Utensils and Cooking Tools Flashcards
Quickly memorize the uses for basic and intermediate kitchen tools, so you can maneuver through the kitchen with confidence at your next dinner party.
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
bain-marie
a water bath; cooking food in a smaller container that is placed in a larger container in which water is boiled, in order to apply heat evenly and gradually
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
banneton
a basket used to give shape to sourdough as it rises before baking
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
basting brush
a brush used to apply glaze, oil, or a meat’s juices to a food before, during, or after cooking
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
basting syringe
a large syringe used to recover juices produced during the cooking of meat and reapply them to the top of the dish to flavor and moisten it
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
bench scraper
a sharp-edged metal or plastic tool used to pick up dough or scrape it off the preparation surface
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
blender
an electric appliance used to cut, purée, or mix ingredients
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
bread knife
a long, serrated knife designed for cutting bread
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
butcher block
a wood block designed for the high-impact blows used in cutting apart meat; can often be resurfaced by sanding down the top layer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
candy thermometer
a thermometer used for judging the different stages of sugar concentration in candymaking; can read higher temperatures (usually up to 200°C) than a meat thermometer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
casserole
a deep dish used for both cooking and serving casseroles, ragouts, etc.
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
cheese slicer
a plate, usually made of metal and connected to a handle, that is run across the face of cheese to remove a thin slice from it
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
cheesecloth
a cloth used to strain cheese, tofu, and other foods (e.g., in making cheese, the cloth retains the curds and allows the whey to pass through)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
chef’s knife
a long, versatile knife (usually 8 inches and roughly triangular) favored by professional chefs for its usefulness in a range of cutting situations (mincing, cutting meat, chopping vegetables, etc.)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
chinoise
a very fine cone-shaped sieve used for refining custards, sauces, etc., or for evenly applying powders to the top of dishes
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
chopsticks
long, slender rods (the cooking variety are usually thicker and longer than those used to eat), often used to move food around in a wok
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
chopping board
a surface, usually made of hard wood or plastic, on which foods are cut
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
cleaver
a wide, square-bladed knife usually used to chop boneless meat
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
colander
a large bowl with perforations through which liquid can pass (often used in draining water from pasta)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
cookie cutter
an artistically-shaped loop of metal used to cut dough into predetermined shapes (cookies)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
crab cracker
a lever used to crack the legs of crab or lobster
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
crab fork
a small fork used to remove the meat from crab legs
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
creamer
a small jug (usually metal or ceramic) for serving milk or cream at a table setting
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
crockery
a catch-all phrase for dishes, bowls, and plates
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
dough mixer
an electric appliance with swiveling, interlacing arms that rotate through a container to mix and knead dough
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
egg beater
a handle with stiff metal loops protruding from it that is used to vigorously agitate eggs in order to “fluff” them (add air bubbles to make the mixture lighter)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
egg slicer
a device that holds a hard-boiled egg and slices it with metal wires thrust across it
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
egg timer
a timer designed to measure time for cooking (not necessarily for eggs)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
food mill
a sieve outfitted with a blade bevelled against its bottom surface that swivels in a circular motion to purée foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, fruit, etc.
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
fork
any utensil with a handle and several (two to five) tines, or sharp points, to hold or move food during a meal
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
frying pan
a shallow, flat-bottomed, lidless pan used to cook foods (usually in oil or butter)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
funnel
a conical instrument used to transfer powdered, granular, or liquid ingredients into a small-necked container without spilling
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
garlic press
a metal lever that presses garlic through a lattice to cut it finely for use in cooking
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
grater
a (usually metal) plate or box against which foods are rubbed to break them into little slivers or shavings (e.g., vegetables, cheese, citrus fruit peel, etc.)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
grill
a platform used to “grill” foods (apply direct heat), usually with an open flame as in charcoal grills
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
ice cream scoop
a spoon used to serve ice cream (sometimes has a special curvature to allow easy deposition of its contents or a mechanically-activated wire to extract the ice cream
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
idli pan
small perforated molds (usually several to a tray) used to make idli, an Indian rice-and-lentil cake
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
ladle
a large spoon with a long handle used to mix and serve soups and other liquid foods or beverages
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
lamé
a double-edged blade used to perforate the top of baking bread to control moisture and impart to it a distinctive appearance
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
mandoline
two slightly offset plates used to julienne (cut into thin strips) vegetables by running the vegetables across the edge of one of them, resulting in slices as thick as the plates are far apart
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
measuring cup
a clear cup gradated with volume measurements indicated along its height; or metal cups of set volume, used to measure ingredients in cooking
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
measuring spoon
spoons of set volumes (e.g., 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, etc.)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
meat tenderizer
a mallet with a rough face used for beating meat in order to make it softer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
meat thermometer
a thermometer used to judge when meat has cooked thoroughly
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
melon baller
a spoon used to carve smalls out of the “meat” of canteloupe or other melons
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
mezzaluna
a curved blade with handles at either end used to chop herbs, etc.
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
molcajete
a stone mortar and pestle, usually made of basalt, used in Mexican cuisine to make guacamole, salsas, etc.
