Stirring and Mixing Tools
Cooks use special tools to stir and mix! Let us meet them:
Wooden spoon: A big spoon made of wood. It is the kitchen workhorse! Wooden spoons are used for stirring things on the stove because wood does not get hot like metal does. They are also great for mixing thick batters.
Whisk: A whisk has a handle and a bunch of thin wire loops at the end. When you spin a whisk in a bowl, the wires beat air into liquids. Whisks are used for mixing eggs, blending pancake batter, and making whipped cream. The air bubbles make food fluffy!
Spatula: A flat, flexible tool used for flipping food (like pancakes and eggs) and scraping every last bit of batter from a bowl. Rubber spatulas are bendy and great for scraping. Metal spatulas are stiff and great for flipping.
Tongs: Like giant chopsticks with a spring! You squeeze the handle and the ends pinch together to grab food. Tongs are used for picking up meat, tossing salad, and serving pasta. They keep your hands away from hot food.
These are all tools that grown-ups use near the stove. You can practice using whisks and spatulas for cold foods — like whisking eggs in a bowl or scraping batter!