Guide to basic kitchen utensils

We often get calls or emails from clients who want to equip a kitchen or want to update their kitchen utensils, but they don't know where to start. There is such a variety and specialization of the utensils needed for a kitchen , that sometimes it can be a difficult task to decide what is a priority and also what is essential.

For this reason, we have decided to create a small guide in case you want to renew your essential kitchen utensils or you want to equip a kitchen with the most basic or essential items, to then complete with other accessories depending on your cooking style.

COOKING UTENSILS

As for cooking utensils, it is essential to have a good frying pan. A very good option is to buy a non-stick frying pan for gentle cooking or delicate foods (fish, omelettes or sauces...), and an iron or stainless steel one for high-temperature cooking, such as frying or grilling.

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

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

In any case, if we choose to buy a non-stick frying pan, it is very important to use it properly to keep it in the best condition: do not use it at high temperatures, always use wooden or silicone spatulas and wash it by hand with the soft part of the sponge.

Cast iron grills may not be a kitchen staple, as many people cook their food on a frying pan and they are not the most suitable for all foods (such as white fish, which will easily crumble), but if we cook a lot on the grill or we eat a lot of meat, my recommendation would definitely be to buy one (and on the day that we cook white fish, we can cook it in a pan). Food is much better cooked on cast iron (it is like a charcoal grill, very well roasted on the outside and with much more flavour) and they are very comfortable to use as they have low sides. In addition, cast iron withstands high temperatures well, so we have a utensil that will last a lifetime (unlike non-stick grills, which do not usually last very long).

Le Creuset cast iron grill and Bra stainless steel pot

Another essential item for our kitchen is a stainless steel pot for boiling rice, pasta, making soup or similar. We cook these things often, and a stainless steel pot is perfect for this. They are light, do not require any special maintenance and heat up reasonably quickly. The only precaution we should take with them is to always add salt when the water is boiling: if the salt settles on the bottom, the typical white spots that are difficult to remove can appear.

Apart from the pot, a small saucepan may be useful for cooking sauces, boiling hard-boiled eggs, heating milk... or any cooking that requires a smaller container. Be careful! If you think that it may be useful to have several sizes of pots and saucepans, then I recommend that you look at a cookware set that already includes several pieces. It will always be cheaper than buying them individually, and the WMF ones are especially good value for money.

I can't finish with the cooking basics without mentioning a Le Creuset cast iron cocotte . I know it's not an essential utensil, but I couldn't resist including it, because for me it certainly is, it's essential. It allows us to prepare spoon recipes (rice, legumes, soups) or prepare a delicious stew by browning the meat on the stove and finishing the cooking at a slow heat 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 cast iron Coccote

If you have any doubts about what size pan or pot you need, my recommendation is to look at what you currently have and whether it is too big or too small for you. You can measure the pans, always the top diameter, and see if you need the same measurements or if another measurement would be better for you. If you have any questions, write to us or call us and we will give you the portions you can prepare with each measurement.

SMALL UTENSILS

Knives are one of the most used items in the kitchen. There are many options and sizes, but there are clearly three that cannot be missing in our kitchen: a small 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 cutting sausage. You can find this Wusthof set containing the basic knives at an exceptional price, or you can buy them individually, each one from the brand you like best if you want ( here you can see the ones we have in the store).

When 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 focused on which one you can buy, which is the second part "What knife should I buy?"

Obviously, if you have a knife, you have to have a cutting board , so as not to damage the knife and to cut safely. The olive wood ones from Bérard have magnificent properties, but as they are a bit small, they are ideal for presenting and cutting at the table. To work comfortably, I recommend the bamboo ones or the ones from T&G, which I also find beautiful (you can see all the ones here ).

Set of 3 Wüsthof knives and T&G cutting board

Another basic item in our kitchen is wooden and silicone spatulas for handling food or scraping containers without damaging them. Both the wooden spoons from Berard or T&G, and the silicone spatulas from Le Creuset are excellent alternatives. If we cook a lot of grilled or fried food, stainless steel tongs are also a great help to be able to pick up the pieces comfortably and accurately (in this case, I would recommend the thin ones from Rösle without thinking twice, which are also so elegant that you will even bring them to the table to serve!).

Other essential kitchen utensils that you will need to have in your cupboards and drawers: a large strainer (the foldable one is very practical), a small one , a bread knife , scissors (let me recommend a classic that will last you forever, the 3 Claveles scissors ), a peeling knife ( the oval one from Rösle is fantastic!), a spatula for the griddle or for serving cannelloni and the like, a ladle and a potato masher .

Top: collapsible colander, Rösle tongs and griddle spatula; bottom : Le Creuset ladle, 3 Claveles scissors and Zester Microplane grater

Finally, a tool 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 is a very easy and comfortable tool to use that will help us in many moments in our kitchen.

I think that everything I have mentioned is the basics, the essentials. What do you think? Obviously it is a very debatable subject and depends greatly on the type of cooking we do at home, but we have tried to reflect those utensils that are found in almost every home. I would love to hear if you agree or if you would remove or add any, if you want to leave it in the comments!