December 06, 2011

Non-basic tools

We've all gotten the message about the basic tools we need to bake (who doesn't own measuring cups?) and we sensibly ignore all the articles that list the new must-have gadget, because we know it will only collect dust in a corner of the cabinet. These are the tools that are just so darn useful but not the first thing you would buy to outfit your kitchen.

Parchment paper: eliminates sticking. No more cakes that crumble as I try to pry them from the pan! Cut it to whatever size or shape needed! This is the one must have on the list.

Automotive infra-red thermometer because I am death to most kitchen equipment, but especially thermometers. Standard alcohol thermometers get tossed into the dishwasher or stuck into far-too-hot oil, effectively "blowing out" the thermometer. The cheap instant-read worked well, until a splash of something caused the plastic dial cover to bubble. Cheap and expensive digital thermometers get left in a puddle of water with the drying dishes (short circuit) or get so gunked up with grease, the buttons stick. Alton Brown showcased a non-contact thermometer on an episode. A quick look at Amazon showed that non-contact thermometers, like every other measuring instrument on the planet, are more expensive (but not more accurate) when they are to be used in the kitchen rather than a laboratory. I disregarded the $100 models for cooks, but the Raytek MT4 Mini Temp Non-Contact Thermometer Gun with Laser Sighting was worth considering at only $45.

A small dust pan and brush used only for cleaning the counter, because a wet cloth or sponge will only make paste with all the flour spilled on the counter.

A child's broom and dust pan to sweep the flour on the floor. It's less unwieldly than a broom, and easier to use than a dust pan and brush.

More spatulas than I can count, especially silicone and Viennese spatulas. The silicone are great for scraping down bowls and do an acceptable job of folding. The Viennese are stiffer, scrape well, fold better, and can be used for icing small cakes.A large offset spatula is necessary for icing large cakes. I've tried everything else, the offset spatula just makes it so much easier.

A whisk for mixing dry ingredients, whipping cream and egg whites, and thoroughly mixing just about everything. Personally, I can't whip more than three whites at a time without requiring an aspiring, but I always hope to start a kitchen-based fitness program.

Matching pans, which makes me sound like some crazy cooking poseur who won't touch a kitchen unless everything was made by All-Clad or Kitchen Aid. What this really means is that the cookie sheets are identical, those two nine-inch cake pans are identical. For years I made due with three different cookie sheets and two different muffin pans — different sizes, different colors, one was even an insulated pan. They all baked for different lengths of time. It drove me crazy. Now, they are identical, heavy-duty aluminum, and everything bakes for the same length of time, and half the cupcakes are no longer sacrificed to the oven.