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
nutcracker
a lever used to crack open nuts; often decorated
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
pastry bag
a flexible vessel that is filled and pressed to push out a stream of batter, icing, etc. into a desired shape
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
peel
a flat plate attached to a very long handle used to insert and remove foods from ovens (especially large, brick ovens, etc.)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
pepper mill
a container that grinds peppercorns between two surfaces to apply pepper directly to completed dishes to taste
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
pizza cutter
a handle connected to a sharp metal wheel that spins freeling in a plane perpendicular to the pizza and is used to slice pizzas without disturbing toppings
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
potato masher
a handle connected to a rigid head (wire, a perforated plate, etc.) used to mash or purée cooked potatoes into a mash
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
potato peeler
a handle connected to a rigid or swiveling head (consisting of a grooved, slitted, and sharpened head) that removes only the very outermost layer of a potato (or other vegetable), preserving almost all its flesh
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
pressure cooker
a large pot with a lid that forms a hermitic seal through a gasket or sealing ring and contains a regulator (or valve), used to cook foods quickly by keeping them highly pressurized
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
rolling pin
a cylinder (usually wooden) with a lengthwize axle attached to handles used to flatten dough
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
saucer
a dish (usually ceramic) with a circular indentation in the middle into which a matching teacup fits
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
sieve
a fine-meshed surface through which food is forced to make it more uniform or to purify it
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
slotted spoon
a spoon with perforations (often in decorative patterns) that allow liquid to pass through, used to lift solid foods (such as canned fruit) out of a liquid medium
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
spatula
a flat-headed utensil designed to scrape, flip, or lift foods such as pancakes, fried eggs, etc.
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
spork
culterly that has the curvature of a spoon and short tines like a fork, allowing it to be used to eat both liquid and solid foods
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
squeezer
a dish with a rough-edged central protrusion onto which lemons (or other citrus fruit) are pressed and twisted in order to collect their juice efficiently
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
tablespoon
a large spoon used for serving and eating at a table setting
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
tagine
a dish (usually ceramic) with a tall, conical lid used in North African cuisine to serve the dish by the same name
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
tamis
a large sieve used in Indian cuisine to purify flour, spices, etc.
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
teaspoon
a spoon used to stir tea at a table setting; or a type of a measuring spoon (not used for stiring tea)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
tomato knife
a serrated knife used to cut tomatoes (the serrations pierce the skin of the tomato without crushing or bruising the flesh)
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
waffle iron
two metal faces with a lattice of indentations connected at a pivot edge onto which waffle batter is poured and baked
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
wok
a wide-lipped, round-bottomed pan used in Chinese cuisine for stir-frying
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a water bath; cooking food in a smaller container that is placed in a larger container in which water is boiled, in order to apply heat evenly and gradually
bain-marie
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a basket used to give shape to sourdough as it rises before baking
banneton
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a brush used to apply glaze, oil, or a meat’s juices to a food before, during, or after cooking
basting brush
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a large syringe used to recover juices produced during the cooking of meat and reapply them to the top of the dish to flavor and moisten it
basting syringe
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a sharp-edged metal or plastic tool used to pick up dough or scrape it off the preparation surface
bench scraper
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
an electric appliance used to cut, purée, or mix ingredients
blender
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a long, serrated knife designed for cutting bread
bread knife
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a wood block designed for the high-impact blows used in cutting apart meat; can often be resurfaced by sanding down the top layer
butcher block
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a thermometer used for judging the different stages of sugar concentration in candymaking; can read higher temperatures (usually up to 200°C) than a meat thermometer
candy thermometer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a deep dish used for both cooking and serving casseroles, ragouts, etc.
casserole
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a plate, usually made of metal and connected to a handle, that is run across the face of cheese to remove a thin slice from it
cheese slicer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a cloth used to strain cheese, tofu, and other foods (e.g., in making cheese, the cloth retains the curds and allows the whey to pass through)
cheesecloth
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a long, versatile knife (usually 8 inches and roughly triangular) favored by professional chefs for its usefulness in a range of cutting situations (mincing, cutting meat, chopping vegetables, etc.)
chef’s knife
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a very fine cone-shaped sieve used for refining custards, sauces, etc., or for evenly applying powders to the top of dishes
chinoise
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
long, slender rods (the cooking variety are usually thicker and longer than those used to eat), often used to move food around in a wok
chopsticks
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a surface, usually made of hard wood or plastic, on which foods are cut
chopping board
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a wide, square-bladed knife usually used to chop boneless meat
cleaver
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a large bowl with perforations through which liquid can pass (often used in draining water from pasta)
colander
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
an artistically-shaped loop of metal used to cut dough into predetermined shapes (cookies)
cookie cutter
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a lever used to crack the legs of crab or lobster
crab cracker
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a small fork used to remove the meat from crab legs
crab fork
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a small jug (usually metal or ceramic) for serving milk or cream at a table setting
creamer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a catch-all phrase for dishes, bowls, and plates
crockery
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
an electric appliance with swiveling, interlacing arms that rotate through a container to mix and knead dough
dough mixer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a handle with stiff metal loops protruding from it that is used to vigorously agitate eggs in order to “fluff” them (add air bubbles to make the mixture lighter)
egg beater
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a device that holds a hard-boiled egg and slices it with metal wires thrust across it
egg slicer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a timer designed to measure time for cooking (not necessarily for eggs)
egg timer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a sieve outfitted with a blade bevelled against its bottom surface that swivels in a circular motion to purée foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, fruit, etc.
