Pastry Chef Online: How to Think Like a Pastry Chef
How to Think Like a Pastry Chef
Pastry Tools
You have the desire and the drive, but where to begin? Read one book, and the author swears you need Item A. Read another, and that author tells you that Item A is useless. You go to a swanky kitchen store, and ask the helpful sales person, "Hey, do I need this $200.00 butter warmer?" Helpful sales person says, "Of course you need it. It's French." Helpful sales person coldly calculates their commission behind their friendly smile. What's a consumer to do? I'm here to help. The following is a list of kitchen supplies, some of which I think are vital, some nice to have but not necessary, and some just a waste of your hard-earned pennies, dollars or hundreds of dollars.
Apple Corer/Peelers--A handy tool, if you're going to be peeling/coring/slicing bijillions of apples or pears. Although they look a bit gimmicky, I've used them, and they work quite well. Pass unless you're going into the apple pie business.
Baking Sheets--Absolutely necessary. Go to the restaurant supply store nearest you, or check out some of the resources on the Pastry Links page, and get heavy duty professional half-sheet pans. These measure 12"x18" and have about a 3/4" rim. They're great for cookies, jelly rolls, water baths--you name it.
Bench Scrapers--Absolutely necessary. They are good for many things--bashing things, scraping down your work area, transferring ingredients, portioning doughs, etc.
Blenders--Handy, but not absolutely necessary. If you must have one, I am partial to the Waring Professional version--toggle switch on/off, high/low. Simple to use and metal gearing for a long life.
Bowl Scrapers--One of the cheapest little deals you can buy for the kitchen, and very much worth owning. Not absolutely necessary, because a spatula would work almost as well, but nothing is better at getting every speck of a stiff cookie or bread dough out of a bowl
Bowls--Absolutely necessary. Again, head out to the restaurant supply and get several good quality stainless steel bowls. The shape is important--you want to be able to use your whisk in them. Make sure they have a good curve to the sides but aren't so shallow that you're whisking things out of the bowl. It has happened to me, so be forewarned.
Cake Pans--Absolutely necessary, if you're going to bake cakes. If you're not, then it's really up to you. I like straight-sided cake pans, brushed aluminum, either 2 or 3 inches in height. The round ones come in sizes from 4" to 18", and there are many sizes of square pans as well. Other shapes are available, but I generally stick to the basics.
Can Openers--Absolutely necessary. Not strictly a pastry item, but when you need one, you really need one. Get a good hand-held model. Electric models, especially those weird little hands-off kind, are pretty much a waste of money, in my book.
Channel Knives--Handy, but not necessary. A channel knife is a garnishing tool and is mainly used to carve out long strips of zest from citrus fruits.
Cherry Pitters--Absolutely necessary if you want whole pitted cherries. Handy if you want your cherries halved. Either way, a cherry pitter is a real time saver. You can use it for olives, as well. I have one that has a little plastic shield on it. I thought it was kind of silly, but I bought it anyway because it was the only model they had at the store. Well, let me tell you, I've been covered with little drops of cherry juice from pitting sessions before, and it doesn't happen anymore. Hooray for the little plastic shield!
Chinois--Handy, but not necessary. A chinois is a heavy duty very fine-meshed strainer that is conical in shape. The conical shape makes it easy to use the included wooden pestle or a spatula to help push (whatever you're straining) through. You can get the same effect by using 3-4 layers of cheesecloth in a colander, but you'll need to rely on time and gravity for the straining. I don't recommend using a spatula to push sauces/custards/purees through cheesecloth. A chinois is pretty pricey, but if you can afford one, they're nice to have.
China Caps--Not necessary. A china cap is shaped like a chinois, but rather than a heavy-duty fine mesh, it has holes in it that are about 1/16". Live with your colander.
Chocolate Fountains--A fairly recent arrival on the scene, a chocolate fountain is absolutely unnecessary. Having a swanky buffet? Rent one.
