Glossary

Acrylic finish : A treatment for the exterior surfaces of aluminum or stainless steel; allows for a variety of colors to be applied to the cookware.

Acrylic silkscreen : A decorative process in which a special ink or paste is forced through a design on a screen and bonded to metal at high temperature.

Angel Food Pan : The angel food pan also known as a Tube Pan is a round, high-sided pan with a hollow cylinder in the center that provides the traditional angel food cake shape.

Apple Corer : An apple corer is an inexpensive utensil that removes the core of an apple while leaving the apple whole.

Aluminum : One of the two principal metals used in cookware; lightweight, excellent conductor of heat and relatively inexpensive.

Anodized Finish : A treatment for aluminum cookware, created by an electrochemical process that increases the thickness of the natural oxide film of aluminum.

Baking Tray : Large and small, aluminum or stainless steel tray for baking purposes.

Bamboo Steamer : A special kind of steamer made from bamboo strips used in Chinese cooking specially for steaming dimsums.

Baby Spoon : Specially sized spoon tailored for a baby, 12 - 24 months.

Bar Knife : Citrus fruit slicer. Includes cap lifter.

Bon Bon Nut Spoon : Perfect for serving small bon bons.

Bronze Castings : An old world art. Hollow fittings are made by a craftsperson who pours molten metal into bronze molds of fittings, utensils, handles, feet, finials, spouts, candleholders etc.

Baster : Basters are used to lift the fat and liquids from the bottom of a roasting pan and then pour that liquid over the meat, keeping the meat moist, adding more flavor, and creating a glaze as it cooks.

Box Grater : This grater is different from your regular flat grater. It can handle a variety of foods, from cinnamon to chocolate, cheese to vegetables.

Butler Finish : A mellow surface luster originally the result of years of hand rubbing by English butlers. Today it is imitated by applying a revolving wire wheel to a silver product.

Brush : Brushes made of natural bristles, such as boar bristles, or nylon are used to brush crumbs off cakes, brush excess flour from doughs and apply syrups, glazes and melted butter.

Butter Pick : Designed for individual servings of original or flavored butter balls or butter pats.

Blender : Blenders are excellent for mixing drinks, grinding spices, puréeing foods and making smooth sauces.

Bakeware : Products used for foods, which cook by absorbing heat from the surrounding hot air, as in an oven.

Capacities : Liquid measurements; measured at full level, except where otherwise noted. Allowable manufacturing tolerance is plus or minus 5 percent of total volume.

Cast Aluminum : The result of molten aluminum being poured into molds made in the shape of cookware.

Cast Iron : One of the oldest materials used in cookware; made from molten alloys, often covered with porcelain exterior and interior finishes.

Cutlery : Machine-made knives using less craftsmanship than forged cutlery. Usually does not include a metal bolster, and may also be referred to as "cold pressed" cutlery.

Cake Comb : This triangular metal or plastic tool with saw-tooth edges is used to make patterns in frosting.

Cake Tester : A cake tester is a long wire used to test cakes for doneness. Wooden toothpicks can also be used in place of a cake tester.

Carving Board : A carving board, usually made of hardwood, is similar to a cutting board, but it has a "gutter" around the edges or down the center to catch meat juices.

Chrome-plate : A finish created by a three-step electrolytic process, in which copper, nickel chromium are applied to a steel core.

Cookie Cutter : Cookie cutters of metal or plastic cut round, square or decorative shapes from cookie dough.

Cookie Press : A cookie press consists of a tube that is filled with cookie dough and a mechanism that pushes the dough through decorative disks.

Cooling Rack : A cooling rack is a raised wire rack used to cool baked goods. It is raised to allow air circulation around the baking pan, which hastens cooling and prevents steam accumulation.

Custard Cup : Custard cups are individual dishes made of ovenproof glass or ceramic suitable for desserts such as baked custard and crème brûlée.

Clad : Usually refers to the bonding of one metal to another, such as copper to stainless steel, in a way that takes advantage of the characteristics of both metals.

Copper : The metal's ability to conduct heat evenly makes it especially effective for top-of-range cooking.

Chakla and Belan : Chakla is a small marble or wooden platform and belan is the rolling pin usually made of wood. They are used for rolling doughs.

Cooking Spoon : A kitchen utensil that is used for several purposes, such as stirring, serving and transferring food. It has a bowl shaped head attached to a handle.

