Kitchen Equipment & Utensil Uses

Knives, forks, spoons, pots and pans, a spatula and a can opener are staple tools of the kitchen. A number of sometimes esoteric utensils and pieces of affordable kitchen equipment can add to the cooking experience and enhance recipes at the same time.

Mandoline

A mandoline is a hand-operated tool for slicing vegetables and fruit. A compact machine, made out of either metal or plastic, it uses adjustable blades to cut the produce from thin to thick depending on the cook's needs.

One caveat: the blades are extremely sharp. Use caution when operating a mandoline.

Mouli Grater

Use a mouli grater to grind small amounts of cheese, nuts or chocolate. Hand-held, the mouli has two hinged handles, with a cylindrical grater and a crank to process the ingredients. The mouli is quicker to use than a traditional four-sided box grater for small amounts of food.

Tandoor Oven

Made of brick and clay, the tandoor oven is a kitchen staple in Indian homes and restaurants. The traditional tandoor has a round top and is designed to bake foods over intense direct heat, with the temperature often reaching more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tandoor dishes include the Indian bread, naan, as well as skewered meats and a favorite of many, tandoori chicken. Tandoor ovens can be found in Indian shops as well as upscale mall cookware outlets.

Vertical Poultry Roaster

The vertical poultry roaster can be used for everything from Cornish game hens to chicken to turkey. Resembling the Eiffel Tower, the metal roasting device sits either on a grill or in an oven. Insert the point of the roaster into the bird's cavity. Seated upright, the poultry does not roast in its own fat, which means a more healthful dish. The bird cooks more quickly than lying in a traditional roasting pan.

Herb Cutter

Chopping herbs with a knife is often the chef's choice. An alternative is an herb cutter. This hand-held device uses multiple round blades that roll over the herbs to cut them. While the utensil is quick and easy to use, be careful when washing it as the blades are extremely sharp.

References

• Epicurious
• Spanek.com
• How to Cook Everything; Mark Bittman; 1998

Resources

• Historic American Cookbook Project