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.