9 Tools Every Guy Needs in Their Kitchen

The ability to do more with less is something all guys appreciate. The hero of the 1980’s TV show MacGyver was the king of solving complex problems with ordinary objects: Making a bomb out of a fire extinguisher and pantyhose, fashioning a hot-air balloon from a parachute, super-glue and a refrigerator, the list goes on. But there was one place his skills never applied: The kitchen.

This is because you don’t need to be a “MacGyver” to make delicious dishes. An omelette, for instance, requires a mixing bowl, a frying pan, and a fork.

As Chef Ned Bell points out, all the recipes he’s posted on Don’t Change Much require basic kitchen tools that are easy to find at any big-box store.

Here are Ned Bell’s nine go-to utensil essentials:

1. Spatula

For flipping just about anything in your frying pan — pancakes, eggs, fish fillets, etc. — and transferring the culinary creations to your plate.

2. Tongs

Sometimes you need to grip instead of flip. Metal tongs help you handle steaming corn on the cob, hot potatoes, and much more.

3. Wooden spoon

It mixes! It stirs! It measures! It lifts sauce to your lips for a sampler! Don’t cook without one…

4. Sharp serrated knife

There are many different types of kitchen knives, but a sharp serrated blade does it all: Chops veggies, slices bread, carves poultry, and more.

5. Peeler

Take the skin off those potatoes and carrots more safely and quickly than with an ordinary knife.

6. Chopping board

Spare your countertops with some plastic or wooden protection.

7. Can-opener

Not every guy can open a tin can by squeezing it like Popeye. Squeeze lightly, turn the key, and you’re off to the races.

8. Cast Iron Skillet

This is your kitchen’s toughest, most versatile workhorse. You can cook up anything from steak to stir-fries to scrambled eggs! The steady, intense level of heat that this pan can produce means you can sear foods like a pro chef without overcooking the interior.

9. Tea towel or Oven Mitts

Why wait for that casserole dish to cool when you can grab it with a pair of oven mitts? Or, if you’re feeling brave, fold a tea towel a few times and grab at will. Plus, if you happen to spill, the towel comes in handy once again.