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Question Of The Day #27

michaelnatkin

What’s the most indispensable hand tool in your kitchen besides your knives, and why?

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Comments

tuckatodd

My thermapen! Bought it because of CS recommendations and has never failed me. Don't have to leave the oven door open so long to get a temp reading.

borgech

Thanks!! To be honest, I'm quite surprised that Kenji @ Serious Eats hasn't come up with this idea yet! My assumption is that it has to do with safety, but by following a few simple rules results in relatively safe torch operation (of course, kids complicate this).

tshewman

hmm, I usually just squeeze over a small sieve and can't say I've considered one.....til now.....

DiggingDogFarm_65362

Silicone spatulas and spoontulas.....love those things and use them a lot.

matthew.snyder77

Toyed with the idea of following Ben's lead, but ultimately I really only have two things that are indispensable. And they're attached to me as much as I'm attached to them.

michaelnatkin

Love the idea of using it additively with the wok, that's brilliant! I'd probably use mine a lot more but I don't like to leave it setup b/c I've got kids around. Maybe I should hang it up high so it is quick access but safe.

matthew.snyder77

I was thinking of saying my phone, too.

matthew.snyder77

That sounds like there's a story to be shared.

borgech

I love my blow torch. It's a Benzomatic TS8000, and I'd be lost without it. It gets used nearly every day, whether to make 'grilled' bread, or char some kale/other veg, after I learned how to use it correctly, I can't imagine life without it. My recent trick is to point it into my wok while stir frying, it adds the much sought after 'wok he' without the need for a high powered burner.

timdebnyc

Piping bags at 10 paces.

tshewman

My wine glass.....do I really need to explain? :-) My sieves (which I use allot) here I get accused of straining too much (is there such a thing..)or my favorite spoon. Nothing special, an old spoon that gets used to stir, help flip etc almost everything. Obviously my handheld temperature probe....but that's almost too easy.

michaelnatkin

I want to see some pastry chefs fight to the death with sharpened mini offset spatulas.

michaelnatkin

Do you ever use it as a bench scraper?

timdebnyc

After my fingers, 4" offset spats closely followed by my Grey Kunz spoons.

The spats lift, move, turn, stir, plate, amongst other things. I have at least two in the tool bain marie when cooking and can use over 6 when doing multi-course menus.

The spoons break things open, sauce, taste, measure (bowl end for large amounts, handle for small amounts), move things, lift, turn, stir, plate, peel ginger, and pretty much everything else.

Note I count hand towels like knives, you can't cook without them.

Ben_Johnson_34605

Does my iPhone count as a hand tool? I think I use that more than any other tool I have. From taking notes, snapping photos, setting timers or looking up something on google I think I use it more than my knives actually.

michaelnatkin

A basic hand citrus juicer is invaluable to me. I don't like using reamers or forks because you get juice all over your hands, and just squeezing ejects pips and doesn't produce a very good yield. I like this style:

Davide_Tassinari_86770

Obvious answer: as a pastry chef, rubber spatulas in all sizes and handle lengths.

Less obvious answer: sprayers/misters. For egg wash over viennoiserie, to lightly soak cake layers, to spritz fruit salads with syrups, to mist the surfaces of leavening breads.

Brendan_Lee_56950

Bench scraper (metal and plastic versions) or big solid chef's spoon (slotted and solid bowl versions)