The Ultimate Guide To Kitchen Tools, Utensils & Food Prep Equipment

What Kitchen Utensils Do I Need?

Using high quality kitchen tools, equipment and utensils can make all the difference to your cooking experience. Whether you're trying to find the best grater or starting your kitchen set-up from scratch, our kitchen tools buying guide will give you the low-down on all the best kitchen food preparation essentials and equipment. We'll cover everything from chopping boards and colanders to garlic presses, mortar and pestles, salad spinners, and more. By using proper food prep equipment, you'll not only save time and effort in the kitchen but also find that cooking can become a pleasure rather than a chore. Let's dive in and explore the essential kitchen tools you need to create culinary masterpieces!

Quick Links

• FAQs: Introduction To Food Prep Tools & Utensils
• Food Prep Basics: Cut, Wash & Dry
• Mixing, Cooking & Serving Utensils
• Transforming Ingredients: Peeling, Slicing, Grinding & Spiralising
• Kitchen Gadgets, Baking Equipment & Specialist Kitchen Tools
• Choose The Best Kitchen Tools & Utensils: Buying Checklist

FAQs: Introduction to Food Prep Tools & Utensils

What Is Food Preparation?

Basic food preparation refers to the initial steps involved in preparing ingredients for cooking or consumption. It typically includes activities such as washing, peeling, chopping, slicing, and measuring ingredients to ensure they are ready for cooking or further culinary processes. These essential tasks ensure that ingredients are clean, properly portioned, and in a suitable state for cooking or serving.

What Are Kitchen Utensils?

A kitchen utensil is a small hand-held tool used for food preparation. Common examples of kitchen utensils are peelers, graters, garlic presses, tongs, spatulas and more.

Utensils vs Cutlery: What's The Difference?

In some parts of the world, the term cutlery is used interchangeably with utensils. "Utensil" is derived from the Latin word "utensilia" which at its simplest translates as "things to use". In modern usage, kitchen utensils are the names given to anything that aids in food preparation, whereas "cutlery", "flatware", "silverware" or "servingware" is reserved for the tools used to serve and consume prepared meals.

Food Prep Basics: Cut, Wash & Dry

While some may argue that most kitchen tools and utensils are essential for creating their favourite dishes, there are some absolute fundamental items that every kitchen needs. Some of the most basic food preparation tasks include washing and drying fresh produce, as well as cutting and slicing before cooking or serving. Here's what you need to complete these basic processes with the utmost ease:

Knives & Knife Blocks

When it comes to food preparation, knives are perhaps the most essential tools you need in your kitchen. Investing in good quality kitchen knives means ease of chopping, slicing and dicing as you prepare your meals. At Harris Scarfe, you can find paring knives, utility knives, chef's knives, bread knives and more from leading brands such as Furi, Wusthof and Victorinox. Knife blocks are a great option for setting yourself up with a range of different knives for every food prep task, as well as providing convenient access and safe storage. Find out more about how to choose the best knives for every kitchen task with our informative kitchen knives buying guide.

Chopping Boards

Good quality chopping boards are the essential companion to your kitchen knives.

Chopping boards come in a huge range of sizes and designs, with material options including wooden chopping boards and plastic chopping boards & mats - each with their own advantages. At Harris Scarfe, you can quickly equip yourself with a range of chopping boards with chopping board sets, which are an ideal way to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen. Discover how to find the best chopping boards with our chopping boards buying guide, and inform yourself with everything you need to know about the cleaning, care and maintenance of this kitchenware essential.

Mixing Bowls

Every kitchen needs a set of mixing bowls. Whether you're baking, marinating veggies or meat or dressing a salad, a generously sized mixing bowl allows you to combine ingredients with ease. Mixing bowls come in a few different materials, each with its own benefits.

• Stainless steel mixing bowls: A commercial kitchen standard, stainless steel bowls are designed to go the distance. They're durable, resistant to rust and are easy to clean.
• Glass mixing bowls: A glass mixing bowl offers the great advantage of transparency, meaning you can easily monitor the consistency of batters and fillings when baking. They're typically also heat-resistant and oven-safe, making them a great kitchen all-rounder.
• Plastic mixing bowls: Durable and lightweight, plastic mixing bowls are a versatile and budget-friendly addition to any kitchen.

