6 Things You MUST Have If You’re Cooking With Kids, According To Experts

One of the best ways to raise a foodie is to get them in the kitchen early. Cooking is a prime opportunity for kids to explore flavors and develop a love for all things food. But with hot flames, sharp blades, and lots of room for error, parents may shy away from delegating tasks to their little ones.

We’re here to tell you that you can—and should—let your kids get their hands dirty. In our new book, The How-To Cookbook For Young Foodies, we include all of the essential skills that kids of all ages need to be great cooks for life. The book features 75 techniques to tackle just about every cooking project. And if that wasn’t enough, we also include plenty of fun, kid-friendly recipes for practice.

But before your kids get in the kitchen, you need to make sure you have all of the necessary tools. Stocking up on the essentials is key to cooking successfully—and most importantly—safely. We’re breaking down some of the basics along with the safety tips to keep in mind when you’re cooking with your kids.

Want more recommendations, cooking how-tos, and recipe inspo? Pick up a copy of The How-To Cookbook For Young Foodies now!

The How-To Cookbook for Young Foodies: 75 Skills + Recipes That’ll Make You a Great Cook for Life

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Cut-Resistant Gloves

If you could only add one new tool to your kid’s arsenal, make sure it’s a pair of cut-resistant gloves. It’s important to practice proper knife skills—but having another layer of protection never hurts. The material is specifically designed to shield your hands from cuts or scrapes while still staying light enough to be comfortable. It’s one small purchase that will give you some major peace of mind.

NoCry Kids Cutting Gloves

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Knives

It’s hard to complete any recipe without a knife. You may be tempted to stock up on a set of dull plastic tools for your kids, but we think you shouldn’t shy away from the real thing. In fact, it’s actually better to have multiple types of knives so your kids can slice safely.

For most recipes, your little ones can rely on an arsenal of three specific knives. A small paring knife is perfect for small cuts, like coring fruits and vegetables. A classic chef’s knife is your all-purpose tool that can tackle almost any chopping project. And for crusty bread or delicate tomatoes, you’ll need a serrated knife to get the job done.

Cuisinart Paring Knife

All-Clad 6″ Chef Knife

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Henckels Serrated Knife

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Y-Peeler

Some situations don’t always call for a knife; in many cases, kids can opt for a peeler instead. Peeling the outside of vegetables, shaving chocolate and cheese, or getting super-thin slices are great opportunities for the peeler.

There are several different types of peelers that you can pick, but at Delish, we love a Y-peeler. It’s lightweight, inexpensive, and easy for little hands to hold.

Kuhn Rikon Peeler 3-Pack

Graters

It’s time to think outside the box (grater). You can use a grater to grate cheese, obviously, but it’s also a great tool for shredding vegetables, zesting citrus, and breaking down cold butter for baking. A box grater with four different sides offers several shapes, but we also love having a rasp grater for ultra-fine shavings.

Spring Chef Box Grater

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OXO Good Grips Rasp Grater

Measuring Cups & Spoons

Following a recipe requires some degree of precision—especially with measurements. Every kitchen should have a set of measuring materials so you can tackle any recipe. Measuring spoons and cups are staples for dry ingredients. You’ll need a dedicated liquid measuring cup for the most accurate amounts of liquid ingredients.

Rena Chris Measuring Spoons

Hudson Essentials Stainless Steel Measuring Cups Set

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OXO Good Grips 2-Cup Angled Measuring Cup

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Citrus Juicer

Whether you’re making salad dressing, mixing a pitcher of lemonade, or brightening a batch of guacamole, you’ll need some citrus juice. You can certainly try to squeeze out as much juice with your hands. But a citrus juicer is the best way to maximize the fruit. And a helpful bonus: It’ll separate out the seeds!

Chef’n Citrus Juicer

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Expertise: TikTok Trends, Drinks, Pop Culture

Education: B.A. in Journalism and B.S. in Communications from NYU, Culinary Arts degree from The Institute of Culinary Education

About Me: As an associate editor at Delish, Gabby works on everything from features to recipes to content on our social media channels. Before joining the team, she wrote for StarChefs Rising Stars Magazine, Mashed, and Food52. When she’s not developing cocktail recipes, she’s making cocktail-inspired dishes like Dirty Martini Pasta and Aperol Spritz Trifle. Her features cover online trends like the Millennial Shopping Cart, rank everything from hard seltzers to frozen French fries, and answer some of your most pressing food safety questions. You can also find her posting content on Delish’s TikTok, including her three-part series about cooking like influencer Nara Smith that garnered over 3M combined views.  She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.