I just wanted to know if anybody knows of specific kitchen utensil brands that’re actually worth buying long-term. Or atleast which ones should be avoided.
I’ve wasted time checking reviews for various sets and always find concerning ones between the positives.
I really just need a Spoon, Slotted Spoon, (Flexible) Spatula, and Kitchen Tongs.
A Deep Soup Ladle, Whisk, and Pasta Server would just be convenient.
I don’t expect a set to have a solid cheese grater, so I’ll be buying that separately by default.
Preferences:
I’m trying to avoid exposed metal on the head of the utensils since I’d worry about scratching my pots and pans. Other than that, I’ve got no preference beyond “non putting toxins or its broken off material in my food”. 🤷🏿♂️
If this post doesn’t work out, I’ll just start checking reviews for specific utensils. 😑
Got OXO stuff for wedding over a decade ago. Pretty much everything still performing strong and the 1-2 that aren’t were replaced easily via web form from manufacturer.
Half my kitchen is OXO. For the price I can’t beat it.
OXO was my immediate thought as well – I have probably less than 10 items from them, with the oldest being maybe 3yrs, so I can’t comment on longer term use than that, but everything holds up and works extremely well.
My personal favourite is their salad spinner – I make kimchi once a month, and it’s strong enough to even spin dry a load of salty cabbage.
America’s Test Kitchen often recommends their items too – I think the OXO Good Grips Teflon pan beat out every other non-stick pan in their egg test.
Another vote for OXO, their stuff is great and you could use their garlic press for self defence if needed.
I haven’t found a one-brand-fits-all, really. I’ve found that it’s good to go by certain design concepts.
As an example, especially for stuff like scoops and ladles, I vastly prefer when the utensil is one continuous piece of material. If it is made of different materials joined together, water might get in, or the material will detach/delaminate over time. A lot of utensils have handles that are like that, and they always eventually fail for me.
Great to see another single-piece utensil fan in the wild. Without fail, my plastic-metal or wood-silicone implements first went nasty at the join and then broke (if I hadn’t chucked it for harbouring gunk in the crack of the join).
It’s the same with sinks and taps, the fewer pieces, the better. And have nice rounded corners that I can wipe spotless, not sharp edges and crannies and creases…
Absolutely this!
Also price often does not predict quality for utensils.
Not a specific brand, but more of an idea for you. I live somewhat close to a restaurant supply store. The options they have there are of much higher quality and a much more reasonable price than you will find in your typical department store/Williams Sonoma/Sur La Table etc. Some of the common brands they carry are Update/Choice (silicone spatulas) Vollrath (pots/ice cream scoops/dishers)
Here is an example of a slotted spoon ($0.89) It’s Less than a $1 they have a bunch of other options.
Not sure if they are still the same quality, but i enjoy using my All Clad Utensils They are heavy duty and also look nice hanging on my wall above my wire shelves in my kitchen corner.
Restaurant supply places are great to get utility pots and pans / extra spoons/slotted spoons/covers/plastic storage bins etc.
Also forgot: Oxo tongs, the rest are crap The Fully Metal Ones
I have yet to break anything from Oxo.
The Fully Metal Ones
That’s the important part there. I have an older set of OXO tongs and the clip that holds it closed was made of plastic and eventually broke off. The OXO tongs I have that are all metal have that clip also made of metal and they’ve been rock solid.
Upvote to go to a restaurant store. Some are better than others and you need to test every item but wow spring loaded tongs, heat resistant scrapers, and cheap but durable knives.
Restaurant supply places are great to get utility pots and pans / extra spoons/slotted spoons/covers/plastic storage bins etc.
This is the route I’m gonna try to take (finally getting around to it). Other brands mentioned are backup plans.
Glad other people searching this question will find answers, though.
Olive wood utentils can last a long time with good care and don’t scratch. You can buy them from artisanal and high end Italian shops.
You could also get some from a lumber yard near you and take up a new hobby if you’re so inclined! I really love using wooden utensils with my cast iron pans/pots which I also think are very buy it for life!