Consider purchasing a variety of mixing bowl types and sizes to ensure you're ready for every food prep task. At Harris Scarfe you can find mixing bowl sets, mixing bowl and colander combos and mixing bowls that come with matching lids for easy and convenient storage of leftovers. Great features to look out for in mixing bowls are non-slip silicone bases, lipped edges for easy pouring and integrated volume markings to easily measure your ingredients.

Colanders, Salad Spinners & Strainers

Colanders & strainers are essential for draining liquids from foods like pasta or cooked vegetables, and form an equally important function in aiding the rinsing of fruits and vegetables before consumption. Here's a quick snapshot of the different types of colanders you can find:

• Mesh: These are the most common type of colander, with small holes for straining.
• Perforated: These have larger holes and are ideal for draining larger items like vegetables or fruits.
• Collapsible: These space-saving options can be folded up and stored easily, making them ideal for smaller kitchens with limited storage space.

Strainers are invaluable for removing things like spices and seeds from sauces and jams, and can also double up as an easy way to sift ingredients like flour, icing sugar and cocoa powder when baking.

Likewise, salad spinners are a great modern kitchen addition that aids in washing and drying salad greens, herbs, and vegetables with ease. It consists of a basket, a colander, and a mechanism for spinning the greens to remove excess water. They're optimally designed to quickly and efficiently dry salad greens and other vegetables, saving time and effort in the kitchen. Removing excess water from your salad greens and herbs can also help them stay crisper and fresher for longer. Look for a salad spinner with a smooth and easy-to-use spin mechanism. Some spinners have a pump mechanism, while others have a pull cord.

Mixing, Cooking & Serving Utensils

Next on the list of essential kitchen tools are all the implements you'll be using in conjunction with your cookware or mixing bowls - think tongs, stirring spoons, spatulas and whisks. At Harris Scarfe, you can find wooden kitchen utensils and silicone kitchen utensils to protect non-stick surfaces, as well as stainless steel utensils that are durable and easy to clean. Find out more about finding the best implements for every cooking application:

Spoons, Scoops & Ladles

Harris Scarfe's selection of scoops & spoons includes everything from wooden and bamboo spoons to ice cream scoops. Discover slotted spoons and spaghetti servers to make light work of draining pasta or noodles directly from the pot, skimmers to remove fat and impurities from broths and melon ballers to take your fruit preparation to the next level. Ladles are an invaluable addition for serving soups & stews as well as pouring things like pancake batter into a hot pan. If you have non-stick cookware, choose silicone or nylon stirring and serving utensils to maintain the integrity of your pots and pans.

Spatulas, Turners & Tongs

If you're not mixing or serving, chances are your ingredients call for turning in your pots and pans. Explore a huge range of spatulas & turners at Harris Scarfe made from heat-resistant materials and silicone options that are safe for use with non-stick cookware. Likewise, tongs afford you excellent control when flipping and turning ingredients when cooking. Find a great selection of cooking tongs & serving tongs for all your food prep needs at Harris Scarfe. Choose a set of long tongs to safely rotate meats and veggies when cooking on the BBQ or over high heat, and explore a range of mini tongs that are perfect for serving side dishes at the dinner table.

Mashers & Whisks

Anyone who loves mashed potatoes or gnocchi needs a masher in their kitchen! Mashers don't have to just be used for potatoes, however - they're the perfect tool for creating a whole range of delicious fruit and vegetable purees. Potato ricers are a great way to level up from the classic masher, with some designs including interchangeable stainless steel discs to create fine, medium and coarse textures. They're ergonomically designed with strong leverage, allowing you to mash food without putting in the elbow grease!

Whisks are also an incredibly versatile kitchen utensil. Use them to emulsify ingredients for dressings or mayonnaise, create smooth creamy sauces, aerate egg whites for meringues or thoroughly whip batters and fillings. Whisks are also a convenient way to combine dry ingredients for baking while also lightly aerating them, with no sifter required.

Transforming Ingredients: Peeling, Slicing, Grinding & Spiralising

With the right food prep tools you can create professionally finished dishes with beautiful garnishes and seasonings. At Harris Scarfe you can find kitchen tools specially designed to make light work of shredding, slicing, dicing and grinding, with no specialist knife skills required. Here are some of our top kitchen utensils that every budding chef needs in their tool kit:

Slicers, Spiralisers & Mandolines

Mandolines have adjustable blades and are designed to slice vegetables and fruits into different thicknesses, shapes and textures. They often include a range of interchangeable blades, some of which are designed for grating, julienne slicing or waffle cuts. At Harris Scarfe, you can find handheld mandoline slicers, slicing & grating sets and even egg slicers to take the hard work out of preparing consistently sized ingredients.