Chopping Board : It is made of food grade fiber for the purpose of cutting and chopping food items on it.

Cast Iron Pot : A type of cookware constructed of a heavy metal material known as cast iron, which is a good material for cooking foods. Cast iron absorbs heat well, retaining the warmth and distributing it evenly across the length and width of the cookware.

Cling Film : A transparent food grade ultra thin plastic sheet used for covering cooked, uncooked food kept in food trays, bowls etc.

Couplers : A grooved insert and ring for the decorating bags that allows tip changes without changing bags. The coupler has two parts; the inner coupler base and the outer coupler ring.

Colander : Round, deep utensil with lots of holes meant to drain liquid and retain the residue for further processing.

Conical Strainer : A grooved stainless steel conical sieve used for straining soups, sauces etc.

Degchi : A pot of metal normally with good depth, round in shape. Generally used in Indian cooking provided with a lid.

Decorator Brush : Nylon brush used for color striping and smoothing icing details.

Decorating Bags : Decorating bags are lightweight, flexible, reinforced for strength and can be reused. Decorating bags are made of either polyester or disposable plastic.

Dough Scraper : A dough scraper is a rectangular implement, usually with a wooden handle and a metal blade. It is used for loosening and turning dough and for scraping excess dough from the work surface.

Demitasse Spoon : Ideal for serving coffee, tea or other after dinner refreshments.

Dessert Server : Essential for serving most desserts including cakes, pies and pastries.

Dessert/Oval Spoon : Essential for puddings, ice cream cakes, and other soft desserts.

Egg Separator : An egg separator is a metal or plastic utensil that allows the egg white to fall through openings, leaving the egg yolk separate and intact.

Egg Slicer : An egg slicer is a tool designed to cut perfect slices of hard-cooked eggs with thin wires.

Electric Griddle : A tabletop griddle that uses an electric element as its heat source. They contain a large flat cooking surface and generally have a ridge around the outside edge to catch grease or juices from the food as it cooks.

Food Processor : An electric equipment run by motor used to break down food items or for blending and other purposes.

Frying Pan : A shallow thick bottom pan used for shallow frying.

Flameproof : Refers to cookware that is resistant to fire and heat so that is can be safely used for cooking on top of a stove or for use in the oven.

Grater : An equipment which has sharp grooves of different sizes meant for grating.

Gauge : A term used to describe the thickness of aluminum utensils. Gauge usually is described by a number.

Grill Pan : A piece of cookware that is used to grill foods. Typically a heavy metal pan containing ridges spaced evenly across the bottom, the grill pan is built to closely simulate the grilling process for cooking various meats and foods.

Garlic Press : A quick and easy tool that presses a clove of garlic in place of fine chopping.

Handi : It is made of brass and the cooking surface is coated with tin. It has a neck that is narrower than the base.

Loaf Pan : Loaf pans are used for baking yeast breads, quick breads, loaf-shaped cakes, and meat loaf.

Kadhai : A deep frying pan made of various metals and alloys.

Knife : A sharp edged tool used for cutting.

Muslin Cloth : A thin loosely woven cotton cloth used for fine straining purpose such as to drain curds, strain juices or often used to line a sieve.

Marble Mortar & Pestle : A great tool that helps you release the most flavor from herbs and spices. Perfect for grinding herbs, spices and nuts into pastes or powders.

Meat Mallet : Also called a meat tenderizer, a meat mallet is a hammer like tool that has a head marked with a waffled surface. It flattens the meat while breaking surface fibers.

Melon Baller : A melon baller is a small tool that shapes melon into perfect balls. It is also useful for coring apple halves and scooping out cherry tomatoes prior to stuffing.

Metal Spatula : Metal spatulas are tools with narrow thin metal blades attached to plastic or wooden handles. They are ideal for spreading.

Metal Tongs : Provide you with great control while turning over food items during cooking, or anything else. Makes for safer and easier handling of foods.

Nozzle : A small conical tool used to force out pulp in varoius shapes.

Non Stick Coating : A coating applied to the surface of cookware and bakeware to prevent food from sticking.

Parat : A big round plate with high side rims, which is generally used for kneading dough.

Pauni : A perforated spoon meant for frying.

Piping Bag : A conical bag with an opening for a nozzle, made of cloth and lined with plastic.

Potato Peeler : An implement with a sharp groove and a serrated edge on one side to peel potatoes and other firm fruits and vegetables.

