Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets: The Tools Worth Drawer Space
This is our largest department — over ten thousand tools — which is exactly why it needs a filter. The difference between a kitchen that works and a drawer that jams is not how many tools you own but which twelve live within arm's reach of the stove. Here is how we would spend the first hundred dollars, and what to know before spending more.
The dozen that do the work
A chef's knife and a paring knife cover almost all cutting; a serrated bread knife is the third and last knife most kitchens need. Two cutting boards — one dedicated to raw meat. Then the hand tools: tongs, a fish turner or flexible spatula, a silicone scraper spatula, a whisk, a ladle, a box grater, a peeler, and a rasp zester. That list runs a hundred dollars if you choose well, and every item in it gets used weekly. The test for anything beyond it: will this tool be used more than once a month? A garlic press passes in some houses; an avocado slicer almost never does.
Knife care matters more than knife price. A $50 knife honed weekly outcuts a $200 knife that never sees a sharpener. A honing rod maintains the edge; an actual sharpener (or a professional service once a year) restores it. Store knives on a magnetic strip or in-drawer guard — loose in a drawer is how edges die and fingers get cut.
Cutting boards: the quiet upgrade
Wood and bamboo are kind to knife edges and self-healing; plastic is dishwasher-safe and right for raw meat; and composite boards split the difference. Whatever the material, size is the real upgrade — a board smaller than 30x45 cm forces cramped, unsafe cutting. Boards with juice grooves earn their place at holiday dinners, and board mats solve the small-kitchen storage problem.
What we stock
Our range covers 10,905 products in this department, with most items priced between $44 and $142 CAD. Brands our customers reach for most: OXO (189 products), HOSHANHO (71 products), Spring Chef (67 products), U-Taste (60 products), Zulay Kitchen (60 products).
A few examples from live stock: Fullstar The Original Pro Chopper – 4-in-1 Vegetable Chopper, Spiraliz; Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety LidLifter Can Opener with Ring-Pull – Red; AnySharp GLOBAL Hands Free Knife Sharpener – PowerGrip Suction, 20° Pr.
Frequently asked questions
What knives does a home kitchen actually need?
Three: a chef's knife for most work, a paring knife for small tasks, and a serrated knife for bread and tomatoes. Block sets add pieces, not capability.
Wood or plastic cutting board?
Both — wood or bamboo for produce and cooked food, a dishwasher-safe plastic board reserved for raw meat and poultry.
Are your tools dishwasher-safe?
Many are, and each product page says so. Wooden tools and knives last far longer hand-washed.
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