Home sous vide machines are still extremely rare, and as such most recipes and information is written with chefs in mind.  Sous vide is a technique particularly popular with the “molecular gastronomy” movement at the moment, so you’re likely to find a few recipes in cookbooks by Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal and in Chef Achatz’s …

A chinois (aka chinoise)  is a finer meshed version of a china cap.  They are used for straining soups, stocks, and sauces, usually to remove as many particles from these liquids as possible for a smooth, clearer result (although for “perfect” clarity, as seen in consumme, a technique called clarification must be used).  The chinois’s tiny …

Spiders are a chef’s tool used to fish items out of liquids (often water or oil in the fryer, they’re a great tool when cooking delicate artisanal pasta).  They look like a shallow sided, wide cup made out of mesh or wire attached to a stick.  Home chefs are more likely to find them with …

A china cap is a tool used in many restaurant kitchens.  It is a large holed (like a colander) strainer with a stick-shaped handle on one side.  It is significantly larger than the strainers found in most home kitchens and has an unusual shape, looking like a long metal cone that tapers into a point.  …

Cleaning a cast iron skillet can usually be done with a stiff brush or sponge without soap.  Using soap can remove the cast iron’s seasoning, which is important to protect because it imparts flavor, improves browning, and gives the pan its semi-non-stick properties. However, every once in a while hot water and a brush isn’t enough.  …

A potato ricer is a kitchen tool that forces cooked potatoes through a bunch of small holes.  It works similarly to a garlic press, just on a larger scale. Why would you use a potato ricer? Pressing chunks of boiled potato through a ricer breaks them down into small clumps that can be easily mashed.  …

Multi cooker steam pots (for those who aren’t familiar with them) are a common pot set including: 1.  a large deep pot (often called a stock pot by home chefs), 2.  a metal strainer insert that sits just inside that pot, 3.  a much shallower insert steamer basket, 4.  a lid. How to use a …

A food mill is a hand-crank driven device that home chefs used to use before the food processor became popular.  Their job is essentially breaking food down into smaller pieces without turning it into a puree.  Commercial chefs still use them because of the level of control they provide.  Professional chefs often use food mills …

To a chef, a mandoline is not a musical instrument (“mandolin”), but instead a bladed device used for slicing things thinly and evenly (primarily produce).  Using a mandoline involves pressing the item to be cut against the back of the mandoline (made of metal or plastic) and drawing it down, while maintaining pressure, across an adjustable blade.  Used properly, …