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Best Kitchen Tools

post #1 of 12
7/3/12 at 9:25pm
Thread Starter 

I am wondering which kitchen tools and/or gadgets people find helpful or are best suited for certain jobs. I know an ice cream scoop is the best at dishing ice cream but i want to know about the odd stuff too. I'll start...

 

I use a microplane for everything from zesting citrus to frozen cheese (to make 'snow') to garlic and shallots in my sauces so they're smooth.

 

I also can't live without my 4" offset spatula. It does wonders with spreading butters but i really like plating with it too.

 

Lastly i like to use a cake tester to quickly temp meats if they're too small or too large to use touch.

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post #2 of 12
7/3/12 at 9:29pm
Thread Starter 

And may i mention, the reason i posted this here and not in another section is because i want to hear about the gadgets and tips other cooks use in a professional kitchen.

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post #3 of 12
7/5/12 at 8:57am

Thermometer, fish spatula, spoons, Sharpie.

 

four things I can't live without.

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post #4 of 12
7/6/12 at 10:58am

Bucket of steam, bacon stretcher and Chicken de-boning press.

Taste: The sensation derived from food, as interpreted thru the tongue to brain sensory system.
Flavor: The overall impression combining taste, odor, mouthfeel and trigeminal perception.
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post #5 of 12
7/6/12 at 4:56pm
Haha bacon stretcher we ask the new guys in my kitchen to grab us one of those
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post #6 of 12
7/6/12 at 5:59pm

You have to be specific......You need them to find the Left Handed bacon stretcher.....Ever send someone to the hardware store for a can of elbow grease?....It's used to lube up the gas valves on the stove. Make sure they ask someone for help if they cant find any.

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post #7 of 12
7/7/12 at 8:00am

Souffle pump....

 

No seriously, a lot of the gadgets I make myself.  Like my ganche cutter, basically a length of threaded rod with 4" s/s pizza wheels spaced along its length and handles at either end.  This allows me to cut my ganache centers.caramels and couverture squares very evenly and without much fuss.

 

Or my 1/2 sheet pan stand.  I use a bit of 1/2 sheet pans and everyone would shove them in the tray trolley, where they would be hidden at the back, and then you want to shove in a full length sheet pan, and you can't because there's a half pan at the back.

Got so P.O.'d that I took a crappy old tray trolley, cut it up, cut the slides in half, and screwed them to a wood frame.  Now it's "Customized" for only 1/2 sheet pans, and anyone who puts a  half sheet pan in the trolleys gets holy (deleted) from me. 

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post #8 of 12
7/8/12 at 7:31am

We sent noobs on wild goose chases for buckets of steam, to stores, other restaurants in the corners of the freezers.  It was soooo much fun.  Those were the good old days when you could get away with minor hazing and having fun with new guys/girls. Now they are sensitive and their feelings get hurt so you have to be careful with what you ask and do.

Taste: The sensation derived from food, as interpreted thru the tongue to brain sensory system.
Flavor: The overall impression combining taste, odor, mouthfeel and trigeminal perception.
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post #9 of 12
7/8/12 at 9:14am

And we had the new apprentice tie individual cooked spaghetti to gether with a double-knot because the were too short and the the were to be hung up un a twine on the walk-in in rows of 100  to be easy counted before service

Every smoker quits smoking sooner or later!

Only the smart ones are doing it while they are still alive.

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post #10 of 12
7/11/12 at 7:11am

Electric oyster shucker is essential.

 

Other than that, good French and paring knives. Tongs and a peeler that actually works. Zyliss makes a great one that is angled for your hand perfectly.

 

Ken Harper (link deleted)

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post #11 of 12
7/12/12 at 11:12pm

1 Service

 

-Fish Spatula

-Tongs

-Kunz Spoon

-180mm Petty

-2 Side Towels

 

Thats All

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post #12 of 12
7/18/12 at 9:38am

One of my favourite tricks is to use a small offset spatula for dicing/lifting avocado while still in the peel. It can be done quickly and accurately in the palm of the hand without and risk of cuts.

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