Kitchen tools every household needs to have

Are you moving out of your parents’ house, living on your own for the first time, or just simply revamping your whole kitchen and don’t know where to start? This list may be for you.

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The kitchen often seems like familiar ground: you need a stove there, a pan here, some spices, and you’re set.

Until one night you want to spontaneously make a pasta dish and you don’t even have a strainer. Now you mistakenly burn your finger with the steam using the lid method to strain your noodles.

Below are a few kitchen tools to add to your home.

1. Measuring, preparing and processing

These tools are sometimes marketed as ways to make your dishes taste and look more professional, which really isn’t the goal for an average cook trying to make sure everyone is fed.

However, many of these utensils help with efficiency, accuracy, and convenience in the kitchen, making the process go much faster. Tools like a:

• garlic press,
• veggie chopper,
• rolling pin,
• fine mesh sieve, and
• citrus juicer or reamer

help the process of chopping, grating, and squeezing go faster in the kitchen.

2. Utensils and cooking tools

These tools are essential for kitchen safety as well as providing an easier way to handle the food you are cooking. Utensils such as an:

• offset spatula,
• tongs with locking ends,
• spider strainer or slotted spoon, and
• kitchen shears

make the cooking process that much easier.

Also see: Experts unveil kitchen habits quietly increasing South Africans’ monthly bills

3. Baking and oven accessories

These tools are essential for someone who loves to bake at home. The key to a quick and easy day of baking without leaving room for mess is tools like these:

• Parchment paper
• Reusable silicone baking mats
• Cooling rack
• Trivets or heat-resistant pads
• Oil splatter screen

4. Storage and organisation

These tools help reduce waste and improve food safety. Labelling food with dates also helps you track freshness, recognise when items typically spoil and keep their shelf life in mind.

Try to get:

• Reusable food storage containers in several sizes
• Freezer labels
• Permanent markers

One last important kitchen tool is a small fire extinguisher. Kitchen fires are bound to happen where there is heat, oil, and electricity. Thus, to avoid a tragedy, keeping a small fire extinguisher is crucial.

Featured image: iStock/Magone

Also see: Money-saving kitchen hacks that can help stretch your grocery budget