I Scooped, Flipped, and Spooned To Find The Best Kitchen Utensil Sets

Yes, it’s true: Serious Eats has previously said that kitchen utensil sets aren’t a great purchase. It’s fairly common for manufacturers to bundle a bunch of pieces with varying levels of utility and charge you more for the sake of convenience. “Ah,” you say, but a kitchen utensil set saves you hours of shopping with the click of one Add to Cart button. But the tradeoff is often a drawer full of tools you don’t need, made from materials you don’t love, and missing the one item you need right now.

Still, a utensil set can be the right choice if it’s curated correctly. That means that it should have the right assortment of tools for lots of cooking tasks, while offering comfort and durability. With that in mind, I tested eight popular utensil sets and found a rare few that deliver on all counts.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Kitchen Utensil Set

Get It Right 10 Piece Silicone Utensil Set

$91

$73 at Amazon View on Target View on Walmart

Made with heat-resistant, dishwasher-safe, non-toxic silicone, the kitchen utensils in this set are durable, comfortable to use, and effective. It had all the tools I needed and nothing extra.

The Best Budget Kitchen Utensil Set

Berglander Stainless Steel Cooking Utensils Set

$38

$24 at Amazon

This 13-piece utensil set offers great durability coupled with great value. Its sturdy, lightweight tools are made from stainless steel and silicone, and feel far pricier than they are. It’s an affordable upgrade.

The Best Minimalist Kitchen Utensil Set

Made In 5 Piece Kitchen Utensil Set

$99 at Amazon $99 at Made In Cookware

If you just need a few solid tools, the Made In utensil set delivers exactly that with no filler or fluff. Each piece was sturdy, easy to grip, and versatile enough to handle the bulk of everyday tasks.

The Best Wooden Kitchen Utensil Set

Williams Sonoma FSC Walnut Essentials Utensils, Set of 5

View on Williams Sonoma

This streamlined, gorgeous set is made from oiled walnut wood and is safe to use with delicate cookware that would get scratched by metal. The smooth, comfortable handles were enjoyable to use and made every recipe feel a little more luxurious.

The Tests

• Oatmeal Test: Stirring oatmeal is a great way to see how comfortable, grippy, and effective a spoon is at moving food around and scraping the corners of a saucepan. This test showed how each set’s spoon handled one of the most common cooking tasks.
• Smoothie Test: Next, I used a spatula to maneuver into the tight corners of a blender to help transfer every drop to a cup. If the set didn’t have a spatula, I used a spoon.
• Pancake Test: Making pancakes allowed me to evaluate how the included ladle (or spoon, if the set had no ladle) could scoop and pour, and how a turner slid under to flip delicate foods without mangling them.
• Real-World Use: After completing these three tests, I brought the winners into my own kitchen for a few days to see how useful the sets were in everyday use.

What We Learned

The Right Tools Made All the Difference

Some kitchen tasks are just plain miserable without the right tool. You can stir soup with a fork, flip pancakes with a butter knife, or pour batter from a measuring cup, but do you really want to? The tests proved that certain utensils are surprisingly irreplaceable. A good ladle, for example, makes transferring soup or batter easier and creates less mess. While I was able to make do by using a spoon to transfer pancake batter to the pan, I can’t imagine the amount of scoops it would take me to do the same with a pot of soup. The right tool doesn’t just make the job easier, it makes the whole experience of cooking less frustrating, more efficient, and a lot more enjoyable. 

Case in point: the smoothie test. I used to work for a chef who referred to the silicone spatula as a “million-dollar tool.” Why? Because if you use one, you’ll save a million dollars in wasted food left on bowls, in storage containers, and coating equipment. The only way I could effectively remove leftover smoothie from the inside of my blender was with a silicone or rubber spatula. Trying to use the wooden “scraper” from the Caraway set or the metal spoon from the All-Clad set was a frustrating experience that I don’t wish to repeat. Bottom line, if you choose a set without a key tool, you’ll find yourself buying to supplement later anyway. 

