Kitchen tools: what you actually need

The essentials

You can cook almost anything on this site with just these. Buy fewer, better pieces.

Knives & sharpening

• Chef's knife

  The 20 cm all-rounder. Chopping, slicing, dicing, mincing — 90% of knife work happens here.

  Pick one that feels balanced in a pinch grip. A sharp £30 knife beats a dull £200 one.

  Also called: chef knife, chefs knife, cook's knife, cooks knife

• Paring knife

  Short blade for in-hand work: hulling strawberries, trimming, peeling, coring.

  Also called: peeling knife, small knife, vegetable knife

Prep & cutting

• Chopping board

  Big, stable, and kind to your knife edge. Wood or soft plastic; never glass.

  Get one large board (40 cm+) and a damp tea towel underneath to stop it sliding.

  Also called: cutting board, board, wooden board, plastic board

• Mixing bowls

  A nesting set covers marinating, mixing, holding prepped ingredients, and proving dough.

  Also called: mixing bowl, bowl, large bowl, prep bowls

• Colander

  Drains pasta, rinses vegetables and beans.

  Also called: strainer, pasta strainer

• Vegetable peeler

  Faster and safer than a knife for peeling. Also shaves parmesan and courgette ribbons.

  Also called: peeler, y peeler, y-peeler, swivel peeler

• Can opener

  Unglamorous, essential.

  Also called: tin opener

Pots & pans

• Frying pan

  A 28 cm heavy-based pan for searing, frying and shallow sauces.

  Stainless or carbon steel for browning; keep a separate non-stick for eggs and fish.

  Also called: skillet, fry pan, saute pan, sauté pan

• Saucepan

  Sauces, grains, boiling eggs, reheating. Two sizes with lids is ideal.

  Also called: sauce pan, medium saucepan, small saucepan

• Large pot

  Pasta, stock, soup, batch cooking. 6 litres or more.

  Also called: stock pot, stockpot, pasta pot, big pot

• Roasting tin

  Deep-sided for joints, whole birds and traybakes with juices.

  Also called: roasting pan, roasting tray, roasting dish

Bakeware

• Baking sheet

  Roast vegetables, cookies, sheet-pan dinners. Heavy ones do not warp.

  Two rimmed half-sheet trays cover almost everything.

  Also called: baking tray, sheet pan, cookie sheet, oven tray

• Baking parchment

  Stops sticking and saves washing up. A reusable silicone mat does the same job.

  Also called: parchment paper, baking paper, greaseproof paper, silicone baking mat

Hand tools

• Wooden spoon

  Stirring anything, scraping fond, not scratching pans.

  Also called: wooden spatula, stirring spoon

• Silicone spatula

  Folds batters and gets every last bit out of the bowl. Heat-proof ones stir too.

  Also called: rubber spatula, spatula, scraper spatula, bowl scraper

• Tongs

  An extension of your hand: turning, tossing, serving, plating.

  Also called: kitchen tongs, cooking tongs

• Whisk

  Emulsifying dressings, beating eggs, smoothing sauces and batters.

  Also called: balloon whisk, hand whisk

• Oven gloves

  Thick, dry, and long enough to protect your wrists.

  Also called: oven mitts, oven mitt, oven glove

Measuring

• Digital kitchen scale

  Weighing is more accurate than cups and means fewer bowls. Essential for baking.

  Look for a tare button and 1 g resolution.

  Also called: kitchen scales, scales, scale, digital scale

• Measuring spoons

  Consistent salt, spice and baking powder amounts.

  Also called: measuring spoon, teaspoon measure, tablespoon measure

Other

• Tea towels

  Drying, covering dough, steadying a board, grabbing hot handles.

  Also called: tea towel, kitchen towel, dish towel, clean cloth

Worth adding next

Not strictly necessary, but each one removes a recurring annoyance or unlocks a technique.

Knives & sharpening

• Serrated bread knife

  Saws through crust, tomatoes and cakes without crushing them.

  Also called: bread knife, serrated knife

• Honing steel

  Realigns the edge between sharpenings. A few strokes before each session.

  Honing is not sharpening — it keeps a sharp edge sharp, it will not fix a dull one.

  Also called: honing rod, sharpening steel, knife steel

Prep & cutting

• Fine mesh sieve

  Sifts flour, strains stocks and custards, dusts icing sugar.

