8 Kitchen Utensils Commonly Used In Kitchen Environments

Kitchen utensils – the small hand held tools you use to prepare food, provide the basic foundations that allow us to create masterpieces in the food and catering industry.

Not only do they aid us to craft our desired meal more easily, they add incredible value – especially when serving customers.

Although the typical person isn’t exactly capable of consistently achieving that ‘perfect rounded pizza’ where the cheese slowly melts off which is displayed only in adverts, we can certainly come close with the right kitchen equipment.

We think it’s fair to say that generally, people often show a lack of appreciation and neglect just how useful kitchen utensils are and how constant innovation of such items have taken the food industry by storm. As such, this article will discuss 8 utensils for kitchen applications which may encourage you to purchase such equipment for your own.

1. Chef Knives

To start with our common kitchen utensils list we have the infamous chef knives. These handy pieces of equipment are a staple item in the food universe.

A chef without their trusty knife is like a dog without a bone. In essence, they are a kitchen user’s best friend. With a high quality chef knife, you have a durable and sturdy product that can slice through many food ingredients with absolute ease.

By using a chef’s knife, not only will it assist in the presentation of your food to make it more appetising, but in many cases the food will taste better.

This is because thinly sliced food has its surface area more exposed and thus, releases more aromatic molecules into the air.

2. Cutting Boards

Cutting boards funnily enough place so highly on this list due to its synergy with the chef knife. Often coming in wooden or plastic variations, cutting boards get used almost daily no matter what the application.

The primary use is to act as a barrier between knife and worktop to avoid ruining the working area as well as assist in chopping up many ingredients.

3. Prep Bowls

Imagine you have prepared some potent and finely chopped onions on your cutting board but you suddenly realise you have nowhere to temporarily store them.

So what do you do? This is where prep bowls come into play. Another heavily underrated kitchen utensil, people underestimate just how much prepping bowls assist and can help you in kitchen scarios. It is very important to have a variety of mixing bowls both plastic (for cost purposes) and metal for its strong durability and elegant looks in a kitchen setting.

By using prep bowls you can maintain an organised worktop as well minimise mess when preparing food in the kitchen. Something all kitchen users can definitely appreciate.

4. Whisks

Whisks come in all shapes and sizes with the most common type being the balloon whisk (named due to its resemblance to a balloon).

Because their wires tend to be springy and feature a large, rounded end, these whisks create more movement when mixing ingredients together than compared to the other types of whisks. This added motion is especially useful for introducing more air into the ingredients – especially when beating egg whites or when whipping cream into whipped cream.

As such, this nifty kitchen utensil is worthy of deserving a spot on the list due to its multi purpose functionalities and blending skills.

5. Spoons

Spoons are another staple item in the food universe. More specifically, the wooden spoon variant is ideal for kitchen applications as its metal counterparts can have a tendency to scratch the bottom of pots and pans when in use. Not to mention their stronger physical properties meaning they are more durable and makes the process of stirring ingredients much more easier.

In addition, wood is a natural, renewable resource so if you like the idea of cooking in the most environmentally responsible way, wooden spoons should be your tool of choice.

Furthermore, wooden spoons do not conduct heat particularly well when mixing ingredients in a boiling pan which can make them safer and eliminates the possibility of melting the spoon (which could be the case for the metal spoon version)

6. Spatulas

Spatulas are kitchen tools made from a variety of materials such as metal, plastic, silicone, or wood and are constructed with a handle attached to a flat blade. This kitchen utensil is used for multiple purposes depending on the shape, size and material of the spatula.

The straight shafted spatulas are most often used for scraping food from the sides of pots, stirring ingredients in curved bowls or folding ingredients into each other.

The size or shape of the spatula will often guide users with the best method on how to best prepare food when using this kitchen utensil. As such because of its many useful purposes and imensilve versatility, the spatula earns a spot on this list.

7. Storage containers

Storage containers HAS to take a spot on this list. There are two primary uses for storage containers. One is to keep food safe and protected to then be used at a later date and two, to assist with measuring the quantity of the food that is being placed in the container.

Having both of these options can prove to be greatly beneficial in kitchen settings. Having adequate and plentiful storage containers (that are correctly labeled) will ensure that you have an organised kitchen and helps streamline your operation.

Keeping the most-used kitchen ingredients within arm’s reach will also make your food prepping that much more efficient. If applied to a professional kitchen environment this could prove to be advantageous when trying to cook food for customers in a timely manner.

8. Graters

Last but certainly not least, are the graters. Graters are handy because they are durable, lightweight, and are easy to use for grating either vertically or horizontally. What is more impressive about this kitchen utensil is its versatility. You may be more familiar with the term ‘cheese grater’ but graters in general can be utilised for many different ingredients.

This can range from finely slicing garlic, ginger or horseradish to accumulating your own tomato sauce, lemon zest or even used for creating chocolate sprinkles. Finally, the grater can contain a comfort fit handle, which minimises risk when in operation and it can come in many customisable features.