Spatulas

• Spatulas make flipping and serving baked goods and eggs quick and easy.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  A spatula can refer to a utensil used to scrape, blend or flip food in a bowl or skillet. They're made of rubber, silicone or plastic. Spatulas place, turn and remove food in a hot skillet. Have several sizes on hand, too. Thinner spatulas are better for removing baked foods, such as cookies, from hot baking sheets while silicone spatulas work best in heat.
  
  

Kitchen Spoons

• Spoons are essential for many cooking and baking tasks.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Wooden spoons, essential for mixing and stirring in pots and bowls, won't scratch your cookware like metal utensils. Serving spoons are specially shaped. Slotted spoons serve vegetables. Long, paired salad spoons serve salads and cole slaw. Soups spoons, or ladles, make serving soup and other liquids and sauces much easier and cleaner.
  
  

Openers and Peelers

• Peelers are a useful and versatile addition to any kitchen utensils set.BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  Can openers, another kitchen essential, come in manual rotary and electric varieties. Other openers include bottle openers, carton openers and corkscrews. Vegetable peelers make peeling vegetables cleaner and safer than using a knife. Peeler blades come in different sizes to accommodate fruits and vegetables.
  
  

Whisks

• Whisks make mixing and blending much easier than using spoons.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Wire whisks are handy for mixing, blending and whipping foods such as gravy or eggs and mixing oils, sauces and dressings. As with most kitchen utensils, whisks come in many sizes to accommodate various cooking jobs and personal preferences.
  
  

Kitchen Knives

• A versatile knife collection is an important addition to your kitchen arsenal.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Knives are necessary for meal preparation work. They're used to cut vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, fish and breads. Specialized knives are used for carving, filleting, cutting and trimming. These knives often come in a set.
  
  

Colanders and Cutting Boards

• Use cutting boards for cutting vegetables and meats.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  A colander, or strainer, strains water or other juices from vegetables, pastas and meats. Colanders come in plastic and metal, though metal is more durable in heat. Plastic colanders aren't prone to rust but can potentially melt or become grimy. Cutting boards, another kitchen must, come in wood, plastic and tempered glass. Use smaller plastic or tempered glass boards for chopping vegetables like onions and garlic. Larger wooden boards are ideal for chopping or slicing meats or bread.
  
  

Miscellaneous Utensils

• Many kitchen tools exists to help make cooking cleaner and easier.Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
  
  Many additional helpful, but nonessential, utensils exist to make everyday cooking chores cleaner, easier and less time-consuming. Use graters for cheese, fruits, vegetables and spices. Measuring cups allow you to follow recipe measurements with precision. Hand potato mashers also work for carrots and other soft vegetables. Tongs make serving and transferring larger portions of food much easier than with spoons or spatulas. Thermometers and timers ensure proper cooking temperatures and times.