Tools of the Trade

One of the questions my friends and family always ask me -- and I'm never sure how to answer -- is the question of tools used in the culinary industry. Why do I have such a hard time answering such a simple question? Because the answer, invariably, is "it depends on what you want to do." You want to decorate cakes? There's a list of tools for that. Get really good at making sushi? There's a completely different set of tools for that.

Since this blog is focusing on pastry, I'll keep the tool list focused on that. I've sorted into three categories: Knives, Utensils, and Accessories. I won't be including pots, pans, bowls, etc. in this list, as they could be their own article. Make sure you have the knives and utensils, and collect the accessories piecemeal.

Knives:

About the steel you choose: When choosing a knife, always opt for a high-quality steel that has been forged, not stamped. Forged steel has been hammered (by hand or machine) or poured into shape, then refined with a grinder or more hammering. Stamped steel, on the other hand, is die-cut from a sheet or strip of steel, then refined with a grinder. This usually makes for thinner and sometimes softer steel. Thin steel, while good for slicers, often has a hard time holding and edge.

• Chef's (or French) Knife - Opt for  a good, heavy weight and a full tang. I use an 8" chef's, though some people I know prefer either 9" or 6". Use what works best for you and feels good in your hand. I own three: one Wüsthof, which I purchased, and two Mercer, both from school. I prefer the Wüsthof by far.

The Mercer (top) and Wüsthof chef's knives.
Note the difference in the bolster (where blade and handle flow together).

• Serrated Slicer - Long and slender, with a rounded tip. Good for slicing bread and cakes alike. A straight slicer isn't a bad idea to have around, but it's not as much of a multi-tasker, in my opinion.
• Paring Knife - Again, opt of forged steel and a good weight. Tang isn't much of a concern here, but I still prefer a full tang for my knives. Again, I have two: one for home, one for my knife kit.
• Kitchen Shears - Not exactly a knife, but I keep it in the same category with the other sharp pointy things. I use pull-apart shears that have a small hook for cutting through bones. They make de-boning a chicken quick and easy. The pull-apart nature makes them easier and more sanitary to clean. But, if you choose to pick up a pair of the cheap orange-handled "kitchen scissors", I won't blame you. For pastry, that's all you really need.

Mercer paring knife (left) and Wüsthof kitchen shears.

For a paring knife and kitchen shears set, I recommend this one from Williams-Sonoma. The set is made by Wüsthof, and the shears are exactly the ones I use. Not to mention, they're currently under $20.

Also, don't forget a honing steel. Use it once every couple weeks to every time you take a knife out of the block or kit, and your blades will keep a nice edge. Every so often, you will need to actually sharpen your knives, but knife care is such a huge deal that I'll be dedicating a later post to it.

Utensils:

• Straight & Offset Spatulas - These are your basic spreaders for frosting. Some chefs refer to offset spatulas as "palette knives". It's best to use an appropriate size for the size of your project, so an array of sizes is good. Decorating a 4-layer cake that's sky-high? Use one that's longer than your cake is tall. Cupcakes? A 3-4" will be good. Also useful: tapered offset spatulas for painting with buttercream.
• Silicone Spatula - I can't stress the SILICONE part enough. It makes removal of caramel, sugar, and chocolate so much easier and gives you heat resistance. But, when it comes to silicone spatulas, I have four or more. One large one for my knife kit (I call it "the professional"), and a bunch of smaller ones at home, including a small spoonula. Good for stirring, spreading, or scooping (also for licking after making cookies at home).
• Wire Whisk or Whip - Make sure yours has a good handle. The one in my kit is professional quality, while the wire one at home is, well, cheap. The cheap one has a wire-wrapped handle that makes it difficult to use for more than a few seconds at a time. When hand-whipping cream or egg whites, that handle makes a huge difference.
• Wooden Spoon - No, really, a wooden, not plastic, spoon. Just one for stirring certain sauces.
• Sifters/Sieves - I keep a mini sifter in my kit, and there are a number of other sizes and shapes (I keep a large, bowl-sized one as well). Make sure yours are the handled pot-shaped ones, not the mug-shaped ones. With a fine enough sieve, you can eliminate the need for a chinois for your sauces, such as coulis and creme anglaise. (But don't tell my Chef-Instructor I said that.)
• Pastry Brush - Used to brush butter or egg washes onto dough or to brush sauce onto a plate. I opt for boar hair, which is resistant to high temperatures.
• Thermometers - Yes, plural. One for chocolate, one for sugar, and a standard instant-read. The one for chocolate needs to be extremely precise, and I use an infrared thermometer for it. A candy thermometer can also be a fry thermometer, and vise-versa. 
• Rolling Pin - I prefer a French (tapered) rolling pin, but the old-fashioned style with two handles is fine. I recommend one hardwood, one acrylic. The acrylic is most useful for gumpaste and fondant.
• Peeler - A simple vegetable/fruit peeler. Can be used to make gorgeous chocolate curls/shavings and, of course, to peel fruit.
• Microplane or Rasp Grater - Good for zesting citrus and shaving small pieces of chocolate. I use a classic Microplane (brand name), but you can get similar ones, possibly at a lower price, without the brand name. (Note: in a pinch, a fine cheese grater can be used, but it's not optimal.)

Left to right: small sifter, Microplane, and vegetable peeler

• Measuring Cups & Spoons - Most of the recipes I use in class are measured by mass, most of the ones I use at home are volumetric. Measuring cups and spoons are used for volume measures.
• Food Scale - I recommend digital at home. It's that simple. Also, not an absolute must-have for the recipes I'll be posting here.
• Bench Scraper - Really, the most useful piece of equipment in my kit. Used for cleaning, folding dough, tempering chocolate, moving cut/chopped things from board to bowl, and a dozen other things. 

Accessories:

• Candy Molds - I like silicone, but cheap plastic ones are fine for things that aren't sugar
• Sculpting Tools - For fondant, gumpaste, and modeling chocolate.
• Paintbrushes - Food-safe brushes for painting on gumpaste and fondant as well as for painting chocolate into detailed molds.

Paintrushes (left) and sculpting tools (right)

• Food Colors - I use paste and powder exclusively. Liquid dyes just don't have the same quality and can affect the texture of certain things. If you really need liquid, cut some of th paste down with vodka.
• Piping & Pastry Bags & Tips - Used for piping cake decorations, filling molds, and making things such as pâte à choux and churros. However, zip-top bags can be a quick replacement, though the tip designs can't really be replaced with homemade stuff.
• Pastry Bag Couplers - Allow for quick changing tips on the pastry bags.

Re-usable 10" pastry bag with coupler, and a selection of tips.

• Parchment Paper - Used to line baking sheets and make paper cones for chocolate piping. This is the only thing in this category that I'd consider a must-have.
• Silicone Mats (Silpats) - Again, line baking sheets and good as a surface for candy making (especially caramels and toffee) and chocolate piping.

That's about it. It's a lot of stuff, but, again, most of it can be purchased piecemeal and, save for knives and certain tools, quality isn't the most necessary factor.