The Best Kitchen Utensils of 2021

A slotted spatula, or fish spatula, might seem like an odd choice if you don’t spend much time making fish—but they also make great overall spatulas. They’re best for delicate tasks like cooking eggs and tofu and fish, but can also be great for pancakes and cookies and other tasks you’d typically do with a flat spatula. And of the offset slotted spatulas we tested, the Wusthof reigned supreme.

Like its fellows, this delicate turner features a slight curve to the head and an angled end. Unlike a few of them, the Wusthof also has an extra angle right at the tip to more easily slide under delicate tofu skin and lightly set eggs. This made it especially wonderful for handling over-easy eggs and other delicate foods. The best part? It also worked great on burgers, pancakes, and cookies.

To top it off, the handle is sleek but with enough heft to really grab onto and maneuver. And thanks to its wood-free construction, it can easily be cleaned by tossing it into a dishwasher.

A flat cooking spatula is a kitchen staple—ideal for removing cookies from a baking tray, flipping pancakes and eggs, and any other cooking task that requires slipping under food to move it around. And the Cutco Turn n’ Serve flat cooking spatula takes the cake. (No seriously, we used it to move a cake and it worked great.)

It’s more expensive than we would typically recommend for a spatula, but this is a “you get what you pay for” situation. This spatula is pricey, but comes with a lifetime guarantee and will never send you back to your utensil drawer looking for a better tool.

The Cutco Turn n’ Serve performed incredibly well on all of our tests. The flat head is thin enough to easily slide under delicate eggs and tofu, but sturdy enough to flip burgers and lift a cake from a cake turner onto a serving plate. It’s a good size as well, hitting the sweet spot between being narrow enough to fit into your brownie pan and lift out a piece, and wide enough to be useful for flipping pancakes and removing cookies from your baking tray.

The only downside we found with this spatula is that it’s metal. And while this allows it to be as thin as a delicate fish spatula, it cannot be used on a nonstick or cast iron pan. So if you only use nonstick cookware, you will have to opt for a silicone tool.

Everyone needs a silicone baking spatula, and the Di Oro Large Silicone Spatula is an excellent choice for folding flour into your batter and then scraping down the sides of your bowl. It’s a single, slick piece of silicone, so you don’t need to worry about the head snapping off. The handle is sturdy and solid, while the head is just flexible enough to scrape down tricky-to-reach areas of your bowl.

The one-side-curved, one-side-straight head of this spatula makes it excellent for reaching into different types of corners (for instance, when scraping dough from a round bowl or when smoothing brownie batter into a square tin). The medium/large spatula head means you can get the job done quickly and easily. Overall, this spatula worked wonderfully through all our tests, and may leave you wanting to buy yet another baking spatula for your kitchen.

Material’s Soft-Edge Turner is smooth as butter thanks to its BPA-free silicone. It passed our egg-flipping test with flying colors, never breaking a yolk and allowing eggs to easily slide off the spatula’s non-stick surface. The shape of this spatula is great for flipping tofu and pancakes, thanks to the beveled edge. This spatula is extremely comfortable to hold because of the even weight distribution—it’s a sturdy product, without being overly heavy or bulky, due to the reinforced nylon core.

Because it’s a nonstick spatula, cleanup is a breeze whether you’re handwashing or popping it in the dishwasher. We tested the Oyster (white) and Terra Rosa (light pink) versions and were pleased to find that neither was stained by tomato-based sauces.

While this product aced most of our tests, we think the head could stand to be slightly larger. That said, it’s a great size for eggs, pancakes, smaller cuts of various proteins, veggies, and most things you’d cook on the stovetop or roast on a sheet pan.

See more of the best spatulas we tested and reviewed.

For measuring liquids, you can’t go wrong with the Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Glass Measuring Cup. It was the only cup to register a perfect 240 grams when we measured 1 cup of water, and its classic, etched-on measurements are easy to read and won’t fade anytime soon. It has a nice contoured handle (with a thoughtful thump-print indent at the top for easy handling).

When we removed water and honey from the cup, they easily poured through the spout without dribbling down the sides. When you consider that this measuring cup is the least expensive in the batch we tested and also the best performing, it’s easy to understand why this is the best liquid measuring cup you should buy.

The heavy-duty Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cups aced all of our tests. With short (but functional) handles held together by an easy-to-remove chain, the cups scooped with ease and benefited from a low-storage profile. The etched-on measurements include both American cups and European milliliters (just in case you don’t want to reach for that liquid measuring cup).

In addition to the common sizes (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup), the set includes a 2/3- and 3/4-cup for ease of measuring. They fit inside standard flour and oatmeal containers and they don't bend easily when scooping brown sugar, making them a no-brainer for a top-notch set of measuring cups.

The Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Spoon Set was one of the least expensive sets we tested, so we were thrilled when it scored the top marks. These unbendable stainless-steel spoons have a sleek, tapered look with etched-on measurements that won’t fade in the dishwasher over time. The handles are tapered so each spoon stands flat on the countertop, which is a nice (and, sadly, uncommon) feature.

