KITCHEN TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Muffin Pan

A baking pan with cylindrical indentations used for baking cupcakes or muffins. The pan typically will have 6 or 12 individual round pockets or holders connected to the tin and formed in the shape of a muffin. Muffin pans may also be referred to as muffin tins.

Whisk

A cooking utensil that can be used to blend ingredients quickly or smoothly and to incorporate air into a mixture, in a process known as whisking or whipping, which is used to increase the volume of the mixture. Most whisks are manufactured with a series of thin metal wires, each formed into a loop so both ends of the wires attach to a handle. The loops, which are placed in slightly different directions from each other, form a rounded bulb shape.

Saucepan

A cooking utensil that is round in shape with high, straight sides and a longer handle. Equipped with a tight-fitting cover, the saucepan can range in sizes to hold contents for one pint or in sizes up to four quarts. They are made of materials such as stainless steel, copper, anodized aluminum, glass, and enameled steel or cast iron. A saucepan has many uses, including preparation processes such as boiling water, vegetables, and other foods, for making or heating sauces and soups, or for braising foods.

Loaf Pan

A deep rectangular pan of metal or glass used for baking food in the form of loaves such as bread, cake, meatloaf, etc.

Ladle

A deep-bowled, long-handled serving spoon used for soup, stew, or other foods

Measuring Cups (Dry)

A dry measuring cup is used for measuring solid cooking ingredients like flour, sugar, oats, etc. Dry measuring cups are usually made from plastic or metal and sets usually come in volumes of 1/4 cup to 1 cup. Dry measuring cups are distinguished from liquid measure cups in that they hold the exact amount of an ingredient and are meant to be filled to the top so that excess may be scraped off with a flat edge and shallow for easy cleaning.

Baking Sheet

A flat, rectangular metal pan used in an oven. It is often used for baking bread rolls, pastries, and flat products such as cookies, sheet cakes, Swiss rolls, and pizzas.

Frying Pan

A flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid.

Vegetable Peeler

A kitchen tool consisting of a metal blade with a slot with a sharp edge attached to a handle used to remove the outer layers (skin or peel) from vegetables such as potatoes, cucumbers, and carrots and firm fruits, such as apples, by peeling off thin narrow shavings. The other side of the slot prevents the blade from cutting too far into the vegetable.

Spatula

A kitchen tool used for spreading or mixing of soft substances, as well as scooping and lifting. The straight shafted spatulas are most often used for scraping food from the sides of pots, stirring ingredients in curved bowls, or folding ingredients into each other. They are generally made of a flexible silicone plastic that can move easily around and form into the shape of bowls, pans, and pots. Metal spatulas are most often made for lifting, turning, serving, and spreading food toppings. Narrow width spatulas are typically used to apply frostings or spreads and to access small openings or move easily around bowls and pans to scrape ingredients. Wide width or long length spatulas are commonly used for lifting, turning/flipping, and serving meats or working with larger food items, while the smaller length spatulas work well for lifting and serving smaller food items such as quiche, pie, or cakes.

Potato Masher

A kitchen utensil used to purée potatoes after they are cooked or to purée other soft foods for making food dishes requiring a smooth textured ingredient

Sifter

A kitchen utensil with a mesh bottom used to sift dry ingredients, such as flour or powdered sugar. The most common Sifters are built with a trigger in the handle that is activated to move back and forth in order to push and pull the dry contents through the mesh sieve in the bottom of the Sifter. Made from stainless steel or plastic, the Sifter is used to add air to the dry ingredient in order to make it lighter and more uniform in texture resulting in improving the baking or food preparation results.

Grater

A kitchen utensil with sharp-edged perforations used to make small pieces of food (usually cheese, carrots, or potatoes)

Can Opener

A manual device or small electric appliance for opening tin/metal cans.

Colander

A metal or plastic kitchen utensil used to strain off liquid from food, especially after cooking such as pasta or to rinse vegetables. The perforated nature of the colander allows liquid to drain through while retaining the solids inside.

Chopping/Cutting Board

A portable, wooden or plastic, board on which foods (such as meats and vegetables) are cut

Stand Mixer

A stationary electric mixer for heavy-duty mixing, beating, whipping, or kneading of various foods, typically having a flat beater, dough hook, and whisk attachments. The stand mixer, which can be adapted to serve a variety of functions, may also have a mixing bowl, a food grinder, a juice extractor, and a slicer or shredder for attachments to assist with food preparation.

