double boiler
Category: Tool
Definition: A piece of equipment, similar to a bain-marie, in which delicate food such as chocolate or custard is gently heated in a smaller pot that fits tightly into a larger pot that contains water that is used to create the steam that conducts the heat. Unlike a bain-marie, the smaller pot rests above the water, and is not immersed in it

knife
Category: Tool
Definition: A sharpened tool usually made of metal or ceramic used to slice, chop or spread ingredients. Cooking knives can come in a wide variety of sizes, from finger-sized paring knives, to intimidating bruisers used in butchery. In an average kitchen, the most useful and used knife is a chef's or French knife, which typically runs eight to 10 inches and is triangular in shaped, used for most basic cooking needs. A paring knife is used to core or peel the skin off vegetables and fruit, or for dicing or slicing ingredients that require delicacy. Bread knives are serrated so that they can slice through without crushing or tearing the bread. Boning knives are sharp, thin and flexible and, as the name implies, remove bones from meat. Butter knives are blunt at-table utensils used for spreading as opposed to cutting; steak knives perform that function in a service. There are a wide variety of other types of knives - if there's a specific job to be done in a kitchen, it's likely there's a knife designed especially for it

grate, grater, Microplane
Category: Technique, Tool
Definition: 1. To pass an ingredient over a serrated tool to create short shreds of it 2. A utensil consisting of a metal plate with sharp perforations and (usually) a handle, for grating

grill
Category: Technique, Tool
Definition: 1. To quickly cook food over an open flame or directly over another heat source (such as charcoal), using high, direct heat. (As opposed to barbecuing, which slowly uses low, indirect heat.) 2. A tool consisting of a wire grid and container for a heat source on which food is grilled

mandoline
Category: Tool
Definition: 1. A utensil used to make uniform slices that can be extremely thin, consisting of a sturdy platform with a razor-sharp blade in the center against which ingredients are slid

mezzaluna
mehz-ah-LOON-ah
Category: Tool
Origin: Italian
Defintion: A kind of knife with one or two curved or half-moon-shaped blades, each topped with a handle, used to mince or chop herbs

hibachi
hih-BAH-chee
Category: Tool
Origin: Japanese
Definition: A small grill heated by charcoal (properly called shichirin in Japan)

microwave
Category: Tool, technique
Definition: 1. A microwave oven, or simply microwave, is a device that cooks by using radiation to excite water molecules in food. 2. To microwave is to use a microwave oven to prepare something

food mill
Category: Tool
Definition: A kitchen utensil used to mash and sieve foods

food processor
Category: Tool
Definition: A utensil that chops, shreds, purees, mixes and kneads ingredients