10 African Cooking Utensils for a Typical African Kitchen
If you are familiar with African history, you might probably know of some cooking utensils unique to Africa. Good examples include ceramic cooking pots and carved mortar and pestle.
Though many western kitchen tools are rapidly taking over those used in Africa, lots of traditional cooking utensils are still the favorite of many Africans. Besides, several items used in making modern kitchenware are sourced from the natural materials found in Africa.
Whether you need some African cookware ideas or looking for some typical African-themed utensils on the market, we have written this article to point you to some of the essential African cooking utensils. Check them out:
1. Wooden Serving Tray
HOME IT bamboo tray is perfect for serving snacks and full meals. Made from eco-friendly and heat-resistant material, this wooden tray is safe for your household and comfortable for transporting foods and drinks.
The bamboo material also makes for a nice decorative accent piece for an African dining or coffee table. It measures approximately 17 inches long, 10 inches wide, and 2 inches high. The bamboo tray is spacious enough to handle a full meal serving. Its raised edges also prevent food items from falling over while the wide handles make for easy grip.
For a lightweight and elegant tray made from material found in Africa, the HOME IT bamboo tray would be a perfect addition to your kitchen.
2. Mortar and Pestle
This Mortar and Pestle are perfect for making DIY sauces—reduces herbs and spices into a fine paste or powder. They are carved from one of the iconic trees in Africa—acacia wood. You can trust the African art—this cookware is aesthetically pleasing. Also has contrasting patterns, making it an ideal African traditional kitchen tool.
This traditional mortar and pestle measures 3.25 x 6 inches, which makes handling easy. The multi-use design also lets the mortar and pestle double as a condiment cup or spice storage.
To clean them, you can simply use warm, soapy water, then rinse with clean water afterwards. If you’re looking at grinding your ingredients and sauces the African way, you sure need these two.
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3. Knives
Another tool found in every African kitchen is a knife. This Fibrox Carving Knife would be an excellent choice for both home cooks and professional chefs.
The cutlery is 7.9 inches long and features an extra-wide stainless steel blade. The non-slip grip is made from thermoplastic Elastomer, which makes it comfortable in the handle.
This particular set of knives are designed from a razor-sharp and laser-tested blade. The knife can easily chop onions, cut tomatoes, and handle even more complicated kitchen tasks.
The cutlery is dishwater safe and can also be hand-washed. Whether for small or big cutting tasks, the Fibrox Carving Knife will meet the everyday cooking demands.
4. Cast Iron Cooking Pot
For everyday home meals, this cast iron pot is enough to handle your baking, roasting, and frying needs. It is made from cast iron and produces enough heat for cooking delicious foods. The heat retention also helps keep your meals warm for a long time.
The pot comes pre-seasoned and would get better with use. With iron pots being common to African kitchens, the cookware can be used to simmer, braise, roast, bake, and fry delicious meals.
5. Ceramic Spice Jars
Won’t you like a container that helps you store your portion ingredients such as spices, herbs, and other similar items? These 4 storage jars could be the right tool for you.
The jar features a cork-lined stopper lid that ensures your potion ingredients do not spill. Each jar features a symbol of the four houses of Hogwarts. This makes it appealing to fans of the harry potter series, wizards, and muggles alike.
The ceramic jar also makes for a wonderful addition to any African homes. As you probably know, pottery making is a very old practice in Africa. Whether you’re a Harry Potter enthusiast or looking for a container for storing your ingredients, this jar would be useful.
6. Bamboo Spoons: Cooking and Serving Utensils Set
This set of cooking and serving tools are perfect for both home cooks and professional chefs. The package includes 2 mixing spoons and 3 spatulas for flipping eggs, serving foods, and frying pancakes. They measure approximately 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. And all tools in the set are long enough to handle your stirring and serving needs.
Each cooking ware features a hole that makes for easy handling while the grip is comfortable in the hands. These spoons are made from material native to Africa—bamboo. The material is gentle on your cooking pot and would make for a great addition to any African kitchen.
You can use them as multipurpose cooking and serving ware, or as a housewarming gift for a friend. Overall, they are excellent additions to your kitchen as an African.
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7. Bamboo Kitchen Drawer Organizer
This bamboo drawer organizer lets you easily store utensils, flatware, and other kitchen gadgets. The organizer fits neatly into any standard drawers with dimensions above 17 inches, 2.38 inches deep, and 13.5 inches wide.
The utensil organizer can house small items such as cutlery and can be expanded to store even large items. Made from water-resistant bamboo material, the drawer organizer is a classic addition to any African kitchen.
If you are looking for an adjustable kitchen drawer organizer, this bamboo drawer organizer ensures you have your essential kitchen utensils on hand.
8. Wooden Turner Set
This set of beech-wood spoons are gentle on your pots and pans, making them ideal for turning, lifting, and serving foods.
The big spoon measures 12 inches long; the medium-sized spoon is 11 inches; while the small spoon is 8 inches long. Also, the large handles feel good in the hands.
While the set comes with a natural oil finish coat, you can also add a slight amount of coconut oil or olive oil. This set of modern cookware still reflects the craft of using wood materials to carve kitchenware in Africa.
For a set of useful wooden turners, this durable beech turner will be useful for turning and serving foods.
9. Mud Pie Caddy Kitchen Utensil
If you are tired of fumbling through your utensil drawer, this caddy will help you easily store and organize your cooking wares. With a diameter of 7 inches by 5 inches, this utensil crock is lightweight and wide enough to house your spoons, spatula and other cooking items.
The cute caddy is designed from gold plated metal. Also, the stencil is more prominent. For African kitchens, this crock can beautifully seat on the countertop.
Whether you’re looking for a housewarming gift for a friend or simply need a beautiful utensil holder for cooking utensils, this is perfect for a typical African home.
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10. Nonstick Ceramic Copper Cookware Set
This non-stick ceramic copper cooking material is another must-have cookware set in a traditional African kitchen. The package comes in 10 pieces of pans and 4 cooking utensils. With large, medium-sized, and small pans, this cookware set is a great choice for your everyday cooking needs.
Designed from aluminum material, it delivers maximum heat disbursement at reduced heat settings. The cooking ware is dishwasher safe and can be hand-washed, using a sponge and warm water.
For cooking utensils that can handle kitchen tasks or perfect housewarming gifts, this non-stick ceramic cookware set would be useful.
Wrap Up
How traditional African and advanced kitchenware are made is different. Though there’s been a new approach to old crafts, modern designs, however, still retain most material used in making traditional kitchen implements.
If you are looking for some kitchen tools inspired by old crafts, the above African cooking utensils can help spice up your kitchen.