One question that I'm often asked is what kind of things I think every kitchen needs. While the person most qualified to answer that question is you -- after all, you're the one doing the cooking -- I'll try to answer that question in a brief overview form here.
I've split the kitchen necessities into four simple categories: Cookware - pots and pans; Utensils - everything from spoons to spatulas; Safety and Health Tools - helpers for preventing and dealing with kitchen dangers; Kitchen Helpers - those tools that don't really fit into the others, but you couldn't live without. Now, I realize that I've left out the food, but that's a whole other article! This one focuses on the tools.
While there are many useful items that can be used in your kitchen, I've tried to limit the choices to help conserve space. If you have a huge kitchen, feel free to add other items of your choice. However, having lived in the New York metro area for four years, I know that some people out there have kitchen space that would be jealous of many people's closets! Therefore, when possible, I've suggested alternative uses for one kitchen item. Doing this helps save space and money -- two things we all seem to value now more than ever.
