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What kitchen utensils is there a benefit of having two (or more) of?


Shalmanese

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Most kitchen utensils, you need just one of. Peelers, can openers, graters etc. Having two might be nice but it's not exactly going to rock your world. There are other utensils where, once you get a second one, it actually changes how you cook.

For me, a short list would include:

Thermometers - It's nice to have multiple probe thermometers so you can measure the progress of two different things at once. Also useful for deep frying if you want to keep tabs on both the oil & food temperature.

Tongs - Having two tongs allows you to lift hot objects out of a pot. Especially useful if you're steaming something on a plate.

Grinders - One for spice, the other for coffee

Blender bowls - Useful if you're making multiple sauces/salsas

What else would you suggest?

PS: I am a guy.

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Being a family of 2 with a dishwasher...I have multiples of many things.

At least 4 pairs of Tongs, 3 or 4 spatulas/turners, same for silicone spatulas/bowl scrapers. I do have 2 grinders and would love another mixer bowl at cookie time. I am fortunate that my husband and I came into this with the same set of small pots so we have doubles of 1qt, 2qt, and 3qt.

tracey

The great thing about barbeque is that when you get hungry 3 hours later....you can lick your fingers

Maxine

Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

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At least three different sized frying pans, 8", 10" and 12".

'A person's integrity is never more tested than when he has power over a voiceless creature.' A C Grayling.

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We are a family of two cooks, and although we use different utensils often...Ed's are larger than mine...I can't handle his large spatula, knife, etc...we have 3 and 4 of everything pretty much.

I couldn't live without a generous set of both stainless and plastic mise bowls close at hand always.

And we have two peelers and three can openers (one electric, two hand types). Yes, and two hand mixers. No wonder our kitchen is so 'full' of stuff.

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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It would be easier for me to list what I DON'T have two (or ten) of in my kitchen. :laugh:

Ah ha! I just remembered (from doing some cleaning of odd stuff arranged in utensil crocks) that I have only one molinillo and one bird nest fryer basket. (They share space in a big crock of the larger type gadgets and utensils.

My downfall is being an impulse shopper when it comes to kitchen stuff. :blink:

A couple of years back I posted a photo of the many whisks I have - I have added to the "collection" since then and they seem to be everywhere. Sometimes I think they are like wire clothes hangers, when you aren't looking, they reproduce! :wacko:

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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I second many of what's already been said, but multiple spoons, towels and bowls are essential. My contribution to the list would be silpats - for uninterrupted baking.

Cognito ergo consume - Satchel Pooch, Get Fuzzy

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I second many of what's already been said, but multiple spoons, towels and bowls are essential. My contribution to the list would be silpats - for uninterrupted baking.

A woman (or man) cannot have too many silicone sheets. :smile: I keep mine in three cardboard oatmeal cylinders. New ones, old ones, old and scorched ones.

My DH assembled all the silicone (and not silicone) spatulas that we have and asked if we really needed that many?

I have this fairly ugly, old, yellow, multi-storied carousel that I found in a second hand store. They were using it to hold their for sale wares, but I am ashamed to admit that I bullied...nice bullying tho...the gentleman into selling it to me. The owner, his wife, had stepped out. I'll bet he got heck when she returned. I love it. :wub:P7060001.JPG

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Outlets. Seriously. I only have two duplexes in my kitchen. Maybe one of these days all of the pesting I've done will pay off and DH will at least make them 4-plexes. We have far more juice to the kitchen than I could possibly use, and I refuse to go the strip route because I have so little counter space.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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I forgot about kitchen shears. Mine have the uncanny ability to develop legs and walk to my kids' bedrooms. I favor those made by Chicago Cutlery, and I can almost always get them at the outlet mall -- 2 for $9.99.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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Darienne....I lover your spin-o-rama utensil storage. And the story that goes with it.

Maggie - I have 4, count 'em - FOUR - Oxo peelers.

I have a random assortment of crocks and pitchers next to the stove that hold all my multiples. One is for wooden spoons and tongs (somehow the tongs don't get as tangled with the wooden spoons as they do with other stuff). Another is just for wire wisks. One for metal utensils (lots of spatulas, and big spoons, and potato mashers, and I forget what all). Another completely dedicated to my large assortment of silicone and rubber spatulas.

In the drawer where my right hand naturally drops when I'm doing prep work, there are 4, count 'em - FOUR - dough/food scrapers. Plus the Oxo peelers. And two sets each of measuring cups and measuring spoons.

In short, I don't have nearly enough of anything, and constantly find myself rummaging around in the dishwasher for something I need.

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I rarely cook one thing at a time, so need duplicates of several things to avoid having to stop & wash between prep for breads, soups, cookies, beans....

spatulas (for stirring, scraping, mixing, lifting)

baking sheets and silpats

measuring cups including large measuring pitchers

measuring spoons

gaiwans (for brewing/comparing several teas at once)

pressure cookers (have often had 2 on the stove at once, occasionally 3, and all 4 at least once!)

oven mitts/potholders

cutting boards

And the tupperware cupboard is filled with many duplicates of not too many things.

Edited by Wholemeal Crank (log)
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I think the original proposition was that, sure, it's nice to have multiples of some things, but there are a few items where when you have more than one it changes what you can do in the kitchen. Since we're talking about utensils I guess I can't give two ovens as an example, but I will say that having two ovens, even if it's just for a week in a vacation rental, really can change your approach to menu planning and cooking.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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I keep multiples of selected items to make better use of limited kitchen prep time to do several things at once, rather than changing the things that I choose to make. I don't usually make such complex meals that I literally must have these three things similarly prepared but coming together at precisely the same moment (thus requiring three similar pots/whisks/scoops/whatevers) to give the proper finished dish at the table.

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