Oven

A thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking, or drying of a substance, and most commonly used for cooking, where it can be used to heat food to a desired temperature. An oven can be anything from a hole in the ground with a fire built over it, earth ovens, to a countertop toaster oven, to an industrial oven.

Mixing Spoon

A tool to combine ingredients for cooking or baking or to scrape the bottom of the saucepan after you prepare dinner. Used for stirring, a mixing spoon (or cooking spoon) is passed through a substance with a continued circular movement for mixing, blending, dissolving, cooling, or preventing sticking of the ingredients.

Funnel

A tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or other substance through a small opening, as into a bottle, jug, or the like

Sieve

A utensil consisting of a wire or plastic mesh held in a frame, used for straining solids from liquids, for separating coarser from finer particles, or for reducing soft solids to a pulp.

Chef's Knife

An all-purpose kitchen knife for food preparation that is used for most types of chopping, dicing, and slicing with a blade that ranges in length from several inches to 12 inches in length. The heft, weight, and balance of this knife allow it to be used for heavy-duty work with thicker cuts of vegetables, fruits, and meats. This knife may also be referred to as a French knife or cook's knife.

Blender

An electric culinary grinding and mixing appliance, consisting of a container with propeller-like blades at the bottom that are whirled by a high-speed motor to purée, chop, or mix foods

Hand Mixer

An electric mixing device that is portable, but typically still plugged into an outlet. The basic design is a handle mounted on top of a case that contains the motor with two metal beaters attached underneath at one end. On top of the handle, you'll typically find speed controls and a button that ejects the beaters. Hand mixers are used to beat, whip, and combine ingredients, all requiring a smooth functioning set of blades that turn easily and consistently during the mixing process.

Oven Mitt

An insulated, padded glove or mitten, usually worn in the kitchen to easily protect the wearer's hand from hot objects such as ovens, stoves, cookware, etc. They are similar to pot-holders.

Slotted Spoon

Any spoon with slots, holes, or other openings in the bowl of the spoon which let liquid pass through while preserving the larger solids on top

Microwave Oven

Designed to cook food quickly by using special electromagnetic radiation that heats objects from within. Microwave ovens are faster than conventional ovens for cooking and re-heating. It is designed and primarily used to quickly heat foods and is most convenient for otherwise time-consuming tasks such as melting butter or heating water. Microwaves do not brown foods, especially proteins.

Rolling Pin

Long cylinders used to roll or press out dough evenly and smoothly. Rolling pins can be used to crush things such as crackers, nuts, and peppercorns and to flatten pieces of meat.

Mixing Bowl

Mixing bowls are used to mix ingredients as well as to store and serve food. The kitchen needs several bowls of different sizes, which come in many materials, such as stainless steel, ceramic, glass, and plastic.

Stove

Technically any enclosed space that uses fuel to provide heat There are many kinds of stoves that provide heat but don't cook food (or only do so incidentally). Coal stoves, wood-burning stoves, and pellet stoves are all examples of this variety. In fact, you could look at ovens as a subset of stoves; all ovens are stoves, but not all stoves are ovens.

Tongs

Tongs are a type of tool used to grip and lift objects instead of holding them directly with hands. Tongs for grilling, tongs for serving salad or spaghetti are kitchen utensils of the same type. They provide a way to move, rotate and turn the food with delicate precision, or fetch a full serving in one grab.

Measuring Spoons

Used to measure very small quantities of an ingredient, either liquid or dry, by volume quickly and accurately when cooking. Measuring spoons may be made of plastic, metal, and other materials. They are available in many sizes and typically sold in a set that measures in the amounts from 1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon.

Measuring Cup (Liquid)

Usually, glass or plastic with a handle to measure liquid ingredients by allowing you to pour a liquid into the cup and bring it even with a measurement line without spilling Liquid measuring cups tend to be microwave safe for heating and clear to more easily judge the meniscus, the curved upper surface of a liquid.

Range

When a stovetop has its own fuel and is connected to an oven

Stovetop

Wood-burning cookstoves use the radiant heat from the internal wood fire to heat a griddle. More modern stoves use gas or electric burners for the stovetop which is on top of the oven. Stovetops can be separated from the stove and exist on their own. In this configuration, they're properly called "cooktops". Cooktops come in all kinds of varieties including portable (confusingly referred to as "camp stoves"), commercial, and residential. These surfaces can use gas or electricity, the latter of which also includes magnetic induction.