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Knife kit

post #1 of 16
6/13/07 at 4:59pm
Thread Starter 
Im in culinary school right now but in August I have and externship at a resort. In school we carry all kinds stuff from spoons and rubber spatulas to zesters and things like that along with out knives. What im wondering when your working in most commercial kitchens what do u need to carry? Just knives? Which knives are a must? and do u carry anything else. The kitchen i worked in before i came to school had everything and was a small establishment. I know i will carry knives but im wondering what else im going to have to cary?
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post #2 of 16
6/13/07 at 6:13pm
As far as cooking utensils (Aside from pots and pans and the like) the only thing my kitchen has is metal spoons. Everything else I must bring.
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post #3 of 16
6/13/07 at 8:53pm
It varies greatly on the place. Chad mentioned that he has to bring everything except for pots and pans.

My place of employment provides everything. Knives, cutting boards, spatulas, etc. I brought my knife kit on the first day and everybody gave me weird looks.
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post #4 of 16
6/13/07 at 9:05pm
Just bring your whole kit. Every kitchen is different, and for starting out, I think it's better to have too much than too little.

Once you get a feel for the place, you'll have a better idea of what you can leave in your room.

My own experiences have ranged from bringing only chef's knife, paring knife and offset spatula, to needing to add more tools to my bag because I was tired of hunting after That One Item at work.

At my current kitchen, I bring and use the following on a regular basis:

chef's knife
paring knife
boning knife
serrated knife
ceramic mandoline
peeler
microplane
lighter
mini offset spatula
pen, sharpie, notebook
digital clock with three timers available

I also bring these every day, seldom used, but when I have needed them, I -really- appreciated having them on hand:

instant read thermometer
wine key
mini keychain flashlight hooked to my swiss army knife (and actually, the knife itself has also come in handy many times. Hello deliveries!)

Pat
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post #5 of 16
6/13/07 at 11:10pm
Sleepy Dragon has got good list. I always keep extra pens, sharpies, lighters, and an extra wine key(**** waiters) in my locker just for emergancies.

Once you find a brand of peeler you like, buy some extras, because the prep cook is always going to need to borrow one.

If your place does a carving station at all you should invest in a slicer (I like the ones with round tipped and a scalloped edge), carving fork, and a sturdy pair of tongs if the ones in the kitchen suck.

I got a lot of use out of masking tape. Good for notes and reminders.

Also I keep an Accusharp knife sharpener in my kit. It's much faster and convenient then a stone, but you'll still get a better edge on a stone if you know what you're doing.
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post #6 of 16
6/14/07 at 4:38pm
Coming into a new job first and foremost you want to bring a pen and a notebook and when someone of importance tells you what to do WRITE IT DOWN. As for what I bring with me, I bring a 10 inch Sabatier knife, a boning knife, a Small bird beak garnish knife, a steel, a pen, a sharpie, a notebook, and a Microplane zester. This is all you need unless you are a baker, or a butcher. In a good kitchen everything else should be provided that you need to do your job.

They might have have the zester already but you want your own because everyone uses the house mircroplane so much that it gets dull.
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post #7 of 16
6/14/07 at 5:01pm
Bandaids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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post #8 of 16
6/14/07 at 11:06pm
That is for real, our first-aid kit has been missing bandaids ever since I started working (2 yrs).
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post #9 of 16
6/16/07 at 9:20am
When I go to work, my employer supplies basic tools, if there is anything else I want, it is up too me.


As for the contents of my kit:
2x 10" Chefs knife (One is engraved with meats only, for HACCP purposes)
1x 8" Bread Knife
1x 8" Fillet Knife
1x 6.5" Santoku
1x 6" Cleaver
5x 4" Pairing knife (Each marked for different foods. Meat x2, Veg and Fruit x2, and One spare, for HACCP)
1x Bird beak
Steel and Stone
Note pad and pencils
5x Thermometers (color coded red, blue, green, yellow, and white for HACCP)
1x Candy thermometer
3x Mircofiber cloths
1x Safety Glasses
1x First Aid kit
2x Sharpies
Roll of masking tape
2x Pastry Bag and tips
1x Cake Spatula
Measuring cups
1x Female and Male Spoon
3x Rubber Spatula
1x Ceramic Peeler
1x Zester
1x Mandolin

Sadly, I usually use all my tools on a shift. Where I work is a restaurant/ catering, so one moment I'll be on line, the next hacking out masses of meals according to HACCP.
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post #10 of 16
6/17/07 at 1:28am
female and male spoon?
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post #11 of 16
6/17/07 at 3:29am
Female spoon = slotted spoon probably.
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post #12 of 16
6/17/07 at 6:46pm
Adamm; I would'nt carry more that your chefs knife,serrated knife,boning knife, a paring knife,a steel,instant thermoter, zester,your note pad,charpie, and a pen (and do as suggested,write things down). I'm suggesting carying light because You will get a overall picture of the place and whats expected of you on the first day then you can decide what you need. If you are going to be a floater get a tool chest with lock. I had to have most of the things suggested by others on this thread plus whips,pastry bags,tips,candy thermometer,by the way try a good grips peeler, just lots of stuff that I got to do the areas I was assigned. Just listen for awhile keep your oppinions to your self. They know what they want and have been doing it for a long time. It's good to be social with your fellow workers but establish right off that you don't lend out your equiptment,no is a answer. These are your tools. I have a 10 inch Woustoff Trindent with a 1/8 in. piece of tip missing to give you a example. This was done by my chef punching a hole in a can...I wish you good cookin...and a good career...cookie
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post #13 of 16
6/17/07 at 6:57pm
ok, and a male spoon?
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post #14 of 16
6/18/07 at 4:34am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the advice, i cant wait to get started.
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post #15 of 16
6/24/07 at 10:55am
The kitchen I work in we have a various types of spoons.
Female Spoon- Spoon with holes, basic, metal
Slotted Spoon- Spoon with slots cut into the spoon, metal
Male Spoon- Spoon with no holes or slots, used in baking only, wood
Red Spoons- Male spoons classified exclusively for meats for HACCP wood or metal
Spoon Sieve- Spoon with many small holes, rounder than the female spoon, metal, much like a spider, but less fine.
Dumpling Spoon- Spoon for fishing dumplings from oil, metal
Solid spoon- Male spoons made of metal, for use in anything
Serving Spoon- Metal spoons polished for customer serving (F.O.H Buffet)
Hotel/Banquet Spoon- Plastic serving spoons for Serving
Tasting Spoon- Small spoons for tasting, usually old teaspoons that are not polished enough for customers.

My chef is an older graduate of George Brown, back when Female and Male spoons were common. Now its usually replaced with slotted spoon, however, we already have a slotted spoon on line, so we needed to find another name for it. Female spoon it became.
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post #16 of 16
6/25/07 at 8:27pm
Don't forget everything cooks always seem to need to borrow from pastry like piping tips, measuring spoons and ring cutters etc.. You cooks drive me crazy!!
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