Bain Marie

Also known as a double-boiler or a water bath the bain marie is a piece of French cooking equipment that is used to heat things slowly and gently.

APPLE CORERTo remove the core and

pips from apples and similar fruits

APPLE CUTTER To cut apple and similar

fruits easily while simultaneously removing the core and pips.

BISCUIT CUTTER Shaping biscuit dough

BISCUIT PRESS A device for making pressed cookies such as

spritzgebck.

BLOW TORCH Commonly used to create a hard layer of caramelized sugar in a crme brle.[2]

BOIL OVER PREVENTER Preventing liquids from boiling over outside of the pot

Baster
A baster is used to baste meat as it cooks in its own juices. Commonly used for rotisserie cooking, grilling and roasting.

BOTTLE OPENER-Twists the metal cap off of a bottle

Blender
Used to puree, emulsify, chop and blend things in the kitchen. Especially things like smoothies, daiquiris and pina coloda's.

French Chef's KnifeThe most popular chef's

knife in the Western world. This chef's knife is a general utility knife and is one of the most essential tools in the kitchen. Chefs are more protective of their knives than they are of anything else.

German Cook's KnifeThe origin of the

chef's knife is Germany, although they call them cook's knives there: kochmesser. The original German version is more curved, continuously, from heel to tip. Germany, especially the Solingen area, is home to some of the best knives in the world. It's where my personal favorite, Wsthof, is from.

Grapefruit KnifeA dull tipped curved,

flexible blade with a serrated edge used to remove the flesh of a grapefruit from its peel and from the inner segmented walls.

Boning KnifeA narrow-bladed knife used to remove the

bones and/or flesh from meat. The blade is stiff when used for beef and pork, but a flexible blade is more useful for poultry and fish.

Bread KnifeA serrated-bladed knife used to cut bread. The

recessed or off-set handle is the most ergonomic and easiest to use. Also, bread knives make really nasty wounds.

Butcher's KnifeA knife that is made specifically for

butchering, processing and sometimes gutting animals

Carving KnifeA long, thin knife used for cutting thin slices
of cooked meat. Often, a meat fork will also be included if the knife is part of a set. In the old days, the carving knife was the best knife in the house, so it often had an ornately decorated or fancy handle and was stored in a box with the good china.

Chestnut KnifeA very shallow bladed knife used to score

the skin of chestnuts for steaming. The blade is shallow so that it doesn't cut the flesh of the chestnut while it cuts the skin.

Chinese Chef's KnifeA large,

rectangular-bladed knife resembling a cleaver, but much lighter and thinner. Like other chef's knives, the Chinese chef's knife is an all-purpose knife used for a variety of tasks. It is used widely throughout many Asian countries.

CleaverLarge, rectangular, heavy, and thick-bladed knife

used for "cleaving" bone and meat quickly and efficiently. Not to be confused with a Chinese chef's knife, which resembles the cleaver in some ways.

Deveiner KnifeA specialized knife used to

remove the "vein," which is actually the colon, from the back of shrimps. Like a sort of narrow or thin tourne knife. You'd have to eat a lot of shrimp in order for this to be worth your while.

Fillet KnifeAn extremely flexible specialized boning knife

used to fillet fish. Its flexibility enables the blade to go around and over the bones of the fish. My favorite fillet knife is made by Marttiini in Finland.

Fluting KnifeThese are small, specialized knives used

for decorating and peeling. Fluting is when you cut grooves into the side of a column-shaped item like a carrot or cucumber.

Double BoilerA type of bain marie. They can be

purchased as such or improvised out of similar-sized pots and bowls. The easiest double boiler to make is created by placing a bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. You will need an oven mitt or towel to keep from getting burned by the steam under the bowl.

ColanderA bowl shaped strainer used for draining food like

pasta and vegetables. Those made of screens may be the most efficient.

Crock PotA brand name for a type of slow cooker, which is a

type of electric cooking appliance used for making dips, soups, stews, and braised dishes.

Casserole DishA large deep dish made of glass or clay

used for baking and serving. In Minnesota we use casserole dishes to make "hot-dish" and that's what we call it too.

Braising PanA special enameled cast-iron pan with a tight

fitting lid used to braise meats. Also called a brazier, braiser or a rondeau.

Chafing DishA way of gently cooking food or a way of

keeping food warm on a buffet. In fancier restaurants chafing dishes are used to prepare food table-side. In trashy restaurants they are used to keep you from getting sick from the crappy food

Frying PanA general term for pans that are

used for frying and searing. Many types of frying pans exist: cast iron skillets, non-stick, copper, copper core, electric, stainless steel, clad, aluminum core. All-Clad makes some of the most accessible high-quality pans.

BOWL-To hold food, including food that is ready to be served

BROWNING TRAY-Used in a microwave oven to help turn food brown

BUTTER CURLER-Used to produce decorative butter shapes

Dutch OvenUsually made of cast iron, this thick-walled

cooking vessel has a tight-fitting lid almost always made of cast iron as well. These cooking vessels have been used for hundreds of years and are sort of like an early form of the slow cooker (a.k.a. Crock Pot). They can be placed directly over fires, buried in coals, or nowadays on top of stoves and in ovens.