  Also called: sieve, fine sieve, mesh strainer, fine strainer

• Box grater

  Coarse side for cheese and carrots, fine side for onion and garlic paste.

  Also called: grater, cheese grater

• Microplane

  Zests citrus, grates ginger, garlic, nutmeg and hard cheese into a fine snow.

  Also called: zester, fine grater, rasp grater, citrus zester

• Kitchen shears

  Snip herbs, trim fat, spatchcock a chicken, open packets.

  Also called: kitchen scissors, scissors, poultry shears

• Garlic press

  Quick garlic paste without the sticky fingers. A microplane does the same job.

  Also called: garlic crusher

• Citrus juicer

  Gets more juice out and keeps the pips in.

  Also called: lemon squeezer, juicer, lemon juicer, citrus press

Pots & pans

• Non-stick frying pan

  For eggs, pancakes and delicate fish. Treat as consumable — replace when it scratches.

  Also called: non-stick pan, nonstick pan, nonstick skillet, non stick pan

• Dutch oven

  Braises, stews, no-knead bread. Goes from hob to oven and holds steady heat.

  Also called: casserole pot, cast iron casserole, cocotte, enamelled casserole

Bakeware

• Ovenproof baking dish

  Lasagne, gratins, crumbles, baked pasta. Ceramic or glass, roughly 30 × 20 cm.

  Also called: baking dish, oven dish, gratin dish, lasagne dish

• Loaf tin

  Banana bread, sandwich loaves, meatloaf, terrines.

  Also called: loaf pan, bread tin, bread pan, 2lb loaf tin

• Cake tin

  A 20 cm springform is the most versatile single tin.

  Also called: cake pan, springform tin, springform pan, round cake tin

• Muffin tin

  Muffins, cupcakes, Yorkshire puddings, egg bites.

  Also called: muffin tray, cupcake tin, cupcake tray, muffin pan

• Wire cooling rack

  Lets air under baked goods so bottoms do not go soggy. Also drains fried food.

  Also called: cooling rack, wire rack, rack

• Rolling pin

  Pastry, pizza dough, biscuits. A wine bottle works in a pinch.

Hand tools

• Fish slice

  Thin, flexible edge slides under fish, fried eggs and pancakes.

  Also called: slotted turner, turner, metal spatula, flipper

• Ladle

  Soups, stews, pancake batter, and portioning stock.

  Also called: soup ladle

• Slotted spoon

  Lifts food out of liquid — poached eggs, blanched veg, fried food.

  Also called: skimmer, spider strainer, spider

• Potato masher

  Mash, refried beans, rough guacamole. A ricer gives the smoothest result.

  Also called: masher, potato ricer, ricer

• Instant-read thermometer

  The single biggest upgrade to your cooking: no more guessing if meat, bread or caramel is done.

  Roast chicken is safe at 74°C in the thickest part of the thigh; bread is done around 95°C inside.

  Also called: meat thermometer, probe thermometer, digital thermometer, thermometer

• Kitchen timer

  Your phone works, but a dedicated one survives floury hands. Cook mode has one built in.

  Also called: timer

Measuring

• Measuring jug

  Liquids by volume; also for whisking and pouring batters.

  Also called: liquid measuring cup, pyrex jug, jug

• Measuring cups

  For recipes written in cups. Scoop and level for dry ingredients.

  Also called: cup measures, dry measuring cups

Appliances

• Blender

  Smoothies, silky soups, sauces, nut butters.

  Also called: jug blender, high-speed blender, high speed blender, countertop blender

• Immersion blender

  Blends soup in the pot. Less washing up than a jug blender.

  Also called: stick blender, hand blender, hand-held blender

• Electric hand mixer

  Whips cream and egg whites, creams butter and sugar. Cheap and small.

  Also called: hand mixer, electric whisk, electric hand whisk

• Microwave

  Melting, softening, steaming veg, and reheating without drying out.

  Also called: microwave oven

Other

• Storage containers

  Prepped ingredients, leftovers, and batch cooking. Clear ones stop food getting forgotten.

  Also called: airtight containers, tupperware, food containers, deli containers

Specialist kit

Great if you cook a particular way a lot. Otherwise borrow, or wait until a recipe demands it.

Knives & sharpening

• Santoku

  Flatter Japanese profile suited to push-cutting vegetables rather than rocking.

  Also called: santoku knife, nakiri, vegetable cleaver

• Boning knife

  Narrow, flexible blade for taking meat off the bone and filleting fish.