Cutters--Not absolutely necessary, but very useful if you need to cut many shapes of uniform size. I like the ones that come in graduated sizes--all round, or square, or scalloped or what have you. Of course, there are all manner of shaped cutters out there. I do prefer metal ones, as they tend to make sharper cuts. And they can be used for so much more than just cookies: pancake or egg molds (spray them well with non-stick spray first), trimming pie crust for individual pies, cutting puff pastry, biscuits, etc.
Cutting Boards--At home, we have a wooden-topped island, and I often used that as a cutting surface. Otherwise, cutting boards are necessary to keep your counters, and your knives, at their best. There has been some debate about wood versus plastic cutting boards. I rather like hard wood as a cutting surface, but the NSF approved color-coded boards that are available are very good, won't hurt your knives, and do help to cut down on cross-contamination if you adhere to the color coding (red=meat, green=vegetables, etc)
Deseeders--A highly specialized and completely unnecessary gadget used for scooping seeds from papaya, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. For goodness' sake, use a spoon!
Double Boilers--Buying a dedicated double boiler is unnecessary. Generally, your top vessel should have sloped sides, because whatever you are melting or heating will need to be stirred or whisked. Use one of your nice stainless steel bowls fitted into a pan with about an inch of water in it.
Docker--Skip it. Use a fork or a paring knife.
Electronic Scales--Absolutely necessary, as far as I'm concerned. Much more accurate than "spring type" scales, electronic scales ensure precise measurements. One cup of flour can weigh between 3-5 ounces depending on how you scoop it into the cup. On the other hand, 4 ounces of flour is 4 ounces of flour no matter what. I generally try, whenever possible, to convert any volumetric measures into weight measures. For instance, I have discovered that 1/3 cup of sugar weighs 2.6 ounces. Much easier to weigh it directly into a bowl and then zero out the scale (tare function) rather than use a measuring cup.
Food Processors--For frequent chopping/mixing/pulverizing, it's pretty necessary. Spend the money on a good one with a large capacity and a wide feed tube. The picture is of a Robot Coupe. It's French, and they were the first to come up with the food processor. It's very rugged, made for the professional kitchen and easy to use, but it costs a lot.
Funnels--Nice to have; I'd recommend a metal one since plastic is hard to keep clean, especially once it comes into contact with fats.
Graters--Cheap and low tech. Sometimes it's the way to go. Get one if you don't have one. They're good for cheese and carrots and for slicing cucumbers or zucchini, if you get the kind with different cutting surfaces on each face. An answer to the food processor if you just need small amounts of ingredients grated/sliced.
Hand Mixers--If you have a stand mixer, skip it. Honestly, I have one and never use it. Perhaps I should donate it to the VVA. Hmmm.
Ice Cream Makers--Probably not necessary, unless you are a die-hard purist. I use one at work almost every day, but even though I have one at home, I haven't used it in years.
Immersion Blenders--Great for pureeing in the pot, rather than transferring your sauce (or whatever) to a blender. It won't get your sauce (or whatever) as smooth as a blender will, but you can always strain after using the stick blender.
Juicers--Not really necessary, unless you are known as "The Juice Queen/King/Prince." I say skip it and use your hands and maybe a low-tech cheap reamer
Knives--Absolutely necessary. Take your time and shop for good knives that have good balance and are the right size for you hand. For pastry work, a good chef's knife and a paring knife are both essential. Hone your blade before every use with a steel or ceramic steel, and, unless you're using it every day, pay to have it professionally sharpened once or twice a year. If you do give your knives workouts on a daily basis, consider investing in a sharpening stone. Keep in mind that they do take some practice to use correctly.
Liquid Measures--Absolutely necessary. The old adage "a pint is a pound the world around" is fairly accurate, so often I do weigh liquid ingredients, but it's only dead-on accurate for water, whole eggs and milk. Other liquids really should be measured by volume to account for differences in mass. Oh, and don't try and use a liquid measure to measure dry ingredients. It's not a good idea.
Mandolines--I was going to call this the poor man's food processor, but considering the price of some of them, I have to reconsider that nick name. These aren't necessary, but if you must have a handy slicer, consider a Japanese mandoline. They are a much more economical option.
Measuring Cups--Absolutely necessary for the home cook working from recipes written using standard measures rather than weights. What I often try to do is measure using the cup, then weigh it and record the weight right on the recipe. That way, the next time, I'll know that 1/3 cup of sugar weighs 2.6 ounces. At work, I rarely use dry measuring cups as most of the recipes are written in ounces or grams.
Measuring Spoons--Absolutely necessary. I carry a set in my pocket all the time. But only at work, so if you see me at the movies, don't ask to borrow my measuring spoons. I don't have them on me!
Microplane--Not absolutely necessary, until you've used one. And then, oh my, but you'll never want to go back to a traditional zester or grater. I use one for zesting citrus, or for finely grating garlic or ginger. Try to get the kind with a metal, rather than plastic, frame. They are more durable.
Mortar & Pestle--Fun for decoration, but get a coffee grinder. "But, the ancients used them!" you say. Well, they didn't have access to a coffee grinder.
Pastry cutter--Sometimes called a pastry blender. Skip it. Use two forks or your fingers.
Pineapple Corer--Oh, please.
Piping Bags--The disposable kind are nice and, aside from any cake decorating I might have to do, I also use them for piping meringue and pate a choux, filling molds, and making lady fingers. Not absolutely necessary, but very useful.
Piping Tips--For cake decorating cakes with intricate scroll work or shells or string work, absolutely necessary.
Peelers--Unless you are very good with your paring knife, a peeler is absolutely necessary. I even use mine to peel wide strips of citrus zest for steeping into ice cream bases or sauces.
Portion Scoops--Very handy to make sure that all your cookies are the same size, for instance. Not absolutely necessary, but very useful. Generally speaking, they are sized according to how many scoops will make a quart. So, a #8 is 4 ounces while a #16 is 2 3/4 ounces. Click here for a handy chart of scoop numbers and sizes.
Pots and Pans--Absolutely necessary. Get good solid pans that are fairly heavy, for heat retention, and are made, at least in part, of aluminum for good heat conductivity. Stainless steel with aluminum cores are a good bet. Try and find ones with metal handles and lids so the whole thing can go in the oven if necessary. You can get all aluminum cookware, but unanodized aluminum can react with acidic ingredients and your lemon curd can end up tasting like metal. This is not good. Oh, and non-stick--not strictly necessary. I'd recommend having one nonstick skillet or frying pan. That's all.
Rolling pins--Not only necessary for rolling out doughs and pie crusts, but also useful for bashing things, such as toffee or peanut brittle, into small pieces. Good stress relief.
Ring Molds--Useful, but not absolutely necessary. They're good for baking as well as for layering desserts. I use them at work but have not bothered to purchase any for home.
Sifters--I have one that I bought years ago. If I had it to do all over again, I'd just use my strainer.
Silicone Baking Mats--These are pretty pricey and really delicate. Do NOT cut on one, or it will slice right open. Trust me; I've seen it. They are great, and I do own some, and they are very useful for sugar work or for baking really thin tuiles but, unless you're the Tuile King or the Pulled Sugar Princess, I'd skip them and just use parchment paper.
Spatulas--Two kinds, and both are pretty necessary: The first, the flat plastic kind with silicone heads (so you can use them in hot pans without their melting). These are great for mixing and folding, and indispensable for scraping every last particle out of the mixer bowl. The second, the thin metal kind with wooden or plastic handles, are called icing spatulas. I like the offset kind (the kind with a bend in the blade) because they keep my knuckles out the way. They are great for, as the name implies, icing cakes, but also for spreading batters/meringues/whatever very thinly.
Spice Mills--Very useful for, you know, milling spices, but they can be pricey. I say skip it and get a dedicated blade coffee grinder for about $15.
Spoons--Absolutely necessary. Metal ones and wooden ones. They also have cool hard composite plastic ones (Exoglass TM) that are heat resistant and vaguely wood-colored that we dubbed "plood" spoons.
Squeeze Bottles--Nice to have, but not completely necessary unless you want to make sauce dots or squiggles on your plates.
Stand Mixers--If you're going to be making a lot of batters and doughs on a regular basis, absolutely buy one. They are an investment, but they should last forever. Look for a heavy, sturdy model with all-metal gearing. This is very important, especially if you're going to be giving it a workout on a regular basis. The quieter home models have nylon gearing. Well, over time the gears will strip out and your mixer will not work. I've seen it happen. It's not pretty. So, little Timmy might have to turn up the volume on the TV while you're making your dough. He'll live. (An aside: A friend had her KitchenAid strip out and she called the company. They asked her in an annoyed sort of voice, "Well, were you making bread?" Gee, I'm sorry, I guess the included dough hook gave me the wrong idea! KA has recently gone back to metal gearing on some, if not all of their models, thank goodness). At any rate, don't just be married to KA. There are some really good mixers available by Electrolux, Viking and DeLonghi, just to name a few. It pays to do some research, as you should expect to own your stand mixer for a long long time.
Strainers--I use these instead of colanders and sifters, too. They're cheap and useful. Buy one or two.
Tart Pans--Unless you'll be making tarts on a regular basis, skip them. A free-form panless tart, or galette is rustic and beautiful.
Thermometers--Absolutely necessary, especially if you want to make sugar syrups or candies. There are a few different types. I recommend an instant read thermometer for checking internal temperatures and a candy thermometer for working with sugar.
Timers--Absolutely necessary, especially when you have several things going at once. I use a triple timer, and I often have all three timers set. Burn something that you've worked long and hard on, and you'll understand.
Tongs--Very useful for turning things in hot pans, grabbing spaghetti for serving, grabbing, well, almost anything. At home, I use them to grab errant socks from behind the washer.
Torches--Although we use one at work frequently, I've never felt the need for one at home. I say skip it.
Turntables--Very nice to have, if not absolutely necessary, for icing/decorating cakes.
Whisks--Absolutely necessary for aerating by hand. They come in all different configurations, but my favorite for whipping air into light ingredients quickly is the piano, or balloon whisk.
Wine Keys--A very useful tool for opening wine bottles, and the bonus is you can carry it in your apron pocket.
Zesters--Since the advent of the Microplane, my zester hasn't gotten much of a workout. Enough said.
Can't find what you're looking for? Use the handy-dandy search function to search this site or the entire web!
Apple Corer/Peelers--A handy tool, if you're going to be peeling/coring/slicing bijillions of apples or pears. Although they look a bit gimmicky, I've used them, and they work quite well. Pass unless you're going into the apple pie business.
Baking Sheets--Absolutely necessary. Go to the restaurant supply store nearest you, or check out some of the resources on the Pastry Links page, and get heavy duty professional half-sheet pans. These measure 12"x18" and have about a 3/4" rim. They're great for cookies, jelly rolls, water baths--you name it.
Bench Scrapers--Absolutely necessary. They are good for many things--bashing things, scraping down your work area, transferring ingredients, portioning doughs, etc.
Blenders--Handy, but not absolutely necessary. If you must have one, I am partial to the Waring Professional version--toggle switch on/off, high/low. Simple to use and metal gearing for a long life.
Bowl Scrapers--One of the cheapest little deals you can buy for the kitchen, and very much worth owning. Not absolutely necessary, because a spatula would work almost as well, but nothing is better at getting every speck of a stiff cookie or bread dough out of a bowl
Bowls--Absolutely necessary. Again, head out to the restaurant supply and get several good quality stainless steel bowls. The shape is important--you want to be able to use your whisk in them. Make sure they have a good curve to the sides but aren't so shallow that you're whisking things out of the bowl. It has happened to me, so be forewarned.
Cake Pans--Absolutely necessary, if you're going to bake cakes. If you're not, then it's really up to you. I like straight-sided cake pans, brushed aluminum, either 2 or 3 inches in height. The round ones come in sizes from 4" to 18", and there are many sizes of square pans as well. Other shapes are available, but I generally stick to the basics.
Can Openers--Absolutely necessary. Not strictly a pastry item, but when you need one, you really need one. Get a good hand-held model. Electric models, especially those weird little hands-off kind, are pretty much a waste of money, in my book.
Channel Knives--Handy, but not necessary. A channel knife is a garnishing tool and is mainly used to carve out long strips of zest from citrus fruits.
Cherry Pitters--Absolutely necessary if you want whole pitted cherries. Handy if you want your cherries halved. Either way, a cherry pitter is a real time saver. You can use it for olives, as well. I have one that has a little plastic shield on it. I thought it was kind of silly, but I bought it anyway because it was the only model they had at the store. Well, let me tell you, I've been covered with little drops of cherry juice from pitting sessions before, and it doesn't happen anymore. Hooray for the little plastic shield!
Chinois--Handy, but not necessary. A chinois is a heavy duty very fine-meshed strainer that is conical in shape. The conical shape makes it easy to use the included wooden pestle or a spatula to help push (whatever you're straining) through. You can get the same effect by using 3-4 layers of cheesecloth in a colander, but you'll need to rely on time and gravity for the straining. I don't recommend using a spatula to push sauces/custards/purees through cheesecloth. A chinois is pretty pricey, but if you can afford one, they're nice to have.
China Caps--Not necessary. A china cap is shaped like a chinois, but rather than a heavy-duty fine mesh, it has holes in it that are about 1/16". Live with your colander.
Chocolate Fountains--A fairly recent arrival on the scene, a chocolate fountain is absolutely unnecessary. Having a swanky buffet? Rent one.
Cutters--Not absolutely necessary, but very useful if you need to cut many shapes of uniform size. I like the ones that come in graduated sizes--all round, or square, or scalloped or what have you. Of course, there are all manner of shaped cutters out there. I do prefer metal ones, as they tend to make sharper cuts. And they can be used for so much more than just cookies: pancake or egg molds (spray them well with non-stick spray first), trimming pie crust for individual pies, cutting puff pastry, biscuits, etc.
Cutting Boards--At home, we have a wooden-topped island, and I often used that as a cutting surface. Otherwise, cutting boards are necessary to keep your counters, and your knives, at their best. There has been some debate about wood versus plastic cutting boards. I rather like hard wood as a cutting surface, but the NSF approved color-coded boards that are available are very good, won't hurt your knives, and do help to cut down on cross-contamination if you adhere to the color coding (red=meat, green=vegetables, etc)
Deseeders--A highly specialized and completely unnecessary gadget used for scooping seeds from papaya, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. For goodness' sake, use a spoon!
Double Boilers--Buying a dedicated double boiler is unnecessary. Generally, your top vessel should have sloped sides, because whatever you are melting or heating will need to be stirred or whisked. Use one of your nice stainless steel bowls fitted into a pan with about an inch of water in it.
Docker--Skip it. Use a fork or a paring knife.
Electronic Scales--Absolutely necessary, as far as I'm concerned. Much more accurate than "spring type" scales, electronic scales ensure precise measurements. One cup of flour can weigh between 3-5 ounces depending on how you scoop it into the cup. On the other hand, 4 ounces of flour is 4 ounces of flour no matter what. I generally try, whenever possible, to convert any volumetric measures into weight measures. For instance, I have discovered that 1/3 cup of sugar weighs 2.6 ounces. Much easier to weigh it directly into a bowl and then zero out the scale (tare function) rather than use a measuring cup.
Food Processors--For frequent chopping/mixing/pulverizing, it's pretty necessary. Spend the money on a good one with a large capacity and a wide feed tube. The picture is of a Robot Coupe. It's French, and they were the first to come up with the food processor. It's very rugged, made for the professional kitchen and easy to use, but it costs a lot.
Funnels--Nice to have; I'd recommend a metal one since plastic is hard to keep clean, especially once it comes into contact with fats.
Graters--Cheap and low tech. Sometimes it's the way to go. Get one if you don't have one. They're good for cheese and carrots and for slicing cucumbers or zucchini, if you get the kind with different cutting surfaces on each face. An answer to the food processor if you just need small amounts of ingredients grated/sliced.
Hand Mixers--If you have a stand mixer, skip it. Honestly, I have one and never use it. Perhaps I should donate it to the VVA. Hmmm.
Ice Cream Makers--Probably not necessary, unless you are a die-hard purist. I use one at work almost every day, but even though I have one at home, I haven't used it in years.
Immersion Blenders--Great for pureeing in the pot, rather than transferring your sauce (or whatever) to a blender. It won't get your sauce (or whatever) as smooth as a blender will, but you can always strain after using the stick blender.
Juicers--Not really necessary, unless you are known as "The Juice Queen/King/Prince." I say skip it and use your hands and maybe a low-tech cheap reamer
Knives--Absolutely necessary. Take your time and shop for good knives that have good balance and are the right size for you hand. For pastry work, a good chef's knife and a paring knife are both essential. Hone your blade before every use with a steel or ceramic steel, and, unless you're using it every day, pay to have it professionally sharpened once or twice a year. If you do give your knives workouts on a daily basis, consider investing in a sharpening stone. Keep in mind that they do take some practice to use correctly.
Liquid Measures--Absolutely necessary. The old adage "a pint is a pound the world around" is fairly accurate, so often I do weigh liquid ingredients, but it's only dead-on accurate for water, whole eggs and milk. Other liquids really should be measured by volume to account for differences in mass. Oh, and don't try and use a liquid measure to measure dry ingredients. It's not a good idea.
Mandolines--I was going to call this the poor man's food processor, but considering the price of some of them, I have to reconsider that nick name. These aren't necessary, but if you must have a handy slicer, consider a Japanese mandoline. They are a much more economical option.
Measuring Cups--Absolutely necessary for the home cook working from recipes written using standard measures rather than weights. What I often try to do is measure using the cup, then weigh it and record the weight right on the recipe. That way, the next time, I'll know that 1/3 cup of sugar weighs 2.6 ounces. At work, I rarely use dry measuring cups as most of the recipes are written in ounces or grams.
Measuring Spoons--Absolutely necessary. I carry a set in my pocket all the time. But only at work, so if you see me at the movies, don't ask to borrow my measuring spoons. I don't have them on me!
Microplane--Not absolutely necessary, until you've used one. And then, oh my, but you'll never want to go back to a traditional zester or grater. I use one for zesting citrus, or for finely grating garlic or ginger. Try to get the kind with a metal, rather than plastic, frame. They are more durable.
Mortar & Pestle--Fun for decoration, but get a coffee grinder. "But, the ancients used them!" you say. Well, they didn't have access to a coffee grinder.
Parchment Paper--Makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to removing cakes from pans. Or cookies from trays. Or sticky tart pans from trays. I use it to line ring molds, line sheet trays and cake pans. At work, we buy it in boxes of 500 sheets that fit perfectly on a full sheet tray. At home, I buy it in rolls. In a pinch, you could use wax paper, but the wax makes the oven smoke a bit. Believe me, I'm telling the truth.
Pastry cutter--Sometimes called a pastry blender. Skip it. Use two forks or your fingers.
Pineapple Corer--Oh, please.
Piping Bags--The disposable kind are nice and, aside from any cake decorating I might have to do, I also use them for piping meringue and pate a choux, filling molds, and making lady fingers. Not absolutely necessary, but very useful.
Piping Tips--For cake decorating cakes with intricate scroll work or shells or string work, absolutely necessary.
Peelers--Unless you are very good with your paring knife, a peeler is absolutely necessary. I even use mine to peel wide strips of citrus zest for steeping into ice cream bases or sauces.
Portion Scoops--Very handy to make sure that all your cookies are the same size, for instance. Not absolutely necessary, but very useful. Generally speaking, they are sized according to how many scoops will make a quart. So, a #8 is 4 ounces while a #16 is 2 3/4 ounces. Click here for a handy chart of scoop numbers and sizes.
Pots and Pans--Absolutely necessary. Get good solid pans that are fairly heavy, for heat retention, and are made, at least in part, of aluminum for good heat conductivity. Stainless steel with aluminum cores are a good bet. Try and find ones with metal handles and lids so the whole thing can go in the oven if necessary. You can get all aluminum cookware, but unanodized aluminum can react with acidic ingredients and your lemon curd can end up tasting like metal. This is not good. Oh, and non-stick--not strictly necessary. I'd recommend having one nonstick skillet or frying pan. That's all.
Rolling pins--Not only necessary for rolling out doughs and pie crusts, but also useful for bashing things, such as toffee or peanut brittle, into small pieces. Good stress relief.
Ring Molds--Useful, but not absolutely necessary. They're good for baking as well as for layering desserts. I use them at work but have not bothered to purchase any for home.
Sifters--I have one that I bought years ago. If I had it to do all over again, I'd just use my strainer.
Silicone Baking Mats--These are pretty pricey and really delicate. Do NOT cut on one, or it will slice right open. Trust me; I've seen it. They are great, and I do own some, and they are very useful for sugar work or for baking really thin tuiles but, unless you're the Tuile King or the Pulled Sugar Princess, I'd skip them and just use parchment paper.
Spatulas--Two kinds, and both are pretty necessary: The first, the flat plastic kind with silicone heads (so you can use them in hot pans without their melting). These are great for mixing and folding, and indispensable for scraping every last particle out of the mixer bowl. The second, the thin metal kind with wooden or plastic handles, are called icing spatulas. I like the offset kind (the kind with a bend in the blade) because they keep my knuckles out the way. They are great for, as the name implies, icing cakes, but also for spreading batters/meringues/whatever very thinly.
Spice Mills--Very useful for, you know, milling spices, but they can be pricey. I say skip it and get a dedicated blade coffee grinder for about $15.
Spoons--Absolutely necessary. Metal ones and wooden ones. They also have cool hard composite plastic ones (Exoglass TM) that are heat resistant and vaguely wood-colored that we dubbed "plood" spoons.
Squeeze Bottles--Nice to have, but not completely necessary unless you want to make sauce dots or squiggles on your plates.
Stand Mixers--If you're going to be making a lot of batters and doughs on a regular basis, absolutely buy one. They are an investment, but they should last forever. Look for a heavy, sturdy model with all-metal gearing. This is very important, especially if you're going to be giving it a workout on a regular basis. The quieter home models have nylon gearing. Well, over time the gears will strip out and your mixer will not work. I've seen it happen. It's not pretty. So, little Timmy might have to turn up the volume on the TV while you're making your dough. He'll live. (An aside: A friend had her KitchenAid strip out and she called the company. They asked her in an annoyed sort of voice, "Well, were you making bread?" Gee, I'm sorry, I guess the included dough hook gave me the wrong idea! KA has recently gone back to metal gearing on some, if not all of their models, thank goodness). At any rate, don't just be married to KA. There are some really good mixers available by Electrolux, Viking and DeLonghi, just to name a few. It pays to do some research, as you should expect to own your stand mixer for a long long time.
Strainers--I use these instead of colanders and sifters, too. They're cheap and useful. Buy one or two.
Tart Pans--Unless you'll be making tarts on a regular basis, skip them. A free-form panless tart, or galette is rustic and beautiful.
Thermometers--Absolutely necessary, especially if you want to make sugar syrups or candies. There are a few different types. I recommend an instant read thermometer for checking internal temperatures and a candy thermometer for working with sugar.
Timers--Absolutely necessary, especially when you have several things going at once. I use a triple timer, and I often have all three timers set. Burn something that you've worked long and hard on, and you'll understand.
Tongs--Very useful for turning things in hot pans, grabbing spaghetti for serving, grabbing, well, almost anything. At home, I use them to grab errant socks from behind the washer.
Torches--Although we use one at work frequently, I've never felt the need for one at home. I say skip it.
Turntables--Very nice to have, if not absolutely necessary, for icing/decorating cakes.
Whisks--Absolutely necessary for aerating by hand. They come in all different configurations, but my favorite for whipping air into light ingredients quickly is the piano, or balloon whisk.
Wine Keys--A very useful tool for opening wine bottles, and the bonus is you can carry it in your apron pocket.
Zesters--Since the advent of the Microplane, my zester hasn't gotten much of a workout. Enough said.
Can't find what you're looking for? Use the handy-dandy search function to search this site or the entire web!
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