Utensils Went Hand-in-Hand With Cookware Type

Even the best utensils could cause trouble if they were incompatible with the pots and pans I was testing. When I used stainless steel turners or whisks on a nonstick pan, I got scratches instantly. Sets that included silicone or wood pieces were far better suited for those surfaces and kept them looking new. On the flip side, when I cooked in stainless steel or cast iron pans, metal utensils felt more precise and durable. Matching the tool to the pan noticeably improved the cooking experience in testing and everyday cooking.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Kitchen Utensil Set

A great utensil should only contain gear that will see constant use. The core items you need in your kitchen are a solid spoon, a turner, a rubber or silicone spatula, a ladle, and tongs. Beyond that, a whisk, a peeler, a spider strainer, a slotted spoon, a rasp-style grater, and tweezers are all useful for a variety of recipes and techniques. Thirteen pieces felt like plenty, and anything more was just clutter.

The items in the set should be made with durable stainless steel and rubber or silicone where necessary, like the head of the spatula. Ditch single-purpose items, like a pizza cutter, and skip sets that include duplicate items in various shapes unless you can imagine using them all. If you’re low on drawer space, an included crock or caddy is a welcome bonus.

Our Favorite Utensil Sets

The Best Kitchen Utensil Set

Get It Right 10 Piece Silicone Utensil Set

$91

$73 at Amazon View on Target View on Walmart

What we liked: This set stood out from the start, and not just for its good looks. Each piece is made from heat-resistant silicone (safe up to 425°F) and features unibody construction, with no seams or crevices to trap food. That design makes each piece incredibly easy to clean, and they’re fully dishwasher-safe. The set I tested was a deep navy blue, but there are seven other color options to suit any style you have. The set includes three spatulas, each in a different size, so you always have the right tool for the job. During testing, this was the only set that was able to aptly complete each test, including scraping the blender, pouring perfectly round pancakes, and delicately stirring a small batch of oatmeal. 

What we didn’t like: There’s no caddy or holder, so you’ll have to dedicate some drawer space or buy a countertop crock to keep things organized.

Key Specs

• Material: Silicone
• Number of pieces: 10
• Price per piece: $9.10
• What’s included: 3 spatulas, a flipper/turner, 2 spoons, a ladle, a whisk, a peeler, and a spoonula
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe

The Best Value Kitchen Utensil Set

Berglander Stainless Steel Cooking Utensils Set

$38

$24 at Amazon

What we liked: The five-inch diameter crock holds an impressive range of tools without taking up too much counter space. Each utensil in the set is made from stainless steel that felt solid and durable, with enough weight to inspire confidence but not so much that they were tiring to use. I especially appreciated the pieces with silicone components, like the spatula and basting brush, which added a level of versatility most other sets didn’t offer. This combination meant I had safe options for nonstick cookware as well as sturdier all-metal pieces for heavy-duty jobs. Overall, this set delivered a well-rounded mix of everyday essentials and specialty tools at a budget-friendly price.

What we didn’t like: The shape of the handles doesn’t offer much ergonomically, and some pieces have sharp edges.

Key Specs

• Material: Stainless steel and silicone
• Number of pieces: 10
• Price per piece: $1.85
• What’s included: Ladle, skimmer, slotted turner, pasta server, cooking spoon, potato masher, whisk, slotted spoon, tongs, flat turner, flexible spatula, basting brush, holder
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe

The Best Minimalist Kitchen Utensil Set

Made In 5 Piece Kitchen Utensil Set

$99 at Amazon $99 at Made In Cookware

What we liked: Every tool in this basic set was carefully chosen by a company that aligns itself with pro chefs around the world. The fish turner is thin, flexible, and lightweight, yet strong enough to lift beefy burgers. The ladle has a long handle with a plastic, rounded panel flush-riveted to it, which allows for better gripping. The spoonula is a surprisingly versatile hybrid that could maneuver in and out of tight spaces without dirtying my hand. The stainless steel parts of each tool added strength and durability, while the silicone and plastic pieces protected delicate cookware (and my hand). This is the kind of set you could take with you to a rental house for your weekend away instead of braving the dubious kitchen outfitting. Add a Kunz or wooden spoon to this set, and you can cook pretty much anything.

