Guide to Basic Kitchen Utensils

Many times clients call or write to us because they want to equip a kitchen or start updating their utensils, but they don’t know where to begin. There really is so much variety and specialization in utensils necessary for a kitchen, which can sometimes be a difficult task to decide what is the priority and also what is essential.

For this reason, we have decided to create a short guide in case you want to start updating your essential kitchen utensils or you want to equip a kitchen with the basics or essentials, then complete it later with other accessories based on your cooking style.

COOKING UTENSILS

As for cooking utensils, it's essential to have a good frying pan. A very good option is to buy a nonstick frying pan for gentle cooking or delicate foods (fish, omelet or sauces...), and an iron one or stainless steel for high-temperature cooking, such as frying or cooking on the griddle.

If at any point you want to learn more about each type of pan or what you'll really need, I recommend reading the post "The perfect frying pan" (here).

Bra non-stick frying pans (left), De buyer stainless steel frying pan (center) and De Buyer iron frying pan

In any case, if we choose to buy a nonstick pan, it's very important to use it properly to keep it in top condition: don't use it over high heat, always use wooden or silicone spatulas, and hand-wash it with the soft side of the sponge.

The iron grills perhaps they aren’t a kitchen basic, since many people do griddle cooking in a frying pan and they aren’t the most suitable for all foods (such as white fish, which will easily fall apart), but if we cook a lot on the griddle or we’re really into meat, my recommendation would undoubtedly be to buy one (and on the day white fish is cooked, it can be done in a frying pan). Foods turn out much better cooked on iron (it’s barbecue-like, nicely roasted on the outside and with much more flavor) and they’re very convenient to use thanks to the low sides. In addition, iron withstands high temperatures well, so we have a utensil for life (unlike nonstick grill pans, which don’t tend to last long).

Le Creuset iron grill and Bra stainless steel pot

Another must-have for our kitchen is a stainless steel pot to boil rice, pasta, make soup, or similar. These are cooking tasks we do often, and a stainless steel pot performs perfectly. They are lightweight, require no special maintenance, and heat up reasonably quickly. The only precaution we should take with them is to always add the salt when the water is boiling: if the salt ends up settling on the bottom, those typical white spots that are hard to remove may appear.

Besides the pot, it may be advisable a small saucepan, for cooking sauces, hard-boiling eggs, heating milk... or any cooking that requires a smaller pot. Heads up! If you think having several sizes of pots and saucepans could suit you, then I recommend looking at a cookware set that already includes several pieces; it will always work out cheaper than buying them individually, and they offer especially good value for money the ones from WMF.

I can't wrap up the cooking basics without mentioning a Le Creuset cast iron casserole. I know it's not an essential utensil, but I couldn't resist including it, because for me it undoubtedly is essential. It lets us prepare spoon dishes (rice, legumes, soups) or make a delicious stew by browning the meat on the stovetop and finishing the cooking low and slow in the oven. At home we also use it very often to bake cakes or bread, as it achieves a golden crust and a very soft interior.

WMF Profi Plus cookware set and Le Creuset iron cocotte

If you’re unsure what size frying pan or pot you need, my recommendation is to look at what you currently have and whether it feels too large or too small. You can measure your pans—always the top diameter—and see if you need the same sizes or if another size would suit you better. If you have any questions, write to us or call us and we’ll tell you the portions you can prepare with each size.

SMALL UTENSILS

Knives are among the most-used items in the kitchen. There are many options and sizes, but clearly there are three that should never be missing from our kitchen: a small one with an 8-10cm blade for cleaning and chopping vegetables, a chef’s knife of about 20cm for cutting and chopping meat or vegetables, and a narrow knife of about 16cm for making precise cuts of meat or slicing cold cuts. You can find this Wusthof Set that contains the basic knives at an exceptional price, or you can buy them individually, each from whichever brand you like best if you want (here you see the ones we have in the store).

For choosing knives, I would recommend reading the two articles that discussed the topic: The first part, about the types of knives that exist , and the one that is more aimed at which one you can buy, which is the second part "Which knife should I buy".

Logically, if there is a knife there has to be a cutting board`, so as not to damage the knife and to cut safely. The Bérard olive wood ones have excellent qualities, but since they are somewhat small they are ideal for serving and cutting at the table. To work comfortably I recommend the ` of bamboo or the ones from T&G, which I also find beautiful (you can see all the ones there are here).

Set of 3 Wüsthof knives and T&G cutting board

Another staple in our kitchen is the wooden and silicone spatulas to handle food or scrape containers without damaging them. Both the Berard wooden spoon or T&G, like the Le Creuset silicone spatulas are excellent alternatives. If we do a lot of griddle cooking or frying, stainless steel tweezers they are also a great help to be able to pick up the pieces comfortably and precisely (in this case, I would recommend the fine ones from Rösle without a second thought, and besides, they are so elegant that you'll bring them to the table even for serving!).

Others must-have kitchen utensils and what you'll need to have in your cabinets and drawers: a large colander (the collapsible one is very practical), another in small, a bread knife, a pair of scissors (let me recommend a classic that will last you forever, 3 Claveles scissors), a paring knife (the Rösle oval is fantastic!), a griddle spatula or for serving cannelloni and similar, a ladle and a food mill.

At the top: foldable colander, Rösle tongs, and griddle spatula; andn the bottom: Le Creuset ladle, 3 Claveles scissors and Microplane Zester grater

To conclude, a utensil that we are going to use a lot in the kitchen is the Microplane Zester Grater. It is used to grate the most common foods such as cheese, chocolate, nuts, citrus fruits, or vegetables. It’s a very easy and convenient utensil to use that will help in many situations in the kitchen.

I think everything I’ve mentioned is the basics, the essentials. What do you think? Obviously, it’s highly debatable and largely depends on the kind of cooking we do at home, but we’ve tried to reflect those utensils that are found in almost every household. I’d love to hear whether you agree or if you’d remove or add any—feel free to leave it in the comments!