# Kitchen utensils list

This is an incomplete list of *all* the kitchen utensils someone may need if they're [cooking](cooking.md).

## Dividing food

Graters grind off small amounts for further processing:

- Nutmeg grater
- Ginger grater
- Box grater
- Zest grater
- Microplane grater
- Rotary grater

Presses also grate, but with larger amounts of food:

- Potato ricer
- Pasta mill
- Food mill
- Citrus press
- Garlic press
- Nutcracker

Grinders roughly separate food:

- Pepper grinder
- Mortar and pestle
- Grain mill/wheat grinder
- Spice mill
- Coffee grinder

Blades cleanly separate food:

- Clam knife
- Fish knife
- Bread knife
- Santoku knife
- Chef's knife
- Paring knife
- Mezzaluna
- Meat knives
  - Cleaver
  - Boning knife
  - Slicing knife
- Cheese knives
  - Soft cheese knife
  - Parmesan knife
- Scissors
  - Kitchen shears
  - Poultry shears

Slicers are specialty blades for specific situations:

- Potato peeler
- Cheese slicer
- Egg slicer
- Mandoline
- Cheese plane
- Fruit divider
- Dough cutter
- Pizza dough cutter
- Wheels
  - Pastry wheel
  - Pizza wheel
- Blender
- Food processor

Strainers separate food components:

- Handheld strainer
- Salad spinner
- Sifters
  - Drum sifter
  - Sugar shaker
  - Sifter
- Colander
- Scoop colander
- Chinois (conical strainer)
- Fat separator
- Spider

## Manipulating food

Mashers crush food:

- Meat tenderizer
- Potato masher

Spoons, spatulas, tongs, and whisks mix and control food:

- Spatula
- Slotted spatula
- Rubber spatula
- Fish spatula
- Turner
- Salad tongs
- Metal tongs
- Balloon whisk
- Flat whisk
- Electric mixer

Pastry tools prepare bread products:

- Cookie cutter
- Rolling pin
- Pie weights
- Pastry blender
- Pastry bag

Basters manipulate liquids:

- Meat baster
- Basting bulb

Scoopers and servers transfer food without requiring contact:

- Ladle
- Wooden spoon
- Ice cream scoop
- Serving spoon
- Slotted spoon
- Melon baller
- Spaghetti server
- Serving fork
- Cake server

## Other needs

Pots, pans, and bakeware make food safe and convenient to heat:

- Saucepan
- Large cooking pot
- Skillet (both non-stick and cast-iron)
- Casserole dishes
- Cake pans
- Woks
- Pressure cooker
- Slow cooker
- Waffle iron

Some items have their own heating element included:

- Electric griddle
- Toaster oven
- Toaster
- [Coffee](fun-coffee.md) maker
  - Espresso machine
  - French press
  - Moka pot
- Tea kettle/hot pot
- Doughnut maker

Bowls and containers allow food to be stored, consumed, and manipulated further:

- Prep bowl
- Mixing bowl
- Batter bowl
- Food canisters (including packaging it came in)
- Plastic containers

Openers break packaging:

- Can opener
- Bottle opener
- Corkscrew

Protectors keep food preparers and surfaces safe:

- Heat protection
  - Pot holders
  - Oven mitts
- Cutting boards
  - Prep cutting board
  - Butcher block

Measurers help preparers follow recipes:

- Temperature measurement
  - Oven thermometer
  - Candy thermometer
  - Meat thermometer
- Volume measurement
  - Measuring cups
  - Measuring spoons
- Weight measurement
  - Digital scale
  - Scale
- Time measurement
  - Egg timer
  - Kitchen timer