equipment

Timers

Most modern ovens come with a timer but often a hand held timer is handy to use when timing stovetop cooking.

Thermometers

Thermometers come in various shapes and sizes and can be used in many different ways when cooking. There are meat thermometers with a stainless steel probe that is inserted into cooked meat to gauge the desired doneness. Sugar thermometers are used when making confectionary to ascertain sugar syrups are boiled sufficiently to a correct temperature. An oven thermometer is also good to have to test the correctness of oven temperatures to ensure perfect results when baking.

Rolling pins

Rolling pins are usually made from wood and are used to roll out pastry, yeast dough and icings. Rolling pins for scones and pastry are just an average length, while the ones for special icings for things like wedding cakes are usually longer so that one large piece of icing can be rolled out.

Pastry brushes

Pastry brushes are very useful for brushing on marinades (flavoured or seasoned liquid), oil, butter, icing, jam and juices. Some brushes are larger to cover bigger pieces of food and some are small to brush on some oil or butter. Because they get used so often, pastry brushes should be renewed regularly.

Cookie cutters

Cookie or biscuit cutters come in all sizes and different shapes from plain round ones to animal, people, flower and leaf shapes. The cutters have one edge that is sharp to cut through things like pastry, bread, dough, biscuit mixtures and icings.

Wooden spoons

Wooden spoons are usually used for mixing or stirring. They are great for stirring hot things as the wood doesn’t conduct heat like a metal spoon does. Also, because their edges are thicker they don’t break up or cut into foods as much as metal spoons and are just right for mixing muffins or cakes with fruit.

Piping bags

Piping bags are made of waterproof fabric and are used to squeeze cream, thick custard, special biscuit mixtures, icing or even mashed potato into a shape. The little attachments that make the shapes when the food is squeezed through them are called “nozzles” and these can be made of plastic or stainless steel.