Cooking Stack Exchange
Cooking Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [equipment]

Questions on selecting, maintaining, and using cooking tools and equipment.

Any piece of equipment typically found in a kitchen and/or used in the preparation of food should be given this tag. Both utensils and appliances are considered equipment.

Not all equipment questions are on topic for this site. Please refer to the categories and examples below:

On Topic

  • Operation

    • How important is it to preheat my oven?
    • How can I safely use a blender with hot liquids?
    • Is it safe to make tomato- or wine-based sauce in a cast iron pan?

  • Evaluation and Selection

    • What should I look for when purchasing a blender?
    • What are the practical differences between a gas vs. induction range?
    • Is there a tool/appliance available that can help me grate onions faster?

  • Care and Maintenance

    • How do I clean a wooden cutting board?
    • How do I season a cast-iron pan?
    • Why shouldn't I put knives in the dishwasher?

Off Topic

  • Installation and Repair

    • Where can I find a replacement gasket for my blender?
    • How do I fix my broken ice maker?
    • Can I install a 40 amp oven/range in a 50 amp receptacle?

  • General Recommendations/Reviews

    • Any experiences with the Acme X-Slice 4000?
    • Which microwave should I buy?
      Note that exceptions may occasionally be made for product searches fitting a very narrow criteria. Ask these only if you have already attempted to locate a specific type of product via normal channels (Google, Amazon, etc.)

Additional Guidelines

  • Questions about equipment should not be considered off-topic based solely on the specific type of equipment being discussed. If it is typically found in the kitchen and used to prepare food, it is eligible.

  • Questions about specific models may be too localized, if very few people own that model or it's sold only in a very small geographic area. But questions about specific manufacturers or models which are widely sold and known are fine. For example, asking about a detail of KitchenAid mixers, which are extremely common in the US, is not much more localized than asking about stand mixers. But asking about your custom-commissioned RoboJetWhizzer 9X47J food processor/spray applicator is too localized.

See here for a more detailed explanation of these points.

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What is this cutting spatula with holes? (See photo)

What is this tool? What is it called and what is it for? It's like a steel angled spatula with a cutting end and holes on the tip. It's not big (see the finger for reference), little more than a centimeter wide in the tip. The cord in the photo is…
dmcontador
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Dishwasher safety - "top shelf" vs. "bottom shelf"

The instruction manual for some of my kitchen equipment says "Dishwasher safe (top shelf)". What difference is there between what an object on the top shelf of a dishwasher experiences, and what happens to an object on the bottom shelf? What are the…
slim
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Why is it necessary to preheat an oven?

Just about every recipe advises to preheat the oven before using it. I often forget this, but luckily this doesn't seem to matter all that much. Hence my question: why would it be necessary to preheat the oven?
Dimitri C.
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What is this glass object for?

I inherited a bar set. It has a wide variety of glassware, all of which I recognize except this piece The bottom portion holds a 1/2 cup. There is a small hole connecting the top and bottom. The top section is about 2in in diameter with a 3/4 inch…
StrongBad
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Nonstick cookware or not?

I am looking to replace my >10 year old Calphalon nonstick cookware. I can see the nonstick surface coming off the pans, and am starting to worry about how much of that is getting into our food. I love the ease of cleaning nonstick cookware, but am…
BetsyB
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What is the use of this strange contraption on this serving fork?

I just bought an old fork + knife set at a flea market. The kind of big cutlery that is used to cut and serve chicken, roasted meat, whatever. The strange thing is that the fork has a moving part on the top of it. I don't know how to describe it, so…
dim
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What does a healthy cast iron skillet look like?

I've read plenty about how to restore and season cast iron, but I have no clue whether any of the old cast iron I've inherited could benefit from this. Is healthy cast iron black? or should it be somewhat metallic looking (ie. a bit silvery, like…
Colin K
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Does ceramic non-stick cookware "fail", and if so, how?

I've heard of pans with ceramic non-stick surfaces; it seems some reports on internet say they may "fail" in about 6 months. How can these pans "fail"? Do ceramic-coated pans require non-stick-friendly devices? Normal nonstick surfaces fail by…
anonymous
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How to prevent liquids from spilling when pouring from measuring cup?

One problem I've had that I know others have too is when pouring from those Pyrex glass measuring cups. I just saw it happen in the Binging with Babish video: Is there any good way to prevent this? I've tried pouring fast and slow, but it always…
TheStrangeQuark
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Why not put knives in the dishwasher?

What is it about the dishwasher that harms knives? The only reasons I've found are: You could get cut... I personally have a greater change of getting cut by trying to wash them by hand. The blades can damage the plastic-coated metal shelves... so…
JustRightMenus
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What can I use for a Crème brûlée if I don't have a blow torch?

I've always wanted to make a Crème brûlée but I don't have a blow torch to burn the top with. Is there anything else I can use to get that nice crunchy caramel on top?
lomaxx
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Slow cooking without a slow cooker

I frequently hear people telling me about how wonderful their slow cookers (AKA "crock pot") are. In many cases they're right - meat that tends to come out tough in normal cooking comes out very tender from a slow cooker. But do I really need a…
Aaronut
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Can my freezer be too cold?

The FDA recommends a freezer temperature of 0˚F (-18˚C). Warmer temperatures risk bacterial growth and quality problems. But what are the reasons not to set the freezer colder? My Bosch freezer can be set as low as -8˚F (-22˚C). The only downsides I…
Doug
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What are the benefits of using a dedicated rice cooker, rather than just cooking rice in a pot?

For which reasons should I use a dedicated rice cooker, instead of cooking rice in a pot?
apaderno
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Is it normal to see flames inside my self-cleaning oven?

I spilled some sauce in the oven, so I decided to clean it today. I wiped the bottom and glass door, but the rest of the stuff was crusty and stuck to the bottom of the oven. I started the cycle and went about my business. About 15 minutes later I…
Michael Moussa
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