Fundamental cooking tools

Hi,

I have a few drawers of cooking toys whose use is occasional. There are tools, if they disappeared I would not miss. There are a few you have to fight me for.

One such tool is a 10-inch trussing needle I bought when I was 19-years-old. This needle has trussed many a chicken, turkey, duck and few odd birds.

I am about to make a purchase of butcher's string, which Cook's Illustrated has weighed in their opinion:
Librett Cotton Butcher’s Twine and French Linen Butcher’s Twine (in a plastic container with a sharp blade cutting the string). I keep my butcher string in a short Ball jar with a hole in the middle.

I also keep a very slim kitchen string useful for making rouladen and other dishes. I found it at Richwell Chinese grocery store.

Butcher's string is quite useful in the kitchen and can fill in for ribbon on a rustic looking package, too. I feel lost when I run out.

What fundamental tool do you recommend, use and would feel lost without?

Regards,

Aside from the obvious choices (knives, pots, pans, etc.):

- two sets of sturdy, lightweight, metal mixing bowls. I seem to go through a lot of these when I cook. A large one for a garbage bowl, and then various sizes to hold mise en place, seared meats, etc.

- a gigantic cutting board. For me using a small cutting board is extremely frustrating because food keeps falling off it. Pared with a recently sharpened knife (thanks Northwest Cutlery!), a large cutting board makes chopping pleasant

mike

Things I use all the time

really good chef's knife
good paring knife
big wooden cutting board
measuring cup with a juicer that fits on top of it
hand held grater (not a microplane)
salad spinner (I use it on many veggies)
strainer with handles that holds itself on the edges of the sink

Tool I am surprised I use as much as I do - silicone tube to peel garlic
Tool I have and never use - garlic guillotine

So eliminating the obvious (the big knife, the small knife, a good stainless pan, an enameled dutch oven...)

These are a few of my favorite things:
These Bamboo, flat-ended spoons. Don't splinter, don't stain, can be used as spatulas (for small things) or stirring, scraping, deglazing, etc. I rarely start cooking without making sure one of these is within reach.
Citrus juicer (hinged squeeze type) -- lemons and limes are no match for its strength, and seeds don't end up in the juice
Microplane grater - medium fine works for cheese, zest, whole nutmeg, fingertips (oops)
Plastic collander - draining pasta, rinsing berries, draining eggplant

Those are the things that just plain get the job done. Lots of other things are big helpers, but merely a little faster or easier than the essentials. that would include:
Stand and stick blenders
Zyliss herb mincer (looks like a mini combine harvester)
Food processor
Rice maker
Microwave

Cathy2 wrote: What fundamental tool do you recommend, use and would feel lost without?,

My two favorite tools are my Thermapen and my Polder wired probe. Since purchasing these two marvels, my family and guests have not been subjected to under or overcooked steaks, chops or roasts. More talented cooks than I can get perfect results by look or feel, but these two gems put me on a level playing field.

This huge kitchen strainer : it's rugged, strong, and fits across the sink. Amazing hom much I turn out using it.

This knife sharpener--a Cook's recce--which I use every day.

And this canning funnel which I use constantly.

Oh, and finally, a set of these Blue Carp soup bowls which are essential daily, for my mise.

Good Topic, C2!!

Geo

Geo,

Thanks!

How do you use your canning funnel? I use mine frequently, too. If I am filling zipper plastic bags, I insert the funnel deep enough to keep the tracks clean for closing.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:If I am filling zipper plastic bags, I insert the funnel deep enough to keep the tracks clean for closing.

When I fill those kind of bags, I simply fold the top over, as if I'm filling a pastry bag. Once filled, I unfold the top and seal. No tool required.

stevez wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:If I am filling zipper plastic bags, I insert the funnel deep enough to keep the tracks clean for closing.

When I fill those kind of bags, I simply fold the top over, as if I'm filling a pastry bag. Once filled, I unfold the top and seal. No tool required.

More than one way to skin a cat!

Regards,

C2--

I use the funnel sometimes to fill baggies in just that way. But more often I use it to save leftovers, or soups or stews in glass jars. I have a lot of pickle jars, and I prefer to save things in glass rather than plastic. It would be much harder w/o my canning funnel.

And then there's the canning itself! we're at the height of tomato season, and I'm planning on putting up a lug or two of tomatoes this weekend. I *need* that funnel.

Geo

Hi,

We pretty much use this funnel the same way.

I am canning marinara sauce and plum tomatoes tomorrow, too. I am making jam this evening.

I hope it is all done on Saturday, so I really rest on Sunday.