The elongated, oval-sized spoons fit in most common spice jars and are held together by an easy-to-remove band for storage purposes. They come in all the common sizes (1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, and 1/4 teaspoon) but also include the super-precise 1/8 teaspoon measurement. These were our favorite to use and also earned top marks on the tests, solidifying their spot as our pick for best measuring spoons.

See more of the best measuring cups and spoons we tested and reviewed.

Whether you’re a pro or a beginner in the kitchen, the Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler is the perfect peeler for you. And, you actually get three: This peeler set includes a green, red, and yellow peeler! It's a great tool for peeling fruits or vegetables.

The peeler is bright and attractive with a simple, super lightweight design. Its low profile easily fits in any knife roll or gadget drawer, and when it comes to performance the Kuhn Rikon peeler aced every test we threw at it. Its carbon steel blades were sharp and effortless to use. It moved through potatoes and lemon peels quickly and barely got caught up on the celeriac's awkwardly bumpy surface. Of all the peelers, this was the fastest and most comfortable to use, earning it our top spot for vegetable peelers.

See more of the best vegetable peelers we tested and reviewed.

It didn’t surprise us when the Microplane 4-Sided Stainless Steel Multi-Purpose Box Grater performed like a champ. Unlike traditional stamped-style models, the blades for this grater are etched into the metal using a chemical process that creates super-sharp edges. That allowed this grater to perform above average on all four sides. The fine holes resulted in beautifully zested lemons and a pile of airy, fluffy Parmesan, whereas the coarse holes gave us long strands of mozzarella and potato shreds that made the best latkes in the group.

It wasn't just about performance, either. It was the small features that made this model go above and beyond. The fine blade panel is removable for ease of cleaning, and the wide design makes the rest of this dishwasher-safe grater simple to clean, too. The feet stayed out of the way of shreds, allowing the contents to happily pile up underneath the grater without clogging up the mechanisms. As an added bonus, all the blades are made in the U.S.A.

See more of the best graters we tested and reviewed.

As soon as we held the OXO Good Grips Kitchen And Herb Scissors, we knew they would be a top-performer. They were so comfortable, we felt like we could use them all day long without fatiguing our hands. The finger bows on the handles were both wide and long enough for small and larger hands, and there wasn’t any uncomfortable pressure from the handles as we worked with them. The thick, squishy pads on the inside of the handles cushioned our hands and kept them from slipping as we worked (even when oiled up with cooking oil). It wasn’t just the handles that vaulted the OXO to the top; these shears were well designed all the way around. They never accidentally came apart as we used them, but it was simple to detach one blade from the other for easy cleaning. And other than the satisfying “click” when closing the blades, they operated smoothly and quietly.

When it came to performance, we had no complaints. The ultra-sharp shears have one micro-serrated blade that grips onto slippery food like raw chicken while the other blade slices through the product with ease. They struggled ever so slightly to get through the breastbone of the chicken, but that wasn’t unusual during our tests. As far as other materials go, the OXO had no problems chomping through cardboard, hard plastic clamshells, and twist ties, and it cut through delicate items like herbs and kitchen twine cleanly without creating torn edges.

It’s worth noting that these shears don’t have many additional features—they do have an herb stripper for taking herbs like rosemary and thyme off the stem, but we didn’t really miss any of the extra bells and whistles from the other models. The OXO is a solid pair of shears that gets the job done—no matter the material—and they’re available for a value price. What more can you ask for?

See more of the best kitchen shears we tested and reviewed.

Most of the poultry shears we tested did well on some tasks but struggled on others. The OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears were the only set that hit all the marks. The blades came apart for easy cleaning, and they’re spring-loaded but don’t open too far for comfort. The locking mechanism that keeps them closed for storage is located on the bottom of the handle, so it didn’t get in the way as we sliced. We also loved the nonstick coating on the lightly padded handles, which were both comfortable to use and kept our hands from slipping when they became coated in raw chicken.

The blades themselves were equally impressive. The micro-serrated blades gripped on bone as we used them, keeping them from sliding backwards between slices. They were sharp enough to tackle chicken backbones one-handed, and they were one of the only pairs that didn’t struggle to slice through slippery chicken skin.

After they aced our chicken tests, we used them to remove a turkey backbone and cut the breastbone in half. We did have to use two hands to get enough momentum to get through the breastbone’s thickest part, but our hands weren’t fatigued after taking it down.

The tension in these spring-loaded scissors was perfect, and they bounced open happily after every cut. They were light and maneuverable, and they were an overall joy to use. They are more expensive than others, but not by much. We’d definitely recommend them to anyone looking to break down chickens or spatchcocks or even a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

See more of the best poultry shears we tested and reviewed.

Out of all the cutters we tested, the PL8 definitely felt the most substantial. Composed of an 18/10 stainless steel blade, a silicone-coated handle, and a zinc cutter body, it was appealingly weighty in our hand yet perfectly in balance and comfortable to use. All in all, this translated to one highly efficient cutter. It made it through thick, bubbled pizzas, topping-laden flatbreads, and seeded cracker dough in single, unbroken strokes.