Spiralisers are another great way of preparing delicate shreds or spirals of fruits and veggies - they're perfect for making vegetable noodles, curly fries, textured salads and beautiful garnishes. Like spiralisers, many feature interchangeable blades so you can vary widths, thicknesses and textures. Some spiralisers come in a table top design that's operated with a rotating handle, but you can also find more compact handheld designs that are suited to kitchens with limited storage space.

Peelers, Graters, Zesters & Microplanes

Peelers are an incredibly versatile tool for your kitchen. Not only can they be used to remove skins from potatoes, apples or root vegetables, but they can easily be used to create strips of fruits, vegetables, cheese and other ingredients. At Harris Scarfe you can find specialist julienne peelers with blades with different serrations designed to create delicate shreds that are perfect for salads, coleslaws and even pasta dishes. Opt for a peeler with an easy-to-grip handle and swivel blades for easy manoeuvring.

Graters & zesters can also help create precisely shredded ingredients for a range of recipes. Here's a quick snapshot of the different types of graters you can find at Harris Scarfe:

• Box Grater: This is a traditional grater with four sides and different grating options, including a fine grater, a coarse grater, and a slicing blade.
• Microplane Grater: This type of grater is ideal for extracting citrus fruit zest and grating hard cheeses like Parmesan. The simple handheld design makes it easy to quickly see how much you've grated.
• Rotary Grater: Alternatively, a rotary grater is ideal for grating hard cheeses or shredding vegetables like carrots. They include a barrel-shaped grating mechanism that rotates when you turn the handle.

Mortar & Pestles

The mortar and pestle is an ancient culinary tool used for grinding grains, seeds, nuts and spices. The mortar is the bowl section, and the pestle is the grinding club. They're typically made from stone such as granite, but are also found with wooden or ceramic constructions. Use your pestle and mortar to great effect to create spice mixes, curry pastes, sauces and pestos. Many keen home cooks will tell you that the manual work required is well worth the effort, as the pounding and crushing action effectively extracts maximum flavour from your ingredients. Using a mortar and pestle also allows you to precisely control the degree of size and texture of the ingredients you're grinding.

Kitchen Gadgets, Baking Equipment & Specialist Kitchen Tools

Once you have set yourself up with the fundamental kitchen tools and utensils, you can start thinking about a whole array of additions that are designed to make food prep quick, simple and easy on your hands. By no means an exhaustive list, here are some of the most popular specialist kitchen tools you can find at Harris Scarfe:

Microwave Cooking

Microwaves (aka the "mee crow wah vay" if you're Nigella!) are one of the most versatile and time-saving kitchen appliances - but their use should not just be limited to reheating food! With the right microwave cooking containers you can create a range of dishes like poached eggs with minimal fuss, mess and effort. Whether you're looking for an egg cooker, microwave steamer, vegetable steamer or a microwave rice cooker you can find all these convenient food prep items at Harris Scarfe. Made from high-quality, food-safe materials, microwave cooking containers are simple to use and dishwasher-safe for your convenience.

Garlic Presses

For anyone who loves garlic, a garlic press is a wise investment for your kitchen. Garlic presses are simple to use, requiring minimal effort to crush garlic cloves. They ensure consistent results in ensuring that garlic is evenly minced, and will definitely save time and effort when compared to manually mincing garlic cloves.

Juicers & Squeezers

Effortlessly extract juice without the pulp and seeds with a handy juicer or squeezer. Whether you're a fan of freshly squeezed orange juice in the mornings or your recipe calls for lemon juice or lime juice, Harris Scarfe's selection of juicers & squeezers has you covered. Explore designs with integrated storage containers with measurement markings, and die-cast metal citrus juicers with easy to use lever pressing actions in the range.

Jar & Can Openers

Jar & can openers are designed to give you extra leverage and grip, and simplify the process of twisting or loosening stubborn vacuum-sealed lids. Can openers and jar openers are convenient tools for everyone, especially for anyone who may struggle with grip strength. Most importantly, they offer a safe way to open every kind of jar and tin, and feature adjustable or rubberised grips to provide a firm hold.

