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Wow, it’s been a while! Like, a whole year since we first began running this series. But we’re back at it again!

Maybe it’s all the extra time we’ve been spending in our kitchens lately as we social distance or maybe it’s just that time of year (weddings, showers) when kitchen supplies are on the mind. Either way, we’re picking up with part 4 of the well-stocked kitchen, a series in which we take a walk through our kitchens and name off what we consider some of our favorite and essential items for cooking and baking.

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out part 1: stovetop essentials and part 2: cooking essentials and part 3: baking essentials.

the well-stocked kitchen

part 4: essential utensils

french rolling pin: the classic American rolling pin works just fine, but once I tried a French-style rolling pin, I never ever ever wanted to go back. The level of control, the elegance of design…it’s a no-brainer. What’s the difference? The American rolling pin is a cylinder with a hollow center through which a rod runs with handles on either side. The French rolling pin is a solid cylinder that tapers at each end. I don’t exactly understand why the French rolling pin is easier to handle and offers more control, but it does. Try it. I’ve used this Ateco rolling pin for seven years and it has held up very well, but if you want a more giftable, crafted option, I also own and love the hand-crafted maple pins from Blanchard Wood Co., but you may need to DM to get one.

wooden spoon: A classic for a reason—they are a versatile kitchen staple. You’ll probably want to have at least two on hand—one for savory and one for sweet purposes. Nobody wants the flavor of sautéed onions infusing their brownie batter! There are a million options out there in terms of size and style, and you pretty much can’t go wrong. A spoon with a deeper bowl is good for tasting and spooning sauces, while a more flat and square option is great for things like batter and stir fries.

assorted sized whisks: You CAN make do with a single good-sized sturdy whisk, but it’s incredibly convenient to have a variety of sizes, down to a little whisk for mixing up a quick icing or glaze. Medium-sized whisks are great for using in saucepans on the stove (think simple syrup, or a cream sauce, for example), when a larger-sized whisk would constantly topple out of the pan. I’ve used this set for going on seven years, and only now the tines are beginning to pop out, so I’m in the market for a new set. You can be the judge of whether that’s long enough for a whisk to last, or if you are looking for something more durable. :) But something to be aware about nearly all whisks: it’s safer to dry/store them with the whisk down. Depending on how they are constructed, water can seep through to the handle, so if they were stored or dried whisk-end up, when you go to whisk something, you might have watery leaks into your batter.

silicone spatulas: hands-down my most used kitchen utensils are my one-piece silicone spatulas in assorted shapes and sizes (like this set, or this one). I am a little squeamish about the two-piece spatulas—you know, where the handle and the spatula are separate. I find you have better control with a single-piece silicone spatula, and you never have to wonder about what kind of gunk might be stuck in the area where the handle separates. They are perfect for stirring and folding batters, scraping bowls, getting the last bits out cans and jars, etc.

spatula/flipper/turner: I’ve always called these and the items above by the same name: spatula. I don’t know exactly why they share the same name, but the one is used for stirring/scraping, while the other is used on the stovetop for flipping. I don’t know another term for this utensil besides maybe “flipper”?! My internet searches are coming up with “turner,” but I have never, ever heard that term used. Anyways, it’s an essential utensil for, you know, flipping. You’ll want a solidly-constructed metal one for your every day use on cast-iron griddles (yes, essential), but if you have any non-stick pans, an additional silicone one would be appropriate.

ladles: for soups and stews and curries and sauces! If you don’t have one, serving liquids can be incredibly frustrating. Go for a large one for when it’s the main meal, and a smaller one for gravies and sauces (although a lot of silverware sets include a gravy ladle, so double check you don’t already have one!).

slotted spoon: good for removing things from liquid, like boiling bagel bombs or dumplings or perhaps a poached egg. Also a solution for draining fatty meats, like sausage and beef, after they’ve been cooked. I’d recommend a metal slotted spoon, so you can also use it for frying things like falafel in hot oil.

pastry brush: you’ll want a pastry brush for a whole variety of baking projects, like giving a egg wash to many pastries and breads, brushing your dinner rolls or layers of phyllo dough with melted butter, applying a soak to a cake, etc. I like a silicone brush because there’s no risk of hairs breaking off, but a boar bristle brush is far more classic.

offset spatula: you’ll use this when spreading batter in pans, frosting cakes, and brownies and even serving up quiche! It’s an incredible multi-purpose tool and a kitchen essential. The small (4-6 inch) is definitely the most versatile, but consider getting a whole set.

can opener: for opening cans. There isn’t really a better way to go about it.

pizza cutter: for cutting pizza. Some prefer to use scissors, but a pizza wheel gets far more satisfying and even results. Pizza wheels are also useful for cutting strips of pie dough for a lattice top, or slicing up a sheet of pasta dough for homemade egg noodles.

vegetable peeler: you’ll need a peeler if you ever want to take the skin off a fruit or vegetable. They also come in handy for creating quick shavings of vegetables, like carrots, to add to a salad.

microplane zester: can’t live without the microplane zester.. Perfect for zesting citrus, for finely grated parmesan or chocolate shavings. Works well for quickly grating a spice like whole nutmegs too.

kitchen thermometer: taking the temperature of meat is a time-old solution for telling if a roast or chicken breast is done, but did you know you can also take the temperature of bread? Most breads finish at about 190 degrees. Once you know that, you’ll never need to worry your loaf is too doughy again, or burn your fingers trying to flip over a hot loaf and knock to see if it sounds hollow. An instant-read thermometer is probably the best way to go, and it doubles as a candy thermometer and frying oil thermometer.

garlic press: You may like peeling and dicing your garlic yourself, but if you’d rather skip the garlic-scented finger tips, a garlic press is the easiest way. Somewhere, some long time ago, I read a rave review of this garlic press and added it to my kitchen wish list. Now, I can’t imagine what justifies the $50 price tag. Classic kitchen brands like OXO and KitchenAid are usually reasonably priced and safe to rely on.

pastry cutter: seems like a specialty item, but believe me it’s not—if you make pastry, and intend to do it by hand. I’ve commented on it before, but I’ve never really liked doing pastry (like pie dough) in the food processor. You loose a lot of control over the texture of the finished product, and for all the raving I can’t say it’s faster or easier—not to mention a food processor is far more hassle to clean! Look for a pastry cutter with a sturdy construction and comfortable handle.

ice cream scoop: it’s really only good for scooping ice cream, but I didn’t have one in my first apartment and trying to scoop ice cream with a soup spoon is a desperate situation. Ice cream scoop = essential.

bench scraper: a bench scraper is used by bread bakers to scrape down the bench, or counter, after shaping the dough. Better to get most of the flour and bits of dough off the surface before applying a wet sponge or you’ll have a mess on your hands! Bench scrapers are also useful when shaping high-hydration doughs like sourdough. They usually have ruler marks on them, so they help you measure anything you might be cutting….strips of dough for lattice on pie, croissants, cookies and so forth. And a bench scraper is another useful tool for achieving smooth sides when frosting a cake. I love my one from Sur La Table, which is similar to this one.

tongs: flipping bacon, removing linguini from boiling water, handling raw chicken breast…metal tongs are a great grippy-tool in the kitchen. Look for one with a locking mechanism, so they don’t always spring apart when you set them down.

stay tuned for more posts in the well-stocked kitchen series!

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out the well-stocked kitchen part 1: stovetop essentials and part 2: cooking essentials and part 3: baking essentials.