food mill
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
any utensil with a handle and several (two to five) tines, or sharp points, to hold or move food during a meal
fork
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a shallow, flat-bottomed, lidless pan used to cook foods (usually in oil or butter)
frying pan
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a conical instrument used to transfer powdered, granular, or liquid ingredients into a small-necked container without spilling
funnel
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a metal lever that presses garlic through a lattice to cut it finely for use in cooking
garlic press
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a (usually metal) plate or box against which foods are rubbed to break them into little slivers or shavings (e.g., vegetables, cheese, citrus fruit peel, etc.)
grater
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a platform used to “grill” foods (apply direct heat), usually with an open flame as in charcoal grills
grill
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a spoon used to serve ice cream (sometimes has a special curvature to allow easy deposition of its contents or a mechanically-activated wire to extract the ice cream
ice cream scoop
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
small perforated molds (usually several to a tray) used to make idli, an Indian rice-and-lentil cake
idli pan
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a large spoon with a long handle used to mix and serve soups and other liquid foods or beverages
ladle
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a double-edged blade used to perforate the top of baking bread to control moisture and impart to it a distinctive appearance
lamé
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
two slightly offset plates used to julienne (cut into thin strips) vegetables by running the vegetables across the edge of one of them, resulting in slices as thick as the plates are far apart
mandoline
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a clear cup gradated with volume measurements indicated along its height; or metal cups of set volume, used to measure ingredients in cooking
measuring cup
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
spoons of set volumes (e.g., 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, etc.)
measuring spoon
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a mallet with a rough face used for beating meat in order to make it softer
meat tenderizer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a thermometer used to judge when meat has cooked thoroughly
meat thermometer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a spoon used to carve smalls out of the “meat” of canteloupe or other melons
melon baller
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a curved blade with handles at either end used to chop herbs, etc.
mezzaluna
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a stone mortar and pestle, usually made of basalt, used in Mexican cuisine to make guacamole, salsas, etc.
molcajete
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a lever used to crack open nuts; often decorated
nutcracker
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a flexible vessel that is filled and pressed to push out a stream of batter, icing, etc. into a desired shape
pastry bag
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a flat plate attached to a very long handle used to insert and remove foods from ovens (especially large, brick ovens, etc.)
peel
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a container that grinds peppercorns between two surfaces to apply pepper directly to completed dishes to taste
pepper mill
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a handle connected to a sharp metal wheel that spins freeling in a plane perpendicular to the pizza and is used to slice pizzas without disturbing toppings
pizza cutter
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a handle connected to a rigid head (wire, a perforated plate, etc.) used to mash or purée cooked potatoes into a mash
potato masher
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a handle connected to a rigid or swiveling head (consisting of a grooved, slitted, and sharpened head) that removes only the very outermost layer of a potato (or other vegetable), preserving almost all its flesh
potato peeler
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a large pot with a lid that forms a hermitic seal through a gasket or sealing ring and contains a regulator (or valve), used to cook foods quickly by keeping them highly pressurized
pressure cooker
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a cylinder (usually wooden) with a lengthwize axle attached to handles used to flatten dough
rolling pin
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a dish (usually ceramic) with a circular indentation in the middle into which a matching teacup fits
saucer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a fine-meshed surface through which food is forced to make it more uniform or to purify it
sieve
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a spoon with perforations (often in decorative patterns) that allow liquid to pass through, used to lift solid foods (such as canned fruit) out of a liquid medium
slotted spoon
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a flat-headed utensil designed to scrape, flip, or lift foods such as pancakes, fried eggs, etc.
spatula
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
culterly that has the curvature of a spoon and short tines like a fork, allowing it to be used to eat both liquid and solid foods
spork
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a dish with a rough-edged central protrusion onto which lemons (or other citrus fruit) are pressed and twisted in order to collect their juice efficiently
squeezer
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a large spoon used for serving and eating at a table setting
tablespoon
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a dish (usually ceramic) with a tall, conical lid used in North African cuisine to serve the dish by the same name
tagine
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a large sieve used in Indian cuisine to purify flour, spices, etc.
tamis
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a spoon used to stir tea at a table setting; or a type of a measuring spoon (not used for stiring tea)
teaspoon
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a serrated knife used to cut tomatoes (the serrations pierce the skin of the tomato without crushing or bruising the flesh)
tomato knife
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
two metal faces with a lattice of indentations connected at a pivot edge onto which waffle batter is poured and baked
waffle iron
Describe the following utensil or cooking tool.
a wide-lipped, round-bottomed pan used in Chinese cuisine for stir-frying
wok