What we didn’t like: There’s no spoon, slotted or otherwise, for basic stirring, so you’ll be making risotto with a rubber spatula if you only have this set in your kitchen. This one also doesn’t come with a storage option.

Key Specs

• Material: Stainless steel and silicone
• Number of pieces: 5
• Price per piece: $19.80
• What’s included: Ladle, tongs, whisk, spoonula, fish turner
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe

The Best Wooden Kitchen Utensil Set

Williams Sonoma FSC Walnut Essentials Utensils, Set of 5

View on Williams Sonoma

What we liked: The deep color of the walnut construction is undeniably beautiful. The oiled wood felt warm and comfortable in my hand, and each tool is aptly shaped for its specific task. The ladle bowl is deep, the edge of the flipper is fine, and the scalloped rim of the tongs is grippy. Each is pretty enough to double as serveware and elevated the look of my countertop when it wasn’t in use. If you prefer a different look, this set is also available in olivewood.

What we didn’t like: Because these are solid wood, they require hand-washing and regular oiling to preserve the finish. The ladle has a small separate between the head and handle, which is a spot that gunk can stick. This set is also much more expensive than most other sets.

Key Specs

• Material: Walnut
• Number of pieces: 5
• Price per piece: $40
• What’s included: Ladle, turner, spoon, slotted spoon, tongs
• Care instructions: Hand-wash and oil regularly

The Competition

• Caraway Wooden Kitchen Utensil Set: Aesthetically, this set rocks. The wood is pre-finished in a waxy texture so it doesn’t need as much oiling or care. The array of items in the set, however, isn’t ideal. The pasta server (which the brand refers to as simply “server”) is redundant with the spoon and tongs. The scraper was woefully ineffective at its job and did not accomplish anything in my testing that merits its spot. Also, the pin in the hinge of the wood tongs fell out before I even took it out of the box. 
• OXO 15-Piece Steel Utensil Set: This expanded set comes with a lot of dead weight. Four different spatulas felt like overkill, especially when there was no ladle included. That being said, the pieces themselves are made well and will hold up to a lot of regular use. 
• All-Clad Stainless Steel Kitchen Tool Set: It has a high price tag for only offering five pieces, and those five pieces do not even begin to cover most daily cooking tasks. The ladle is undersized and the fork feels more suited for serving than cooking. If I were dead-set on something from All-Clad, I’d go with this other set, which swaps in a handy turner spatula and a larger ladle.
• Le Creuset Silicone Craft Series Utensil Set: There really isn’t enough variety in this set to cover your bases, though it could be a good starting point for adding on. The crock is made from durable Le Creuset stoneware and comes in a variety of colors.

FAQs

What are the most useful cooking utensils?

This answer is going to vary a lot from person to person. The most useful cooking utensils are the ones you reach for daily, or at least weekly. At minimum, a solid wooden spoon, a heatproof silicone spatula, a reliable pair of locking tongs, a ladle, and a flat-edged turner or flipper should be sufficient. 

What are the best non-toxic cooking utensils?

“Non-toxic” can mean different things to different people, and it’s worth saying that it’s not legal in the United States to sell a product for food preparation that is known to be made with a toxic substance. Many people like to avoid plastics, BPA, or PFAS in their cookware and look for options made with wood, stainless steel, or food-grade silicone.

Why We’re the Experts

• Taylor Murray has worked in food and food media since 2018, at publications such as Good Housekeeping, Food52, and Food Network. Before that, she worked in some of the country’s top restaurants, including Eleven Madison Park and Frasca Food and Wine. She’s been testing products for Serious Eats since 2021 (check out her reviews of knife sets and braisers).
• For this review, she tested eight sets of kitchen utensils by using them to flip pancakes, pour batter, stir oatmeal, and empty a blender. She used the winners in her home kitchen for several days to see how useful they were in real-world applications.