Kitchen Tools Buying Guide

For everyday cooking

• Peeler – to peel vegetables, zest, ribbon, and shave chocolate and cheese
• Stirring spoon – to stir your ingredients as they cook
• Ladle or serving spoon – for serving up pasta sauces, stews and soups
• Kitchen tongs – BBQ tongs to turn meat and salad tongs for entertaining
• Turner – to flip meat and eggs and transfer food from pans and dishes to the plate
• Spatula – to scrape ingredients out of bowls and pans
• Grater  – a cheese grater , veggie grater, chocolate and nut grater in one
• Masher – to make mashed potato and chunky soups
• Kitchen utensil set – gives you all the basic utensils in one handy set
• Colander – to strain cooked pasta and vegetables and wash fresh fruit and veggies
• Can opener – can be manual or electric
• Salt and pepper grinders – for freshly ground salt and pepper seasoning
• Measuring spoons – to follow exact recipe amounts and get the best results
• Measuring jug – for liquid ingredients. Some digital jugs show the temperature too
• Kitchen scales – to weigh ingredients precisely for recipe perfection
• Sieve – to finely strain liquids, sauces and soups
• Timer – so your creations are cooked to perfection and disasters are prevented

For passionate cooks

• Whisk – to hand whisk eggs, whip cream, blend mixtures and aerate ingredients
• Skimmer – to skim off undesirable floating bits from the top of soups and stocks
• Zester – a microplane grater that’s a cheese grater, lime, orange and lemon zester
• Mortar & pestle – to crush and combine spices for meat rubs and homemade curries
• Meat tools – a meat tenderiser/meat mallet and a meat grinder for amazing meals
• Basting brush – to redistribute pan juices over meat to keep it moist during cooking
• Cooking thermometer – to check meat and poultry and ensure it’s cooked perfectly
• Skewers – to make kebabs for the BBQ and create a marble pattern in cakes
• Pastry tools – a rolling pin and non-stick mat to roll pasty, and pastry bag for piping
• Flour sifter – to sift all the lumps out of flour so your cake mixtures are evenly mixed
• Cooking torch – to brown the tops of crème brûlées and other impressive desserts
• Pasta tools – to make, shape and dry your own homemade pasta
• Mandolin slicer – to quickly and evenly slice vegetables and cheese

To save time in the kitchen

Add a few of these cool kitchen gadgets to your list:

• Garlic presses – to mince garlic cloves in seconds instead of finely chopping
• Herb scissors – to chop fresh herbs over salads and into dishes while you cook
• Salad spinner – to wash and spin dry salad leaves quickly and easily
• Pizza cutter – to cut homemade pizzas into same-size slices fast
• Fruit & vegetable tools spiraliser, avocado slicer, melon baller and citrus juicer
• Ice cream scoop – for fast, perfectly formed scoops that will impress your guests
• Jar opener – so you don’t waste time trying to open lids or have to ask for help

For fun

• Novelty fried egg mould – an owl-shaped egg mould is a wise choice for fussy kids
• Talking toast – pattern toast stencils with cute messages make mornings more fun