Types of Kitchen Utensils Set By Composition and Material

Last Updated: March 1, 2022

Material Is Important Selection Criterion

Kitchen utensil sets include items used in serving, frying, preparing second courses and mixing salads. The list includes spoons, forks, spatulas and other implements that every kitchen needs. You can find utensil sets separately or along with other kitchen equipment. There are various types of kitchen utensil sets available in the market nowadays.

Some have a majority of useful items while others may contain few items that are not really needed. Before you buy one, it is important to be familiar with its components and its use. Each piece will differ from one another and will serve a different purpose.

Kitchen utensil sets can be classified by equipment, number of items, size, material, manufacturer and price segment. They can be equipped with stands, wall bars with hooks, a magnetic holder.

Standard and Advanced Kits

A set of kitchen utensils is a great idea which helps to cook not only more effectively but also with more enjoyment. Kitchen utensils are made of different materials, with different colors, but from the most important thing – from the functionality point of view, it is necessary that they are made in one style and complement each other.

Cooking is more fun and convenient with matching utensils that can be hung within reach, out of the way when not in use. Kitchen utensil sets have a lot of advantages. But how do you choose such a set? Which one is best for your kitchen?

A classic kitchen utensil set usually includes several items:

Large spoon for stirring while cooking second dishes.
A ladle to pour soup onto plates.
Universal flat spatula for serving and flipping.
Spoon with slits for frying meat, fish, vegetables in oil, the holes are needed to drain the excess fat.
Skimmer for removing foam from broths and other tasks.
Spaghetti spoon, necessary for transferring long noodles and pasta from the pot.
A large chef’s fork used for cooking.
Potato masher, comes in different shapes and with different types of holes.
Whisk, it can be used to mix an egg and milk for an omelet or butter and herbs for a sauce.

Not every kitchen utensil set includes all the listed items, more often there are 6 or 7. For example, there may be only one perforated spatula, no fork or potato masher. Carefully study the composition when choosing and make a decision, analyzing whether this or that accessory is useful to you.

Kitchen is one of the most frequently used rooms in the house. In order to make life easier in the kitchen, you should choose an utensil set for cooking of decent quality.

Universal sets, or the most popular universal set consists of six items: a chef’s fork, a large spoon, a spatula with slits, a ladle, a potato masher, and a skimmer. A «universal» kitchen tool set is a term used to describe an assortment of basic kitchen utensils that typically include spatulas, spoons, slotted spoons, and so forth.

Most sets available for sale comprise multiple pieces at or around the same price point. These units are typically grouped together by either function for example, all those utensils designed for stir-frying have a distinct appearance from those that are meant for serving liquids or more commonly, by design style.

Material Is Important Selection Criterion

When creating kitchen utensils, the material is selected depending on the purpose. Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. The main criterion for choosing materials is safety and convenience in use. The modern kitchen utensils are made of a number of materials — from wood to plastic, bakelite, enamel.

There is also representative of the classic — stainless steel. It is important to remember that modern cookware is often covered with an anti-stick layer that is afraid of contact with metals.

Stainless Steel - Strength and Versatility

A set of stainless steel kitchen utensils is attractive because of its durability, hardness, resistance to high temperatures. The stainless steel spoon can be used to stir both liquid soup and thick stew without fear that it will bend or break. The perfect gift for foodies and chefs.

The stainless steel kitchen utensils are made of rust-resistant 18/10 stainless steel that makes them durable enough to withstand high temperatures, acids, and alkalis found in the kitchen. This helps prevent food from sticking on their surfaces. Iit can be used to stir the food for a long period of time without staining. Also, if it is clean and dry, it will not produce any smell after use.

Good cookware is a chef’s best friend in the kitchen. For all their appeal, metal cookware has a significant disadvantage-they’re not suitable for cookware with most nonstick coatings. If the pan or pot does not bear the manufacturer’s information permitting the use of metal accessories, look for a different set. Buy stainless steel set if you use enameled pots, cast iron pans, or unsprayed stainless steel and aluminum cookware.

There are a lot of stainless steel products that can be found in the market today. But if you want ones that are really functional and durable, then you have to choose the right kind. The stainless steel for kitchen forks, spoons and spatulas must be food grade. The most popular alloy is 18/10. It is important that the metal is hard and does not bend too easily. One should not look only at the price when choosing accessories, but also care about quality.

