Diamonds are a girl’s best friend- at least Marilyn Monroe says. More than diamonds though, every mom deems it highly important to have a kitchen with all the essential tools needed to whip up a stellar meal for her loved ones. To make the job easier, here’s a brief rundown of those nifty gadgets which every working kitchen should have:

Ladle. Look for one which has a large “bowl” to make it easy when serving soups. A bent handle at the top allows you to hook the ladle on one side of the pot without any danger of it falling in.

Slotted spoon. Pick a sturdy spoon with a stainless steel handle that won’t get too hot.

Sieve. This will be your indispensable baking tool, as you will need to do a lot of flour sifting. You can get quality sieves at affordablesieves.com.

Measuring cups. You’ll need measuring cups for both dry and wet ingredients. 1-cup and 4-cup measuring tools will come in handy for your dry ingredients.

Chef’s knife. Choose an 8- to 9-inch blade with a thick bolster. This is the metal that goes from the handle to the edge of the blade and acts as a finger guard while you’re chopping. Be sure that the knife feels comfortable in your hand.

Have these tools handy, and you’ll be well on your way to cooking your way to your man’s heart.