How Often Do You Change Your kitchen Utensils?

Kitchen utensils are one of the items we use on a daily basis. It is important to discuss how to care for utensils to ensure their longevity, it is equally important to discuss when they should be replaced entirely. 

A kitchen utensil is a small handheld tool used for food preparation. Common kitchen tasks include; cutting food items to size, heating food on an open fire or on a stove, baking, grinding, mixing, blending, and measuring; different utensils are made for each task.

A general-purpose utensil such as a knife may be used for a variety of foods; other kitchen utensils are highly specialized and may be used only in connection with the preparation of a particular type of food, such as an egg separator or an apple corer. The number of utensils in a household kitchen varies with time and the style of cooking.

Examples of kitchen utensils include- 

-Knifes 

-Chopping board

-Grater

-Measuring jugs

-Measuring spoons and cups

-Mixing bowls

-Sieve 

-Can opener 

-Blender 

-Frying pan

-Gloves

-Ladle

-Serving spoons, forks, knives 

-Plastic containers for storage

-Cutleries 

-Microwave oven. 

The journey of utensils begins with purchasing, to use, to care, then finally, to replace when need be. 

— Purchase

Purchasing kitchen utensils can be quite tasking especially when you are buying all afresh not simply replacing bad ones. There is always a taunting thought of which item to prioritize over and which to let go of. 

There are few things to keep in mind while making purchases

• Make a list of what you need

\What you need is different from the fancy item you saw at a friend’s kitchen. Your friend needs a baking mixer because she bakes her pastries herself weekly. You probably bake twice a year, certainly, a mixer should be bottom on your list. 

• Walk into the right store

Where you make purchases is as good as the product itself. Buying from the open market is good, buying from a recognized mall that sells variety, quality, fancy utensils at cost-effective prices. Buying fancy utensils is not ostentatious, it is a way of adding beauty to your kitchen provided it falls within your purchasing power. 

We will recommend a few stores that fit into the description above in Nigeria. 

Try:  Next shopping mall port Harcourt, Ikeja City Mall (ICM) Lagos and Savemore marketplace Owerri, Imo state  

• Do not buy the cheapest available 

Even if you’re on a budget, a false economy is still a thing. There’s no point buying a lot of items on the cheap side but finding they break or become unusable after a short while. This will mean you’ll have to go out and buy even more.

— Use and care

Use and care of kitchen utensils go in hand, care has to be taken while using utensils, 

Here are a few dos and don’ts 

• Do not use plastic utensils while food is cooking
• Wash after use
• Do not use a hard sponge on delicate surfaces. A wash towel or foam is preferable for plates, spoons, etc
• Hard scurrying powders should not be used inside pots, only externally
• Be careful with breakable plates

Replacement

There are items that are an eyesore in a kitchen due to overuse. These items should be quickly replaced. Here are examples of when your utensils should be replaced

• When you have a leaking pot from whatever side of the pot, it could be the pot’s handle or bottom. That pot needs replacement
• A permanently stained surface. This could be a bright-colored plate that has been permanently stained by oil or other substance
• A cracked surface should be replaced, if your utensil has a crack, it should be replaced 
• A burnt pot has no business in a kitchen anymore. It is not a crime to have burnt your pot while cooking, it happens often especially if you are not using a non-stick pot. There are products that can be used to scrub the surface until it feels new. However, some burns are resistant. If yours falls in that category, you walk into a kitchen with a pot bleached in black sticky patches and cracks, it is time to say goodbyes. 

This is one of the reasons non-stick pans and pots are in vogue, no scrubbing from burns, however, there are make-shift products in the market claiming to be non-sticky.

If you wish to buy a non-stick pot, the utensils section of the Savemore marketplace remains a trustworthy and reliable store to make your utensils purchase.