Best Tools
By: Anonymous
Published: Thursday, February 11, 2010 - 5:32am

Ingredients




The nearly essential and just plain handy

Preparation

1 These tools are the ones that almost made the top 10: Strainer: 'To strain sauces, stocks, juices, oils, blanched vegetables and many other things,' says Pamela Keith. 'Makes your finished soup or sauce look professional,' adds Patrick Roney. 2 Thermometer: 'Get a good-quality all-purpose thermometer that goes to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. It will assist you in knowing what temperature your roast is really at in the oven,' advises Scott Giambastiani. 3 Mandoline: This tool with a horizontal blade is 'a must for slicing thinly,' David Kinch says. 4 Ladle: 'For removing fat and anything to do with the liquid part of a recipe,' Jesse Cool says. Ladles are also important for serving soups and sauces and are good for measuring if you know how many ounces your ladle holds. 5 Kitchen shears: 'The ultimate kitchen and gardening scissors are Joyce Chen brand that cut through metal, fish, chicken bones, wire and flower stems,' says Gary Danko. 6 Wooden spoons: Joey Altman named them as essential, and Giambastiani agrees: 'Use these for dozens of tasks including stirring soups, scrambling eggs, tasting your finished product. It must be fairly long and made of hard wood. 7 These won't scratch your pots and pans.' 8 Serrated knife: 'Try slicing through a baguette without one,' Keith says. 9 Serrated knives are also great for tomatoes. 10 Can opener: 'Have you ever seen someone trying to open a can with a knife? I have. It's sad,' Mohamed Rabbaa says.