10 Kitchen Essentials Every Home Cook Should Have

Everyone has that drawer. You know the one. It's usually the third drawer down where everything from slotted spoons to cheese graters kinda just hang out waiting to be used. The one where there's actually 4 of everything but you can never be bothered to properly see what's in there? Does this ring a bell? 

Now that you have a bit more spare time to sort out your kitchen and get things organised, why not tackle that exact drawer? Below you'll find a list of the 10 must-have kitchenware essentials you need for everyday cooking. Chances are you have heaps more items than what's on this list depending on your cooking abilities or your love for hoarding. Our suggestion, get rid of what you don't need and keep everything you do (i.e everything on this list). 

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 1. A Sturdy Spatula 

Vital for flipping, tossing, and serving a whole heap of foods from pancakes to vegetables, this handy tool is a must-have if you like cooking to be easy (which is everyone). 

Whether you prefer a metal or a hard plastic one, you can't go past one of these when it comes to turning over salmon, moving around sauteed meats or cooking eggs over easy. 

Our recommendation: Ecology Provisions Acacia Silicone Angled Spatula 

2. A Silicone Spatula 

If you're a baking extraordinaire then you MUST HAVE (sorry for shouting at you but this one is important) a silicone spatula in your cooking arsenal. Crucial for scraping out the food processor or the sides of a mixing bowl, a spatula is also perfect for moving frosting around on a cake or folding egg whites into cake batter. 

It might be worth having 2 of these - one for baking and one for cooking. 

Our recommendation: KitchenAid Classic Spoon Spatula Silicone - Empire Red 

3. Whisk 

This one comes in all shapes and sizes and promises to be one of the handiest kitchen items ever. For an everyday whisk, make sure you have one that's medium-sized (so it fits comfortably in your hand). 

While forks and chopsticks can also do the trick, a whisk is a quicker and more efficient way to mix dry ingredients together before baking, for stirring eggs or for mixing up a vinaigrette.

Our recommendation: Ecology Provision Acaica Silicone Whisk  

4. Kitchen Scissors

These beauties are a life-saver if you want to start saving some time in the kitchen. Perfect for cutting up strips of meat or just quickly chopping up dried fruit or vegetables, kitchen scissors are a must-have. 

An incredibly versatile gadget, scissors make food preparation that much easier meaning dinner will be on the table in no time. 

Kitchen Scissors

 

5. Tongs 

There are about a million uses for this handy kitchenware item. From turning over chicken breasts to checking whether the potatoes are done roasting in the oven, tongs are basically an extension of your fingers. 

Perfect to accompany vegetables when you're serving dinner family-style, this item doesn't have to cost you a fortune and will most likely last you a lifetime. 

Our recommendation: Cuisena Tongs 22cm

6. Grater 

Whether it's a box grater, a fine grater or your usual, everyday cheese shredder, a grater remains an essential part of your kitchen. Perfect for shredding, zesting or grating vegetables like zucchini, or cheese, or even butter (to help soften it quicker), this grater doesn't take up much space. 

Try to find one with different surfaces for ultimate versatility. 

Our recommendation: Avanti Box Grater With Storage Box 

7. Slotted Spoon 

Acting as a mini strainer, a wooden or metal slotted spoon is perfect for removing solids from liquids - think pulling potatoes or small pasta noodles from boiling water. 

Perfect for different types of cooking, a slotted spoon is a must-have if you're into efficiency in the kitchen. 

Our recommendation: Avanti Nylon Multi-in-1 - Slotted Spoon

 

8. Vegetable Peeler 

Peeling vegetables doesn't have to be a stressful situation (or take you 3 hours to complete). 

This handy item will allow you to remove the skin and peel vegetables like potato and zucchini and fruits like cucumber. Need we say more? 

Our recommendation: KitchenAid Soft Touch European Peeler - Black 

9. Garlic Press 

Whilst chopping up your garlic will usually do the job, using a garlic press can finely mince your garlic to make sure you get all the good flavour (also avoiding the catastrophe of finding a big chunk of garlic in your nicely cooked stir fry). 

Our recommendation: Avanti Garlic Press Red 

10. Can Opener 

There's nothing worse than going to get a can of beans from the cupboard and realising you don't have the right tools to open it! In this case, a can opener is definitely something you want to have at your disposal. 

When you think about it, there are a lot of ingredients that come in cans and require opening - coconut milk, curry paste, fruits, crushed tomatoes and the list goes on.... 

Our recommendation: Culinare MagiCan Can Opener