Don't leave your kitchen/restaurant supply store without it

Vital utensils

From the obvious to those “dang, I really wish I had a _______ right about now," here’s my must have bare minimum kitchen tool set. None of these are appliances or specialty items; I’ll get to those in another post.

1-4 silicone spatulas grandma didn’t use ‘em because they weren’t yet invented,
but if they were, she would’ve; granny might’ve gotten herself
a nice fake pair of—well, maybe not

1-4 wooden spoons some applications just call for these good ol’ fashioned
mainstays; mama used to whip us with these things, but I still
like ‘em

2 traditional flat spatulas one sturdy steel for scraping debris off steel and cast iron pans and
one sturdy plastic for your nonstick surfaces; also good for flipping

2 wire whisks one medium and one large, make sure the wires are nice and
tight; they can be used for everything from custards to sifting;
don’t bother with plastic whisks

2-4 pair tongs at least one stainless steel, 2 if you like one long reach and one
short grabber, they last forever; a nonstick if you do a lot of
nonstick cooking, that should do it, 4 pair are for folks who
really like tongs

1 large ladle some soups you really can’t just pour out of the pot

1 slotted spoon for food fishin’

1 potato masher you like mashed potatoes right? homemade applesauce? Then
you’ll want one of these.

1 box grater shredded cheese, thin cheese slices straight from the block,
grated carrots and grated ginger are impossible without this;
do get a solid grater, with a curved face if you can find it,
don’t bother with graters featuring a cheese catcher; just put
parchment or plastic wrap under the grater and go to town!

1-2 peelers I like those Kohn Swiss made wishbone shaped peelers that
rust in a week (just rinse and hang dry), but any $3-4 potato
skinner gets the job done

1-2 paring knives one big one small; if I had to choose I’d pick the small

1 chef’s knife one should do it; I like the ten inch model; paired with your
paring knife you’re ready to slash up just about anything

1 bread knife not absolutely necessary, but unless you get all your bread
sliced at the store or would never dream of baking your own
bread, you want one of these; go for one with an offset handle,
they’re comfortable and give you leverage.

1 liquid measuring cup not necessarily a utensil, but it's not gadget either, so it's worth
mentioning; a four cup or quart capacity should do the trick

measuring spoons 1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon are not the same; until you’re
good at gauging seasoning amounts, you’ll need these, a must
for bakers

dry measuring cups that mac and cheese recipe calls for ½ cup flour, or about a
handful, but whose hand do they mean?

That’s my list, anything else as far as I’m concerned is a luxury item, I know because I hat to stock a kitchen recently and I purchased the above utensils. If there’s anything missing from my list, let me know.