Anyone that has worked in a commercial kitchen knows that time (and space) is limited. Food prep can be one of the most time-consuming tasks in the kitchen. However, the right tools and tricks can save time and effort when preparing food. We understand how tedious these tasks can feel and that there isn’t enough space for every kind of tool in your kitchen – so we’re giving you our top 5 favorite multi-purpose small wares. These tools will save you time and effort during food prep and bring some more efficiency into your kitchen.
The Most Versatile Food Prep Utensils & Tools You Need for Your Kitchen
If you’re short on space in your kitchen, you need food prep utensils and tools that can serve more than one purpose. Add efficiency and ease to your food preparation by adding the right tools to your lineup. We collected five of our favorite food prep small wares for their versatility.
Portioners are a familiar favorite for many commercial kitchens and cafeterias. They aren’t just for serving food, though!
Uses:
- Divide batters for baking
- Portion control in school cafeterias
- Dish ingredients for recipes
- Scoop ice cream or custard
- Scrape & scoop seeds from melons or pumpkins
- Make even-sized hamburger patties
- Add tuna salad on hoagies or vegetables in salads
These flat pans are a staple in any commercial kitchen. Usually made of aluminum or stainless steel, they are built for durability.
Uses:
- Bake and cooling in the same tray
- Assemble high quantities of foods for service (sandwiches, appetizers, fajitas)
- Decorate or filling baked goods
Commonly used for frosting or piping baked goods, pastry bags are disposable and convenient. These bags aren’t just for desserts!
Uses:
- Stuff ravioli, mushrooms or other appetizers
- Pipe beautiful mashed potatoes
- Fill pastries
- Portion out batters for baking
- Create perfectly round pancakes
Tip: Pastry bags work best with pastry bag tips, also called piping tips! Keep work clean and create less mess.
These versatile tools are useful for more than just cutting up tomatoes! Adopt a vegetable chopper and watch your food prep time drop significantly. Different blade cartridges add even more flexibility to this tool so you can prep hard and soft products within the same unit.
Uses:
- Chop vegetables for cooking, salsa, and more
- Cut potatoes or onions for frying
- Dice fruit for salads, sides, or baking
- Slice garnishes, like oranges and limes, for your bar
Also known as FIFO Squeeze Bottles, these containers are ideal for dispensing a controlled amount of ingredients.
Uses:
- Dispense sauces or ingredients when cooking
- Control portions of batter (pancakes, muffins, cupcakes)
- Store pre-mixed cocktails, like Bloody Marys or margaritas, behind your bar
- Create professional garnishes on plates
- Store sugar or salt for easy dispensing
- Store and dispense cooking oils for no-spill solutions
- Use for syrup or at a coffee bar for non-dairy creamers
Tip: Check out classic squeeze bottles for similar uses!
Bonus Hacks from our Pros:
- Garbage Bowl: Keep a bowl at food prep stations to put food scraps in. This technique will help prevent trips to the garbage and save time!
- Dough Scraper: A dough scraper is perfect to gather and move chopped ingredients across a station. A scraper can also help to take ingredients from a cutting board into a mixer or cooking pot.
- Sharp Knives: Knives in your food prep areas need to be very sharp. Having sharp knives will help prevent injuries and ingredient waste and will also save time when chopping!