There's even a hub on that wheel that you can hook onto a hot oven rack, which helps you easily retrieve and cut your pie. Who said pizza cutters were one-trick ponies? It also cleans easily, by either hand or machine, and has a snug-fitting blade cover—a safety precaution that, surprisingly, isn’t a common-sense addition to most pizza slicers.

See more of the best pizza cutters we tested and reviewed.

The unassuming EZ-DUZ-IT probably looks exactly like the can opener you grew up with—and for good reason. What it lacks in special features and flashy design it makes up for in pure power and rock-solid construction, making it our top choice for most people. Throughout our testing, the EZ-DUZ-IT easily pierced lids, stayed attached to the edges, and made its way around cans without catching or resisting along the way. Its slim rubberized handles were easy to grip and prevented hand fatigue when opening can after can. And with such an intuitive, straightforward design, there’s little room for user error.

While the EZ-DUZ-It excelled in ease of use and speed trials, its durability is what pushed it ahead of the pack. It's all-metal construction makes us confident that it will survive many years of daily use, including being jostled around in drawers and dropped off the counter, and its Amazon user reviews support our theory. You could probably drop this thing off a four-story building without breaking it, but we wouldn’t recommend it. In a world of flimsy plastic levers and dulling blades, the EZ-DUZ-IT is a steadfast companion that's in it for the long haul. The only drawbacks of the opener are that it produces sharp-edged lids and is designed for right-handed people, but these are standard features of most traditional rotary openers.

See more of the best manual can openers we tested and reviewed.

The Robo Twist gets our highest rating for a simple reason: It was the only device we tested that easily opened every container we tried, from a wide-mouthed pickle jar to a small jam jar. It even worked on a big pasta sauce jar that, for some reason, was mission impossible for a very similar automatic device.

Here’s how it works: You place the pod containing the motor and two AA batteries (not included) on top of your jar and press the big green button on top. You keep the button pressed down as two outer arms with rubber grips move in toward the sides of the jar or bottle. Then you let go of the button as two inner arms move in to place rubber grips around the lid. Once that happens, the inner arms twist and—voila, every time—the lid opens, often with a satisfying pop. Then you wait a few seconds for the arms to reset to their original position.

The manufacturer says the Robo Twist should work on lids ranging from 1.2 inches to 3.5 inches across, and everything we tried was in that size range. It does not recommend using the device on plastic items, so you may need something else for those mayonnaise and peanut butter jars. The instruction manual suggests you lightly hold the sides of small or tall jars – presumably more prone to spillage – and that seems prudent, really, with any container.

We didn’t use the Robo Twist long enough to say how long the batteries would last or how it would hold up to frequent use, but after more than two dozen openings, it was doing just fine.

See more of the best jar openers we tested and reviewed.

There's a lot to love about the Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer. We immediately noticed how easy this juicer was to use, thanks to the large, comfortable handles and a gear mechanism that helped us press into the fruit without much effort. It was one of the fastest juicers we used, and it did so without sacrificing the quality of the juice. Unlike most of the juicers (which feature tiny little holes), the Chef'n has star-shaped slits in the bottom of the hopper. Those slits worked magic, allowing the juice to pass through without any seeds and a limited amount of pulp. It was also less messy than most of the units, barely spraying any juice out the sides as you used it.

Chef'n spared no attention to detail here, including tiny feet on the bottom of the hopper that allow the juicer to sit on the counter without falling over. Not only that, but it has a small profile that easily fits into the gadget drawer and it's super simple to clean. This type of citrus juicer is a no-brainer to use, even if you only need a mere tablespoon of juice. While it wouldn't be our top choice for anyone looking to juice massive amounts of oranges (and, it's not large enough to fit a grapefruit), it performs perfectly for anyone looking to use citrus juice in cooking or cocktail recipes.

See more of the best citrus juicers we tested and reviewed.

When they say there’s beauty in simplicity, they’re talking about this wooden rolling pin. It’s really just a sturdy wooden cylinder of a medium-heavy weight, nothing more, nothing less. But during testing, it rolled out perfect dough every time.

The simple design of this wooden pin, combined with its weight, makes it easy to control the amount of pressure you use based on what you need for your dough. For tough dough you can push a bit harder, and for soft dough you can keep a light touch. The long, cylindrical body and lack of handles also means that you'll never cut an edge through your dough the way you sometimes might with smaller, handled rolling pins. This translates to an even, non-lumpy dough that's easy to shape however you want.

To top it off, flour sticks to the pin just fine, which keeps dough from sticking while in use. The pin also cleans up easily and is dishwasher safe. The only downside is that, depending on the size of your kitchen, it might be tough to put this beauty away. It's also 19-inches long, which makes it harder to tuck into a drawer.

See more the best rolling pins we tested and reviewed.