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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When baking, is it better to use a gas or electric oven?

I'm looking for an oven and wanted to know if there is any difference between a gas or electric oven when it comes to baking things like cakes, biscuits and scones?
lomaxx
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Why does KitchenAid recommend against using the Dough Hook on Speed 1?

KitchenAid's manual for the stand mixer contains several warnings not to use the dough hook on any speed other than 2. While lots of websites explain how high speeds can overheat the dough, what can go wrong at low speeds?
hunter
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Will using a knife sharpener reduce the lifetime of my knife?

In the long run, is it better to regularly use a knife honer instead of a knife sharpener once in a while to keep the edge sharp?
Alinium
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Which torch to buy for finishing sous vide meat? Butane or propane?

I have started cooking sous vide and am thinking of buying a torch to finish off the meat. I have seen stores selling little butane torches for creme brulees, but some have claimed they are not hot enough and I should use propane. On the other hand,…
luispedro
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What's this "pucker" style hole on my cheese grater for?

Ok, this picture has two sort of weird looking holes, but the one I'm asking about is on the left side of the picture - the metal sort-of puckers up, like it's been punched through from the back side. I've tried this kind of grater to zest things…
TJ Ellis
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How do you properly clean a cutting board and knife to prevent cross contamination?

I have one very nice cutting board that I like to use with my chef's knife. Because I only use this single cutting board and chef's knife, if I have a recipe that calls for cutting raw meat as well as vegetables, I have to take turns with the same…
Ben McCormack
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How does thermal shock affect pans made of different materials?

In another question, I had a little comment-discussion with TFD on the effect of shock cooling on pans. In a nutshell, I said that it is bad for the pan, and he said that especially if the pan is made of steel, it should have been at 500°C for the…
rumtscho
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Is there any way to sous-vide without a machine

I live in an apartment and have limited space to store kitchen gadgets. I don't really like the idea of having a machine that is dedicated to one specific task. I particularly want to get into using sous-vide as a cooking technique, but I don't…
Jacob R
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What is this metal rod with attached razor blade? Found in Nana's Kitchen

Our Nana passed, and we found this in her kitchen. It appears to be well used. That is an ordinary razor blade it is holding. The screw forces the blade into a curve.
Bookaholic
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Which measuring scale should I buy?

I am trying to buy a measuring scale so that I can stop using cups and start measuring by weight. I’m personally not sure which to buy. Here are two options: Can some experienced bakers out there tell me which would be more convenient (in terms of…
Alpha
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What is this old "lemon-squeezer" shaped pan

We found this odd pan at the family's summer cottage. The cottage is in Central Finland, and used to be a croft before my grandfather bought it. This thing has been on the edge of the stove for a while, and nobody seems to know what it is. By the…
HAEM
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Are any retail vacuum-sealing systems worth the expense?

Living alone means that my leftovers tend to go a pretty long way, and I don't end up using raw ingredients as quickly as the supermarkets expect me to. For a while I've been considering investing in a vacuum-sealing system to avoid having to throw…
Aaronut
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Is there evidence that adding salt to water prior to boiling can damage a stainless steel pan?

In the context of boiling water for pasta or other purposes, all over the Internet the advise is oft-repeated that salt should not be added to the water when it is cold in order to prevent damage to the pot such as pitting over long term use. The…
SAJ14SAJ
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Is it really necessary to wash a skillet that will be heated up again soon?

I made some eggs in a cast iron skillet yesterday and didn't wash the skillet. Today I want to make eggs again. Is it really necessary for me to wash the skillet before making more eggs? It would seem to me that heating it up would kill germs that…
davidscolgan
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What is this for? A burger-press?

I've "inherited" this thing a long time ago, and I have no idea what it is. It consists of a cylindrical porcelain bowl with the words "Mason Cash England" stamped in the bottom, a very sturdy cast-iron frame with a screw through and two circular…
j4nd3r53n
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