10 Must-Have Kitchen Tools for Every Mom

You don’t need to have the latest and greatest gadgets in your kitchen to prepare tasty snacks and meals for your family. Food preparation is a lot easier and safer if you have certain basics, though. Whether you’re buying a gift for someone or stocking your own kitchen, pick tools that play multiple roles when making a variety of recipes. Here you’ll find our pick of the ten must-have kitchen tools for every mom.

A chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated bread knife are all must-haves in every kitchen. You don’t want to use a short paring knife to cut large vegetables or full pieces of meat, as you increase your risk for injury, according to the National Food Service Management Institute. A serrated knife is better suited for cutting tasks that involve a sawing motion.

Although it seems counter-intuitive, using a dull knife increases your risk for cuts and injuries. Invest in an electric knife sharpener to keep the blades as sharp as possible.

Have a collection of cutting boards to protect the surface of your counters and the blade of a knife. Although cutting boards come in a range of materials, your best bet is plastic, according to the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Wooden cutting boards are more likely to be contaminated with bacteria, even after a deep cleaning, especially if you use them to cut raw meat. To avoid cross-contamination, don’t use the same cutting board to chop vegetables and raw meat.

A stand mixer can be a workhorse in your kitchen. Use it to make the cake batter, cookie dough, and bread dough quickly and without tiring your arms. The Artisan stand mixer by KitchenAid has been rated highly by both Cook’s Illustrated and Good Housekeeping. You can find KitchenAid mixers in a rainbow of colors at Macy’s. If your kitchen is short on space and you don’t plan on making much bread, a hand mixer from KitchenAid can be a suitable replacement for the larger, pricier stand mixer.

If you plan on pureeing soups, drinking smoothies, or giving the kids milkshakes from time to time, a blender is another must-have tool. You can also whip up salad dressing or vinaigrette in a blender with just the press of a button. A handheld immersion blender is a good option if space is at a premium in your kitchen.

Don’t confuse a food processor with a blender. Although they seem to perform the same tasks, they do so differently. A food processor will make a mess if you use it to puree a soup or make a smoothie. But, it can make short work of grating cheese, shredding carrots, or preparing a pesto.

Although cookware has come a long way in recent years, an old-fashioned, hefty cast iron skillet is still a must-have in every kitchen. You can use it on the stovetop or put it in the oven. Well-seasoned cast iron skillets need less oil, resulting in lower-fat dishes. Cooking in cast iron is also a great way to boost the amount of iron in your diet. Foods cooked in the pan absorb some iron from them.

Sturdy aluminum or steel baking sheets are another must for the kitchen, even if you don’t bake a lot of cookies. Use them to bake either homemade or frozen pizzas, roast vegetables, and heat up frozen snacks.

You need a rubber or silicone scraper or spatula to get the most batter out of the bowl and into the pan. If the spatula can withstand high heat, you can also use it to stir sauce on the stove or to saute vegetables.

A 9 by 13-inch baking pan or dish, made of metal, glass or ceramic is a must if you plan on baking cakes, brownies or casseroles. Baking dishes might be a more ideal choice, as you can take them directly from the oven to the table.