Whether you are mechanic tasked with fixing cars, or a plumber contracted to repair a clogged drain, one thing is for sure; you will not show up to work without the right tools. The same applies to the kitchen. You need the right tools to efficiently prepare meals.

With the right kitchen tools and utensils, preparing meals becomes easy and fun. In this post, we have identified five kitchen tools that are a must-have for any kitchen. You will also find useful information on why you need these tools and how to use them.

Pots and Pans

Every kitchen needs an assortment of pots and pans. The following is a list of types of pats and pans that will keep your kitchen functional.

Cast iron skillet

This type of skillet has been around for many years and is standard in American and European Kitchens. It is excellent for blackening, browning, and searing food. A cast-iron skillet is one of the cheapest pans you will find. And with proper maintenance, it will last longer than most contemporary pans.

Before using it for the fast time, wipe it using vegetable oil, and heat it on medium heat setting for about two minutes. Always remember to wipe the skillet dry after washing it to prevent rusting.

Non-stick Frying Pan

You need a frying pan to cooks eggs and pancakes. A good frying pan has rounded sides. The curved sides of a frying pan make it easy to flip and turn food. And it should be non-stick if you want to cook pancakes and eggs efficiently.

Saute Pan

Unlike a frying pan, a sauté pan has straight sides and a lid. The straight sides prevent broth from sloshing over the sides. Sauté pans are suitable for stewing and braising. An ideal sauté pan should have a diameter of at least 10 inches and a depth of at least 2 inches.

Stockpot

Stock pots are tall and narrow and come with tight-fitting lids. A stockpot is a large pot that has multiple uses in a kitchen. It can be used for making soups, steaming, braising, and poaching.

Saucepan

A saucepan is what you use to cook vegetables, rice, sauces, and many other dishes. You should have at least three saucepans of different sizes.

Small saucepans, 1 -quart or 1.5-quart, are ideal for warming milk or melting butter. Medium-sized saucepans, 2-quart and 3-quart, are suitable for making sauces. A large saucepan, 4-quart, is needed for boiling rice and pasta.

High-quality knives

We all have knives in the kitchen. The problem is you probably do not have the proper knives for meal preparation. By using the right knife, you will accomplish kitchen tasks efficiently. Every kitchen should have the following types of knives:

Chef’s knife. A chef’s knife is a multipurpose knife that can be used for chopping, mincing, dicing, and slicing. These knives have a strong and large stainless-steel blade attached to a sturdy handle.

Cleaver. Cleavers are used for meat. A cleaver has a heavyweight blade that can cut through poultry bones in one stroke. Use a cleaver to cut tough foods. Its shape makes it inconvenient for slicing.

Santoku knife. A santoku knife is what you need to chop vegetables efficiently. Like a chef’s knife, it can be used for multiple purposes in the kitchen. It is a great choice for people with small hands who find a chef’s knife to be too big.

Paring knife. A paring knife is small making it convenient for tasks that require precision, such as trimming mushrooms or slicing strawberries. A paring knife is used for peeling vegetables and slicing small fruits.

Those are the knives any kitchen should have. The other types of knives you might need include a utility knife, a bread knife, and a carving knife.

Cutting Boards

You need a cutting board for tasks such as chopping meat and slicing ingredients. Cutting boards are made from different materials. The most popular are plastic, wood, and bamboo. The main advantage of plastic cutting boards is the fact that they can be put in dishwashers. However, the surface of a plastic cutting board gets scarred meaning that pieces of plastic will end up in your food.

Bamboo cutting boards are the most durable. Their main disadvantage is that they have small grooves that will often catch your knife.

Wooden cutting boards do not scar as easily as plastic boards. Their main advantage is that they are friendly on your knives – your knives will stay sharper for longer.

Mixing Bowls

Food preparations often involve mixing and whisking of ingredients. Whether you are mixing vegetables, whipping eggs, or whisking floor and milk to prepare dough, you need a mixing bowl. Mixing bowls allow proper mixing of ingredients.

Mixing bowls are purchased in sets of three or six. The greater choice you have to make is the material – steel, ceramic, glass, copper or plastic.

Steel mixing bowls are cheap and durable. But, they are not pretty. Plastic mixing bowls are also affordable. Nevertheless, plastic absorbs odors and oils.

Glass and ceramic mixing bowls are not only aesthetic but can also be used as serving dishes. But, they are expensive, bulky, and chip and break easily. Copper is a good option if aesthetics is a priority. These mixing bowls will last forever, making the hefty price somewhat worth it.

Food Processor

Think of a tool that can do almost all the food preparation tasks. That’s a food processor. A food processor resembles a blender. It can slice, dice, chop, and mix ingredients. With a food processor, you might not need a set of knives, a set of mixing bowls, and a cutting board. And, it will save time and energy required during food preparation.

When selecting a food processor to consider the following:

Your favorite food. If you regularly take large fruits and vegetable, consider a full-sized food processor with a wide feed tube. That way, you will not need to chop the fruits before feeding them to the machine.

How powerful is the food processor? This is a question of what tasks you want the food processor to do. The more powerful it is, the more functions it has and the faster it will complete tasks.

Space. A food processor will eat up significant space on your counter and cupboard.

With the tools outlined above, your kitchen will run more efficiently.