Pizza Tools & Pasta Tools

Create delicious pizza and pasta at home with the right kitchen tools. Not only is it super satisfying to cook these family favourites from scratch, but the taste of homemade pasta and pizza is a special treat that will have everyone coming back for more. Essential pizza tools include specialty pizza cutters and lifters that make cooking and serving a breeze. The best pizza wheels should feature easy-grip handles and integrated guards to protect your fingers from the super sharp blade.

Pasta making can be a labour of love, but it is worth the time and effort. At Harris Scarfe, you can find pasta machines, ravioli cutters and pasta drying racks to create a huge range of different pasta dishes. Pasta machines are designed to take the hard work out of rolling and cutting your pasta dough. The best pasta machines will be sturdily constructed from stainless steel, and include a range of thickness settings and different cutting actions for spaghetti or fettuccine.

Rolling Pins and Baking Tools & Accessories

A rolling pin is an essential kitchen tool for anyone who likes to bake pastries, pies and breads. They're also incredibly versatile, and can be used to crush and grind ingredients like biscuits for cheesecake bases. Rolling pins come in a range of materials and types - check out great options like silicone rolling pins for their non-stick properties, or adjustable rolling pins that help you precisely control the thickness of your dough or pastry.

At Harris Scarfe, you can also find an excellent selection of cake decorating supplies such as piping bags and piping tips, cookie cutters, pastry brushes and baking mats & pastry mats. Baking tools & accessories are essentials for any keen baker whether you favour sweet or savoury items. Silicone baking mats are a super handy and reusable option for lining baking trays, and pastry brushes are also indispensable for basting roasts, glazing grilled dishes with marinades or applying butter or oil to coat cake pans and baking dishes.

Choose The Best Kitchen Tools & Utensils: Buying Checklist

Now that you have a better idea of all the kitchen tools & utensils available for your food prep needs, it's time to start refining your list of "must-have" items and optional extras. It goes without saying that knives, chopping boards, mixing bowls, colanders, mixing spoons and tongs are some of the absolute essentials. Once these are accounted for, it's time to consider the convenience tools and gadgets that will add time-saving benefits to preparing meals. For example, if you prepare a lot of salads, take the fuss out of washing & drying veggies with a salad spinner and invest in a mandoline slicer or spiralizer. Here are some of the key features to look for when buying the best utensils, gadgets and tools for your kitchen:

• Non-slip materials: Whether it's a chopping board or mixing bowl, the addition of non-slip bases or sides will make food prep a breeze. Likewise, rubberised handles on items like jar openers are ergonomic considerations that help ensure your safety and ease of use.
• Dishwasher safe: If you have the luxury of a dishwasher in your kitchen, check that the utensils or tools you're purchasing are safe to pop in the dishwasher for easy and quick clean up after mealtimes.
• Ease of storage: Make sure you have adequate space in your kitchen by shopping for kitchen tools and utensils that are compact and easy to store. This may include collapsible colander designs, foldable mandoline slicers and integrated hanging hooks on your spoons and ladles.
• Safe to operate & store: Look for easy-grip handles, ergonomic designs, and non-slip bases. When it comes to knives, microplane graters, spiralisers and mandolines, choose designs that include storage boxes or sheaths to protect against sharp blades when not in use.
• Your cookware type: If you have non-stick cookware make sure you choose spoons, tongs, turners and spatulas that won't damage the non-stick surface. Good material options include wood, bamboo, silicone and durable nylon.
• Multipurpose/multifunctional designs: Make quick work of setting up your kitchen with handy utensil sets or combos like mixing bowl/measuring cup sets, grater and mandolin slicer sets and more.

Buy The Best Food Prep Tools At Harris Scarfe Australia

Harris Scarfe is an excellent choice when buying food preparation tools, suiting every budget and cooking style. With a wide variety of brands and products available both online and in-store, you're sure to find what you need to equip your kitchen with the best tools for your cooking needs. You can find everything from bare essentials to high-end specialty items. Moreover, brands are renowned for their quality, durability and performance. That means you'll save time, money and effortlessly zip through your time in the kitchen. Plus, it's easy to shop. Whether you shop online or in-store, Harris Scarfe makes finding and purchasing the food prep tools you need easy. Get more advice and great articles on the Hub today - some great articles you might like include the Kitchen Storage Buying Guide, Cookware Buying Guide, Types of Kitchen Knives Guide and 7 Cookware Essentials.

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