Chimney StarterThe chimney like tool that makes it

easier to light charcoal for grilling.

Broiler PanA pan that is designed to fit under

the broiler. Usually a rack is suspended over a reservoir to both elevate the meat and catch the drippings

CAKE AND PIE SERVER-To cut slices in pies or cakes, and then transfer to a plate or container

CHEESE KNIFE - Used to cut cheese.

Digital ScaleThey come in many shapes and

sizes. I would recommend getting a table-top model as a pocket-sized digital scale is pretty much only good for weighing conflict diamonds and illicit narcotics.

Digital ThermometerThe absolute best way to

check the temperature of something. The detachable-probe model is convenient, but the cord can be damaged easily. But they can usually be easily replaced.

Dough ScraperA flat square of metal attached

to a handle that works very well for chopping dough into portions. As an added bonus, it also makes cleaning off a table easier, especially if it has dried dough stuck to it. Just like scraping ice off a windshield.

CHEESE CLOTH-To assist in the formation of cheese

CHERRY PITTER-Used for the removal of pits (stones) from cherries or olives.

Butcher's TwineUsed for trussing and tying

things up for cooking.

Food MillAlso called the passatutto, puree

sieve, or moulinette; the food mill is a way of pureeing or mashing fruits, vegetables, legumes and other items into a consistent size. It is the best way to puree things like tomatoes, as it keeps the seeds from getting in the sauce.

CORKSCREW-Pierces and removes a cork from a bottle.

FUNNELUsed to channel liquid or fine-grained substances into containers with a small opening.[2]

Food ProcessorA sort of quick way to chop

things up. The cuts are erratic and inconsistent in size and shape so generally I only use it for things that need to be pureed or made smooth. Some attachments make short work of vegetable prep though, so in large-quantity kitchens they are quite useful.

Garlic PressThese things are only good if you

buy the good ones. These are generally larger, resembling a small potato ricer. Smashing or pressing garlic breaks down more of the cell walls, which makes the garlic more garlicky. If you like that sort of thing. But depending on how long you cook the garlic, it may not matter as much, since long cooking times break down flavors. So adding garlic near the end of cooking is a good way to get a fresh garlic flavor in your food. But cooked garlic also tastes good, so you have a lot of options.

GRAVY STRAINERA small pouring jug that separates roast meat drippings from melted fat, for making gravy

HERB CHOPPER-Chops or minces raw herbs.

LEMON REAMERA juicer with a fluted peak at the end of a short handle, where a half a lemon is pressed to release the juice.

LEMON SQUEEZERA juicer, similar in function to a lemon reamer, with an attached bowl.

Can OpenerYou'd have to have been living in a cave for

the entirety of your life with people who were also born in a cave to not know what a can opener is.

LOBSTER PICKA long-handled, narrow pick, used to pull meat out of narrow legs and other parts of a lobster or crab.[2]

MEASURING GLASS-used primarily to measure the volume of liquid or bulk solid cooking ingredients such as flour and sugar, especially for volumes from about 50 mL (2 fl oz) upwards.

LADLEA ladle is a type of serving spoon used for soup, stew, or other foods.

China CapA conical strainer made of metal, similar to

the colander. Generally considered to be a cheaper alternative to the chinoise. I'm not positive, but I bet the name of this tool is offensive to someone, somewhere

ChinoiseA fine-meshed, conical strainer used

sometimes in conjunction with a wooden cone to help push stuff through the holes. Chinoise is the French feminine adjective for Chinese; not sure why they called it that.

Cutting BoardThe surface we use to prepare

meat and vegetables for cooking and eating. Usually made of hardwood or plastic, these cutting boards need to be cleaned and sanitized thoroughly.

Flexible Cutting BoardThese can

make prepping large quantities of vegetables easier as after you've chopped them you can pick the cutting board up and dump them easily into a pot or bowl.

EGG POACHER-Holds a raw egg, and is placed inside a pot of boiling water to poach an egg.

Crab CrackerA sort of pliers used to crack open the

shells of crab and lobster. Or you could just use a pliers, or even better use your bare hands!

Egg SlicerA tool that uses wires stretched evenly across

a frame to slice eggs thinly, quickly, and evenly. I knew someone who used it to slice strawberries too. It worked for a time until the wires got loose and eventually the egg slicer crapped out on him.

EGG SEPARATOR- A slotted spoon-like utensil used to separate the yolk of an egg from the egg white.

EGG TIMER-Used to correctly time the process of boiling eggs.

LAME- Used to slash the tops of bread loaves in artisan baking.

FISH SCALERcooking

Used to remove the scales from the skin of fish before

FISH SLICE-Used for lifting or turning food during cooking

FLOUR SIFTER-Blends flour with other ingredients and aerates it in the process.[4]

MEASURING SPOON-Typically sold in a set that measures dry or wet ingredients in amounts from 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) up to 1 tablespoon (15 ml).[7]

Meat grinder- Operated with a hand-crank, this presses meat through a chopping or pureeing attachment.

melon baller- Small scoop used to make smooth balls of melon or other fruit, or potatoes.[5]

mezzalunaTo finely and consistently chop/mince foods, especially herbs.

mortar and pestle-

To crush food, releasing flavours and aromas