  Also called: filleting knife, fillet knife

• Whetstone

  Actually sharpens. A 1000/6000 combination stone covers most home kitchens.

  Also called: sharpening stone, knife sharpener, water stone, pull-through sharpener

Prep & cutting

• Mandoline

  Paper-thin, perfectly even slices for gratins, salads and pickles.

  Always use the guard or a cut-resistant glove. Always.

  Also called: mandoline slicer, mandolin

• Mortar and pestle

  Crushes whole spices, makes pastes and pestos with more texture than a blender.

  Also called: pestle and mortar, mortar, pestle

• Salad spinner

  Dry leaves mean dressing actually sticks.

Pots & pans

• Cast iron skillet

  Holds heat like nothing else. Steaks, cornbread, hob-to-oven dishes.

  Dry it immediately and wipe with a little oil. It gets better every year.

  Also called: cast iron pan, cast-iron pan, cast-iron skillet, iron skillet

• Wok

  High-heat stir-frying with room to toss. Carbon steel, seasoned like cast iron.

  Also called: carbon steel wok

• Griddle pan

  Char marks indoors. Good for halloumi, vegetables and flatbreads.

  Also called: griddle, grill pan, ridged pan, chargrill pan

• Steamer basket

  Dumplings, fish, and vegetables that keep their colour.

  Also called: steamer, bamboo steamer, steaming basket, steamer insert

Bakeware

• Pastry brush

  Egg wash, glazes, buttering tins, basting.

  Also called: basting brush

• Piping bag and nozzles

  Decorating, filling choux, neat meringues and macarons.

  Also called: piping bag, pastry bag, piping nozzle, piping tips

• Banneton

  Holds the shape of a sourdough loaf during its final prove.

  Also called: proofing basket, proving basket, bread proofing basket, brotform

• Pizza stone or steel

  Stores heat for a crisp base on pizza and free-form bread.

  Also called: pizza stone, pizza steel, baking stone, baking steel

Hand tools

• Bench scraper

  Moves chopped veg to the pan, divides dough, cleans the board.

  Also called: dough scraper, pastry scraper, dough cutter

• Palette knife

  Icing cakes, lifting biscuits, spreading batter level.

  Also called: offset spatula, icing spatula, cake spatula

• Pizza cutter

  Also good for cutting pastry strips and flatbreads.

  Also called: pizza wheel

Appliances

• Food processor

  Shreds, slices and chops in bulk; makes pastry and hummus in seconds.

  Also called: processor, mini chopper, mini food processor

• Stand mixer

  Hands-free kneading, whipping and creaming. Worth it if you bake weekly.

  Also called: kitchenaid, mixer, electric mixer, kenwood mixer

• Slow cooker

  Set-and-forget stews, pulled meats, stock.

  Also called: crockpot, crock pot, crock-pot

• Pressure cooker

  Beans from dry in under an hour, stock in 45 minutes, risotto without stirring.

  Also called: instant pot, multi-cooker, multicooker, electric pressure cooker

• Air fryer

  A small, fast convection oven. Crisps things with less oil.

  Also called: airfryer

• Rice cooker

  Perfect rice every time, and keeps it warm.

• Sous vide circulator

  Precise water-bath cooking for edge-to-edge doneness.

  Also called: sous vide, immersion circulator, sous-vide

• Ice cream maker

  Churns custards and sorbets while freezing for a smooth texture.

  Also called: ice cream machine

• Pasta machine

  Even sheets for fresh pasta, ravioli and lasagne.

  Also called: pasta maker, pasta roller

• Spice grinder

  Freshly ground spices are dramatically more fragrant than pre-ground.

  Also called: coffee grinder, electric spice grinder

• Kitchen blowtorch

  Caramelising crème brûlée, charring peppers, finishing meringue.

  Also called: blowtorch, culinary torch, cooking torch, creme brulee torch

Other

• Butcher's twine

  Trussing birds, tying roasts and herb bundles.

  Also called: kitchen twine, kitchen string, string, twine

• Skewers

  Kebabs, testing cakes, holding stuffed things shut.

  Also called: kebab skewers, metal skewers, wooden skewers, bamboo skewers

• Muslin cloth

  Straining stocks and yoghurt, bundling spices, making paneer.

  Also called: cheesecloth, cheese cloth, nut milk bag