Everyone who cooks has an arsenal of favourite kitchen tools.
These are among my most indispensable ones.
This is one of the most used tools in my kitchen.
It's a form of whisk of which I have several in different sizes.
I use them for :
- beating an egg or two,
- stirring gravy and sauces.
(It whips lumps smooth and keeps
sauces from sticking to the bottom of the pot)
- frothing an egg white
- stirring mayonnaise and sour cream into dips and dressings
making them lump free.
Here are 2 similar tools with different uses.
The one in the back is a pastry blender
the one in front is a potato masher
They are sturdy, with tines that don't bend and handles that are easy to grip.
Two more tools I use a lot.
The one above is a bench scraper. It has many uses:
-to scrape up the bits of pastry, or bun dough or glued on food bits that dry on the counter.
-to scoop up chopped vegetables or nuts
-to slice squares and cakes (it does a lovely job of this)
to lift and serve a slice of chilled dessert
The tool at the bottom is a microplane or zester
Again, I have several.
- this one which finely grates lemon zest or parmesan cheese
- one that has a coarser cut for chocolate and hard cheeses
- and one that cuts longer ribbons
I could not work in a kitchen without several of these close by.
They are spatulas.
I love these silicone ones, because they can be safely used in cooking and don't stain.
I must have 8 or 9, in different widths and sizes.
They are in constant use:
- scraping every last yummy bit of goodness out of a bowl or bottle,
- stirring a sauce as it cooks
- turning potatoes and onions as they sizzle in a pan
- scraping the edges of the bowl as I mix up batters and doughs.
- folding whipped cream or beaten egg whites into cake batter and desserts
This last tool I'll feature today is a form of mandoline or slicer.
This one slices only one thickness but makes perfect, very thin slices.
I use it for slicing cabbage, onions and potatoes.
It would be great for thinly sliced apples or pears, carrots or cucumbers.
It has a plastic guard with points that hold the vegetable
so that you don't end up adding a sliced finger tip to the mix.
These are just a few of the kitchen tools I use almost every day.
What are the things you can't cook without?