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Kitchen Hacks: The Top Kitchen Tools To Save You Time In The Kitchen
Looking for that miracle kitchen utensil that will transform the way you cook? We all have a list of kitchen utensils that we regret buying, that turned out to be a one-trick pony that is now gathering dust somewhere in the back of your cupboard: the 'must-have kitchen utensil' that you never even took out of the packaging. Well, you're in luck because we've tried and tested every kitchen tool imaginable and narrowed down our list of the best kitchen tools and utensils that no home chef should be without. Our criteria? They must be multi-functional, they should inspire you to cook more (and enjoy it), and they should save you time and money. Here's our list of the best kitchen tools you will actually use - and love!
Quick Links
- Food Chopper
- Silicone Spatula
- Garlic Press
- Kitchen Scissors
- Mandolines
- Graters
- Kitchen Scales
- Utensil Sets
- Cooking Tongs
Food Chopper
British food guru Delia Smith, the queen of making cooking fast and fun, famously said "cheats don't chop" - and we think that's a pretty solid stance to take in our busy modern world. With electric and manual options available, there's really no need to be a slave to the chopping board. Choppers can whip up a fresh salsa in seconds, or slice onions en masse for your next BBQ. They're also compact and easy to use, and often have dishwasher-safe components, making cleaning up a breeze.
Why You Need a Food Chopper:
- Fast chopping in seconds
- Reduce mess
- Compact and easy to use
Silicone Spatula
While they may be simple, these bendy little utensils can get into every nook and cranny, thanks to their flexible silicone construction. Silicone spatulas are the best for getting the last drops of cake mix out of a bowl or rescuing the pesto that's stuck on the blades of your food processor. They'll save you time spent cleaning, and money too. Trust us, you'll be amazed at how something so simple will totally change your life! Kitchen hack: grab a couple of silicone spatulas in different colours, so you can use a different one for sweet and savoury dishes.
Why You Need a Silicone Spatula:
- Get every last bit of your food from the mixing bowl or pot
- Can be used for cooking and baking
- Machine washable
Garlic Press
If you have ever had to mince or finely dice a whole bunch of garlic cloves, you will understand the pain and time that is involved, not to mention the required knife skills. It can be easy to overlook a garlic press - but it's even easier to use one! It allows you to quickly and effortlessly crush garlic cloves without the need for a knife and cutting board, saving time and reducing mess. A garlic press will also ensure uniform garlic pieces, which can enhance the flavour distribution in your dishes (especially if you want the garlic to melt into what you are cooking like a stew or bolognese without the granular texture).
Why You Need a Garlic Press
- Save time chopping garlic
- Even results
- Enhance flavour distribution
Kitchen Scissors
If you are time-poor or aren't a big fan of cutting every ingredient with a knife, kitchen scissors can become your best friend in the kitchen. They are perfect for trimming fat off of bacon and other meats, cutting through joints when deboning, chopping herbs without damaging them (like cutting them on a chopping board with a knife can), trimming the ends off of vegetables, deveining prawns, opening packaging when preparing food and even cracking nuts (some kitchen scissors have built-in nutcrackers in the handle). When it comes to the best utensils for cooking and prepping food easily and quickly, you can't beat a good pair of kitchen scissors.
Why You Need Kitchen Scissors:
- Super versatile, can be used for meat, veggies, pizza and much more
- Can be washed in the dishwasher
- Safe and easier to use than knives
Mandolines
As any good list of kitchen utensils would have, a mandoline is the only way to achieve perfectly thin, and most importantly, consistently thin slices - no matter how good your knife skills are. Mandolines are used in both household and commercial kitchens for speed and precision with tasks such as shredding cabbage (perfect for making kimchi), slicing cheese (thinner slices enhance the flavour of cheese), quickly cutting onion (ideal for large gatherings at the BBQ), thinly slicing meat (great for sandwiches), cutting thin slices of potatoes (required for potato dauphinoise), slicing fruit (excellent for garnishes) and so much more. You can also adjust the angle and height of the slicer to customise the width of slices you want, offering you a level of uniform precision that even a Michelin-star chef wouldn't be able to do consistently without using a mandoline.
Why You Need a Mandoline:
- Even slicing
- Customisable results
- Great for meat, veggies and more
Graters
If it isn't already in your kitchen utensil drawer then it needs to be. A grater is one of the best kitchen utensils you can have in your cooking arsenal, and isn't limited to just merely grating cheese. With a trusty grater, you can finely grate chocolate over your morning coffee, grate fresh nutmeg into your béchamel sauce, grate cold butter to incorporate more easily into doughs, shred coconut when making coconut rice, grate stale bread when making homemade breadcrumbs, grate onions and potatoes when making potato rösti and so much more. There are also different types of graters, such as tabletop rotary graters and handheld fine graters, so look into the different ones to see which works best for you.
Why You Need a Grater:
- Multipurpose and can be used for many recipes
- Save time and effort
- Save money by buying cheese by the block instead of already shredded
Kitchen Scales
Kitchen scales are another top pick for the best kitchen utensils. The main reason for this is because it's better to weigh your ingredients instead of measuring them with measuring cups and spoons, as weighing your ingredients, such as flour, vegetable pieces and liquids, will give you a much more precise level of accuracy, which is crucial when baking. Measuring ingredients in cups and spoons can lead to inconsistent measurements due to varying densities and compaction levels of the ingredients - but by weighing them instead, you get the exact weight required for the recipe each and every time. It also means less washing up, which is always a plus when cooking in the kitchen.
Why You Need a Kitchen Scale:
- Accurate measurements for baking
- Versatile
- Less washing up
Utensil Sets
Need a couple of kitchen spoons and spatulas or need to replace your old entire set? Then utensil sets are perfect for grabbing everything you need in one bundle, and most include a solid spoon (ideal for stirring soups), a slotted spoon (used for draining liquids when serving like poached eggs), a flexible turner (perfect for moving delicate food around the pan like sautéd onions), a solid turner (used for turning and flipping foods like pancakes), a ladle (used for serving liquids like stews) and a spaghetti server (essential for serving spaghetti without the risk of squishing the pasta with tongs).
Why You Need a Utensil Set:
- Great value all in one set
- Compact and neat to store on your kitchen benchtop
- Has everything you need
Cooking Tongs
Add cooking tongs to your list of kitchen utensils you absolutely need to have in your kitchen. This is because tongs are extremely versatile, designed for flipping burgers, turning steaks over, tossing salads together, grilling sausages and plating up. They are also really easy to clean or can be chucked straight into the dishwasher. Tongs are also essential for safety when deep frying, allowing you to safely flip and grab food without getting your hands too close to the oil. You can find silicone tongs that are great for making sure you don't damage your frying pan when scraping the bottom (like when deglazing) and even mini tongs which are great for giving you more precision when it comes to garnishing your food before serving.
Why You Need Cooking Tongs:
- Easy to use
- Can be used for cooking and serving
- Many sizes are available for your needs
Find The Best Kitchen Utensils At Harris Scarfe Today
At Harris Scarfe, we have the best kitchen utensils to suit all your cooking needs to make sure you have everything you need at your fingertips when whipping up a storm. Visit us online or in-store to make sure you have everything on your list of kitchen utensils with Harris Scarfe today. Head over to the Hub for more tips, cooking ideas and inspiration for your kitchen! Some great articles you'll love include:
