REVscene Automotive Forum

REVscene Automotive Forum (https://www.revscene.net/forums/)
-   Food & Fine Dining (https://www.revscene.net/forums/food-fine-dining_33/)
-   -   "MUST HAVE" cooking utensils (https://www.revscene.net/forums/650659-must-have-cooking-utensils.html)

Santofu 07-29-2011 12:16 PM

"MUST HAVE" cooking utensils
 
I have this cooking program at VCC for the rest of the summer, however, my teacher told me to bring my own cooking utensils...

I bought this toolbox to store these utensils and keep it secure. BUT I don't know which utensils to buy for the school and outside such as bbq, catering or friend's house. So I don't mind carrying it everywhere.

LsquareD 07-29-2011 12:32 PM

If you don't have any utensils, just buy the basic knife kit at VCC. I believe it was around $180? It pretty much have all the things I'm going to list.

You pretty much need:

French Knife
Serrated Knife
Paring Knife
Boning Knife
Honing Steel
Wooden Spoon
Rubber Spatula (Heat Resistant)
Measuring Cups + Spoons
Wooden Spoon
Peeler
Metal Tongs
Pastry Brush
Whisk
Meat Thermometer
Offset Spatula (Large + Small) - You won't need this until baking but still good to have before that.

That's pretty much the main things I used in VCC. Enjoy the course! It's super fun.

Santofu 07-29-2011 01:03 PM

Should i buy FULL metal tongs or those coloured ones? I found this black bottom with metal tongs.

SpuGen 07-29-2011 01:21 PM

You mean the Silicone ones?

Both work. Just depends what you want really.
The full steel ones are easier to keep clean, and they usually have a better grip.

cho 07-29-2011 02:21 PM

i like using metal ones for everything
got 3 pairs in my kit, small, med, med-large
the plastic/sillicone ones are like kinda flimsy and like just not that good to use, or so i think

lowside67 07-29-2011 02:43 PM

Regarding tongs... I use my all metal ones 95% of the time, basically always except when I'm working with a teflon frying pan since you dont want to scratch the teflon.

Mark

xxxrsxxx 07-29-2011 11:38 PM

do you mind telling me what course/program you're in? I'm also interested in looking for a part time course offered through a few months

scottsman 07-30-2011 12:49 AM

unless you have knife guards and a good way to store your equipment I would go with a knife roll. Tips and edge of your knives will be moving around the tool box and will dull. If you buy the set from VCC it should come with the knife roll. It also looks silly for cooks to walk around with a red box.

-DONT buy expensive paring knives
-Get at least one good standard chef knife. The Victorinox is a good starter but as you move into your later blocks and then the industry it is good to have something better quality.

Culverin 07-30-2011 02:23 AM

Ok, let's take what I say with a hefty grain of salt. I'm a home cook and definitely far from a pro. What I've learned is from youtube and goofing off at home and at church.

- Global knives with their VG10 core get crazy sharp, have a decent balance between a thin blade and a strong bland and retain their edge very well. Their non-forged cooks knife is one of the better bang-for-buck pieces out there. I have a japanese hand forged custom (~$250), a global 5" mini santoku and a shun Kaji Cleaver (SG-2 core from their elite line). If I had to, I would go with a single global knife. But from what I've heard, the handle is either a love-it or hate-it deal. I'm close to loving it, but it's just a touch small for me.

- Get a cheap paring knife and just sharpen it yourself frequently.

- Get a decent sharpening stone at home and just touch up your knives frequently.

- Get a honing rod. When you try going through tomatoes with an un-honed knife, you'll see when the honing rod comes into play. It's a night and day difference.

- Spend the bit of extra money on blade guards, it'll cost you less than 1/2 a lunch each, and gives you safety and confidence in taking your kit everywhere you go. Also your edges won't get nicked. Prevention is better than having to do repair.

- Sturdy tools are nice, a sturdy tool will have predictable behavior and won't flex at the weirdest of times.

- I'm not sure how it is at VCC, but just kill me now if I don't have access to a decent kitchen towel. I've definitely gotten accustomed to the one I use at home. Is it taken as tacky if you bring your own?

- Spoon for tasting and plating.

- Tongs, find something that suits you. You'll probable need a long pair for a very hot stove top and a shorter one for more detail work.

- A small/medium sized whisk. I don't know what the pros use to make a vinaigrette, but after you've whisked eggs and dressings with a true baloon whisk, a fork just doesn't quite cut it anymore.

- Bread knife. Try cutting a harder ciabatta with a chefs knife. You're going to hate it if have to do anything more than 2 loaves. Even a cheap bread knife is better than none at all.

Culverin 07-30-2011 02:28 AM

Side question. I picked up these tongs at some chinese clearance place near Ikea (richmond) a couple years back. They are like your standard metal tongs, but with silicon inserted pads in the handle. They also have a locking mechanism at the top, not a metal loop but rather some sort of hinge that locks when you pull the knob at the top out.

I really love the silicon pads as it's always comfortable to hold even if I get sloppy and leave them near the flame. They have a riveted hinge at the top, and a metal tips. This means they don't wobble at the hinge or tip.


I don't need them bbq-strength, but something for my daily inside kitchen. Something similar to this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ling-tongs.png



Any suggestions guys? I'm willing to spend just a bit more on these cause they will be one of my staple tools.

SpuGen 07-30-2011 04:12 AM

Ming Wo - Vancouvers Original Store for Cooks

/thread :fullofwin:

Santofu 07-30-2011 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxxrsxxx (Post 7529156)
do you mind telling me what course/program you're in? I'm also interested in looking for a part time course offered through a few months

Sorry, it is for high school culinary students who are thinking or planning to go to VCC to learn how the program works, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Culverin (Post 7529246)
- I'm not sure how it is at VCC, but just kill me now if I don't have access to a decent kitchen towel. I've definitely gotten accustomed to the one I use at home. Is it taken as tacky if you bring your own?

VCC provide us their clothing and towels... Any towels works well tho. It doesn't matter which brand as long you can use until it is in horrible condition and throw in the garbage. BUT I prefer lightweight towels, if you use heavyweight towels, the water will soak up more than lightweight and will stain your apron. But it's just me.


Does anyone knows where to get a plastic liquid measuring cup? Not this piece of shit that I don't even understand how this shit works...
http://mingwo.com/media/catalog/prod...D1050585_3.jpg
It looks inaccurate measurement to me

lowside67 07-30-2011 01:57 PM

Um... no - that is perfectly accurate. They just give you a different direction to read the measurements so you can see it from the top instead of having to put it on a counter and look at it dead from the side.

scottsman 07-30-2011 07:57 PM

hoard and steal as many towels as you can at VCC. It sucks only having 2 towels everyday. Aprons too.

The tongs with the locking mechanism are very annoying to use because often the lock will just slip in. Whenever I purchase kitchen equipment I keep it simple. Just get some basic tongs, don't worry about locks or rubber or whatever else. Don't be fooled by the colorful crap they have in stores now that are marketed towards housewives. No professional cook would be caught dead with any of that shit. K.I.S.S.

Globals are ok but because they have no bolster like the Wusthofs I would keep getting blisters from the way I hold the knife. Had the same problem with the ones from the knife kit.

Pretty much everything Culverin recommended comes in the VCC knife kit aside from the sharpening stone.

Sentinel 08-06-2011 09:19 PM

You're better off buying the VCC Victorianox kit. It's under $200 and you pretty much everything LSquare listed other then a thermometer.

You get:
- 10" chef knife
- 10" serrated/bread knife
- 6" boning knife
- pairing knife
- wooden spoon
- large whisk
- heat resistant rubber spatula
- peeler (although this one sucks, just get a new one)
- steel
- measuring spoons
- knife roll

Hmmm am I missing anything?
Posted via RS Mobile


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:01 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
SEO by vBSEO ©2011, Crawlability, Inc.
Revscene.net cannot be held accountable for the actions of its members nor does the opinions of the members represent that of Revscene.net