Best Tools

Photo: flickr user nickjohnson

Ingredients

The nearly essential and just plain handy

Preparation

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.

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.

Mandoline: This tool with a horizontal blade is 'a must for slicing thinly,' David Kinch says.

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.

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.

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.

These won't scratch your pots and pans.'

Serrated knife: 'Try slicing through a baguette without one,' Keith says.

Serrated knives are also great for tomatoes.

Can opener: 'Have you ever seen someone trying to open a can with a knife? I have. It's sad,' Mohamed Rabbaa says.