to serve it. And that's where a cooking utensils list comes in handy - so our kitchen can be ready and functional.

This cooking utensils list covers the essential tools that every kitchen needs, from a can opener to a carving knife. This gives you a very practical base that you can build on as you develop your gourmet cooking skills and expand your stock of kitchen tools.

Choose cooking utensils that will not damage your cookware. If you have nonstick pots. pans or skillets, a few of your cooking utensils should be plastic or silicone. Keep in mind that some plastics can take the heat from a quick stir or lifting in a hot pot or skillet, and silicone tools have varying degrees of heat resistance but to protect these utensils, you should avoid extended periods of high heat.

There are also kitchen gadgets - those can't-be-without tools that makes a task easier and quicker. And let's not forget cookware. which you will need to complete your kitchen.

If you are just starting out with your first kitchen or replacing items after a loss, my cooking utensils list will help you round up what you need. You may also want to read my Basic Housewares and House Essentials for more ideas on what you need to set up a home.

1. Spatulas to Blend, Mix, Scrape

MECKY/The Image Bank/Getty Images

The term spatula refers to several types of kitchen utensils including: rubber or silicone tools to blend or scrape the food from the bowl; metal, silicone or plastic egg turners or flippers.

We'll look first at the type you would use to scrape a bowl or stir in a pot. You need at least a couple of rubber or silicone spatulas, but more is better, depending on what you like to do in the kitchen.

If you love to bake and cook, a few different styles and sizes would be advisable. A new handy breed of spatula has emerged the last few years - a combined spatula and spoon - called a spanula or spatula spoon.

And the Chef'n company has revised their popular silicone Switchit spatulas, into dual ended kitchen tools. which are very handy for everything from blending to cleaning up.

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2. Spatulas or Flippers to Lift, Turn, Remove

Flippers, Spatulas. Photo Mifflin

Also called spatulas, are egg turners or flippers for turning hamburgers and other food items. Metal or plastic spatulas are handy for placing foods in a hot skillet and turning as required.

You can also use these spatulas for serving main dishes or dessert portions. An assortment of sizes and styles is very practical for various tasks and you'll want to have at least one that is very thin for removing cookies from a baking sheet. as well as one that is very flexible for turning eggs.

Silicone spatulas are handy when turning foods in a hot skillet - they can take the heat. However, they are more 'slippery' than other types and not the best for turning eggs neatly.

3. Wooden Spoons

Wooden Spoons. Photo Mifflin

Wooden spoons continue to be kitchen essentials because of their usefulness for mixing and stirring, either in a bowl or in a pot on the stove. They are also ideal for use in nonstick cookware.

Though they do wear down over time and tend to discolor easily, most are very durable. Though you can use a large metal stirring spoon for mixing, a wooden spoon is preferred by most.

That being said, there are those that have turned their attention to the new spatula spoon or spanula that can also take the heat.