Professional Kitchen: Hand Tools and Small Equipment
Rubber Spatula
Flexible piece of rubber or plastic used to combine ingredients in a bowl and then scrape them out again.
Can opener
Foodservice can openers are mounted onto metal table tops so they can open large cans.
Grater
Grate hard cheeses, vegetables, potatoes or other foods.
Strainer
Hand-held strainer that strains pasta, vegetables, and other larger foods cooked in liquid.
Cheese cloth
Light, fine mesh gauze for straining liquids such as stocks or custards, for bundling herbs or for thickening yogurt.
Spoons
Made of stainless steel and hold about 3 ounces. Solid spoons are for serving food with juice. Perforated and slotted spoons have holes that allow liquid to drain while holding the solid food.
Food mill
Use it to puree foods to different consistencies.
Skimmer
Use it to remove foam form stock or soup and to remove solid ingredients from liquids.
China cap
Use it to strain soups, stocks, and other liquids to remove all solid ingredients; pierced, metal, cone-shaped strainer.
Tongs
Use to pick up and handle all kinds of solid food.
Funnel
Use to pour liquid from a larger to a smaller container
Corer
Use to remove the core of an apple or pear in one long, round piece.
Rolling pin
Use to roll over pastry to flatten or shape it.
Straight spatula
Used for icing cakes, spreading fillings and glazes Leveling dry ingredients when measuring
Pastry Brush
Used to brush egg wash, melted butter, glazes, and other liquids on items.
Ricer
Used to create rice-like pieces of cooked food.
Pizza Cutter
Used to cut pizza and rolled-out dough.
Off set spatula
Used to ice cakes or low setting food items.
Pastry press
Used to press dough through metal cutout. Used to make shaped doughs and cookies.
Bench Scraper
Used to scrape material off a work surface or "bench" or to cut or portion soft, semi-firm items
Turner
Used to turn foods on a griddle or broiler.
Peeler
Peels skin from fruits and vegetables and cuts a thick layer from vegetables and fruits more efficiently than a paring knife.
Colander
Perforated bowl that stands on feet and drains liquid from cooked pasta and vegetables.
Chinois
A very fine China cap made of metal mesh that strains out very small solid ingredients.
Pastry tips
Plastic, metal tips of various sizes and shapes used to decorate piped items from pastry bags
Fish scaler
Remove scales from a fish.
Zester
Shreds small pieces of the outer peel of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and limes.
Tamis
Sift flour and other dry baking ingredients and to remove any large impurities.
Kitchen Shears
Strong scissors Cut string and butcher's twine and to cut grapes into small pieces.
Cook's fork or Chef's fork
Test the doneness of braised meats and vegetables. To lift items to the plate, and to steady an item being cut. Do not turn meat being dry-cooked
Melon baller
Also known as a Parisienne; cuts ball shapes out of soft fruits and vegetables.
Pastry bag
Can be made of canvas, plastic, or nylon; use it to pipe out frostings, creams, and pureed foods.
Whisk (wire whip)
Come in different sizes and heaviness and are used to mix, beat, and stir foods.
Sieve
Mesh screen used to sift flour and other dry baking ingredients and to remove any large impurities.
