One thing that should be in your container of kitchen utensils is a set of tongs. They are extraordinarily handy and can used as an extension of your hands.
Keep them near your stove top and use them for many of your cooking needs: Distribute a sauce on pasta before plating, give vegetables a stir while they're roasting, flip a pork chop under the broiler, hold up a thick steak to brown the sides, toss a salad, grab a hot cookie sheet out of the oven -- the possibilities are endless. They're not perfect for everything, however: If you're cooking something like a thin fish filet, using tongs to turn it could risk tearing the delicate flesh (try a spatula instead).
Oxo's kitchen tongs are some of the best out there (Oxo tongs are available at most major kitchen retailers and range from about $9.99 for the 9" tongs and $13.99 for the 16" model). They lock shut for storage and open wide enough to be useful, but not so wide as to be unmanageable. In addition, they come in several sizes and options (stainless or silicone ends, the latter for use on nonstick surfaces). If you don't have a set yet, get yourself some -- you'll be glad you did.
