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.
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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
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banneton
a basket used to give shape to sourdough as it rises before baking
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basting brush
a brush used to apply glaze, oil, or a meat’s juices to a food before, during, or after cooking
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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
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bench scraper
a sharp-edged metal or plastic tool used to pick up dough or scrape it off the preparation surface
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blender
an electric appliance used to cut, purée, or mix ingredients
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bread knife
a long, serrated knife designed for cutting bread
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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
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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
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casserole
a deep dish used for both cooking and serving casseroles, ragouts, etc.
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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
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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)
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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.)
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chinoise
a very fine cone-shaped sieve used for refining custards, sauces, etc., or for evenly applying powders to the top of dishes
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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
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chopping board
a surface, usually made of hard wood or plastic, on which foods are cut
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cleaver
a wide, square-bladed knife usually used to chop boneless meat
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colander
a large bowl with perforations through which liquid can pass (often used in draining water from pasta)
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cookie cutter
an artistically-shaped loop of metal used to cut dough into predetermined shapes (cookies)
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crab cracker
a lever used to crack the legs of crab or lobster
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crab fork
a small fork used to remove the meat from crab legs
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creamer
a small jug (usually metal or ceramic) for serving milk or cream at a table setting
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crockery
a catch-all phrase for dishes, bowls, and plates
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dough mixer
an electric appliance with swiveling, interlacing arms that rotate through a container to mix and knead dough
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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)
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egg slicer
a device that holds a hard-boiled egg and slices it with metal wires thrust across it
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egg timer
a timer designed to measure time for cooking (not necessarily for eggs)
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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.
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fork
any utensil with a handle and several (two to five) tines, or sharp points, to hold or move food during a meal
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frying pan
a shallow, flat-bottomed, lidless pan used to cook foods (usually in oil or butter)
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funnel
a conical instrument used to transfer powdered, granular, or liquid ingredients into a small-necked container without spilling
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garlic press
a metal lever that presses garlic through a lattice to cut it finely for use in cooking
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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.)
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grill
a platform used to “grill” foods (apply direct heat), usually with an open flame as in charcoal grills
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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
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idli pan
small perforated molds (usually several to a tray) used to make idli, an Indian rice-and-lentil cake
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ladle
a large spoon with a long handle used to mix and serve soups and other liquid foods or beverages
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lamé
a double-edged blade used to perforate the top of baking bread to control moisture and impart to it a distinctive appearance
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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
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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
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measuring spoon
spoons of set volumes (e.g., 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, etc.)
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meat tenderizer
a mallet with a rough face used for beating meat in order to make it softer
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meat thermometer
a thermometer used to judge when meat has cooked thoroughly
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melon baller
a spoon used to carve smalls out of the “meat” of canteloupe or other melons
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mezzaluna
a curved blade with handles at either end used to chop herbs, etc.
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molcajete
a stone mortar and pestle, usually made of basalt, used in Mexican cuisine to make guacamole, salsas, etc.
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nutcracker
a lever used to crack open nuts; often decorated
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pastry bag
a flexible vessel that is filled and pressed to push out a stream of batter, icing, etc. into a desired shape
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peel
a flat plate attached to a very long handle used to insert and remove foods from ovens (especially large, brick ovens, etc.)
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pepper mill
a container that grinds peppercorns between two surfaces to apply pepper directly to completed dishes to taste
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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
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potato masher
a handle connected to a rigid head (wire, a perforated plate, etc.) used to mash or purée cooked potatoes into a mash
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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
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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