Pot Holder : A thick piece of quilted material or woven pad used to protect your hands from the heat of hot cookware, casseroles, or other hot items that cannot be handled with bare hands.

Pressure Cooker : A stove pot hermetically sealed, in which steam pressure builds up so that foods cook quickly at temperatures above boiling point.

Pulveriser : A heavy duty electrical grinding machine with a very high speed of grinding and breaking down of ingredients.

Pots and Pans : Pots generally refer to high, straight sided cookware that will often contain larger quantities of items. Pans may refer to frying pans, cake pans or many other different types of kitchen cookware that have lower depth sides and a variety of shapes and sizes.

Pastry Bag : A pastry bag is a cone-shaped bag made of canvas, plastic or plastic-lined cloth. It is used to pipe foods, such as frosting, whipped cream, cream puff dough and mashed potatoes, in a decorative pattern.

Pastry Blender : This hand-held tool consists of several u-shaped wires or metal blades attached to a handle. It is used to cut butter or shortening into flour, which is an essential step in pastry making.

Pastry Cloth : Made of canvas, a pastry cloth is used to roll out pastry. When well floured, it minimizes sticking.

Pizza Wheel : A pizza wheel is a round metal wheel attached to a handle. It can be rolled across pizza to cut it.

Porcelain Enamel : A glassy material which bonds to metal at a very high temperature producing a glossy coating.

Porcelain Silkscreen : A decorative process in which a special porcelain enamel is forced through a design on a screen.

Round Spoon : A stainless steel spoon with rounded base to help in lifting off gravy or other moist preparations.

Scooper : A tool used to scoop out fruits, vegetables or ice creams in spherical shapes of different sizes.

Satin Finish : A treatment to improve heat absorption. Applied to the exterior bottom by a brushing operation.

Stainless Steel : One of the two principal metals used in cookware, extremely durable, smooth and scratch-resistant.

Sieve : A tool of equal sized grooves, used for removing impurities and separating grains of different sizes. It is available in various sized grooves for different purposes.

Slicer Spoon : A flat spoon with horizontal grooves on it.

Spatula : A flat spoon of a definite shape made of plastic or rubber widely used in bakery for the purpose of mixing ingredients and for smoothening the surface.

Steam Driven : An entry-level espresso machine. Water must first come to a boil before being forced through the grinds. Makes four shots of espresso at a time; then the machine must cool before additional cups are made.

Skimmer : Great for sweeping away the fat from stocks and soups. Also good for straining vegetables from water etc.

Scraper : Ideal tool for those who make their own pasta, or pastry, bread and pizza dough. Use it for cutting, cleaning and scraping the dough.

Steamer : A type of cookware consisting of inserts or layers with perforations in the bottom, that are assembled together and used to cook food with the use of steam.

Tandoor : A clay, baking chamber which is heated with the live coals. It is used for baking various Indian breads, tikkas and other tandoori items.

Tawa : A slightly concave thick iron/non stick pan used for cooking Indian breads like chapati, paratha etc.

Toppers : Toppers are great for finishing touches for cakes and cup cakes.

Tin-plate : A core metal, usually steel, covered with tin on all sides. Highly-resistant to denting and scratching, this material often is used in bakeware.

Top-of-range : The largest segment of cookware business. Refers to products which cook by direct contact with the heat source.

Timer : Many ranges, ovens and microwave ovens have built-in timers. Free-standing timers are also available.

Tongs : Tongs are indispensable for turning foods, especially meat that is best not pierced with a fork.

Turner : Turners are ideal for turning and lifting foods. They may be made of metal or plastic.

Thali : A big plate, with straight rims, made of aluminium, stainless steel or brass. Traditionally Indian food is always served in a thali. It can also be used as a lid, to cover a vessel.

Tin Cutter : A tool used for cutting open the lids of a food can or container.

Whisk : An accessory made with a length of stainless steel (mostly) wire shaped in a balloon shape with a handle at its one end.

Wire Whisk : A stainless steel wire coiled to resemble a balloon, used for beating of eggs, cream etc. to incorporate air and make it lighter in texture or for blending of sauces. Wok : Similar to a kadai, made of very thin iron metal. It enables the heat to penetrate the food items easily for faster cooking used specially in Chinese cuisine.

Waterless Cooking : Only a small amount of liquid is used. Food cooks by constant formation of steam rather than boiling.