In tandem with the right accessories food retains its taste and aroma and stays crisp longer. It is absolutely critical that all kitchen cutlery is made from food grade stainless steel. Stainless steel is a metal which was discovered in the late 18th century, but it took almost 100 years to show its value. By that time, other alloys such as tungsten steel were used. But stainless steel has not lost its relevance in the modern kitchen. In most cases, they have a high price. It ranks number one in kitchen utensils.

Nylon - Delicate and Lightweight

Manufactured in a wide range of styles, nylon kitchen utensils allow cooking in minutes. They are also suitable for many foods and can be washed in the dishwasher. Nylon is perfectly suited to use on non-stick surfaces and is better than rubber when used for baking or stirring various liquids. It does not require special care and treatment, its purpose will serve more than 10 years.

Therefore, given the diversity of nylon kitchen utensils, you can always choose something according to your personal taste and preferences. When buying kitchen utensils made of nylon, pay attention to their weight. It should not be too heavy, but also not so light that it is easy to break. The handle should have an ergonomic grip and be made of a comfortable material.

When buying a nylon set and any other kitchen accessories, be sure that the product is of high quality. Nylon must be food-grade, as the relevant certificates must inform you, good material not smell. If you buy products from reputable manufacturers, who monitor the quality, make sure that it is not a fake and not the usual plastic. We all know how important kitchen accessories are, and we should choose only high-quality products, so as not to harm our health.

A Tree for Classic Lovers

Wooden kitchen utensils have long since left the top of the list of the most popular, but fans of classics still buy only them. The disadvantages include fear of moisture, inability to wash in the dishwasher, vulnerability to mold and mildew. Therefore, in order to preserve their usefulness, do not forget about how to keep wood kitchen utensils. These disadvantages in no way prevent fans of «classic» to find wooden kitchen utensils more convenient in use. Each will have his own reasons for preferring wood products to metal or plastic counterparts.

From time immemorial, wood was used to make kitchen utensils. The most popular among them were: spoons, forks, knives and shovels. They are still used by many lovers of the classic style of life. Among the most common types of wooden kitchen utensils are: wood, ash and linden.

When buying carefully inspect the surface, it should be smooth, burr-free, well-polished. Hardwoods are welcome. An inexpensive alternative to wood is bamboo, which is resistant to mold and moisture.

Combination - The Best Solution

To neutralize the softness and brittleness of plastics and the risk of scratching dishes, manufacturers combine different materials in one product. There are variants of the combination:

Steel appliance with heat-resistant silicone handle that protects hands from hot metal. Suitable for cookware that allows you to work with metal accessories. Silicone handles are comfortable in the hand, do not slip, do not get hot.
Metal body coated with Teflon coating. Designed specifically for non-stick coatings. It is distinguished by its hardness and does not scratch the surface.
Steel body with a working part and a handle braid made of heat-resistant polymers — silicone, nylon or teflon. The optimal solution is gentle on your dishes and hands. But Teflon is harder than nylon, so it breaks under stress more often.
Wooden working parts with plastic handles. The plastic protects the area that is constantly touched by greasy and wet hands from contamination.
Metal working parts and wooden handles. Not a good combination for a modern kitchen.

There are other options, each manufacturer tries to stand out and come up with their own.

Stand Or Wall Mount - Which Is Better

In addition to the practical value, a kitchen utensils set will supplement the interior in all spaces: from a kitchenette in the hotel room to an elegant and expensive apartment. A set of kitchen utensils in bright colors and interesting design will use non-standard hooks and slots that decorate the walls, doors and drawers.

An ordinary object, such as a kitchen utensil set, if it is properly combined with other elements of the interior, can become a striking decorative element. For easy storage, manufacturers include stands and hooks in the kits.

The kitchen is a place where you should consider not only the functionality of kitchen utensils, but also their practicality and ergonomics. A set of kitchen utensils on a stand can be placed on the table next to the stove so that it is always at hand. Here it is important that the stand is stable and does not stop working if one or two appliances are removed from one side.

There are different shapes of coasters — round, rectangular, and square. It is convenient if the round stand rotates, you do not have to reach for the necessary spatula hanging on the other side. Rectangular ones are more suitable for a spacious workplace in the kitchen.

Having the right kitchen utensils can make cooking fun and easy. But, the first time you step into a kitchen store you can feel just about lost. They are all there, these mysterious tools, staring at you with their shiny blades, wooden handles and plastic bowls. Which one will find its way to your home?