The Spider Skimmer: Asia’s Gift to Global Kitchens
A spider (simplified Chinese: 笊篱; traditional Chinese: 笊籬; pinyin: zhàolí) is a type of skimmer prevalent in East Asian cuisine in the form of a wide shallow wire-mesh basket with a long handle, used for removing hot food from a liquid or skimming foam off when making broths. The name is derived from the wire pattern, which looks like a spider’s web. This deceptively simple tool has become a favorite among professional chefs because of its reliability and versatility.
It has been widely adopted in Western cuisine by cooks who favour the open mesh over slotted spoons for faster and safer drainage. The spider’s versatility amazes even experienced chefs who discover new applications regularly. Professional kitchens rely on them for tasks ranging from frying shallots or pickles, soft boiling eggs (which we do a lot of in my house); it’s also great for delicately flipping chicken cutlets to get the perfect golden brown crust. One of my favorite hacks is to use it to rinse berries for my kids after school or to strain steamed veggies.
The spider’s mesh design allows hot oil to drain instantly while preventing dangerous splashing. The best thing about it is that it doesn’t matter if you buy an expensive one or cheap one – they all work the same. You can spend $5 or $50 and the functionality is identical. The $50 spider is certainly better for the camera, but at home I stick to my trusty $5 spider and it’s just as reliable. Chinese restaurants worldwide still use this centuries-old design because no modern alternative matches its efficiency.
The Tamis: Medieval Precision for Modern Kitchens
A tamis is another kitchen tool with a history dating back centuries. Originating in the Middle Ages, a tamis sieve or tamis drum is made up of a metal cylindrical edge, a bit like the sides of a circular cake tin, with fine metal mesh covering the middle. This ancient tool transforms ordinary ingredients into restaurant-quality preparations through its unique flat-bottom design.
The crux of the tamis’s magic is in its flat mesh bottom. Unlike, say, a colander or a cylindrical strainer, the horizontal bottom allows for a more even and controlled straining experience, especially if you coax the substance through with a scraper. Professional chefs prize the tamis for creating pomme purée, which is an unconventional way to make ultra-creamy mashed potatoes with no lumps whatsoever. You just can’t get the same results using a handheld potato masher.
The tamis excels at tasks where texture matters most. It has a range of functions in the kitchen, and works by passing soft foods through the mesh to make them smooth. French pastry chefs rely on them for silky custards and perfectly smooth fruit purées that would be impossible to achieve otherwise. Though for many the tamis may be nothing new, for me it’s opened an entire world of culinary possibility.
The Chinois: France’s Answer to Perfect Straining
A chinois, also known as a bouillon strainer, jelly strainer, or China cap, strains and purees fruit, vegetables, and berries for silky smooth preparations that define fine dining. This conical mesh strainer with its distinctive pointed shape allows chefs to create crystal-clear consommés and velvet-smooth sauces that distinguish professional kitchens from home cooking.
The chinois works through gravity and gentle pressure, filtering liquids drop by drop through increasingly fine mesh. Professional chefs often use a ladle or pestle to push ingredients through the mesh, extracting maximum flavor while eliminating unwanted particles. Fine-mesh chinois is made of stainless steel mesh with a comfortable and durable exoglass handle, making it suitable for hot preparations.
Restaurant kitchens maintain multiple chinois strainers with different mesh densities for various applications. The finest versions create consommés so clear they appear almost like colored water, while coarser mesh versions handle heartier preparations. French culinary schools still teach proper chinois technique as fundamental training because machine alternatives cannot match its precision.
The Mandoline: Precision Slicing Since the 1700s
Professional kitchens worldwide rely on mandoline slicers for consistent results impossible to achieve by hand. Mandoline slicers are great for slicing large quantities of vegetables or even if you just want thin or julienne slices. They are easy to use and worth the effort although you must be careful when using these sharp tools! These adjustable slicing machines trace their origins to 18th-century France, where they revolutionized kitchen prep work.
Back in the day the standard was the French, steel mandolin. Simple to operate with a lever to change thickness. Modern professional kitchens often prefer Japanese-style mandolines for their superior engineering and easier maintenance. The tool’s precision allows chefs to create uniform cuts that cook evenly and present beautifully.
Safety remains paramount when using mandolines, as their razor-sharp blades can cause serious injuries. If you are a novice cook or just trying to perfect your knife skills, these gloves may be just what you need in the kitchen to build your confidence. Even professional chefs use them in high stress environments when risks of cutting yourself are high! Professional kitchens maintain strict protocols around mandoline use, requiring cut-resistant gloves and proper training.
