24 Kitchen Essentials for Every Cook in 2024
When it comes to kitchen gadgets, they tend to pile up fast. Fun tools like avocado peelers, strawberry hullers or a teensy-tiny wooden spoon are tempting impulse buys. Unfortunately, not all kitchen gadgets are necessary—so what takes them from a simple tool to one of your kitchen essentials?
According to our friends in the Test Kitchen, the best kitchen essentials come from sturdy, BPA-free materials like wood, metal or silicone. It’s always best to ensure that the material you choose won’t scratch or otherwise mar anything it will regularly come into contact with. Also opt for well-known brands for essentials you’ll use everyday, especially those which offer a generous warranty on their items. While they cost more than their inexpensive counterparts, it’s worth the investment when you weigh the cost of replacing your tools every few years.
With all these considerations, finding good kitchen utensils can be a bit of a slog. To help you determine the gear worth buying (and what to skip), we rounded up the best kitchen essentials you’ll use time and time again. Using input from the Test Kitchen and our Shopping Editorial team, we put together this list of all of our favorites, from knives to juicers and everything in between.
A silicone spatula is crucial for swirling frosting onto cakes, folding egg whites into batter, scraping out the food processor and so much more. Make sure your spatula is silicone and not rubber, or else it may risk melting under high heat. This affordable pick withstands temperatures up to 550 degrees. And bonus points: It’s dishwasher-safe.
“These are the best spatulas” says Content Director, Nicole Doster. “The Test Kitchen also loves these. The best part is that since it’s all rubber, no gunk gets stuck in the crevices of the tool.”
VIA MERCHANT
OXO Good Grips Pasta Scoop
A sturdy strainer scoop is one of those kitchen essentials that goes a long way when washing fruits, veggies and draining boiled foods. Opt for one that’s large and in-charge—like the OXO scoop—in order to plate an entire meal without going back and forth between the bowl and the burner.
“I was on the hunt for months to find a better pasta spoon—and here it is,” says Nicole. “This scoop is big enough to catch a big plate full of noodles in one go, making it perfect for short and long pastas alike. It’s also a pretty good strainer for veggies, too.”