I’m a huge fan of DiOro at least for silicone utensils. I believe their silicone spatula was the ATK recommendation a few times and I’ve bought a bunch more since then.
Seconding this! I have a set of their silicone spatulas and they are probably the best utensils I own
I usually defer to America’s Test Kitchen reviews.
From what you’ve listed, I’ve bought DiOro spatulas and OXO Good Grips tongs and I’m happy with both.
I really love the Dreamfarm stuff I have had a bunch of their utensils for years now and they are still really good condition quality. Their Chopula and Clongs I use almost daily and they are still going strong, really good quality and really great features that you don’t find anywhere else. Also their Garject is amazing too, if a bit pricey. https://dreamfarm.com/products/
bruh, where was the Garject when I was mincing a bulb of garlic weekly? 😂
DeBuyer can typically be bought with no afterthought. Although that depends where you are. They mostly sell to professionals but are quire affordable.
Since the OP didn’t specify, I’ll suppose, in typical USdefaultism, that they meant the US. I don’t know if DeBuyer sells there and I have no idea what their local brands are.
Look at early wood products. They are all hand made from hard woods in the US. They have a lifetime warranty and are safe for any cooking material.
This feels like the wrong place to shout out plastic IKEA utensils, but I have had a FULLÄNDAD ladle and pasta spoon for years now and they show no signs of wear.
They are made of a single piece of smooth plastic, so there is nowhere for gunk or water to get trapped, and they are heat proof up to around 400*F.
The worst things I have found for the longevity of kitchen utensils are seams, and hollow handles which trap water, and having non heat proof handles because the end that’s not supposed to touch the pan will at some point touch the pan.
Is there a reason that you’d prefer to not have exposed metal? Unless you have PTFE (Teflon) coated cookware, that’s not an issue. I mean, I’ve got stainless steel pots that have gotten dinged up over the years, but I can buff that out with 400 grit sandpaper, and when I manage to burn something to cast iron and have to scrub it, I can freshen up the surface with any drying oil. And if you do have PTFE coated pots, I’d be more worried about the PTFE than about the utensils. Pots and pans that are PTFE coated are more or less disposable, and I would recommend against them in most cases. PTFE frying pans can be a real risk, because when heated, PTFE can release toxic gasses.
Metal utensils are also not great for enameled cast iron
Don’t care for noticeable scratches in my dishes and cookware, but also have concerns about slowly damaging non-stainless steel over time and putting its material in my food. Currently, the former is the only concern.
Most sets are pretty lackluster, imo. If you’re looking for long lasting gear, I think piecemealing is the better way to go even if it is a little more spendy and tedious.
If you’re trying to avoid scratching your cookware, you’ll probably want to chiose silicone or wood or a mix since they excel at different things. For example, I find it easier using a wooden turner to scrape up fond to make a pan sauce, but I also find silicone easier for more delicate tasks like scrambling or flipping eggs. Food-grade silicone is safe up to like 500F, so you’ll be safe with either.
If you go the wood route, I prefer hardwood like teak over bamboo for longevity. Earlywood makes nice wood products, but there are many other brands that are cheaper and will still last a long time with care. For silicone, OXO and GIR are solid and pretty budget friendly. If you don’t already have a grater in mind, Microplane is god-tier.
I know you’re not particularly interested in stainless steel, but for those who are, Lamson, Wusthof, and Cuisinart will all take abuse and last.
I’m very happy with the orka brand silicone tipped tongs I got back around 2008. I think they may be the same as the ones made by mastrad now, but I can’t be sure without seeing them in person.
The set I have has held up extremely well over the years, and still looks and works like new.
IDK. I’ve never had a kitchen utensil break on me. Not sure it matters what brand you buy. When it comes to kitchen utensils I think the vast majority are buy it for life.
DI ORO Seamless Series 5-Piece… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W6KTF3Z?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
DI ORO Seamless Series 2-Piece… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VZLDDVR?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
These won America’s test kitchena last spatula test… I have them and they are great!