Superbags: Modern Innovation from Ancient Principles
This simple bit of kit is more clever and useful than it may at first appear. A superbag is a sort of flexible, very fine, sieve. They are heat resistant, reusable, and affordable, starting at around $5 per bag. While superbags represent relatively recent innovation, they solve age-old culinary challenges using principles chefs have employed for centuries.
You might think it’s an unnecessary tool if you already have a mesh sieve, but a superbag is a game changer because it’s capable of filtering liquids much more thoroughly, resulting in crystal-clear stocks, sauces, and consommées worthy of a fine dining restaurant. Professional chefs use superbags to achieve clarity levels impossible with traditional straining methods, creating presentations that seem almost magical to diners.
The superbag’s flexibility allows it to conform to any container shape, making it invaluable for small-batch preparations. One popular use for superbags is to create your own nut milks at home by soaking the nuts of your choice in water, draining and blending them with cold water, and then allowing the milky liquid to drip-filter through the superbag. The superbag ensures the nut milk has a satisfyingly smooth color and consistency. Restaurant pastry departments particularly value them for creating ultra-refined bases for desserts.
Chef’s Tweezers: Precision Plating Tools
We’re on the line (our kitchen counters) using Japanese knives and chef’s tweezers and squeeze bottles to perfect our masterpieces. These precision instruments allow chefs to place individual microgreens, arrange delicate garnishes, and adjust presentations with surgical accuracy. What began as borrowed surgical instruments evolved into specialized culinary tools designed specifically for food handling.
Professional chefs use various tweezer lengths and tip configurations for different applications. Fine-tipped versions handle delicate herbs and small garnishes, while broader tips manage larger elements without crushing. The best chef’s tweezers feature non-slip grips and perfectly aligned tips that meet exactly when closed, preventing food from slipping during placement.
Modern molecular gastronomy techniques rely heavily on precision tweezers for handling transformed ingredients and creating intricate presentations. Restaurant plating stations stock multiple tweezers because contamination requires immediate replacement during service. The tools bridge the gap between cooking and artistry, enabling chefs to realize their creative visions with unprecedented precision.
Japanese Kitchen Shears: Multi-Purpose Precision
Get a good pair of kitchen shears and you’ll wonder how you lived without it. Trim fish fins, shellfish, cut raw or cooked poultry, or even flowers, quickly and safely. You can maneuver a pair of sharp shears much more effectively and safely than a chef’s knife. Quality kitchen scissors surpass knives for numerous tasks, offering control and versatility that dedicated cutting tools cannot match.
Professional kitchens rely on shears for tasks ranging from trimming herbs to breaking down poultry and preparing seafood. Depending on how much cooking you do, our recommendation is to buy a professional one and it will be a pleasure each time you use it and will last you for years! We have used this model below for years, like the simplicity of the design and have really never had the need to sharpen it. Japanese manufacturers produce shears specifically designed for culinary applications, featuring specialized blade shapes and ergonomic handles.
The versatility of quality kitchen shears extends beyond basic cutting tasks. Professional chefs use them for precise garnish work, portion control, and even delicate sauce plating techniques. Their ability to access tight spaces and provide controlled cutting makes them indispensable for intricate preparation work that would be awkward or dangerous with traditional knives.
Wooden Spoons: The Unsung Heroes
While modern kitchens overflow with silicone, plastic, and metal utensils, wooden spoons maintain their essential role in professional cooking. Their non-conductive properties make them safe for high-temperature cooking, while their surface won’t scratch delicate pan coatings or react with acidic ingredients. Professional chefs often develop personal relationships with favorite wooden spoons, using them for decades.
The grain structure of different wood types affects cooking performance in subtle ways. Beechwood spoons resist staining and odor absorption, while olive wood offers natural antimicrobial properties. Professional kitchens often maintain collections of wooden spoons dedicated to specific tasks, preventing flavor transfer between preparations.
Wooden spoons excel at tasks where gentle stirring matters most, such as risotto preparation or delicate sauce emulsification. Their ability to scrape pan bottoms without damage makes them invaluable for deglazing and fond development. Despite modern alternatives, wooden spoons remain irreplaceable tools in professional kitchens worldwide.
Tradition Meets Innovation
The professional kitchen has always been a place of innovation, from establishing the brigade system to last-minute menu changes on the fly. While cooking is about instinct, it’s also about technology, strategy, and adaptability. These nine tools represent the perfect marriage of historical wisdom and practical necessity that continues to define professional cooking.
What skills will define the next generation of chefs? What tools will transform tomorrow’s menu? While technology advances rapidly, these traditional implements prove that some solutions achieve perfection that cannot be improved upon. Professional kitchens embrace both cutting-edge innovation and time-tested tools because great cooking requires the right instrument for each specific task.
What surprises you most about these enduring kitchen tools? Have you encountered any of these rare implements in professional kitchens or specialty cooking stores?