Regards,

A triple cooking timer like This

In addition to what others have said, for me, it would be my garlic press. I reorganized my gadget drawer about a year ago, and just went ahead and threw out items that didn't work, including a (to my mind) very expensive Cutco-brand press. While it was quite sturdy, it didn't do the job for spit! My years-old Zyliss works just great, however.

I have the usual things people mention above. I love good knives my favorite is the santoku knife which I use for just about everything but I have quite a few others too. I love my folding colander that sits in my sink can be quickly rinsed and hung on a door inside my cabinet. I like poly cutting boards so I can put them in the dishwasher. I love to plane lemons, limes and ginger on my microplaner. And I am loving my kitchen chopper for chopping onions and taking the tears out of it. I rarely use my food processor anymore.

Toria, what's your "kitchen chopper"?

Geo

Hi- I use my Zyliss garlic press all the time. I love it. I bought it at Oak Street Market when they were open, and so I have had it for ages. I have used cheaper garlic presses, and nothing compares. Thanks. Nancy

Below are kitchen items I use the most and cant recommend highly enough!

Oxo Locking Tongs with Nylon Heads -- These are very usefull for a variety of cooking jobs

Kuhn Rikon The Gripper Jar Opener -- Very usefull in opening all kinds of jars

Joyce Chen Spider Strainer -- Very usefull when frying food and straining the oil

The BoardSmith Cutting board -- This is simply the best cutting board on the market

OXO Salad Spinner -- Best invention ever for those who eat a lot of salads... no more soggy salad!

Blendtec Blender -- The difference between a cheap blender and a high end one is remarkable when you make drinks like green smoothies which come out with no chunks/pieces at all with the blendtec.

I also use a toaster oven and electric tea kettle probably on a daily basis...

Hi- Your Joyce Chen link does not work. The cutting boards look wonderful, but the cheapest one is almost $100 bucks.

NFriday wrote:Hi- Your Joyce Chen link does not work. The cutting boards look wonderful, but the cheapest one is almost $100 bucks.

Thanks.. I fixed the link. Yes the Boardsmith boards are really good quality.. I learned about boardsmith from various forums about cooking knives and a lot of people recommend those cutting boards. The only thing you should take in account when buying a high end cutting board is you have to moisturize it with food grade mineral oil and beeswax so the wood will not warp over time.

Polster, you're right: a good board is very important. Mine is a Proteak, which, IIRC, I learned about from Cook's. Bit cheaper than yours.

Geo

Good shears - I have five pairs by various makers. Henckels makes the best, IMO. Very reasonable, and tops for cutting through chicken bones and trimming, as well as cutting through woody flower stems. Highly recommended.

Also, I use my hand-held citrus reamer almost daily, as I go through limes like crazy. Indispensable tool.

SDPeg,

Yes, exactly right about the shears, *and* about Henckels, too. We have a pair that comes apart, making it easy to put in the dishwasher.

And you also reminded me of a piece of equipment I'd be frustrated without: a pair of grape/rose pruners! I can cut anything in the kitchen with these, including turkey bones. Really essential when I'm making stock.

Geo

Some may not think so, but to me our Zojirushi rice cooker if absolutely fundamental.
I scoffed when my wife spent over $200 on that contraption but now I can't imagine life without it.

I was asked this question in an interview once. My reply surprised them (they thought I was kidding) and still holds true. A stereo. I cook better when I've got good tunes playing in the background crafting the vibe. Always allowed music in my kitchens as well, not in your face, but present (unless it's Marvin Gaye, then you can turn it up a bit).

Marvin is one of my favorites too!! Let's add a great wine opener to the list of much-loved tools.

If I've got a good pair of long tongs, I'm a happy man in most cooking scenarios.

My KitchenAid mixer and an extra bowl. I don't know how could do my baking anymore without them. Best gift I ever got. It's 13 years old and still going strong.

stevez wrote:If I've got a good pair of long tongs, I'm a happy man in most cooking scenarios.

Long Tong Zaransky. Has a nice ring to it.

tgoddess wrote:My KitchenAid mixer and an extra bowl. I don't know how could do my baking anymore without them. Best gift I ever got. It's 13 years old and still going strong.

Both the kitchenAid and food processor. These are not every day items, but they allow me to make meals that I would not make otherwise.

So many of my own favorites have already been named here! But I do have a favorite cooking spatula/turner, made of black nylon, that I totally love. It's rounded in outline but flat, solid not slotted, and the scraper surface is relatively small compared to the rest of the tool. It was such a good fit for my hand and pans that I went ahead and bought another one... and just this week, my husband finally found a crack in one of them, after about a decade of hard use.

Oh, I found it! But only as part of a set... it's the sixth utensil in this set of nine: http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Essential ... ials+nylon